Safety comes first, so it’s your duty to teach your road companion how to act as a passenger.
Besides from falling, the most annoying thing when riding a motorcycle is an untrained passenger. Seeing so many Youtube videos with motorcycle passengers hitting the asphalt made us put together a simple set of rules to be followed by passengers for a safe ride.
No sudden moves
The person riding on the back seat of your bike should know the holding points. Every type of motorcycle has its particularities. Therefore the rider should take some time before the journey to make sure the road companion is fully aware of the rules. Sudden moves are unexpected for the driver and it will affect not only his focus but also the stability of the bike. Try to make sure she knows when you get a sour bottom and you will get your well deserved pause.
Feet on the pegs
The feet must stay on the pegs while the engine is running. The passenger is allowed to put a leg down only when the journey is over and the driver allows him. Don’t try to help the rider, if you trusted him for a ride let him do his job while you seat nice and steady.
Hands on tight
The hands must be positioned on a certain way to get an effective grip on the motorcycle. Depending on the type o bike the hands must be in different positions. The cruisers come with the most relaxing passenger position. The holding effort is almost close to none. The handles on every side and the top case will be just like an armchair. It’s the same thing with adventure bikes.
Naked and street bikes are a bit different. The passenger can reach the gas tank and the handle behind him. So the rule is simple, both hand work together to hold the upper body weight when braking and accelerating. The position must allow the pilot move freely.
Small rockets like supebikes, are a whole different story. We are not even sure why manufacturers insist on adding a passenger seat. The acceleration and braking on these bikes is very violent.
There are some techniques. With one of your hands you should embrace the pilot and hold your wrist with the other palm facing the gas tank. But this is never enough, it will disturb the driver a lot and your hands will hurt like hell. The trick is to learn to hold with the legs also. When accelerating or braking face the sole against the peg. It will help a lot.
No helmet hits
Everybody hates it. All bikers have a special relationship with their helmets. For a chipped or scratched helmet the bike ride will become a sidewalk trip. Teach the passenger to relax his neck so he won’t act like a spring and hit you every time.
Permission to get on and off the bike
The companion should be patient and wait for permission to get on the bike. There’s a certain procedure for the passenger to hop on the back seat. The driver must hold the bike on an upright position with front brake on. So don’t hurry, you might get you both on the ground with the bike on top.
Leaning
Now this is a totally different story, this part comes only when you gain some experience on the back seat. The rule is simple – try to be a single body while riding. Act like a backpack. Don’t let your ego come first, don’t lean before the driver and the most important – don’t lean against him. Counter leaning will only lift the bike up from the turn and this might come with serious consequences.
Gear-up
It may sound great to go for a quick short ride, but only when you have the minimal gear. Helmet, jeans, gloves, and at least a jacket are mandatory. Even a minor scratch is an expensive price so gear up every time you go on a bike. We know motorcycle outfits are not appealing at all but they leave room for imagination
Communication
Communication between the pilot and passenger is a very important aspect of riding. If you don’t have intercoms try to set up a code for the essential stuff. Simple hands gestures like soft pinching will do the job. Don’t do clumsy stuff you might get some bad feedback.