Learning To Ride 2up Videos~I DID IT!

[cheriann]

Here I am, sharing another FIRST for me with all you great people!!!
I have always wanted to learn to take a passenger on my bike, but been a bit scared. Chaz wouldn't do it....he got on the back ONE time last year for a straight road about one block long. That didn't even count!!!
Yesterday, a good friend from our SCRC group came to my rescue! He told me he was going to ride passenger and show me I could do it. I was scared again, and tried to get out of it, but he wouldn't let me!!! He was SO patient!!!! First he got on the back and had me lift the bike. I love my friend to death, but I was also concerned because he's a big man and not that light!!! Then he sat there and talked me through what to expect and things to do when riding a passenger. He kept telling me I could do it and I was starting to believe him!!! LOL!
Here's a little video Chaz took of him sitting on the bike, motor running, getting my confidence up:



So, he FINALLY talked me into doing it! I am a little embarrassed for you experienced riders to see me act so scared here, but this will show you what a HUGE thing I conquered yesterday! As we were leaving, I kept putting my feet down because I was so scared!! LOL



I found out I could do it!!!!!! He had me take him out on the main road where I got to take some turns and leans and even sit at a traffic light holding my bike up without a problem!!! Keith will NEVER know how much it meant to me!!!!!
So, here is the final embarrassing video of me when I returned singing "I did it, I did it"!!

[cnc]

Good for you. Now that you have conquered you fears, so to speak and know you can do it, keep driving with a passenger when you can.
After a while it will feel quite normal and you will almost forget you have someone on the back. The bonus here, at least for me, is when I do take the Nomad out without my favorite passenger and our luggage, it fells like a lighter, sportier bike.

[Cajunrider]

I'm at work and the video is filtered out. I can understand your fears. When I first purchased my Nomad (my first bike) I was very apprehensive about my wife riding 2 up with me until I knew I could manage the Nomad alone. I think it was about a week before I took her for a ride. Your fears only show that you have good common sense and care about the well being of others. Nothing wrong with that.

[chainsaw]

Congrats and way to go. I'm impressed.

[cheriann]

Originally Posted by Cajunrider

I'm at work and the video is filtered out. I can understand your fears. When I first purchased my Nomad (my first bike) I was very apprehensive about my wife riding 2 up with me until I knew I could manage the Nomad alone. I think it was about a week before I took her for a ride. Your fears only show that you have good common sense and care about the well being of others. Nothing wrong with that.

Thank you! Gee, you had more confidence than I did....it has taken me a little over two years now to FINALLY try this!!!

[cheriann]

Originally Posted by cnc

Good for you. Now that you have conquered you fears, so to speak and know you can do it, keep driving with a passenger when you can.
After a while it will feel quite normal and you will almost forget you have someone on the back. The bonus here, at least for me, is when I do take the Nomad out without my favorite passenger and our luggage, it fells like a lighter, sportier bike.

Thank you! The best thing about my buddy Keith, is that he has offered to ride as a passenger any time we are both free. He said the same thing that you did....I need to keep doing it until it feels natural.

[cheriann]

Originally Posted by "CHAINSAW"

Congrats and way to go. I'm impressed.

Thank you so much!!!! As you can see, I don't think anybody could have felt more impressed than I was with myself when I made it back safely! ;)

[dantama]

If you are an accomplished rider without a passenger, then your fears are probably just mental blocks. A bike operates the same with a passenger as it does without, if the passenger holds still, with the exception of getting it up off the side stand.

They don't take longer to stop, as many people think due to the MSF erroneously saying it does take longer. They have recently agreed that it doesn't take longer, though it still might be in their materials. It goes through corners the same etc., if the passenger isn't moving side to side and doing strange things.

The thing that is different is knowing that you have someone's health and safety in your hands, and you want them to feel comfortable. When I take a passenger, I ratchet the aggressive meter down a bunch of notches, and don't drag the floor boards. I also try to stop, accelerate, and shift gears in a way that is much smoother to minimize helmets banging.

After watching your videos, the suggestion that I'd offer is keeping your feet up as soon as you start moving forward. You don't want to run them over with the rear crash bars, and putting them down doesn't help nearly as well as letting more clutch out and applying more throttle to keep you upright.

I'd ride behind you out of traffic.

[cheriann]

Thank you Dan! I always welcome your insight and suggestions!!!

[Jared]

Great job CheriAnn! You looked just fine. Do you have any family that would be interested in riding behind you more often so that you can continue to practice?

[waterman]

Cherri, glad you overcame your fear of carring a passenger. Dan had many good suggestions to help.

[taranis]

+1 to Dan. Plenty of good suggestions. It can be quite intimidating to have a passenger larger than you on the back. Congratulations for knocking down that wall of fear!

I would reiterate Dan's point of not putting your feet down, though. Never, ever, ever do that while the bike is in motion. You risk serious injury to your ankles and legs and you'll throw off the sense of balance you have with your feet up.

The best thing you can do for practice is find someone closer to or smaller than you and give them a ride around a parking lot to practice your slow speed maneuvering.