On Being a Good Frontseater

On Being a Good Frontseater

A few months back I wrote a short tip on how to be a good copilot. In fairness to those who faithfully co-pilot for us it's time for a tip on being a good frontseater. If you primarily ride alone then you may not know what I'm talking about, and those that ride with you are simply passengers. It's not the same thing. A passenger may or may not know anything about riding, and like as not a trip with you is an occasional thing at best. A backseater, however, is someone that loves riding as much as you do but chooses for one reason or another not to own their own bike. They have chosen to ride with you instead.

Being a good frontseater is all about being considerate. That means despite having your head lost in the feel of the wind and the sound of the soft rumble of the engine you remember there's another person back there, and it starts before you ever mount up. Your backseater needs to be as well equipped to ride as you are.

In most states a helmet is required for both operator and passenger. A happy back seater will have their own helmet that fits properly - not a "one size fits all" spare helmet you keep for the occasional passenger. This is probably the most important gear item you'll have because to be comfortable a helmet has to fit right. If it doesn't, it will pinch, flop around, and generally be a nuisance or even painful. To a lesser extent the same goes for gloves, jacket, boots, and other riding gear, but the helmet is the most important. Don't go cheap on the purchases just because the person is the passenger - you won't have a backseater if you do.

Once your backseater is equipped and mounted up it's up to you to assure their safety when you ride. Your bike will handle much differently riding double than it does when it's just you. Braking, turning, and acceleration are all impacted and in general it will take a more time and effort on your part to make things happen when they should happen. Keep it always in mind, and take things a little easier than you do when you're riding by yourself. Your backseater needs to have confidence in your abilities and they need to know that you're not going to act out in a way that puts you both in danger. That doesn't mean you can't twist the wick a bit when appropriate, but scaring a passenger is a sure way to lose a potential backseater.

A good day's mileage for you is probably too much for your backseater. Most motorcycles are designed more for operator comfort than for passenger comfort so you'll need to stop for breaks more often than when you're riding alone. You may also be ending your ride earlier than you would otherwise, because they are worn out. Don't make your passenger feel like a wimp because you have to stop. You'll never have a backseater if you do.

Just being sensitive and considerate frontseater will go a long ways towards having a good ride with more goods rides to come. A bigger step though comes when it's time to replace the old horse (your BIKE) with a new one. Take your backseater with you and have them check out the real estate you're proposing they occupy. You'll probably find their interest in the new bike is directly proportional to the size of its pillion (as will be their desire to ride with you). A raked front end with a little queen seat on the back may look cool, but if you want your backseater with you give em something comfortable to sit on.

Lastly, remember that your backseater is your partner on the road. A passenger is just along for the ride, but a backseater is part of a team. Treat them as such and you'll both have many happy miles ahead of you.

Thanks for visiting VirginiaWind.