Riding a Motorbike with Passengers: Safety Tips
Riding a Motorbike with Passengers: Safety Tips
Most motorcyclists will want to give a friend or a partner a ride on their beloved motorbike, but there are some important safety procedures you should understand before taking to the roads.
Riding a bike with a passenger will make the bike heavier, making it less nimble and harder to steer around corners. The overall feel of the motorbike will be different to when on a solo ride.
This means that generally only experienced motorcyclists should ride with another person on the bike as that person is putting their life in the hands of the rider.
Make sure as a passenger you know where to put your feet if there is not a footrest, and where to hold on – it is a good idea to hold the rider’s waist with two hands.
If you want to put your feet down onto the road when the bike stops you should inform him of this before you do it.
You should ask the rider how you should position your body when they go round a corner before the start of the ride – whether you should stay neutral or lean into the bend with them.
Wear the Right Safety Gear
Just like the motorcyclist, a passenger is at the same risk of injury or fatality while on the bike and as such should take the same precautions.
It is a good idea to wear protective clothing as a passenger to protect you, if you should have an accident and get flung from the bike - this for a rider consists of leathers, boots, gloves and shoulder, knee and elbow pads.
It is unlikely that motorcyclists will have a spare safety helmet that fits the passenger perfectly so this is a risk you may have to take, unless you intend on being a regular passenger where it might be beneficial to buy your own helmet.
A ThermaHelm Halo Helmet is a good choice if you are choosing a new helmet, as the technology not only helps to prevent brain damage by cooling the brain in the case of an accident, but also alerts emergency services to the fact that an accident has occurred and where it is.
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