Author Topic: My wife loved riding pillion  (Read 17506 times)

Offline Biggles

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #25 on: April 30, 2014, 10:33:30 AM »
Hmmmm.. visited Cairns and didn't even bother to let me know so I could catch up. Hmph I feel unloved...

Oh Craig, sorry mate.  I did think of getting in touch but I just spent so much time drinking fine reds and catching up with a cousin that I hadn't seen in ten years.  And drinking more fine red.  She doesn't drink red, and her late husband left an investment cellar which is mainly reds.  It was a hard job to reduce the stock to a manageable level, but I looked on it as an honourable thing to do.

Next time ...

That didn't help one bit.  Now Bikebear wants to know why you didn't seek his help with that mammoth project in the cellar.
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

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Offline BigTed

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #26 on: April 30, 2014, 11:52:24 AM »
I'm jealous.... I've just clicked over 53,000 km on Little Miss STealthy - bought new in June '11. Wifey has been on the back for a grand total of about 80 km of those. While she says she doesn't mind being on the back, her greatest deterrent is "helmet hair".  :-[ For those of you who know me, I don't have that problem.  :rockon
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Offline alans1100

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #27 on: April 30, 2014, 12:06:44 PM »
While she says she doesn't mind being on the back, her greatest deterrent is "helmet hair". 

Heather as the same issue but it doesn't stop her from riding. We keep a brush in the top case so she can tidy her hair before we leave the bike.
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Offline ST2UP

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #28 on: April 30, 2014, 07:29:26 PM »
While she says she doesn't mind being on the back, her greatest deterrent is "helmet hair". 

Heather as the same issue but it doesn't stop her from riding. We keep a brush in the top case so she can tidy her hair before we leave the bike.

We the same......Hair brush, vanity mirror in the Topbox, hair straightener, and makeup.......and then Pockey has all her girly stuff as well  :nahnah


 :grin
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Offline Bikebear

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #29 on: April 30, 2014, 08:00:20 PM »



That didn't help one bit.  Now Bikebear wants to know why you didn't seek his help with that mammoth project in the cellar.

I tried not to think about all that wine that Old Steve had to dispose of on his own, it just makes it worse...   :-[  :'(  :grin
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Offline Old Steve

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #30 on: May 01, 2014, 07:58:08 PM »
My main problem is at mount up.  With my feet down only on the balls of my feet, I feel as if I don't have the bike stable enough for my wife to feel confident as she climbs aboard.  At our age there's creaky joints to consider so I want my feet flat on the ground both sides of the bike so the bike is as stable as I can get it.

Looking around I have seen suggestions that you can lower both the front and back, drop the head down the forks and clamp the spring of the rear suspension - same amount front and back.  To lower the rear suspension I would assume that you put in two plates on the spring and draw them toward each other with clamps and then fix them in position with bolts.  The only downside I see of this double lowering would be a reduction of ground clearance, but I'm not an elbow slider so a lower ground clearance doesn't seem to be a major problem.
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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #31 on: May 01, 2014, 08:10:08 PM »
My main problem is at mount up.  With my feet down only on the balls of my feet, I feel as if I don't have the bike stable enough for my wife to feel confident as she climbs aboard.  At our age there's creaky joints to consider so I want my feet flat on the ground both sides of the bike so the bike is as stable as I can get it.
My wife struggles as well. How I got her comfortable with it was to get her to standing straight up on my left hand (mounting) peg, as it's lower and just standing there getting the feel of the weight shift with me leaning forward in the saddle.

Once she was comfortable with that and knew what was going to happen with the weight, she then swung her leg over and bob's your uncle, I start off only letting her mount the STeed on a flat bit of ground.

And I'm almost tippy toes with both feet on the ground
 

Offline ST2UP

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #32 on: May 01, 2014, 08:20:24 PM »
Is having your wife board first an option when on the side stand ?? She climbs on as you would, obviously keeping her weight to the left while you stay on the right side and your wife moves back when ready......you climb on with the step over method......bring the bike to the centre with the addition of your wife's weight on the back should have you close to flat footed......

Like anything practice, practice, practice  ;-*



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Offline alans1100

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #33 on: May 01, 2014, 08:27:12 PM »
When Heather got back on the bike after her broken leg and later her knee replacement I use to park next to the kerb which made it easier for her to get on.


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Offline Old Steve

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #34 on: June 07, 2014, 06:14:15 PM »
Next stage underway.

Went in to the local Honda shop, Redline Motorsports Mackay, just to look at jackets helmets etc, to see what was available.  Jeanne saw a Dririder ladies jacket in silver she liked, it fitted, and was offered at $100 off so we bought it.  Then she tried on some helmets, flip front were heavy so she tried on some full face, there was a new HJC she liked, she kept coming back to it and the salesman said "You've tried that one on three or four times, so why not go away and have a think about it" and we said what price to take it now and they said $50 off, so we bought that too.

So tomorrow she's using my spare gloves and we're going for a little ride.  might just make it a little ride across town for lunch or a cuppa.

She's sat on the back with me on the bike several times and is getting to feel comfortable and confident, I think she's got a cushion lined up as a back pad in front of the top box.

So, we'll see how tomorrow goes .......
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Offline Marcus

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #35 on: June 07, 2014, 06:52:53 PM »
Good on you mate she will get more comfortable with time, baby steps. Start with a ride around town, and then to the next town over etc
 

Offline Biggles

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #36 on: June 07, 2014, 08:40:42 PM »
I think it's a great activity to do with your best mate.  It's something we riders enjoy as an exalting experience, so much better when we can share it.
I'm with Alan- my wife has had a hip replacement and using the kerb makes it much easier to get on and off.  Far easier for me too, since  I have to lean the bike for her to get off, and I'm at the limit of lean angle versus strength before she can do it.
For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

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Offline Old Steve

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #37 on: June 08, 2014, 05:08:43 PM »
Well wouldn't you know it, we're right in the season known up here in the tropics as "THE DRY", and it's been persisting down all night and through the day.

Supposed to have cleared up tomorrow, so we'll plan our little ride and lunch out for tomorrow.
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Offline West Aussie Glen

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #38 on: June 08, 2014, 11:39:46 PM »
Hope it fines up for you. If you don't have an intercom suggest you decide on a signal, like 3 hard hits on your back, if your wife wants you to stop any reason.
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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #39 on: June 09, 2014, 04:11:13 PM »
Thats great news  :hatwave  :hatwave


Pockey  :grin
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Offline saaz

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #40 on: June 09, 2014, 04:21:30 PM »
Great to hear. You should have many fun times together.
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Offline Marcus

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #41 on: June 09, 2014, 06:28:19 PM »
Brilliant
 

Offline Biggles

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #42 on: June 09, 2014, 09:00:30 PM »
She looks like she's a natural, with the helmet, leaning on the bike.
Rapt for you!    :thumb
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Offline Biggles

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #43 on: June 09, 2014, 09:06:28 PM »
One from the archives- December 2007 when I just completed my one year on the Limited Licence (solo- no pillions) AND I had an ST1100 AND a "beard".

For the modern man who lives in the city, riding a bike might be one of the only ways to escape the humdrum monotony. To take off and ride. To be both at one with nature and one with the bike. To feel masculine. Adam Piggott

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Offline Old Steve

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #44 on: July 07, 2014, 09:09:19 AM »
A couple of weeks into life with a pillion passenger, and we're both loving it.  I've found I'm not having the problems with my wife getting on board the bike that I anticipated.  Bike's been off the road for a fortnight while I waited for a new mirror and windscreen, but they're fitted now and this weekend we went out both days.  Lovely days, blue skies, low to mid twenties, and between the two days we did over 300 km.

Saturday we rode about 60 km up the Pioneer Valley up to the Cafe Devine at Pinnicles.  Had a great lunch, if you're riding up the Bruce Highway passed Mackay, take the bypass out to Marion and keep going up the valley instead of turning right across the bridge.  The Cafe Devine is about 100 metres passed the pub (which does a very nice pie as well), tables outside under the trees and views across the cane fields.  Fantastic food too.

We came back down the valley to just short of Mirani and turned onto the Mt Osa road, 40 km of motorbike heaven.  I took it fairly carefully as I hadn't ridden this road before, I had a relatively new pillion on board, and it's the start of the cane harvesting season with slow trucks and tractors likely to be on the road.  You come back out on the Bruce Highway about 40 km north of Mackay and it was a qiuiet cruise back home with a side trip to the Eimeo Pub for a cuppa out on the deck and a view out over the ocean where the Humpback whales will be coming through in a week or two..

Yesterday we rode out north of Mackay to Cape Hillsborough, parked at the camping ground at the end of the road and walked up through the bush to the Twin Beach Lookout.  Nice cool bush walk with a fantastic view out over the beaches and the off shore islands, and it was marvellous to see butterflies fluttering through the sunlight with their wings almost transparent.  We rode back to the Bruce Highway and turned north to the Mackay bypass and rode across to Marion in the Pioneer Valey and home again.

I'm really enjoying having my wife pillioning, I love feeling the odd squeeze of her knees now and then or when she puts her hands on my waist.  And she's comfortable, confident and really enjoying it as well.  This is such a great way to enjoy my passion for bike riding and to share it with her as well.
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Offline Marcus

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #45 on: July 07, 2014, 09:42:39 AM »
A couple of weeks into life with a pillion passenger, and we're both loving it. 

That's awesome, mate, great to read, I agree it is alot better with the significant other on board. One you get some communication devices, make for a better,  experience chatting away.
 

Offline Old Steve

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #46 on: July 23, 2014, 01:28:57 PM »
Bit of an update.  The other day my wife referred to "our bike".  I didn't want to appear possessive so I didn't comment on how up until only two months ago it'd always been 'your' bike.  Also had it pointed out that there was no "In case of accident do not remove helmet" label on her helmet, rectified that last night.

We're riding together every weekend now, both Saturday and Sunday.  I'm looking forward to getting a Bluetooth comms unit fitted to both our helmets when the year's bonus lands in the bank account.

We rode together to the motorbike show last weekend.  Unfortunately the Honda salesman let us sit on an F6B they had parked there, and if I hadn't turned down the offer for both of us to take it out on a trial run because I thought it was too heavy then I think "we'd" be looking at having money taken out of our superannuation and an F6B parked in the garage.  It's a pretty comfortable piece of kit.  It's really an ST1800, isn't it.

So, we're both loving riding together.  Only problem we've had has been my gloves smelling.  Last night I arrived home to find my gloves had been washed during the day and had the linings pulled out while they dried.
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Offline StinkyPete

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #47 on: July 23, 2014, 04:19:14 PM »
It's great to read that you and your "dearly beloved" are enjoying getting out on the bike together, and I had a good chuckle when I read that she now refers "our" bike and not "your" bike.    :thumb
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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #48 on: July 23, 2014, 07:19:17 PM »
How fantastic Old Steve. I'm so pleased.  :runyay That is great news. If your wife does have any questions at all please let her know that I will try and help her, but it sounds like she has everything under control.

Love to hear that we have another happy pillion.


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Offline Old Steve

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Re: My wife loved riding pillion
« Reply #49 on: October 16, 2014, 02:45:12 PM »
Well, four months on and everything is going swimmingly.  I've found many new roads which I hadn't ridden before, and must've been to every café within 100 km of Mackay.

Mrs Old Steve now has two jackets (new mesh jacket for summer), two pairs of gloves (new mesh gloves for summer), Draggin jeans, bike boots and her helmet fitted with a Sena SMH10 Bluetooth unit.  We ride around on "our" bike, chatting away to each other.

The other weekend we went into one of the local bike shops just to sit on a few different bikes, she suffers from the wind buffeting her head while sitting on the ST1100 pillion seat.  Tried the Yamaha XVS 1100, it has a slightly higher pillion than the rider's seat: a Kawasaki Vulcan 900, higher pillion too: Suzuki Boulevard C50 and C90, higher pillion: and a Triumph Bonneville.  Of all of them, she preferred the Bonnie because with the flat seat her head was no higher than mine.  But that'd be another day, we're committed to the ST for a while yet.

Now, I wonder how I can broach the subject of her own bike ...
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