skills
2-UP
Three critical riding skills a passenger can quickly improve
By Keith Fitz-Gerald #181002 MANY
2-UPPERS
believe that their riding skills are as good as they’re going to get…right up until that first clunk from a pas- senger’s helmet
proves otherwise. No doubt it’s tempting to blame
your pillion when that happens. Many might think their passengers are inexperienced or moving around when they shouldn’t be. In reality, though, you’re in the driver’s seat. Conse- quently, you’re in complete control of everything your passenger experiences. Not the other way around. Every helmet clunk, every
sudden grab around your waist, and every hard push against you when you’re braking is a sign that it’s time to improve three critical motorcycling skills that many riders take for granted until they have a passenger: throttle control, shifting, and braking.
Throttle Control Most of us learn very quickly that a twist of the wrist is the way to go. Open it up to go faster and close it down to go slower. Unfortunately, that’s about as far as it gets. There’s a lot more to it when you’re carrying a passenger. For example, opening the throttle
doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to accelerate. Studies suggest that you may need to open the throt- tle at least 20 percent just to
106 BMW OWNERS NEWS September 2015
overcome the physics of aerodynamics and friction when you’re riding solo. Many rid- ers are surprised to learn that you can even slow down despite the fact that you’re put- ting on gas. When you’re carrying a passenger, the
number can jump to 30 percent or more, depending on any number of variables including how big or small your passenger is, what luggage you’re carrying, road con- ditions and more. So you’ve got to be more assertive.
stop sign or make a move to safely pass that Prius that’s been dogging you for the last 100 miles of twisties.
Shifting Learning to change gears effectively is a skill that every motorcyclist has to learn yet very few truly master. Easy to do when you’re solo, riding two up quickly compli- cates matters. That’s because shifting involves the simultaneous input of at least three out of your motorcycle’s six controls. If any one of these things is out of whack—your clutch, your gearing, or your throttle—your pillion is going to feel it. And, so will you when their helmet comes crashing into yours in a dead giveaway that your shifting could use a bit of finesse. Some of the more common
errors include over-revving, releas- ing your clutch too soon or too late to optimize the power transfer implicit in forward motion. Under revving or lugging the engine or even blipping the throttle when there’s no need to do so follow as
Yet, at the same time you’ve also got to
resist the temptation to grab a handful of horsepower. That way you won’t have to “chop” the throttle suddenly if you acceler- ate too quickly, nor will you waste the energy it took to get you moving. According to Keith Code, author and
founder of the California Superbike School, the ideal is just enough to ensure your sus- pension settles and there is no remaining drivetrain slack as you pick up speed smoothly. You’ll know you’re successful on your
next ride if your passenger doesn’t have to grab on to you like he or she is doing the Heimlich when you accelerate away from a
close seconds. Contrary to what many peo- ple believe, having a slipper clutch is not an excuse for competence. The irony in all this is that most riders
try to rush the shifting process by treating it as a series of disconnected actions – pull- ing/releasing the clutch, moving the shifter, and operating the throttle to match your engine speed with your road speed. When you’re carrying a passenger, it’s far better to treat shifting as one smooth transition. In that sense, the clutch becomes an enabler rather than a detectable interruption. You’ll know you have it down pat when
you can work the gears seamlessly in both directions without your passenger feeling
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