Need help riding two up!

I have only been riding a few months, and last month I bought a Goldwing so my wife could ride with me. Can y'all give me any hints on riding with someone else on the bike, is it different as far as starting, stopping, or turning. Any hints will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hi there My hubby has a Goldwing..and I ride a Honda Shadow ACE 750. Having a rider can be a bit of a challenge until you both get the hang of it. We are members of the Goldwing club are you?? They are a great group of people and its nice to have other more experienced people to talk to. I have learned lots from them. They offer lots of classes on riding and being a passenger. Best advice I can give you is to go to a large empty parking lot and ride with your passenger or find some country roads that are not highly traveled. Your passenger will need to lean equal to you not further to one side or opposite of your lean. But that comes with practice and feeling how the bike handles. The bike will stop a little slower and turning if your passenger leans to far in the direction you want to turn can make things a little difficult. Having the added weight on your bike will make it handle just a little different. With a Goldwing being as large as it is it can handle a lot of weight and its a very forgiving bike too. Good luck and I wish you miles and miles of safe riding. Alfreda

We also have a Goldwing. I don't drive so maybe I can't answer all your questions. I can tell you that he has me lean straight back and not into the turns. Does that help? susan

Hi Steve, Riding two up is not only rewarding as a family, but often more fun than riding alone. I only have a few standard hints: *Have the passenger get on only after signalling their intent. Step in the left foot peg with their left foot and swing over or slide the right leg over the seat. *Once on, make sure they remain as centeredas possible on the bike all the time. *Make sure they never put their feet down, even at stops. *When turning, make sure they look over your shoulder in the direction you are turning. IE Over your left shoulder for a left turn. This includes long sweeping curves. It helps the balance of the bike and makes sure they aren't countering your lean. *Try stopping more smoothly using less brakes and more engine. This prevents the helmet tap dance. Also, the extra weight can increase stopping distances. *get a communication device if you don't already have one. Makes the ride more fun for the passenger and the driver. *Have fun and stop often for breaks. The passenger is less likely to be used to long stretches in the saddle. Jim

The motorcycle safety foundation gives a class for passengers which you might check into. All the exercises are done with both rider and passenger to teach both how to work together. I know that if the passenger if "stiff", it makes it more difficult for the rider. My hubby and my son both want passengers to stay relaxed. When their head turns, my head turns, etc. They both are very experienced riders, and that is their biggest "thing" - passenger needs to be relaxed. Hope this helps. But do check out the MSF classes - they're really good.