How to behave as a passenger on a motorcycle? Attitudes, positions and equipment.

Motorcycling is a passion to be shared. And what better way to catch the bug than in the back seat? At first glance, being a passenger on a motorcycle can be a daunting experience, and raise a number of questions. What positions should you adopt? How do you get on the bike and where do you put your hands? How to communicate with the rider? What equipment should I buy? Etc... In this article, we give you plenty of advice to make your first outings as smooth as possible.

Of course, you have to wear the bare minimum (and the legal minimum). Even if you're picking up bread 500m from home, you need to wear an approved helmet and certified gloves. Next, bear in mind that asphalt is not fussy in the event of a fall. It makes no distinction between rider and passenger. So you can put your Bermuda shorts and your favorite pair of flip-flops in the closet.

What we recommend? Motorcycle jacket (a must), motorcycle pants (or, at worst, spandex-free jeans), motorcycle shoes (or, at the very least, hiking boots to protect your precious malleoli). Not a fan of the all-leather biker look? There are plenty of alternatives. Whether you're into Vintage, Urban or Casual, you can easily combine style and protection.

On a motorcycle, the passenger is also known as the sandbag, or SDS for short (which isn't very nice...). Why this delicate nickname? It's supposed to reduce the bike's performance by weighing it down. But this alias is misleading! Indeed, on a motorcycle, the rear rider is anything but passive. It's a real driving force.

How do you get on the bike?

Nothing insurmountable, unless you're 1.30 m tall and the bike in question is a high-riding trail bike. Here are 2 tips:

• Wait until the rider has settled in and given the go-ahead to get on. This will avoid surprises.

• Climb carefully from the left. Why should you do this? That's the side where the kickstand is located. This way, if the rider's foot slips, or if he's taken by surprise because he hasn't followed the first tip, this 3rd lifesaving point of support will prevent a 90-degree fall.

How to position your legs and feet?

The key words? Be at one with the bike and the rider. To hell with the embarrassment of being stuck pelvis to coccyx! Avoid the frog position by hugging your knees to the bike. This ensures a stable seat. This is crucial to feeling safe during acceleration and braking.

And what about your feet? Footrests are provided for this purpose. What do you have to watch out for? Not to position them too far forward, to avoid interfering with the rider's feet. And above all! Watch out for the exhaust pipe, otherwise you'll be eating shoe fondue for lunch.

What position for the upper body?

Here again, you need to be as close as possible to the rider (when we said motorcycling was a passion to be shared :)). The idea is to be at one with the rider, to avoid air turbulence between the two occupants. But be careful! Don't take advantage of this promiscuity to rest on the driver's back. If you do, he'll be constantly pushing on your forearms, which will be unpleasant, tiring and, incidentally, dangerous.

Where to put your hands? What to hold on to?

There's no magic bullet here! Whether it's on the bike's grips or the rider's love handles, the position of your hands will come naturally with use. It depends on your size, the bike's existing features, the type of bike and the sense of security you feel. Later in this article, we'll look at a number of different handholding devices.

What to avoid? Putting your hands on the rider's shoulders: in the event of heavy braking, this will throw him completely off balance.

How should I behave when driving?

Contemplating the scenery is great; keeping an eye on the road is even better! You'll be able to anticipate changes in trajectory, braking and cornering, and follow the rider's movements as best you can. It also avoids surprise reactions that can destabilize the whole system.

A final word of advice? Your objective on the road is to make yourself "forget".

By this we mean to disrupt the rider's riding and the bike's behavior as little as possible. So, when cornering, follow the rider's movements, without exaggeration, and let yourself be carried along. And above all, don't straighten up when cornering, otherwise the bike will tend to go straight ahead, with the risk of becoming a tree biker.

Adapting to changes in motorcycle behavior

Riding with a passenger, no matter how friendly, changes the bike's behavior. First of all, the suspension is compressed more. As a result, the first speed bumps may come as a surprise. To counter this, you can adjust the preload on your shock absorbers (manually or electronically, depending on the vintage of your bike). Then, acceleration may be a little more hesitant. Well, this is especially true with smaller displacement bikes, as with a 1200 you may not even notice.

The center of gravity is raised. This clearly has an impact on cornering. So be careful when taking your first turns. Last but not least, total weight is greater, so braking is more intense. Caution is called for, especially when riding in the wet.

Communicating well and taking it easy on your passenger

Communication between the two riders is also very important. Before riding, it' s important to talk to your SDS to reassure him/her, listen to any fears he/she may have and define a gestural code for stopping (in the absence of an intercom).

A novice passenger can quickly become tired from tensing up, tension and physical effort. You need to take it easy, plan breaks and avoid Tourcoing - Biarritz in one go as your first outing. And last but not least: don't fool around (unless explicitly requested to do so). In the best-case scenario, you'll make your passenger not want to ride with you, and in the worst-case scenario, he'll slip out of the saddle at the first flick of the handle in the corner.

The intercom

This is obviously the ideal solution for motorcycle communication. We recommend this excellent FREECOM motorcycle intercom from Cardo (2 headsets). Do you have to sell a kidney to buy one? No, just look at Cardo's Spirit Duo (2 helmets), which lets you yell at each other very clearly, even at 130km/h, at an affordable price.

Backrests and Sissy-bars

On long journeys, passengers also have the right to rest their lumbar vertebrae. How do you go about it? For motorcycles fitted with a top-case, a padded backrest can be fitted. For custom bikes, Sissy-bars offer the same comfort, with the added benefit of Easy Rider styling. Finally, there are also particularly ergonomic backrests. Unfortunately, these are still mainly intended for scooters.

Seat belts

Wouldn't a motorcycle seatbelt be downright dangerous? Nonsense! These devices do not attach to the frame of the bike. The Pan Belt, for example, secures the passenger to the rider by means of an ingenious roller system under the rider's seat. Who is this safety belt designed for? Children and novice passengers.

And if the rider has a serious tendency to swallow, there' s also a sporty version: the Spyder-Belt. With its increased torso support, it avoids the risk of falling in the event of an unexpected spin of the handlebars.

Additional handles

Your bike doesn't have a rear handle? And the rider doesn't have any padding to hold on to? Then you can opt for the Harisson support belt , which offers a secure, firm grip.

There are also passenger grips in solid aluminum. This is what HP Corse offers for certain motorcycle models.

Finally, for sporty duos, we recommend the A-sider handle. This metal handle, which attaches to the fuel filler cap, provides an optimal anchorage point for the passenger. Note to rider: this device is not intended to turn every ride into a Tourist Trophy stage...

Whether you're a biker, an occasional passenger or a budding rider, we hope you've found this article useful. Riding on the back of a motorcycle is a great experience when you feel safe. What's important to remember? Whether you're a rider or a passenger, it' s essential to be properly equipped. And for that, you can count on us.