how do I ride the canyons with a pillion? Do I lean off like normal do I just leand the bike and use the extra body weight to roll through the turns, or do I just take it slower than normal?

Don't even think about leaning off with a passenger.  Unless you have lots of experience with someone on back and your passenger has lots of experience with you, it's a large risk.  Why chance it?  The handling is WAY different with a passenger.

IMHO, save the canyon carving for solo riding.  Ride more conservatively with a passenger and enjoy the scenery now (and later!).

Riding two up...

Tell your passenger to hold on to you securely but comfortably ( not a death /Anaconda grip..) and stay relaxed and let YOU ride the bike. No trying to help with the leaning etc...(Some  try to lean the wrong way...VERY Bad..). Pick a shoulder to look over. You're riding should be more conservative... your bike will handle way different with two up. .

If you haven't done a lot of two up riding I wouldn't make your first trip that way on a challenging road.

Ride Safe- get there....and get there in one piece.

As Jared said. Take the pillion on a gentler road so you can both get used to riding two-up. They need to hold on to you (if they feel scared) or the grab rail and keep streight. Tell them not to move around on the bike or try leaniing into corners that is your job. If they want to look around fair enough but try not to sway the bike so to speak. You can't canyon carve with a pillion its a recipe for disaster but if you take it abit slower and just counter steer only through the canyons without leaning off you can still get good lean. Take it slow and don't ride hard with the pillion.

Also you should note that when riding pillion the pillion reacts to everything you do on the bike a few moments after you. Sudden flicking through S bends will leave them hanging out to the opposite side to you. Hard breaking they will most likely bang their helmet against yours. Also accelerating and changing gear fast can leave them jolted backwards. Ride smooth and gentle and enjoy the ride!

I used to ridingt two up cauze I had to take and pick up and old girlfriend from work, I just never done it in the canyons. A friend of mine wants to go to the rock store in malibu. I can take it slow no hurry she used to ride but doesnt anymore(doesnt have a bike) so she is used to riding which should help. thanks guys .

Quote from: Kasumi on October 09, 2007, 05:56:50 AM
As Jared said. Take the pillion on a gentler road so you can both get used to riding two-up. They need to hold on to you (if they feel scared) or the grab rail and keep streight. Tell them not to move around on the bike or try leaniing into corners that is your job. If they want to look around fair enough but try not to sway the bike so to speak. You can't canyon carve with a pillion its a recipe for disaster but if you take it abit slower and just counter steer only through the canyons without leaning off you can still get good lean. Take it slow and don't ride hard with the pillion.

Also you should note that when riding pillion the pillion reacts to everything you do on the bike a few moments after you. Sudden flicking through S bends will leave them hanging out to the opposite side to you. Hard breaking they will most likely bang their helmet against yours. Also accelerating and changing gear fast can leave them jolted backwards. Ride smooth and gentle and enjoy the ride!

+1 Great layout Kasumi!