I know what it's like to ride 2-up; I've had a few people (well... females, of course) on the pillion.
That said, what's it like to be on the back? Frankly, I would be terrified to be back there. Having control of the machine is sometimes scary enough; I wouldn't want to be back there basically helpless. Yet, there have been more than a few asking for a ride...
On turns keep your helmet behind the driver so you don't mess with balance-speed-gyro-turn angle thing.
I've known people to sleep back there on a GW.
Dan
Well, I don't like it. I'm perfectly fine when the handlebars are in my paws. But when I'm on the back, there's no doubt in my mind that you're going to fast for the turn, leaning too far, etc. Really, when I'm riding passenger,I do best just to close my eyes and pretend none of it is happening.
Females and children tend to be smaller and lighter and, so, if they move when you move it is all just fine. I gave a 250lb buddy a ride back from his broken bike and deem that sort of thing only for emergencies. It's like trying to balance a hammer by the handle end.
I have only been in the wrong seat once or twice myself and agree with foxtrapper. I need to be controlling my own destiny on a bike.
I try not to ride bitch. But last time was a few years ago on the back of a GL1500 Goldwing. My excuse? Had to get a ride out to pick up a motorcycle I bought.
Don't know, won't do it. I'm amazed that my wife trusts me, but I trust no one.
The only time I road pillion I was concussed from my crash... Needless to say I don't remember. I was told I made an excellent passenger.
I keep trying to get Mrs.Mini to take me on the back of her scooter but she won't. She says that's gay.
Try explaining that to the fraternity brothers here. 49cc? Sure, it can hold two 200+ pound dudes and all the Natty they can carry!
My bike wouldn't start so I had to leave it (somewhere safe) and ride 2 up with my brother. Definitely a scary experience. We're about the same size (5'8", 190 lbs). Never want to do it again.
MitchellC wrote:Try explaining that to the fraternity brothers here. 49cc? Sure, it can hold two 200+ pound dudes and all the Natty they can carry!
The cases of Natty make it less gay.
Meh, I've done it a bunch. I used to commute to college in Chicago with my roommate/best friend on the back of his Guzzi. I felt a little guilty at stoplights because he's a twig and I'm...not, and he insisted (rightfully) that I keep my feet on the pegs while stopped.
Riding pillion is a skill (as is riding monkey in a sidehack). My girlfriend has had that drilled into her since day one, and she's great at it. She also rides, and the benefit of that coincidence cannot be overstated. Riders make the best pillions.
Otherwise, it's really just about trust. After a couple rides, you get to know what the pilot's going to do at the same point they know.
Anyway, as any of us can attest, the worst pillions are the ones that are terrified and stiff as a board. As long as they're paying attention to what's going on, the only thing the passenger really needs to do is look over the shoulder to the inside of the corner, and try to not bang their helmet on the pilot's.
Otherwise, relax and enjoy the ride. Riding bitch still beats sitting in traffic.
Interesting story: A few years ago, I go to Fox Lake to my buddies house for 4th of July fireworks. So does everyone else. I'm forced to park at a grocery store about a mile away. He decides to pick me up on his new FZ-1. My buddy is NOT gay in the least bit.
I hop on back and we pull away. At a stop sign, a group of dudes are snickering at us. He turns to them and as we pull away, he shouts, "Yeah, so what if we're gay?"
I almost fell of the back laughing
When we rode my 79 FLH POS to Sturgis in '86, I needed to replace the oil pump gasket at the camp ground. Our neighbor wouldn't ride me in to town to get a gasket, as that would be virtually an admission of homosexuality, but he did go in to town and get a gasket for me. He'd done some time.
That was the trip that when I got home, I put ten large in my pocket and hit every HD dealer until I found my 86 FLHT, which I opened the box on and I'm STILL RIDING.
DILYSI Dave wrote:MitchellC wrote:Try explaining that to the fraternity brothers here. 49cc? Sure, it can hold two 200+ pound dudes and all the Natty they can carry!
The cases of Natty make it less gay.
Huh, I would've thought that made it MORE gay. 
My dad used to tell a story about my mom when they first met. He rode a Harley (I have a cool picture of him on it I need to scan and post) and went to pick her up at her mom's house, turned out Mom had never ridden a motorcycle before. Dad told her 'just lean with the curves and everything will be fine'. About three miles in they had damn near crashed three or four times, he finally got the nerve up to look back and she was leaning to the OUTSIDE of the turns.
