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Copyright © 2000 by M. Hilton Taylor. All Rights Reserved by T.A.M.S. It ain’t rocket science . . . is it. |
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Riding two up on a motorcycle will either be twice as much fun or half as much fun. The choice will be how well you and your co-rider communicate and ride together. How do you know for sure? Twice as much fun is when your co-rider lets you ride and steer the bike and does not constantly scream out suggestions. The first clue it is half as much fun is when you start wondering where you left the duct tape. When riding two up it is very important that the co-rider knows what they should be doing to make it easier on the driver. Cars or motorcycles, only one person can drive at a time. A good co-rider should not try to lean counter to the driver as it makes turning a real challenge. Also a co-rider that is moving around on the back can be a distraction to the driver. Before you take a long trip with a co-rider you may want to try a few short trips so you can get your riding together. You have to communicate with each other. If the co-rider is becoming a distraction then find out why. They may be ready for a break. So what are some of the skills you should learn for riding two up? First and foremost is balance. You should learn how to balance the bike with the person on the rear. In order to balance you should learn how to become one. In a sense the co-rider must become a part of the bike and learn to follow the bike and not try to control it. That is the driver’s job! I remember trying to negotiate a right turn with a co-rider. I leaned the bike into the turn and my co-rider thought I was leaning too far so they helped me counter-balance. Not good when you have oncoming traffic. The more I tried to turn the more they “helped” and the more they helped the bike wanted to go straight. We made the turn but with a lot of anxiety, so we had to have a communication session. These sessions go much better before the situation than when they are happening. The next is that the two riders must have a mutual trust for each other, especially the co-rider. I would suggest that if the co-rider does not trust the driver . . . then don’t ride. Nobody will enjoy the ride. You would not do it in a car and it is much worse on a motorcycle. The drivers also have to remember that they have to adjust their riding styles when riding two up as the bike will have different handling characteristics. Anytime you add weight to a bike it will alter the ride handling. The driver will become more tired quicker; even if your co-rider is a cute little size one. Also when riding two-up you will be adding more luggage or stuff, and this too will be added to the mix. Lastly, remember motorcycles have a weight capacity that you should not exceed. Can you exceed it? Probably! Do you want to? No! Check the manual and see what the capacity is and adjust your packing to accommodate the driver and rider without going over the capacity of the motorcycle. A little preplanning and communication can remove the urge to use the duct tape. It can also make your ride more enjoyable so when you get off the bike you still like each other.
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