Modern Buddy

Hi guys,

Should be going from a permit to a license in a week or so, and looking forward to being able to have a passenger. However, I'm not sure how the passenger is supposed to sit - do they hold on to the driver, or do they hold on to the handle (I don't have a top case)? I just want to make sure my wife doesn't go flying off the scoot the first time we hit a bump!

It depends on how much the passenger likes you.

Well it's my wife, so suffice it to say that can vary!

It also depends on how well she knows you and your riding style. If she is unsure of how you ride, or if she can't anticipate your 'next move' while riding she may be more comforteable holding on to you. If she holds the grab bad, it would be more like riding a mechanical bull and she would have to be ready for anything not too mention a work out for her. If she is going to hold on to you at least until you too have ridden together a few times have her reach around you as comfortable then slide her thumbs behind your belt (not belt loops) and curl her fingers up under from the bottom of your belt to give her a good grip. As you drive she can remain firmly connected to the bike and your lower body keeping still - not following the movements of your upper body. This should allow you too move or lean as necessary as if you were riding alone. Start slower until you both are comfortable.

My wife and I (and my kids, before they got their own bikes) have been riding together for decades. Based on that experience, I would recommend that:
1. You get a rear rack and a top case. They provide your co-rider with a lot of comfort and security.
2. That you tell your co-rider to lean with you, not more, not less. The co-rider can easily cause you to over-steer or under -steer, with painful consequences!
3. Practice. Riding with a co-rider isn't easy. You have to work together. The bike handles completely differently, and you are going to have to learn how to ride all over again.
4. Leave a LOT of extra braking distance. Not only will it take longer to stop, your co-rider doesn't have as much to hold onto as you do, and it will feel like he/she is going to push you off the front of the bike in an abrupt stop. Here scooters have a true advantage: hitting the gas tank on a motorcycle can be painful!
5. Keep it short. The back seat isn't very comfortable. You want your co-driver to be happy when he/she gets off. My wife is good for 200 miles without a break on the back of my Suzuki tu250, but 5 miles is all she can handle on the back of our Buddy with the lowered seat on (the normal seat is a lot more comfortable for the co-rider, but the Buddy really isn't an ideal bike 2-up for anything but short distances)
6. Make sure of your ability before risking someone else's health and well-being. Riding is complicated. Riding 2-up is far more complicated. Don't do it unless you are properly confident of your riding skills. I would strongly encourage a rider to have AT LEAST a years worth of experience riding regularly before trying to take a co-rider along. Of course, I didn't do any such thing. I took my wife for a ride 20 minutes after I got my first bike! But we were lucky!
7. Go slow, take it easy, and enjoy thousands of miles of dancing together on the roadway of life. My wife and I are looking forward to another Summer of riding and exploration!

As stated above......

Make it clear to your co-rider that their movements will make your operating the machine more difficult for you.

Have your co-rider hold you for now so your movements on the saddle during turns are co-ordinated.
Also, your passenger will need to learn to lean rearward while braking (balances bike, reduces helmet crash)

As stated, as much as you want to take folks around the block on your new machine I would strongly advise against it until you have some miles under your belt.
Unlike a car, with seat belts and airbags and structure around, your passenger isn't much more than a impediment to stability for you, the operator.
And if you go down, the passenger gets hurt the worst since they tend to get thrown off.

Sounds like doom and gloom but the realities are, we all want this to be a great experience fo both of you.

Take a safety course if you can, ride the untravelled streets as much as possible, keep the speed down.

I could go on and on.....this year marks my 50th year on two wheels.....I want everyone to be able to say that and look forward to more.

Rob

If you're just now getting a license, my best advice is:

Don't have your wife be your first passenger. Get a friend who is also a rider. Put them back there. Go to a large parking lot and try it out there.

The steering and braking is drastically different. My wife and I are not huge people, but combined it stressed the buddy considerably. Not saying you shouldn't do it, but the experience is hard enough when you're green. Adding a passenger immediately is asking for trouble. Try a panic stop with 2 people. You'll find out quite a bit!

As others have stated, even on my motorcycle, if my wife wiggles around behind me, it can drastically change how I take a corner. She leaned over at a stoplight once to adjust something, and it nearly took us both over. I can flat foot my Honda, and at one point could squat over 500lbs.

After a Season of riding under your belt, you'll be thankful you waited. Besides, she could get one too

Clydeo wrote:Make sure of your ability before risking someone else's health and well-being. Riding is complicated. Riding 2-up is far more complicated. Don't do it unless you are properly confident of your riding skills.

Darned good advice!

Thanks guys, much appreciated. She's getting her license too and we've both been riding solo on the same scooter, so I imagine we'll both be getting a good deal more practice in before riding two up.

Lol. Plan on getting a second scooter.

I'm sure people do a lot more, but sometimes in the winter, we have to maximize sunny days. I was solo and needed to get supplies before a storm.

the top case, pet carrier, and a backpack were also full during this run.

Not sure what getting supplies for a storm has to do with riding 2 up but...OK

To me a Buddy is really tight 2 up. The pillion is either backed up against the top box or at the edge of the seat. The rider is forced forward. Even with a light passenger , say 110 lbs, you are adding about 50% of the scooter's weight. This dramatically changes handling while you are already in an uncomfortable position. It also lowers the bike. I almost always scrape the center stand 2 up.

I think that if someone is planning on riding 2 up on a regular basis there are better choices than a Buddy. I bought a Blur 220 to flip but Bocette wants me to keep it. Its a smaller displacement that is good 2 up and comfortable for both.

BuddyRaton wrote:Not sure what getting supplies for a storm has to do with riding 2 up but...OK

Don't bring logic into this....

I think I stuffed it in the wrong thread. This is what happens when I have too many windows open...