HOW TO PLAY TWO-UP

We all love to ride motorbikes, right? (Otherwise you probably wouldn’t be reading this!). And so it makes sense that we would want to share this experience with family, friends, and “significant others”. One way is to get them to ride a bike of their own; the other way is to take them along on our bike as pillion. But there’s quite a bit involved in the process of having someone riding pillion with you.

It’s a lot different to taking someone for a ride in your car. With a car, you just open the door, they get in and you just drive as you normally would. No particular skill involved. But on a bike it’s a totally different ball-game.

If you and your pillion can get it right it can be a most enjoyable experience for both of you. Get it wrong and it can be very unpleasant – or worse. It can get downright dangerous!

Hopefully, this article will help you and your pillion to have an enjoyable and safe experience as you play two-up.

This article was inspired by a reader who wrote in asking advice about carrying a pillion. I was going to treat it as a normal question that we have in our Questions section, but I thought that it really deserved a separate article. It’s an important issue; and one that I’m sure many people reading through the web-site here will be interested in.

Now, I have limited experience with carrying a pillion, so I’ll set out a few basic rules as I know them, throw in a few things from my limited experience, and then turn the rest over to our readers. Many of our readers have a lot of experience with carrying a pillion and were kind enough to write in with tips and guide-lines. So there’s a lot of great information and advice here! Plus a couple of funny stories and anecdotes. Consequently, it has turned out to be quite a marathon; but hopefully the tips and opinions will be helpful.

A good place to start is with the question from the reader, Steve. “I took a lady friend for a pillion ride yesterday morning, which was a first for both of us, and I really didn't know what advice to give her beforehand. After 10 minutes or so she had settled in to the VFR and I was used to the extra mass in the corners. But slowing for roundabouts and coming to a stop felt awkward. I'd appreciate your advice, or any comments other readers might have, about the do's and don'ts of carrying a pillion; for both the rider and the pillion.”

Well, Steve, the first thing to say is that if you’re married, and the lady-friend isn’t your wife, make sure your wife is okay with it! (I did say that carrying a pillion could be potentially dangerous!). Sorry, I’ll be serious now.

As I’ve mentioned already, my experience with carrying a pillion is pretty limited. I did take my wife for a brief run on a couple of occasions, many years ago. The little DT175 we were riding wasn’t too happy with this activity, and as it wallowed on its suspension and huffed and puffed I‘m sure I heard it say, “One at a time, please, one at a time!”

For a brief time when my kids were very young I did take them for short rides. The DT (pictured on the left) coped better with them. Mind you, they were very young; too young to legally ride pillion actually. The law then (and I think this still applies) was that to legally ride pillion the potential passenger had to be able to place their feet on the foot-pegs. At the time, my kids weren’t able to do that; their legs weren’t quite long enough.

Being a trail-bike, the DT had a fairly high seat and low foot-pegs. To remedy this, I made up a long curved steel bracket that bolted to the frame under the seat, and had turned-up sections at each end that formed foot-rests. To make the feet comfortable, and also provide a non-slip surface, I glued appropriately-patterned pieces of rubber to these sections. The trips were all very short – just around the suburbs and neighbouring back-roads – but they seemed to enjoy these little outings. But by the time each out-grew the helmet, their interest wasn’t sufficient to justify buying a larger size, and so the DT’s two-up duties came to an end. (My eldest had a PW50 for a while around this stage, and we used to go riding together – I rode a trials bike I also had at the time – at a nearby bike-park for a while).

IMPORTANT TO GET IT RIGHT

As I mentioned above, if you get it right it can be a most enjoyable experience for both of you; as Chris and Marilyn, who have enjoyed lots of good times riding together on the big ‘Wing, will testify.

But, as I also mentioned above, if you get it wrong it can be unpleasant and downright dangerous. For example, if you’re not used to the extra weight on the bike, you could potentially lose control and crash.

Trouble can also come from an inexperienced pillion doing the wrong thing. So it’s important – for your own safety and that of your pillion – to get it right.

Now, even if you are capable of keeping the whole show on the road, you also need to be mindful of your pillion’s experience on the bike. As a few readers pointed out, a bad experience as a pillion can put a person off bikes forever. A reader, Aussie, presents a good picture of how it can feel to be a pillion.

“After forty-five years of riding, I still can't escape that gut-wrench as the ground races up to you at a crazy angle while I am riding pillion with a hard charger as we hammer into a bend. Point is your mind is instinctively in survival mode but you have no control. Now just imagine someone who has never even sat on a motorcycle let alone experienced riding one. First you have to place yourself totally as best you can in that person’s state of mind; namely, anxious and just a bit frightened!” So if your pillion is new to bikes, you should try to put them at ease. Trying to impress them with either your stunning ability as a rider, or the equally stunning performance of your bike, is not what you want to be doing!

As a fairly extreme (and bad!) example of this, I recall a guy telling me about an experience in his younger, wilder days. He was riding with a group of mates and they pulled into a pub for a drink. While there, he got talking to a pretty-young-thing who seemed interested in his bike. Fancying his chances with the young lady, he offered to take her for a ride. And she accepted. Of course he didn’t have a spare helmet, but showing his macho self-sacrificing side, he gave her his; while he went without. Now to really impress her! He started up the big bike and took off – on the back wheel! Of course having a bit more weight over the back made it even easier to get the bike swinging vertical as they shot out onto the road. The front wheel came back down, but he kept the throttle wound on, whizzing past cars and giving the pretty-young-thing the ride of her life! He reckoned she’d really be impressed with him now. Twenty minutes or so up the road, he slowed the bike, spun it around and raced back to the pub at the same lightening speed, still occasionally getting the front wheel to paw at the air. When they got back the pretty-young-thing half stepped and half fell off the bike, her legs wobbling like jelly. And then she vomited. Before removing the helmet! He said that any chance he’d had with the young lady was completely gone, and it took him the best part of an hour to get his helmet clean!

SOME TIPS FROM THE OLD BLOKE

There is a lot involved, and there have been many articles written on the subject, in magazines and on the ‘net. But, as one reader said, a lot of it comes down to common sense. So here is a bit of that common sense, along with a couple of basic rules, for the rider and pillion.

Firstly, the rider needs to be smooth. Suddenly giving it full throttle could see the pillion doing a nice barrel-roll off the back. Likewise, slamming on the brakes could see the rider doing a nose-dive onto the instrument panel as the pillion is catapulted on top of them.

Neither situation is particularly beneficial for rider or pillion!

My father-in-law tells the story of a time, in his younger days, when he took his father for a ride on his big old British twin. Thinking he’d impress his dad with his powerful machine, he gave the throttle a good twist as they took off. His father, who’d never been on a bike before, and was sitting on the bike as one might sit on a kitchen chair, immediately tumbled backwards off the bike.

So being smooth is the name of the game. Smooth on the throttle, smooth on the brakes, smooth as you tip it into corners.

The job of the pillion is to do what the rider does. This is vitally important! Some pillions will try to sit up straight as the rider leans the bike over. That counter-acts the rider's lean and will result in the bike running wide. The pillion should stay at the same vertical angle as the rider.

The pillion also needs to sit as still as possible. If the pillion moves around it will unsettle the bike and send the thing wobbling all over the place. Any movements that are made need to be made carefully and smoothly.

The pillion should also be aware of what's going on. So if, for example, the rider has to brake suddenly, the pillion can be aware of the danger and the need to brake and be ready for it.

A riding friend describes his wife as “an excellent pillion.” And I got to witness just how aware she is of what’s happening around her one day while riding behind them. I had inadvertently bumped the blinker switch and had my right blinker going, which I hadn’t noticed. Then I saw her stretch out her hand and make appropriate “blinking” motions. (And no, the rider hadn't told her to do this). So she was not only looking ahead, she was also checking the mirrors! That is being aware; and that has to be a good thing and a benefit to everyone – even the silly old bloke following!

You need some form of communication. If you are going to pillion a lot, then it would be worth looking at buying an intercom system. They are expensive though, and if it isn't to be a long-term or regular occurrence then it might not be worth the cost of setting this up. Without an intercom, some form of “sign-language” is good. For example the pillion might use a tap on the shoulder to get the rider's attention if they need to try to speak (shout!). Two taps to slow down, three taps for a need to stop; that sort of thing. (I've heard riders say that a swift punch to the kidneys is usually the sign used to tell the rider to slow down!).

Usually the bike will need some adjustment; firming up the rear suspension being the main thing. Some bikes have a lever that provides an instant and easy adjustment for this; with others you’ll need to get out the spanners to adjust the pre-load. Just make sure you note how far you take it, so you can return it to the original position for solo riding. The front can be adjusted too (if adjustment is available), but isn't as critical. Oh, and tyre-pressures are another thing. Check the owner’s manual to see if you need to increase the pressures. (Usually only the back will need increasing). If you don’t have a manual, ask your dealer.

FROM OUR READERS:

Having asked our regular readers for their tips and advice I received quite a lot of replies, with a lot of great advice and tips. Thank you all for your help!

The rest of this article is compiled from those reader-responses (with an occasional comment from me).

Of course, in some cases there was conflicting advice from our readers. I suppose it was inevitable that there would be different views on certain issues. In these cases I’ve mostly passed on both views, with perhaps a comment as to which one is more in line with other readers’ recommendations, and which one I think is preferable.

It wasn’t possible – or even appropriate – to include all replies; especially when several people said the same thing. So, many things here are based on several replies, not just one. I’ve tried to mention everyone who replied, but if I’ve missed anyone please forgive me; you can be assured that your reply contributed to the article here. Oh, and I haven’t bothered with quotation marks. Often, the actual comments have been re-phrased; sometimes they are exactly as written, but I thought it reads a bit easier without using quotation marks.

BEFORE THE RIDE

If the pillion isn’t experienced at riding on the back of a motorbike, as was the case with the pillion in the original question, then it’s a good idea to do some preparation prior to the ride.

Sit down and have a talk with them, explaining what they need to do, and not do.

A couple of readers went so far as to prepare a written hand-out that they give the prospective passenger, enabling them to study-up on the whole deal before it happens.

This preparation could include things like what to wear, and establishing a method of communication (as suggested in my comments above).

Clothing was mentioned by many readers, and is an issue that is often over-looked. Rod’s message to pillions is to wear appropriate motorcycle clothing for your own safety; and make sure everything is done up securely. Peter makes the comment that the pillion should wear clothing that is at least equal, in terms of protective qualities, to that worn by the rider.

Some people use the excuse that they only ride occasionally so it isn’t worth paying out a lot of money on expensive clothing. But Ivor summed it up well when he said that just because your wife or girlfriend doesn’t ride pillion often doesn’t mean it’s going to hurt any less if she falls off!

GETTING ON

Okay, the first issue is how to get the two people on the bike.  Getting on and off, as Martin says, seems to be a particularly vulnerable time. And the process of getting on and off is, of course, made more difficult if there is luggage fitted to the bike – particularly a top-box.

First rule: The pillion gets on last and off first. Doing it the other way around is inviting disaster.

As Martin points out, the pillion seat is usually higher, so if the bike was to over-balance with just the pillion on it, the pillion probably wouldn’t be able to get their feet to ground to save it. You will see some pillions getting on first, especially, as Steve mentioned, on cruisers; but it isn't a good idea.

Martin has seen a lot of people do it the wrong way, sometimes with disastrous results! One lady, in getting off, stood up, twisted slightly to the left and then tried to bring her right foot forward, lifting it up and squeezing it through the small space between the front of her body and her husband’s back. Then promptly fell off! This was partly due to the high heel of her footware getting caught. She did the same thing again later, but this time fell and broke her wrist. Her husband just rolled his eyes and shrugged. When Martin asked her why she had used this particular approach, she replied that the top-box was in the way. He then showed her a much more practical way of doing it.

Rod says the rider should have both feet planted firmly on the ground and hold the hand-brake on. He recommends leaving the engine off. Always let the pillion know when you are ready for them to mount. Then ask the pillion to mount gently, as any abrupt movements could cause the rider to lose balance and put both of you on the ground. As Rod says, this can be very embarrassing, not to mention expensive!

Steve, who wrote in with the question, said that he got on first and steadied the bike with both feet on the ground, and then his friend climbed on. He said he also left the side stand down, just in case. He said he felt more confident doing it like this. So, even without the benefit of experience, doing the right thing feels better!

As mentioned previously, if the bike is fitted with a top-box, this does make it more difficult for the pillion to get on and off. Martin detailed this good step-by-step approach. Put your left foot on the pillion peg, put both hands on the rider’s shoulders and lean well forward – to the point where your head is over the rider’s right shoulder. Then swing your right foot up high, over the top-box and down onto the right peg. Martin says that using this method you should be able to easily clear the top-box. You then dismount the same way.

In some cases you might be able to swing your leg over the bike in the space in front of the top-box; it depends on the size of the bike and the top-box.

HANGING ON – HOW?

Not surprisingly, this is one of the most controversial aspects of riding pillion. Advice from readers varied quite a lot – from not holding on at all, to wrapping arms tightly around the rider’s waist.

I can understand when on a long open road the pillion might relax and not hold on. And if you’ve got a top-box or back-rest fitted to your bike, then the holding-on thing is not as much of an issue. I’ve even heard of some pillions falling asleep on the bike: Nice to know they’re relaxed and comfortable, but it’s not something I’d recommend! (Imagine what would happen in an emergency stop, or sudden evasive action!).

Bikes have grab-rails that are designed to be held onto by pillions. So the bike manufacturers, at least, expect that is how the pillion will hold on. Ivor agrees, although raises the point that actually holding onto the grab-rail puts the arms at an uncomfortable angle. Even so, he says, the rails are the most solid and immovable thing available for the pillion to hold.

Rod also recommends holding the grab-rail as the best method.

Rod has covered a lot of distance with his wife Jill riding pillion; not only in Australia, but also on bike tours overseas, riding a variety of bikes over a wide variety of roads. The photo here shows them enjoying a sweeping corner on a country ride; and is a good illustration of the pillion perfectly positioned behind the rider. He said that hugging the rider, while it may feel nice, restricts the rider’s movement; and you will always be banging helmets. Also, you don’t see as much of the scenery.

In contrast, Aussie said that if his pillion is female, he suggests that they feel free to hug his waist. He says that when he has ridden pillion he has never felt secure with his arms straight down behind him. He also says that sitting close together makes for a more centralised mass on the bike.

At this point I have to say that I have tried both methods, and understand the attractions and disadvantages of both. Remembering that my pillions were my young children, I always felt more secure – or actually I felt they were more secure – if they had their arms around my waist. That was how my eldest did it. Child-pillion number two soon changed to holding onto the pillion-strap. (Trail-bikes didn’t have grab-rails, they had a pillion-strap across the seat). I always felt a little uneasy with this – like there was more chance of her falling off. But it was much easier riding without a pair of arms around my middle. Being held around the waist restricts your movement. Even little things like sitting more upright as you come to brake become more difficult, because you have to push back on the pillion. And any slight sideways movement is difficult too; because the pillion is locking you into that one position. Then there is the helmet-banging that Rod mentions. So, as much as I liked the security of knowing my dear off-spring was securely holding onto their dad, I acknowledged that having them hold onto the bike, and not me, was the better way of doing it.

Aussie, who is shown here in 1981 with his wife Tish and his then new Suzuki, has well over 30 years experience of riding two-up. Now, in 2010, he still has the same bike, and the same pillion. (You might notice that Tish is holding on with arms around the waist, as he suggests above).

But Aussie has a further suggestion on the holding-on issue. He says that when he is taking a pillion for the first time he explains that the grab-rail is there to hang on to, but suggests that they might feel more secure with their arms in front and resting on his hips. Yes, even if the pillion is a bloke. (He tells them he won't take offence or get the wrong idea!).

This method is actually quite common. Experienced couples (couples experienced at riding two-up I mean!) often end up riding like this, especially when the pace and surroundings are more relaxed.

If the bike has a top-box or back-rest, it’s probably fairly secure to rest your hands on the rider's thighs. Or your own thighs, as in the photo of Marilyn and Chris on the red Goldwing above. It’s not as restrictive for the rider as having arms around the waist, and has the pillion’s arms at a much more comfortable and natural angle than reaching back and down for the grab-rails.

Technology has come to the aid of the humble pillion though. Rod suggested that, if your bike doesn’t have a top-box or back-rest, this Pillion-Belt from Andy Strapz would be worth buying.

I recall back in my child-pillioning days, a riding friend said that he told his pillions (he used to occasionally carry his kids too) to lock their thumbs through the belt-loops on his jeans. This strap thing takes that concept a bit further.

Peter drew my attention to the Vinxxgrip. You can check these out in detail on their web-site.

Basically it’s a kind of handlebar that mounts to the bike’s fuel-cap. So the pillion leans forward and holds onto a handlebar, just like the rider does. It’s probably more suited to a sports-bike than a cruiser, but it’s a very clever invention. Peter says that they are available from Mick Hone Motorcycles.

THE  RIDER

Okay, let’s get back to the front half of the seat and concentrate on the rider. After all, it was the rider who asked the question that started all this!

Rod makes the important point that you should always ask your pillion if they’re ready before you take off. Ivor makes the same point, adding that even if you take off slowly, the pillion can still fall off if they’re not ready to move.

Peter stressed the importance of taking extra care when riding with a pillion; being aware of your responsibility for the additional life that you are carrying.

Ivor also stressed the importance of taking extra care, saying that you should be even more aware than usual of what is going on around you. As he says, a good rider will anticipate potential trouble anyway, but when you’re carrying a pillion you should try, where possible, to anticipate even further ahead. He put it well when he said that not only is there extra weight on the bike, there is extra weight of responsibility on the rider.

Like most that wrote in, Peter stressed the importance of not doing anything that will scare your pillion; and ensuring that they enjoy the experience. Rod expressed it as riding in a manner in which the pillion will feel comfortable and confident.

How do you do this? The golden rule here, which I think everyone mentioned and I’ve already stressed above, is to be smooth. Peter (there are a couple of Peters here, by the way, but you’ll each know who you are!) expressed it as gliding; using nice smooth flowing lines and even speed, with no acceleration or braking in corners. Acceleration should be gentle. As Peter pointed out, the pillion doesn’t have handlebars to brace themselves, and so they feel those forces more than the rider.

Ivor also stressed the importance of being slow to accelerate and slow to brake. As he says, it doesn’t matter how solid the grab-rails are, the fact is that the angle of the pillion’s arms (not too far off vertical) doesn’t give good leverage for holding them upright against the forces of acceleration and braking.

Rod suggests doubling the 3-second rule; pointing out that the extra weight on the bike will make a difference to your braking distance. And hard braking will slam your pillion into your back and cause that dreaded clash of helmets.

Doug makes the point, as did a few readers, that you shouldn’t ride like a maniac thinking you are going to impress your pillion. That, he says, will only scare the heebie-geebies out of them! (Remember the story I related earlier!). He says to be smooth and sedate so their confidence builds up quickly.

Aussie detailed a very progressive approach, involving riding around suburban streets, ensuring the pillion is comfortable and confident, before venturing out onto the highway at higher speeds. In fact he will stop and ask the pillion how they are feeling before proceeding to the next stage. As he says, a first-time pillion will be used to being enclosed in a car, which insulates sensations of speed, as opposed to being out there with the bitumen racing under them and the wind tearing at their body. To us, that’s part of the thrill of motorcycling, but to a new pillion it is very new and can take a bit of getting used to.

Aussie says that he has known some pillions to be terrified at even the initial stage of riding around town. Others have been positively exhilarated at the sensations of riding and speed. As he says, it might seem like a lot of fuss, but the object is to ensure your pillion is comfortable and enjoying the experience. Like probably most of us, he’s heard women tell of going for a ride with a mad boyfriend in younger years, and vowing never to get on another bike. He says he endeavours to avoid this at all costs, even if it means the most boring, sedate ride. 

Another good suggestion from Peter is to take breaks more often than you normally would. An important consideration, as the pillion will often tire more quickly, as they need to brace more to counteract the forces of acceleration and braking etc. Also, in many cases the pillion part of the seat isn’t as comfortable as the rider’s section.

An important consideration with all of this is communication; if not through an intercom system, then through a pre-arranged system of hand-signals. This applies not just to new pillions, but to experienced ones as well; they still need to be able to communicate with the rider, advising of the need to stop or slow down etc. 

A good suggestion from Peter is to drag the rear brake more at low speed and when stopping. This makes the bike more stable and helps to offset the higher centre-of-gravity of having a pillion on the back.

Steve, who wrote the question, said that when he came to a stop he felt better with both feet on the ground, just in case. And I think that would be a wise move.

THE  PILLION

Right, back to the pillion again. The rider might be the one driving the whole show, but the pillion has responsibilities too.

There is one point that I think everyone mentioned, and which I’ve already written about in my comments above. The first rule of riding pillion. Don puts it like this: The basic rule is that the pillion stays at the same angle to the ground as the rider. If the rider leans slightly one way or the other, then the passenger movers with the bike and also leans in the same direction as the rider. Rod says the pillion should go with the bike and not try to lean in the opposite direction to which the bike is leaning. Peter says the pillion should not try to hang off to “help the rider”; or even worse, and very common, move away from the side the bike is leaning.

Doug tells his pillions to keep their head behind his head. This, he says, stops any instinctive counter-leaning by them and forces their body and yours to act as one.

Martin stresses the “act as one” concept, and tells his pillion to relax and pretend that their bodies were as one. (He points out that with a lady you have to choose your words very carefully of course!). Okay, so you get the idea. But it’s worth repeating, using these various reader’s words, because it’s such an important rule to follow.

Another thing mentioned by many people is the need for the pillion to sit still. (If you read the story in the “P.S.” section you’ll see what happens when they don’t!). Peter says that the best pillions to carry are those that are relaxed, who sit still, particularly at slow speeds or in corners, and who are enjoying themselves. Rod says pillions should refrain from moving around on the bike. If, as a pillion, you need to adjust your seating position for comfort, move slowly, and don’t wave your arms around. As he says, these actions can change the behaviour of the bike.

Peter says that it really is all about how much they trust you. He says that some pillions are hopeless at first but with a little care you can bring their confidence level up quite quickly. Another reader mentioned this too; and said that if the pillion moves around too much it is your fault because they do not feel safe or confident in your ability to control the motorcycle. Peter (another one) said that if you, as a rider, aren’t confident, then neither will your pillion be.

We’ve mentioned communication quite a bit already, but it’s worth a brief mention again in this section. Rod’s message to pillions is to let the rider know if they are going too fast for you, by the prearranged hand signal. And to also tell the rider if you would like to have a rest.

And when the ride comes to an end, Peter says that the pillion must be advised to do nothing, as if they were still riding, unless told to alight by the rider. What a pity it would be if the ride was spoilt at the very end by the pillion leaping off before the rider was ready!

Despite pre-ride preparations, and knowing what they should do, I suppose it’s fair to say that some people will just not work out well as pillions. A couple of people mentioned this, saying that some pillions are good, some are terrible.

Barry, who has had a lot of experience riding with pillions, said he’d found that the best pillions are small women who are used to riding horses!

This is a photo of Barry with a pillion. He didn’t say whether or not she met the afore-mentioned criteria, but he did say that she’d never been on a bike before, yet rode pillion (and rode very well) from the Gold Coast to Cairns.

So, there it is! (Well, not quite; there's a "P.S." bit below). Quite a marathon, but it’s a very relevant and important issue. It deserves a detailed approach, and also, I think, deserves to have comments included from riders who have had experience with carrying a pillion.

It’s worth getting right because, as Rod says, it’s a great lifestyle!

P.S.

For a final comment on pillions I had to include this. I don't want to end on a negative note, because as Rod said above, it's a great lifestyle. But I just couldn't leave this out.

Peter says that these days he avoids carrying a pillion. He explains why.

“A short time ago while I was studying I earned some of my income doing bike tours. My instrument of choice at that time was an early model Soft Tail Heritage. I rode for a guy that took on everyone and anyone as passengers. I had many enjoyable times, and some not so good.

Great times were had in Adelaide on a Friday night taking 15minute trips around the east end of the city. Uni open days were always fun, also quick squirts around the city. Although on one particular afternoon I could not work out why my fellow riders, (there were 3 of us), stayed behind and kept indicating that this particular squirt should continue around and around. That was until I found out my passenger (young female) was knickerless!

“However there have also been the not so good! Like travelling the Gorge Road in Adelaide and have the passenger suddenly spin around to wave at a friend in a passing car, in the middle of a tight bend; only to find I had to fend off the road barrier with my foot as we were pushed off direction.

“Coming back from Victor Harbour cruising at the speed limit it is a little disconcerting to suddenly have a bra tied across my eyes, well sunglasses anyway. They were not the see-through type either. Heart tends to race a little!

“But I think the worst was acting as chauffeurs for a wedding. We had traveled (3 of us again) to Mt Gambier, a 5 - 6 hour trip on a Friday afternoon / night, to provide the transport to the church for the bride-groom and his groomsmen the next day. Now I am not a small man but not big either. For the record my partners in crime were a little bigger than me. We met the groom at the Jens Hotel on arrival and he was big – no “huge” is a more apt description! In all areas, tall, fat (I know that’s politically incorrect, but he was well over 20 stone in the old language). We decided to play paper rock and scissors to decide who would carry the groom it was going to be about a 40 minute ride to the church. Happily it was not me who lost. But the next morning we went to collect the groom and groomsmen and somewhere between arrival, getting off the bikes, and knocking on the front door, the groom became mine. Try doing a U-turn sitting on the tank ‘cos you can’t fit anywhere else! Bumpy roads – great sitting on the tank! Actually riding, yep just as good. Groom pissed? Even better! May not seem like much of a problem but 30-40 minutes felt like 30 odd hours. I couldn’t move trapped by the sheer size of the man.

“So now it’s strictly solo! Definitely safer!”

As I said, I didn't want to end on a negative note, but I had to include that! I suppose the bottom-line is that carrying a pillion is fraught with danger, but hopefully this article will help remove some of that danger. Then you can enjoy riding together with your "special someone". Just try not to pillion a drunken 20-stone bridegroom!

Final Note: Thanks to my grandchildren who posed for the photos. (They like sitting on Grandad's bike!).

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