From: amir@ms.uky.edu (Amir Sadr)
Subject: Re: Riding Two on a CBR600F2
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 17:53:28 GMT
Organization: U of Kentucky, Computer & Mathematical Sciences Division

In article <msbogd-270892145137@enterprise.lerc.nasa.gov> msbogd@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov (Michael S. Bogdanski) writes:
>Recently, I've carried a passenger on my '92 CBR600F2.  It seemed like a
>great idea until my crotch was smashed up against the gas tank while
>slowing and my privates were smashed, causing quite a bit of discomfort. 
>Also, I found that there was a tremendous extra load put on my arms while
>slowing down due to the increased weight from behind.  I weigh about 175lb
>and my passenger about 110lb.  Has anyone figured out a method for
>minimizing/eliminating these uncomfortable and painful encounters while
>carrying a passenger?

When I ride as a rear passenger on a motorcycle (very rare), I prefer
holding on to the waist of the operator and adjusting the tightness of my grip
depending on the speed & rate of change_of in his or her acceleration
and breaking.  I do this regardless of whether the bike has a grab rail
or not (see below).  To avoid pushing on the operator in deceleration (i.e. not
necessarily breaking), I lean back (slightly) with my upper body and press
my legs against the pegs and keep from traveling forward on the seat.
When I carry a passenger, I recommend this procedure to them and leave it
up to he/she as to what they prefer.  Most of my riding with a passenger
is in scenic country roads, the kind that you can see the turns come
up in plenty of time ahead.  I try to  make the ride smooth by coasting and
down shifting at appropriate RPM and occasionally using the rear break to
tighten my line and keeping the load off the front and thus the passenger in
place.  When I used to take my X-girlfriend on rides, she was so good
at doing this that I could hardly tell she was behind me, apart from
feeling her hand against my waist and a few tickles and shoulder rubs
every now and then :-)  The only complaint that she had was that pressing
down on the pegs where a little tiring on her legs during longer
rides at faster paces.

With respect to holding on at the waist or grabbing at the rail, I've
personally noticed that most people do a better job at balancing and
aiding in the handling of the motorcycle when they grab at the waist
or around the abdomen rather than holding on to any part of the bike.
I've also had a few near disasters where people almost came clean of
the bike going over a hill at high speed.  One might argue that
this can result even from holding around the waist, but I think if a person
has their hands positioned behind their back and their elbows slightly
angled (or even straight) and they begin to escape gravity yet experience
horizontal forces, natural human anatomy will force most people to bend
their elbows even further and if their feet is off the pegs, they will
tuck their body and bend at the knee and the rest you can conclude yourself.
Again, this can readily happen when grabbing at the waist but one will
not move back as easily.

Once we hit a small role (you know when asphalt bubbles do to change in
temperature and heavy rains) at high speed and up went Katie (only 115 lbs.) in
the air and landed at the very edge of the seat (half way on the rail), so
I reached back with one arm and grabbed her fanny and scoped her forward.
After that I used to ask friends if they knew any roads with lots
of roles :-) :-)

-- 
- Amir Sadr,  Dept. of Computer Science   AMA#633741  amir@ms.uky.edu
- University of Kentucky                  DoD#0606    amir@UKMA.BITNET
- Lexington,  KY 40506-0027               CBR1000F    [rutgers,uunet]!ukma!amir
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