I'm having issues stopping 2-up. Combined, we're about 450#. Put on Pro-Action shocks and cruising is awesome. BUT- when I get below 5 mph approaching a stop, the bike gets drifty. I use the rear brake the final few seconds and keep the fork square. I'd say 70% of stops are smooth but the remainder are sketchy.

When ride solo, problems are gone. I really have no idea what's going on with my passenger as far as body position but she does sit still. But she did say something about pushing back on foot boards and packing weight into backrest.

SO- looking for POSITIVE suggestions to tell my passenger that may help with the stopping issue. Flame on, please!

 

I wish there were a magical answer but the only advice I can give is, it takes practice.

I ride 2-up quite a bit with the Mrs. as the passenger. The one thing I practice when I am alone is, trying to see how slow I can go until I actually have to put a foot down. When I have a passenger, when I have to stop, I will downshift and brake. When I get to about 5MPH, I will pull in the clutch and apply the brakes and drift to a very slow stop finally putting a foot down.

 

No flames here. Excluding any center-of-balance issues the technique I use when coming up to a stop, solo or 2-up, is at approx 5 to 8mph I put both feet out and use the front brake to "quickly" stop. I don't "lurch" myself or passenger forward doing this, but I also do not slowly roll dozens of feet at 3mph either before coming to a stop.

I hope I explained my method well enough.

regards,

 

Sorry to be that guy, but how about both of you losing some weight? That would solve the problem.

 

It's frustrating because we have over 50k miles together in all conditions. We can damn near stop and balance with no feet down. But when it's time to put the left foot down, things can get wiggley to a point where I need to bend the bars right to make the bike lean left.

 

Whatever, haven't seen my dick in a few years so you have a good point

 

Is your passenger leaning to one side and throwing your balance off when you're about to put a foot down? Hopefully your passenger is not trying to put a foot down also! Maybe instruct your passenger to try and keep looking forward and not wiggle about when you're stopping.

 

Don't know exactly but she may be leaning slightly right anticipating a left lean

 

Riding 2-up is a whole different ball game.


I have ridden on plenty of gravel without issue, solo and 2-up. Had an "incident" a couple years ago when leaving a friend's house, 2-up, with luggage, as we headed out to our next tour stop. Ever since that day, I can actually sense the tension coming from the back seat whenever I ride on any gravel. For a while she felt the need to tell me "easy" and hold on to me tightly as I would approach any kind of gravel and I finally told her to shut up and stop doing that. I can ride on gravel just fine, but now when she is with me, I can't help but feel more tense.


My point is, there may be some psychological thing going on that you don't even realize is happening. I've been riding for many years and a lot of miles 2-up but sometimes you just have one of those days where something doesn't feel quite right.


Just a thought.

 

You are just so close to the balance point that sometimes the bike is very slightly balanced to the right. Turning the bars is just changing that balance. It's good riding practice. The reason you notice it more with your passenger is because the balance is amplified by higher Center of Gravity. I'm not sure there is much more you can do because your habits are very good. Most 2up riders compensate by dragging their feet so that they are ready for which ever side the balance tips coming to the stop. But you are using the preferred method of feet on boards until stop, and then left foot down. That is a higher skill.

The only thing left that hasn't been mentioned is keeping the eye focused forward. But I'm betting you already do that.

Beary