Communication is vital when dealing with two brains. Practice is vital when dealing with one (or more) brains.
Teach your passenger to do the same thing, over and over. This way, you'll be better prepared for the forces they exert. One thing I do with a new passenger is go thru mounting/ dismounting techniques. To mount, I have them put both thier hands on my shoulders. This helps stablize thier forward/backward enertia. I always have the front brake applied during mount/ dismounting.

 

This is a question that has been asked since way back when...like 2010.

 

Nooo Phil... it's been asked Hundreds and Hundreds if not Thousands of time since I've been here since 07....

 

My personal preference for dismount is to actually park, put bike on stand, I then get off, then help the wife lift her right leg over as she has nerve damage in her back, and then she slides off the left side. Works well for us and no issue with her dismounting prematurely. And she also knows to ask before mounting. "You Ready?"


Go easy and always be cautious. There is a huge difference in control with a passenger on board. As others have stated it's worse at slow speeds or when stopped.


Our very 1st maiden voyage out together we went with a buddy on a cruise. Well he made a poor decision and stopped at a rural rest area that was only sand and gravel. I was looping around to get the bike in the general direction I wanted to park. Came to a stop put my foot down and the bike went down. To this day I do not know what really caused it. Thinking I may have came to a stop with the bars turned too much? May have grabbed the front brake? I do know I could not stop it, my foot just slid on the sand. She may have been dismounting to quickly? I did not ask. Luckily she did have a helmet on as she banged the back of her head on the ground.


I had not yet taken the MSF course yet either! Which is very recommended for anyone!


Only other time we went over was coming to a stop and I had the bars turned slightly and I grabbed too much front brake. Another learning lesson. Use both brakes when slowing but when just about stopped, rear brake only for me.


These are just some things to ponder.

 

I've learned the hard way.. Have the passenger DISMOUNT before backing up into a spot.. especially on gravel. They will try to look to see what you are backing up to, their body will turn with their eyes, followed by the weight shift, and you WILL go down. I squat and dl mini coopers, and there was no holding it.

I have my passenger sit back, stay against the trunk (or sissy pad) and dont move until above 10 MPH. If im coming to a stop.. Dont move. head and eyes on the horizon directly in front of you, and dont adjust until completely stopped and tell me they have to move.. If im making a tight turn. stay back and vertical. watch the back of my helmet.

any little weight shift will throw you off, sitting at a stop light, backing up, or slow maneuvers.

Dont get on/off until I am ready for you to do so.

 

KNOW how to start from stop on an INCLINE. Lotta stuff going on when you're solo just to get started. It's 10X's of lotta stuff going on with the extra weight, Don't forget to add on the possibility you have to turn left or right real quick after getting started. Good luck.