How does a passenger get on your bike?

[black hills]

 

You think the kickstand is less capable of holding up the bike than you?

from someone who has obvioulsy never owned a KTM

[ConPilot1]

 

You think the kickstand is less capable of holding up the bike than you?

Yes. Without question. Especially with a passenger climbing on.

[stew71]

Passenger? Shit, the FJR is heavy enough already....

[Scoop]

Drive slowly in first gear while the pillion runs along side.  Just as they are about to jump on, speed up a little so that they fall down.  Stop, laugh and say "no, come on.  I won't do it again"  
Repeat.  

[Acadian Rider]

Here's how Sue and I do it.

I get on first and bring the bike upright.  

If the ground isn't level, I go to where it is.

Behind from the left side, Sue puts her left hand on my left shoulder, her right hand on the top box, her left foot on the left foot peg and then lifts her right leg over the seat and voila, she's on.  

 

[2RR2NV]

Here's how Sue and I do it.

I get on first and bring the bike upright.  

If the ground isn't level, I go to where it is.

Behind from the left side, Sue puts her left hand on my left shoulder, her right hand on the top box, her left foot on the left foot peg and then lifts her right leg over the seat and voila, she's on.  

same style but either side is fine by her. she's really short so there is no way she can just swing a leg over. but OTOH, she won't be riding the 750. she's waiting for the next bike...

[ConPilot1]

This is going to sound stupid, but really, I've experienced this firsthand myself.

just like you have a stronger, more coordinated arm than the other, you also have a leg like this.

No joke.

I've found it easier to get a leg over my seat with a full load on the back using the side opposite that I normally mount the bike from.

During everyday normal riding, I get on the bike on the left (clutchside).

When I've got a full and high load on the pillion seat, it's much easier to get on the bike and get my leg over from the right side.

maybe passengers could try the same if they are having difficulty getting on with the driver in place and a topbox????

[Cablebandit]

maybe passengers could try the same if they are having difficulty getting on with the driver in place and a topbox????

Or they cold just get on first and slide back onto the passenger seat.

[jag44]

I always get on first and hold it for her and she always gets off first.  I usually only take the wife and basically I do it anyway she wants.  Sometimes I pull up to a curb to make it easier on her as I am 6'4" and she is 5'4" and I have a tall seat on a V-Strom.  That bike is pretty high for her to get up on.

[retro]

That  just means you're doing it right....  

  However... it's probably been 4 years since I took a passenger on my bike. They never seem to want to take a 2nd ride.

 

 

[wolf_in_cheapclothing]

I always get on first and hold it for her and she always gets off first.  I usually only take the wife and basically I do it anyway she wants.  Sometimes I pull up to a curb to make it easier on her as I am 6'4" and she is 5'4"

This is a discussion about passengers getting on motorcycles right? For a minute I thought I was in the Penthouse letters section.

[jag44]

This is what can happen to a motorcycle post when the best selling book is Shades of Gray  

[cruisin]

I voted the first choice but with this method:

My wife (and most frequent passenger) waits until I signal her I am ready.

Next she steps onto the left passenger peg and hopefully with one fluid motion, goes straight up, swings her right leg over the top case and settles onto the pillion seat.

When we first started dating, I gave her her very first ride on a motorcycle (she was 43 at the time).  Her first try at getting on nearly tipped us over.  I gave her a second chance with some gentle instruction and off we went.  After that initial ride I decided it wise to give her a little practice with the bike on the centerstand before attempting it with me holding the bike again.  I did this primarily because I too, have short inseam and trying to balance a heavy bike while a passenger climbs aboard with only the balls of your feet on the ground can become quite precarious.  Hence we put the RT up on the centerstand and I climbed on and let her practice going up and down several times, first without the topcase then about two dozen times with it in place.  Once she had gotten pretty smooth with the movement and did it quickly enough, we dropped the bike down and I balanced it with a 2 x 4 under each foot for several more test runs. This little session took well over an hour and completely wore her out, but she really wanted to go for her second ride so we proceeded to ride for about two hours that day.  After a while the mounting and dismounting became second nature and we have had only one minor problem since those first two rides.  We were headed to  Paonia, CO for our first rally and had stopped at a restaurant for dinner in Pagosa Springs.  As we were getting ready to depart to find a campground, she got about half way up and just froze.  All of her weight was on the left peg and I was trying to hold up her and the bike with only my left foot on the ground.  I yelled at her to drop down; thankfully she did so immediately but not soon enough to keep my left calf from cramping up.  I flipped the side stand down and nearly fell off the bike with the cramping calf.  She felt so bad; but has never stopped in mid-motion again.  She either gets all the way into the seat on the first try or knows to drop back down immediately if there is a delay or problem getting over the topcase.

[coho]

Chloroform and bungie cords.

[Andrew]

THe passenger rides in the sidecar, where else would one cary a passenger?

[sammyseaman]

Chloroform and bungie cords.

   

[aviationfred]

Hmm, I don't remember where I learned this (Harley rental safety review maybe?), but the procedure I was taught involves the rider lifting the bike off the stand (with bike already started/running), and then having the pillion mount from the left side.

Dismount is the reverse -- passenger gets off bike dismounted to the left with the bike still running & held upright by rider.

This is exactly how I have my girlfriend get on. As in another post, she does use my shoulder for support and uses the footpeg as a step.

Fred

[AutoXer]

I have to drive to the nearest curb and let the passenger on there - the only person that rides on back is my daughter, and she's that short!

[Andrew]

passenger????  

is there anyone who would want to ride with me??
 

[jsanford]

Most of the passengers I've taken on the bike weigh at least as much as I do, some significantly more. I thought about these procedures a lot for that reason before offering rides.

We have a pre-ride chat. They get on and off only when I nod okay and they use my shoulder to help get up and dismount.  I make sure all my weight it on the bike and my feet are on the ground as stabilizing outriggers; I remind myself that the bike is holding me up, not the other way around.. Most step on the peg and that swing-over is when I keep my butt on that bike so it takes my weight and shifting weight from the passenger.

I've only ever had one passenger misbehave;  he got off without notice at a stop sign.  He was a pilot, so I think the danger-danger-pay-attention-to-instructions part didn't make as much of an impression on him.  I was glad that when I ride two-up, I put both feet down at stop signs (usually just the left) as that kept him from pulling us over.

Grant and I recently rode two-up from the shop after towing his bike there.  He did not enjoy. We should probably practice sometime in a parking lot with me as passenger in case I ever have a Hank Hill experience on the road.

(The episode in question is from the third season)