South West Bikers | Motorcycle Forum

I need a bit of help with regards taking pillions, as it is starting to hurt. This is mainly due to me saying 'the bike isn't built to take that weight' or 'maybe a little weight loss would help'.
Jesting aside (before the pc crew come knocking), I have done everything I can think of, but my front end is much too light for slow speed control.

I also know it is me and not the bike.

I have maxed the rear pre-load, checked that tyres are correctly pressured, we sit as far forward as we can in heavy traffic, but still the front is so light that it must look dreadful to onlookers. I like to perfect things as much as I can, but this is a real nagging problem.

Cornering, braking, accelerating are all ok. It is just the walking pace.

Neither of us are heavyweights.

It may be a case of practice, practice, practice.

The bike is an 04 CBF600

Any help or advice is welcome.

Without seeing you and the bike in the given situation its hard to say, but im guessing the problem is, as you sort of say, pretty much in your head.

Alternatives to improve the situation, if there is a "mechanical" issue, would be either a longer shock (can you insert a spacer at one end?) or a stiffer rear spring ....... Of course then you will have the reverse problem that the bike feels strange solo ......

I would suggest persevering for a while ....

if it was me i would stick the suspension back to stock and start again.

just spend some time out with the pillion and do some miles, chances are you don't take a pillion very often so that's pretty much all you will be thinking of.
The bike WILL feel slightly light on the front but only for a few miles, don't bother shifting body position but what i would check on is that your pillion isn't sat all the way back and bolt upright.

I found in the past that when i have had a nervous pillion on the bike they tend to sit almost at the point of leaning back which will cause the bike to feel light at the front. Just get them to relax, lean slightly forward a most importantly RELAX.

IT'S PRISON SHOWER SYNDROME - IF THERE IS SOMEONE STIFF AND UPRIGHT BEHIND YOU, YOU ARE NATURALLY GOING TO FEEL TWITCHY, NERVOUS AND UNEASY.

TELL THEM TO MOVE AWAY, GO FLOPPY AND JUST ENJOY THE SCENERY.

Im surprised si didnt say also if you have got any already

Get yourself some love handles,
Borrowed a set off a very kind couple and really help,
Just gives you a bit more confidence in the pillion relaxing as something easier to hold onto,

Usually just a coupke of extra psi in the rear tyre can help also

Thanks guys.
We use love handles/ pillion grips already, they work well for us.
Doing the miles aren't the problem - it's doing the inches. Julie sits back whilst moving at normal speed, then at my request sits more forward in slow traffic.
I will try a bit more psi -I won't mess with spacers but do as you suggest and persevere.
I didn't think there was anything else other than I need more slow practice.

Thanks again.

PS I have never been in prison.

hmmmm interesting thoughts.

I ride the CBF1000 with pillion often RTTB included.

yes the font end gets light on occasions, but normally its followed by a *thwack around the head and a stupid boy behave....

I havnt changed any setting from standard as i picked up the bike.

works for me

Thanks Kev, I have spoken to you when you have TEC'd on 2 of the 3 friendlies that I've been on. I commented then how well you handle your CBF, particularly the last one with Julie pillion. (I'm usually solo on an ER6).
I will keep practicing until I get it right.

Something else to consider, is also the size of the bike ..... As a general rules, the smaller the bike the more impact a pillion will have on the handling, as they constitute a larger percentage of the overall mass of the vehicle. Likewise, a bit of a generalisation, but the smaller the bike the shorter the wheelbase, and the more likely the weight of the pillion is to be behind the centreline of the rear wheel spindle, thus lifting the front more ...... also, a lot of modern bikes sit the pillion considerably higher than the rider, once again increasing the impact they have on the bikes handling ...... Basically the further from the Centre of Gravity of the bike that you place weight, the greater the impact that weight will have.

A great excuse to buy a bigger bike

IT'S PRISON SHOWER SYNDROME - IF THERE IS SOMEONE STIFF AND UPRIGHT BEHIND YOU, YOU ARE NATURALLY GOING TO FEEL TWITCHY, NERVOUS AND UNEASY.

TELL THEM TO MOVE AWAY, GO FLOPPY AND JUST ENJOY THE SCENERY. [/quote]


You speaking from experience

I'm sure there's nothing wrong with your bike, it's simply physics, weight high off the ground balancing over a narrow point, the centreline of your tyre. My missus loves getting out on the bike as much as me so most of our rides are two-up sometimes fully loaded with top box and panniers so slowspeed filtering, balancing at traffic lights, riding down the centre of the channel tunnel carriages etc. all require practice. You will get better, believe me. Look straight ahead, not down and gently shift your body weight. Get round to your local supermarket carpark and practice riding slow whilst staying on a white line, go along with some others and add a few cones for some low speed challenges. If you've got a bicycle get out on that and practice track stands, head on into a gentle slope, stand on your pedals, get yourself high over the bars and shift your weight gently to maintain balance.

If you are convinced that the bike is the problem you could try lowering the fork yokes a touch, say 10mm. so that the top of fork legs are proud of the top yoke. This will obviously alter the steering geometry so the bike may turn into corners quicker.

I'd reckon get out and practice, or signup for motogymkana.

Good luck

DevonBlue wrote:IT'S PRISON SHOWER SYNDROME - IF THERE IS SOMEONE STIFF AND UPRIGHT BEHIND YOU, YOU ARE NATURALLY GOING TO FEEL TWITCHY, NERVOUS AND UNEASY.

TELL THEM TO MOVE AWAY, GO FLOPPY AND JUST ENJOY THE SCENERY.

You speaking from experience [/quote]


i could tell you, but then i might have to go back..... ;)

The problem I have in always trying to perfect things is that I always assume that it is never the tool(bike) and must be me.
Well on this occasion I am extremely happy to report that it is the bike, hurrah. And it is fixable.

To cut to the chase - the front forks were adjusted by Andy (AWS Bridport). He raised the forks by 5mm. Cost £5

Secondly, he informs me that my rear shock is shot and it is no wonder the front is vague. He has given me names and numbers of firms that can re-furbish my existing shock and also companies he recommends for new. Given the age of the bike, I will probably go for re-furb.

Anyway, the journey home was - it's like a different bike altogether - and that's just the front sorted. It is now like my other bike on bends and not like the fixed wheel pram it was behaving like.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I am keen to try motogymkhana two-up. Maybe after 4pm on a Sunday at the supermarket carpark as suggested.
Tom ( a very happy forum user).

Result !

Please post how you get on with having your rear shock serviced and who you used, mine is 23 years old ( 26,000 miles ) and I've been looking into getting it done this winter along with some replacement springs for the forks.

No excuse not to take the missus out now then

Thanks Richie, I will be sending it off to Falcon (shock absorbers Ltd) based in Wareham, spoke to them this afternoon. They estimate £175 +Vat & delivery worse case scenario. That is new rod, etc. They think that as the shock has not completely stopped functioning, it probably hasn't lost the fluid through broken seals. Apparently this is good news as the rod is probably not damaged. If that is the case it will be about 100/120 + the extras.

I went to see my ordered bike today (Hornet) for the first time - but getting those forks altered put a bigger smile on my face. It is so hard to describe the difference. I am sure many of you experienced riders would have spotted the faults straightaway, but as I hadn't had the bike from new I didn't know how it should have handled.

I have to wait now until the new bike arrives before sending off the shock as I will be using this cbf for the interim (I don't want to tempt fate by using the already agreed part/ex ER6).

I certainly will be happier with my precious cargo on board.

a method I use when I get this problem is when leaving the garage/drive etc raise the revs to around 5000 rpm (no higher think of your tank range) drop the clutch and bingo pillion problem solved