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Pillion Problems

1st to 2nd gets better after about 15000km's, but putting some decent oil in the bike like Motul 5100, or even better Motul 7100 in the engine helps, as does getting rid of those hideous rubber mounted rearests Yamaha inflicts upon us....they have way too much flex, and make the gear box seem sloppy...IMHO..

Other than that, feather the clutch....this helps to smooth out the clunkiness, by masking it with rev's.

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I reckon they need to put cups on the passenger pegs (like push bike pedal doovas) for blokes. Then you can use these to stop backward somersaults.:thumbup:
 
It's easy to blame the pillion but if they are uneasy they will never feel right.

They must be 100% confident in you and the bike otherwise forget it.

I have put 42,000 plus km on my Fazer and over 40,000 have been with my wife on the back. That includes long boring freeways and wicked twisties, day and night, rain and shine. She is a fabulous passenger because, as she says to anyone who asks, she has TOTAL faith in me.

She sits snug against me, and doesn't hold on. I can count the number of times she has banged helmets on the fingers of one hand. She doesn't jump around because she is aware of the danger to both of us if she makes any sudden moves.

If we get into serious twisties she told me she closes her eyes if it gets too much, then she just naturally moves with the bike. Most of the time I don't even know she is there.
 
I have just read the opening thread and was quite shocked at what I was reading. I have done 1000s of miles with Jannie on the back and have never had any of that problem. We knock helmets every so often but it is a rare occurence and usually my fault for over enthusiastic braking.

The first thing I put on the bike was passenger peg extentions. This made a huge difference. Without them your passenger is like a jockey, I doubt if anyone could get comfortable on the back with the stock pegs. Not for any distance anyway.

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Next I put on the side boxes and top box. We tour a lot and even when we are not touring, the boxes are great to dump all our biking gear in and get our shorts and trainers on.

We have done 900km days without any problems. Jannie has fallen asleep on the back more than once...not to be recommended....but it shows she is comfortable. She tells me she could sit back and rest on the box and read a book if she wanted. I know she takes lots of photos and I never feel her moving.

If our riding experience was the same as the opening thread, she would be riding her own bike by now.

I am just wondering which you are keeping the bike or the girlfriend?

I took this pic of someone else and his partner at a ride last year. She would not get from Denmark to France like that.

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Steve
 
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My advice would be to sign her up for a motorcycle safety course - then go out and buy her a small cc bike of her own to start out on.

I cannot even imagine riding on the back of a bike with anyone. My husband and I would have been in divorce court if I would have tried to ride cupcake with him. Two bikes = happy Jeff and Brenda. :D
 
It's easy to blame the pillion but if they are uneasy they will never feel right.

They must be 100% confident in you and the bike otherwise forget it.

She has her own scooter which she finds fun to ride, and I encourage, but the rare ride with her on the back shouldn't be out of the question. Unfortunately its hard to build up confidence when I take her for a ride as pillion maybe once a month max and generally only on short rides. Normally its funner and easier to take both bike and scooter.
I've also not had her this bad on the back before so it was a bit of a shock. Even on the old 250 I had it was far better, and I've taken her on the back of her scooter a few times and had literally 0 issues (obviously slightly different on a scooter). Thinking back I was wondering whether her boots with such large heels may have stopped her putting weight on the pegs properly, or even resting her feet on them comfortably at all.

I have just read the opening thread and was quite shocked at what I was reading. I have done 1000s of miles with Jannie on the back and have never had any of that problem. We knock helmets every so often but it is a rare occurence and usually my fault for over enthusiastic braking.

The first thing I put on the bike was passenger peg extentions. This made a huge difference. Without them your passenger is like a jockey, I doubt if anyone could get comfortable on the back with the stock pegs. Not for any distance anyway.

Next I put on the side boxes and top box. We tour a lot and even when we are not touring, the boxes are great to dump all our biking gear in and get our shorts and trainers on.

If our riding experience was the same as the opening thread, she would be riding her own bike by now.

I am just wondering which you are keeping the bike or the girlfriend?

Steve

Where could I get some aftermarket pillion pegs like those? Are there any you recommend?
I am seriously considering getting the Yamaha topbox because alot of people have mentioned that extra security behind the passenger can make them feel alot better and they can lean against it a bit if needed. (also the storage would be great)
The bolded part was remarkably unhelpful. Would you have got rid of your wife if she couldn't pilion, would be a interesting court case: "Yes judge I'm divorcing her because she can't pillion, its just shocking!"
 
I'll strongly second the comment made concerning having her attend formal training.... it makes a world of difference if a passenger looks all the way through a corner the same way the rider does. If you can convince her to look at the exit point of the turn, and physically point her chin at that place, it will make a HUGE difference in how the bike behaves.

My wife rode with me 22 years ago in the first year of our marriage..... we're still married, to some degree, because she no longer does so. She could not support her weight without whacking into me or slipping around.... and that was on a bike with much more forgiving passenger accomodations. PO'd me no end. Wouldn't hold the same angle in a turn, either.

Ended up around that same time giving a buddy a lift to pick his bike up; an experienced rider with MSF under his belt. I'd never felt a motorcycle corner so smoothly. This guy outweighed my wife by more than 100 lbs, and I couldn't tell he was back there.
 
Ah yes, the ankles under your arm pits. Isnt that fun :eek:

I secretly have a lil giggle to myself, when i see a pair of boots coming up into my peripheral vision upon hard take off....yes i know, that's evil!

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My advice would be to sign her up for a motorcycle safety course - then go out and buy her a small cc bike of her own to start out on.

I've been waiting to get some money together for us both to do a course once she gets her P's on the scooter, but she is taking her time. She did do the basic learner course which should have taught her the absolute basics though, assuming she got a good teacher. I made her go to the most recommended of the places to do the basic course since I went there and learnt alot, but the stories she told me made it sound alot like they really lowered their standards since I went there, and are just pushing people through for the $$$.

She has a scooter, which is very different than a bike, and if anything, her riding it has decreased her pillion skills, not helped them.
I notice the way you ride a scooter is very different especially cornering, and I feel like she is trying to be a back seat rider using scooter techniques out of habit.

I'm also still relearning alot of my riding habits with the new 600 so I'm definately not faultless either.
 
The passenger peg extentions are made by Hepco and Becker. The part number is 700.4506 . Here is a link:-

Eurotech Motorsports Category Search

Would I sack her if she could not pillion?

Well she is far more experienced on bikes than I am so luckily I will never have to answer that question.

I have suggested to jannie plenty of times that she might think about doing the bike test and getting a bike of her own but she is not interested. Some people just are not interested. She says it would mean twice the expense on everything and she is happy being pillion. We have intercom and chat away quite happily about the things we are seeing.

It is a pity you are not a bit closer because I am selling my passenger peg extentions as the FZ6 is going. I have just got a Moto Guzzi California.

Steve
 
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