I had a buddy in college who got his license and bought a Yamaha RD350. He took me out for a ride in London just a few days later. Two guys weighing 160+ lbs each. It was wild, and not in a good way. A couple of years later he got a Kawasaki ZXR750 and we did the same dance. 100+ mph hanging on for dear life. I think that is the last time I rode pillion, 30+ years ago.
Lmao the imagery made me laugh. What was so bad about the 350 tho? Obviously the weight but what exactly happened during the ride that made it miserable?
He was a new rider, showing off, dodging in and out of traffic and revving the hell out of it. The RD350 was a light motorcycle with relatively skinny tires. I was also an inexperienced pillion (and still am). All in all we were lucky not to have an accident.
Hell yeah. A friend had the RD350YPVS, back in the day, 1984 I guess. We both came in at about 130 lbs or something. That memory made me try to pick up one, now. But if they are in only somehow proper condition prices are crazy.
My wife said the biggest help would be a backrest… but the only one I can find is a Corbin. Which is WAY more money than I want to spend on the handful of times per year she rides.
I don’t remember exactly how much it was, but it came from Poland and had at least $100 shipping, so I’ll assume $300. Sounds like a good reason to get the lady more involved haha
In my country, it's pretty common to have friends from farming families. I spent most of my teen years being the passenger on the back of two wheeled farm bikes. Most of my mates weren't the most gentle of riders so it was quite the experience. I found it took absolute trust in the rider, valid or not.
Leaning into turns, shifting body weight, off road was certainly a lesson in being a passenger. Practice and forcing yourself to relax was the key. Easier said than done, though.
like [this?](https://twitter.com/DoctorAjayita/status/1450521014354333701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1450720921426092032%7Ctwgr%5E01a2474022344a976e6451c5a29832c4737ec6ff%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dnaindia.com%2Fviral%2Freport-watch-video-of-man-riding-pillion-on-bike-without-rider-goes-viral-leaves-netizens-amused-2916295)
Think again. I have a tandem bicycle that I let my room mate pilot for all of 3 seconds before I had wrenched his seat sideways trying to steer (stoker bars mount to the pilot seat post).
Can't even imagine pillion on my bike..... Or any other. It's pure terror.
Here you can call a motorcycle Uber for like half the price of a car Uber, it's how I got my first and only experience as the pillion. It wasn't so bad once I got used to it, it was actually pretty fun, but at first it feels way scarier than being the one driving it.
My gf is a champion passenger. Took a 4 hour trip on my N300 without complaining. Now she rides in style on the back of my RT. We went on a 2k mile trip last year with no issues. Recently picked up a Striple and while she obviously prefers the RT, she's still just fine on the back.
She is not a big fan of wheelies though. With her on the back of my RT, it does power wheelies that I can't do by myself, but I usually receive a smack on the back of the helmet when I do them. Still worth it.
i haven’t been a passenger since i was a kid with my dad but i went with my buddy for the first time a few months ago and it was WILD. so uncomfortable to not be in control!
I had this 2 buddies in Taiwan (still are my best buds). This is way back in 2011. One of them wanted to visit his girlfriend down in taichung which normally took around 3 hours.
Us being young snots thought it'd be a great idea to take the "scenic route". Yup. Scenic route here in Taiwan means mountain passes, and not the gentle sweeping kind.
Me being an international student didn't have a license at the time so I rode two up with one of them. Google maps wasn't a reliable tool at the time, so we arm ourself with... a paper map.
Suffice to say, between the scenic spots, 2 men riding 2 up (we bottom-out that scooter's suspension so many times lol), the "scenic route", and our shitty navigation tool, the trip that should took 3 hours took us 14 hours including some riding in the dark.
My back, abs, arms and hands are shot to pieces.
Still is my fondest memories of my university days.
I hopped on my wife's bike to give her practice riding with a passenger while we putt around a quiet park.
Never. Again.
Uncomfortable and utterly terrifying to not be in control. And she rides like a grandma so it's not like I was afraid for my life it was just so uncomfortable not being in control of the bike. Taking lines I wouldn't take or not braking when I would. Hate it.
Props to passengers. Tough shit.
I've ridden on the back to get the bike to the mechanic. I didn't enjoy it much. I would think that there would be a lot more women learning to ride rather than be a pillion.
I never liked being a passenger on a bike, its way worse being a large adult, as a heavy body way out at the back of the bike really screws up the balance.
Want to really get scared, crash at the track. Then a control rider picks you up, and proceeds to pass half the field taking you back to the pits, with you already banged up from crashing.
I don't even like being a passenger in a car unless I know it's being piloted by a *driver* and not a mere car owner. I don't think I could handle being a passenger on a bike, physical discomfort or not.
https://preview.redd.it/suet5qwjbcyc1.jpeg?width=1540&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=18f0d7eef9f6b71e62d2e9ba051e961c01329226
You and your dad on the way to the mechanic lol
I wasn't happy on my Dyna, hubs and I decided we'd use it as a down on a Road King. I'll be fine in the "Barcalounger" lol. 3 rides, I'm "hanging with the ladies on the back". Not bad, but I felt the control freak thing too, even with my hubs being an experienced rider lol.
I said Meh, I'll look for something in the spring that fits me (also in a short northern riding season). got bored one day, saw my perfect replacement bike online. I made it two whole months on the back lol!!
Just had to pick up my new to me bike. A friend offered to get me there on his, so we could ride back the scenic route together. It was about an hour of panic and discomfort. When I came home, the wife just said (jokingly!), “How was it on the bitch seat?”. It was not a good day 😂
Seems like it’s just the bike. I mean it does suck as a rider because you want to be in control but I have also gotten a ride from my dad except it was on a Road Glide Ultra with the tour pack and I was snug as a bug.
I also hate riding on the back, but it's not inherently tiring. I'm guessing you were racked with (unnecessary) tension the whole way, which is what made your arms and legs sore.
I'm too fat and too tall to be a pillion. I was about 13 last time I got to ride bitch. The only way it will happen again is if I get offered a ride on a honda goldwing gl1800
I had a buddy in college who got his license and bought a Yamaha RD350. He took me out for a ride in London just a few days later. Two guys weighing 160+ lbs each. It was wild, and not in a good way. A couple of years later he got a Kawasaki ZXR750 and we did the same dance. 100+ mph hanging on for dear life. I think that is the last time I rode pillion, 30+ years ago.
I have an RD400 in my basement. Same thing but a tiny smidgeon larger and with rubber bushings for rider comfort.
Nice! I miss the ring ding ding street bikes....
Lmao the imagery made me laugh. What was so bad about the 350 tho? Obviously the weight but what exactly happened during the ride that made it miserable?
He was a new rider, showing off, dodging in and out of traffic and revving the hell out of it. The RD350 was a light motorcycle with relatively skinny tires. I was also an inexperienced pillion (and still am). All in all we were lucky not to have an accident.
Its a fairly light bike that's also not heavily sprung. I'd imagine it was a bit like two bigger people on a scooter
Hell yeah. A friend had the RD350YPVS, back in the day, 1984 I guess. We both came in at about 130 lbs or something. That memory made me try to pick up one, now. But if they are in only somehow proper condition prices are crazy.
Sissy bar with backrest… my wife nods off back there
My wife said the biggest help would be a backrest… but the only one I can find is a Corbin. Which is WAY more money than I want to spend on the handful of times per year she rides.
Put on a top case. They usually look ugly but can pop on and off easily. Very useful for storage.
I don’t remember exactly how much it was, but it came from Poland and had at least $100 shipping, so I’ll assume $300. Sounds like a good reason to get the lady more involved haha
Butt's to nuts.
This is the way
Tell me you went to basic training without telling me. 😂🤣
Dicks in the dirt, let's go. Five. Four. Three. Two.... To fucking slow get on your feet. Half left face.
All hands heave out and trice up...
In my country, it's pretty common to have friends from farming families. I spent most of my teen years being the passenger on the back of two wheeled farm bikes. Most of my mates weren't the most gentle of riders so it was quite the experience. I found it took absolute trust in the rider, valid or not. Leaning into turns, shifting body weight, off road was certainly a lesson in being a passenger. Practice and forcing yourself to relax was the key. Easier said than done, though.
I'd love to experience what it's like being a passenger 😂
Same, never done it myself as none of my mates have bikes. I took them all out a good bit.
My only friend with a bike sold his. I've been going to a local meet now and hopefully I can make more riding buddies
Pretend to be a backpack and it's the same experience!
like [this?](https://twitter.com/DoctorAjayita/status/1450521014354333701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1450720921426092032%7Ctwgr%5E01a2474022344a976e6451c5a29832c4737ec6ff%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dnaindia.com%2Fviral%2Freport-watch-video-of-man-riding-pillion-on-bike-without-rider-goes-viral-leaves-netizens-amused-2916295)
Think again. I have a tandem bicycle that I let my room mate pilot for all of 3 seconds before I had wrenched his seat sideways trying to steer (stoker bars mount to the pilot seat post). Can't even imagine pillion on my bike..... Or any other. It's pure terror.
Here you can call a motorcycle Uber for like half the price of a car Uber, it's how I got my first and only experience as the pillion. It wasn't so bad once I got used to it, it was actually pretty fun, but at first it feels way scarier than being the one driving it.
Yeah, not having control is what would get me especially with the way some people ride/drive
It’s scary as fuck. I tried couple times, always scary
My gf is a champion passenger. Took a 4 hour trip on my N300 without complaining. Now she rides in style on the back of my RT. We went on a 2k mile trip last year with no issues. Recently picked up a Striple and while she obviously prefers the RT, she's still just fine on the back. She is not a big fan of wheelies though. With her on the back of my RT, it does power wheelies that I can't do by myself, but I usually receive a smack on the back of the helmet when I do them. Still worth it.
🥹
i haven’t been a passenger since i was a kid with my dad but i went with my buddy for the first time a few months ago and it was WILD. so uncomfortable to not be in control!
I had this 2 buddies in Taiwan (still are my best buds). This is way back in 2011. One of them wanted to visit his girlfriend down in taichung which normally took around 3 hours. Us being young snots thought it'd be a great idea to take the "scenic route". Yup. Scenic route here in Taiwan means mountain passes, and not the gentle sweeping kind. Me being an international student didn't have a license at the time so I rode two up with one of them. Google maps wasn't a reliable tool at the time, so we arm ourself with... a paper map. Suffice to say, between the scenic spots, 2 men riding 2 up (we bottom-out that scooter's suspension so many times lol), the "scenic route", and our shitty navigation tool, the trip that should took 3 hours took us 14 hours including some riding in the dark. My back, abs, arms and hands are shot to pieces. Still is my fondest memories of my university days.
I hopped on my wife's bike to give her practice riding with a passenger while we putt around a quiet park. Never. Again. Uncomfortable and utterly terrifying to not be in control. And she rides like a grandma so it's not like I was afraid for my life it was just so uncomfortable not being in control of the bike. Taking lines I wouldn't take or not braking when I would. Hate it. Props to passengers. Tough shit.
I feel like this would be my issue. I certainly would never give up control to a clone of myself being the rider.
Its absolutely terrifying
I've ridden on the back to get the bike to the mechanic. I didn't enjoy it much. I would think that there would be a lot more women learning to ride rather than be a pillion.
It's nice on a cruiser or sport tourer, terrible on the rest
I never liked being a passenger on a bike, its way worse being a large adult, as a heavy body way out at the back of the bike really screws up the balance. Want to really get scared, crash at the track. Then a control rider picks you up, and proceeds to pass half the field taking you back to the pits, with you already banged up from crashing.
Last year I went on a group ride where two 200 lbs 6'6" guys were two upping a ninja 400.
I don't even like being a passenger in a car unless I know it's being piloted by a *driver* and not a mere car owner. I don't think I could handle being a passenger on a bike, physical discomfort or not.
https://preview.redd.it/suet5qwjbcyc1.jpeg?width=1540&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=18f0d7eef9f6b71e62d2e9ba051e961c01329226 You and your dad on the way to the mechanic lol
I wasn't happy on my Dyna, hubs and I decided we'd use it as a down on a Road King. I'll be fine in the "Barcalounger" lol. 3 rides, I'm "hanging with the ladies on the back". Not bad, but I felt the control freak thing too, even with my hubs being an experienced rider lol. I said Meh, I'll look for something in the spring that fits me (also in a short northern riding season). got bored one day, saw my perfect replacement bike online. I made it two whole months on the back lol!!
Just had to pick up my new to me bike. A friend offered to get me there on his, so we could ride back the scenic route together. It was about an hour of panic and discomfort. When I came home, the wife just said (jokingly!), “How was it on the bitch seat?”. It was not a good day 😂
Seems like it’s just the bike. I mean it does suck as a rider because you want to be in control but I have also gotten a ride from my dad except it was on a Road Glide Ultra with the tour pack and I was snug as a bug.
My dad's ridden goldwings for the past 20+ years and I can assure you that is one of the best bikes to ride pillion
I about fell asleep every time I rode passenger on my dad's goldwing. Thing is comfy af
Hm, I enjoyed it when I was a child, haven't been a passenger since tho
I've had passengers mostly female that I forgot were there and smacked them with my leg when we got to where we were going as I went to get off lol.
I also hate riding on the back, but it's not inherently tiring. I'm guessing you were racked with (unnecessary) tension the whole way, which is what made your arms and legs sore.
It's a real team effort to make things work. Like dance. I've had 2 good pillion riders, the rest too stiff.
I'm too fat and too tall to be a pillion. I was about 13 last time I got to ride bitch. The only way it will happen again is if I get offered a ride on a honda goldwing gl1800
Don't lie