Hi, Mike,
I was just wondering, if you just bought the bike, how comfortable are you when riding alone? Seats can be an issue depending if you are a short person or tall. Do you feel like you are sitting closer to the tank than you feel you should be. Or maybe too far back and the foot controls feel like they are farther away than you would like? The amount of padding or lack of, can make a difference.
If the seating is fine and you are comfortable, then try packing a sleeping bag in a duffel bag with some extra weight added, put it on the passenger seat and bungie it on then ride around with that for a few weeks (remember to take if off the bike each night) I pack mine so that I can lean against it and if I have a passenger, I lean against them. Priority is that you as a rider are comfortable as you are the one in control.
Another thought is that at the beginning of riding season, some need to build up the muscles that we have not used for a while.

Just my 2cents and good luck

 

+1 for parking lot practice with your passenger. It is good practice for both of you. She needs to learn to be a good pasenger just as much as you need to learn to ride 2up. It's hard to get them to understand that sitting at a stop light is not when they should decide to start squirming.

 

Took the words right out of my mouth (fingers I guess in this case). It will become easier for both of you as time goes on. And be aware anytime you ride with a new passenger you may experience some of the same issues.

 

My wife was very stiff on the back because we had a spill years ago and she was scared....We are both pretty big people and the EGC is a heavy bike so it was a shore to start....She took the MSF class and since she started to ride her own some she is a better rider because she understands the dynamics of riding....

 

+1

The GF needs to learn how to be a good passenger. Before I take anyone "new" for a ride I give them the speech.

• They are not to move around / adjust their seating position without warning me first.
• They must wait until I tell them to get aboard the bike or to get off the bike.
• They are to do what the bike does. If the bike leans, they must lean with it. It is not up to the passenger to hold the bike up or to lean it over. That is my job.

My wife is an expert at this and when we ride she feels like part of the bike. I hardly know she is there. On the other hand I have taken some people for rides who ignored my instructions and it made the ride extremely uncomfortable. Those people don't get second rides....

 

Take a motorcycle safety foundation course! There actually is a method to riding 2 up! It is more than worth your while and the significant others also. The back seater actually has riding procedures to follow to help you control the bike easier and to make their ride more enjoyable at the same time.
As with anything new - practice - practice - practice!!!

 

In case your not real familiar with airing up HD air ride shocks ... They require a special low pressure HD hand pump. It has a precision low pressure air gauge and appears to be similar to a miniature bicycle tire pump.

Any other device will instantly over inflate them and permanently damage them ... be very cautious and look for the manuals specs. It will be different between solo and having a passenger. I just leave mine set for 2 people. I don't mind a bit stiff solo ride, and after a few adjustments while out on our first trip I have it dialed in where she likes the comfort level of the ride too.

And check your tire pressure. May not feel bad solo but add a passenger and it's extremely important, especially when it comes to cornering and rough roads.

Same here. My wife has been riding on the back of one of my motorcycles since 1975! I know she's there when I shift in my seat and feel those "cushions" up against my back ... lol

 

Good day, JC.

I'm still not comfortable "2 Up". I trust myself but not my girlfriend. To me; bike balancing is key. I tell her this all the time and continually she forgets or doesn't think about what the bike is doing. Example; this past week-end we spent 3 hours on a backroad that was covered with fine sand. We were diverted that way due to a major accident on a primary highway. 3 hours of 1 - 5 mph. Towards the end I was getting extremely tired keeping the bike vertical. I reminded her of bike balance while we were stopped and with the bike leaning a bit. She forgot all about the counterlien and doing anything to assist me.
That's what makes me annoyed - some passengers just don't think there a part of the bike.

There that's my vent.......


Ride In Peace

 

I can't echo those sentiments of "sit the hell still" enough. We were out on an interstate someplace when my wife turned sideways in the seat and leaned out to take pictures!!! Holy sh#@. It was just as if someone was trying to turn the bike sideways. Man did she get an earful and never again has she done that. Now she has learned how to be a passenger and I seldom even realize she's there.

 

We ride 2 up 95% of the time, and folding the footboards up while in traffic is important for ease of manuvering. She needs to sit back and relax, tell her to just look over your shoulder and not around you and after a few rides you wont know she is back there. Shock and tire psi are something that should be looked at and adjusted before any ride. I think the most important thing to make it comfortable for you both is....you being comfortable with the bike and as they say...practice makes perfect.. remember to be patient and enjoy the ride!