Ducati Monster Forum

I just got back from taking a girl friend of mine for an outing, and not some little 'round the block ride either. I got her all geared up, stowed the rear cowl, and we went all the way out to Stinson Beach and back (from San Francisco). We had a BLAST! :D OK, I actually think she had more fun than I did, but it was great. (Somehow the bike handles a little differently with two up....) ;)

First thing, I gave her a pretty thorough tutorial on how to be a good passenger: Feet stay on the pegs until I tell you it's OK to get off. Hold on tight! Brace yourself (when braking or heading downhill) on the tank. Look through the turn with me, and don't be afraid to lean with the me and bike. Tuck in if it's windy, tap if you're scared, and enjoy the ride!

Well, she was an awesome passenger, the best I've ever had. Way better than my bf, who is a long time rider, and who is I think maybe a little too nervous about being a passenger... ? Way better than my mom, who while she loves it, is a bit of a dead weight back there.

On the way home I was leaning into some of the curves (as best I could without running into the minivan in front of us [roll]), and she was totally great, right there with me, loving every second of it. This is the first time I've ever taken someone out on a real ride (in the twisties), and it was actually fun.  [cheeky]

I would definitely take her out again. I never realized that riding two up could be fun for the person up front, too.  [moto]

Nice, glad you had fun. [thumbsup]

The best passenger I've taken was also a girlfriend, she had never been on a bike before, but listened carefully to my instructions.  She was also the lightest one I've had (just 20 pounds more than me).


Hmmm, I know the phenomenon you are referring to. ;)

that was great to read, duquette.  i have yet to feel fully comfortable myself on this bike so i can't even begin to imagine how riding with a passenger feels.  yet i've wished a couple of times i could ride someone pillion because it'd be nice to go places with my non-motorcycle riding buddies...but still on my bike.   :)  anyhoo, i'm glad you & your friend had a fun, safe time!

I 2nd the great story vote.  I have to ask, any tips for someone that's never driven with a passenger before (I've been a passenger many many times in the past)?  I tried once (with a guy), went about 2 ft and then decided it was a bad idea because I wasn't comfortable. I would love to be able to say "sure" if someone was to ask me for a ride.

Hmmm... Tips for taking a "cupcake."
Caveat: I'm not exactly what you'd call experienced in that area. I've taken my mom out a couple times, and my bf a few times, and that's about it.
Take someone (relatively) light. It really is harder if your passenger weighs a lot more than you do.
Mostly I think that the coaching I gave my friend about what to expect and how to be a good passenger really helped.  I also made sure that she understood the inherent risks and was OK with it -- that helped me relax, too.
One of the big differences was that she really held on (to me), which actually was better. At one point we were on the freeway going up a hill and the cross-winds were fierce. She just tucked in tight behind me, which was perfect -- it was like I was wearing a backpack.

Take it easy at first; the handling will be completely different. Allow extra space for braking! One helpful thing that people don't think of because it's kinda counter-intuitive, tell your passenger to be very still and balanced when you're not moving or just starting or stopping, because that's when it's easiest to tip the bike. If they need to shift around, they should do it when you're at speed, because the bike is much more stable then.

Speaking of which: Two feet down! The only real pucker moment came as we were starting up a pretty steep hill, with stop signs and lights going up. We were waiting at a red light, so I put her in neutral, put my left foot down, put my right foot on the brake, and turned back towards my right (taking my right hand off the front brake) to tell my gf to hold steady on the hill ahead... And she leaned forwards to better hear me.  SH!T Bike started to tip to the right, I put my right foot down (of course!), and we started to roll backwards down the hill. SH!T some more! Quick grab the front brake and hold on! Whew. Laugh with relief. Change pants.  [roll] [laugh]

It really was fun! A great way to "share the love" ...  [moto]  :-*

Anyone else have any tips...?

I started a FAQ (http://ducatimonsterworldwide.org/index.php?topic=3666.0), feel free to contribute if you have more tips.