Riding Two-up
When someone rides in your car as a passenger, you may have to tell them to buckle up, but not much more than that. However, when you're about to take someone for a ride on your bike, someone who's never ridden as a passenger before, they will need considerably more instruction.
Why the difference? Because the passenger becomes part of the motorcycle's geometry. We've seen too many back-seat occupants leaning in the opposite direction as the rider through a sweeping turn. They appear to be trying to keep the motorcycle riding at a 90-degree angle to the road. We've also seen too many passengers bang their heads against the riders when the brakes are applied. And we've seen all too many passengers put their feet down when the bike stops in traffic.
So how do you instruct a new passenger? First, tell them to keep their feet on the pegs at all times until you signal them by turning off the engine. Next, tell them that if you're going to make a left-hand sweeping turn they should look over your left shoulder; right turn, right shoulder. This will bring their weight mass in line with yours and allow you to lean the bike with considerably less resistance. As for braking, or warning the rider of bumps or potholes, we suggest a set of signals. For example, if you see you're about to hit a speed bump, tap the passenger's left knee once. You might tap their knee twice if you want to call attention to something on the road or something you'd like them to see.
When riding in heavy traffic where breaking and accelerating occur often, it's best to have the passenger sit more upright, and if you have a "grab bar" on behind them, ask them to hold onto that. Tell your passenger to tap you on the shoulder once if they need you to stop, twice if they feel you're going too fast, three times if they wants to call your attention to something.
Riding is an adventure and is even more of an adventure when you can share it with someone else, especially when that someone else is right there behind you.
Courtesy Chicago BMW
