Riding a motorcycle is fun, exciting, and exhilarating.
In some ways, it could be considered the equivalent of riding a horse through the prairie back in old-school Western times.
It idealizes freedom—and gives you a sense of independence.
It’s a little bit dangerous.
But it also gives you the power to be your own self, to let your hair down, and to go wherever the open road takes you.
You’re light on your wheels.
You’re fuel-efficient and you’re ready to go.
And sometimes, you’re ready to go fast.
It’s little wonder, then, why motorcycles have often been associated with the rebels and the misfits among us.
But with all of this being said, it’s also true that sometimes you may want to bring a passenger with you.
And this can complicate things a little bit.
Keeping a passenger safe while riding a motorcycle is a slightly different ordeal than keeping just yourself safe.
So in this post, you’re going to learn five tips for how to make it happen.
Let’s dive into it.
1. Make Sure That They Wear A Helmet
Some people choose to ride without a helmet.
This is not a wise choice.
It puts you at serious risk.
And if you were (God forbid) to wreck or crash while riding without a helmet, you could put yourself at an incredibly, seriously high risk for a head injury.
With that being said, it’s equally as dangerous to give someone a ride on your motorcycle without supplying them with a helmet.
This is such a crucial piece of gear—and it should never be overlooked.
If you plan to take someone with you, always make sure that you have a helmet available for them to wear.
This is one of the most basic tenets of motorcycle passenger safety.
2. Make Sure That They’re Wearing A Full Suit Of Protective Clothing
In addition to a helmet, your passenger should also be wearing a riding jacket, riding gloves, riding pants, and riding boots.
Protective clothing that’s made for motorcycle use will help to protect them in the event of a crash.
Granted, gathering this stuff is a bit on the expensive side.
But with that being said, it’s most definitely worth the trade off—because nothing is as important as staying safe and keeping your passengers safe while riding.
Don’t ever neglect this basic tenet of motorcycle safety.
Make sure that they’re protected from head to toe with high quality motorcycle-worthy riding gear.
3. Instruct Them Not To Shift Or Wiggle Unexpectedly
A motorcycle, weighing a lot less than a car and being situated on only two wheels, is a lot more prone to getting thrown out of whack if the passenger moves unexpectedly.
In a car, you’d hardly ever notice if the person riding with you wiggled or shifted a bit.
But on a motorcycle, it can actually affect the movement of the entire bike.
And sometimes, this could lead to the bike getting thrown out of control and surprising the driver.
With this being said, always instruct your passenger to remain still while on the bike seat.
If they need to shift, wiggle, or move around a bit, instruct them only to do so if you’re stopped at a stop sign or a red light.
4. Teach Them Hand Signals For Communication
Once you start riding your motorcycle, the odds of you being able to hear your passenger communicating with you verbally are very low.
You’re probably not going to be able to hear them over the sounds of the bike, the traffic, the wind, etc.
With that being said, it’s important to have some kind of a system in place for how they can communicate with you while you’re riding.
For example, if they need you to pull over, if they need you to slow down, if they want to ask you to go faster, etc.
It’s always a good idea to come up with some kind of a system for how they can communicate this to you without relying on verbal cues (and without letting go of you to signal in a way that could put them in danger of losing their balance).
Conclusion
Hopefully, this post has helped you to understand how to keep your motorcycle passenger safe while riding.
This is a crucial responsibility that any motorcycle operator needs to be aware of.
When you have a passenger on your bike, it’s up to you to make sure that they stay safe—and that they know how to keep themselves safe as well.
So utilize these tips, and make sure that you take safety as seriously as possible.
