Behind every good rider...
How to get more out of pillion riding Pocket Guides #16: Pillion Riding
The long overland trip is not just the province of solo riders - lots of two-up couples of all ages have successfully ridden around the world or taken on lengthy trans-continental journeys. While I rarely ride two-up now, when Kevin and I started our motorcycle adventures I was always on the back.
Don’t think because you’re riding two-up, you have to stick to tarmac roads. While it might feel a bit unnerving to ride on unpaved surfaces at first, it can be done - even if it takes a lot more out of you and the rider. In 2003, Kevin and I completed the full length of the Dalton Highway two-up. Back in those days that was an 800-mile return journey on gravel and muddy roads. I wouldn’t recommend it for your first time but the point is that it can be done.
As a couple, touring is hugely rewarding and once you’ve got over the initial unfamiliarity, it embodies the essence of teamwork, compromise, give and take. To combine a passion for travel and bikes with the person you love is an empowering and humbling experience and well worth the effort. Here’s how:
GET ACQUAINTED If you’ve never undertaken a two-up journey before then a good briefing from your rider before you start is essential. Kevin walked me around the bike first so I had a basic understanding of the essential bits of the bike. We also discussed the modifications he was making to get it ready for carrying me and all our gear. That way I felt part of it before I was even on the bike. We also made sure that I was kitted-out properly, so I didn’t suffer from the cold or wet or ill-fitting gear.
ON AND OFF There are two main ways to get on: keep your left foot on the ground and either swing your right leg over or lean back and step across the middle of the seat. The other way is to use the foot-peg a bit like a riding stirrup, stepping up and then stepping over the saddle. The right method for you is determined by your height, weight, leg length, physical flexibility, size of bike and whether there are panniers.
I learnt never to get on or off the bike until Kevin had both feet firmly planted on the ground and gave me the okay. Once dismounted, I would always walk to the back of the bike and hold steady it as he got off. It’s a small thing, but it really helps after a long day of riding.