Our pillions put a great deal of trust in us – their whole lives, actually. And how we respect their decision, honour their trust (and ‘treasure’ them) is a very important part of enjoying riding together.
Any rider can bring a pillion back home scared and scarred, but can you bring your pillion home wanting more? That’s the standard I set myself when riding with a pillion.
Hopefully some pillion will share their insights along the way.
How can I not grab the bait? I first rode pillion when I was seventeen, and I was terrified – couldn’t relax, and certainly couldn’t say I enjoyed it. Married at 19 and for me it was a relief when we sold our motorbike three years later. Twenty four years later my husband walks in the door and announces he’s buying a Yamaha Fazer 600, ‘picking it up next Friday’! I seriously thought he’d flipped and prepared myself for the worst.
After he picked the bike up from the dealer, I decided the only way to protect myself from feeling any obligation to ride was to have a short ride here and now and forever put to bed the possibility of being told, ‘You haven’t even had a ride, so be quiet!’
Plucking up all my courage, feeling the fear, I did it anyway – hopped on the back and went around a big block. Suddenly we were back at the front gate. ‘Please, Sir, I want some more’, I found myself saying! Off we went again, a little longer this time. The fear leaked out fast, and I felt thoroughly fed up with myself for enjoying something ‘so reckless’ so much. The rider took it easy and always did, and I am happy to say that I am wreckless and that’s the way I like it.
I figured that if there were anything I could do as a pillion that could make the ride better or safer, I wanted to find out what that was. What could I do to make the ride the best it could be for the rider? I discovered, after some silly and insensitive mistakes, that I could sit still (not a good idea to shuffle my position as he’s choosing a gear and road position 100 m before the bend), choose carefully when I started chatting on the intercom (NOT a good idea to start chatting as we enter the twisty bits), and make no sudden moves (like poking his ribs, grabbing him because the dog in a passing car scared me, or whatever).
I started listening to what road conditions the rider considered risky, threatening or dangerous, when he needed to give 150% attention, and when only 100%; what constituted ‘distractions’ and how best to position my body weight for optimum bike handling (tuck in, upper torso slightly forward but not leaning against rider, nose to the rear mirror inside the corner, work the thighs when slowing, etc… and take as many pics along the way as possible, because hopefully the rider is not watching the scenery, but may want to see my record of it later).
Thanks Easyrider for keeping me safe – my actively working with you is the least I can do!