For example, the passenger could tap you once on the right shoulder if they want you to slow down and twice if they want you to stop.
This will ensure that you are in full control of the bike before they mount or have come to a complete stop before they dismount. If they mount or dismount too early, it could cause the bike to fall over or they could get injured.
Explain that even in an emergency situation it is your job to control the motorcycle and if they try to help by removing their feet it could result in an accident and injury.
Another trick is to tell the passenger to look over your shoulder in the direction you are turning. This will help them lean into the turn slightly more.
A heavy passenger sitting farther back will make it harder to steer and can even cause the front wheel to lift up. After you have some experience riding together, your passenger can hold onto seat grips or rails instead of onto you. Your passenger can also use their knees to hold onto you, especially during turns.
Communication is crucial to mutual trust as well. You need to be able to tell the passenger if they are doing something that is making it harder for you to drive and trust that they will listen. They need to be able to tell you if they are scared or uncomfortable and trust that you will do your best to accommodate them.
If you are just going on short rides, jeans are the minimal acceptable amount of protection. However, if you plan to go on long rides with your passenger, then they will need pants designed for motorcycle riding. If your passenger doesn’t have a motorcycle jacket, a regular leather jacket is OK and a heavy jacket made out of denim is a suboptimal backup option.
It’s best to do this on a completely flat surface so the bike doesn’t roll.
If your passenger has difficulty mounting, they can put their left hand on your shoulder and use it as a brace to help them swing their right leg up and over the bike. If the bike you are riding has a muffler on each side, it doesn’t matter what side the passenger mounts from. Just make sure they keep their legs clear of the muffler when getting on the bike. Make sure your passenger knows to keep their legs clear of the muffler at all times while riding as well as when mounting and dismounting the bike.
If this is your first time riding with a passenger, it’s a good idea to practice riding around in a big open parking lot before you hit the roads. This will allow you to get a feel for how the bike accelerates and handles.
The extra weight at the back of the bike actually has the added benefit of giving your rear brake more stopping power and stability.
Make sure that the passenger doesn’t overcompensate for the turn by leaning hard into it. They need only look at the back of your helmet or just over your inside shoulder. A good analogy is that the passenger is like a sack of potatoes; they can move around loosely with the movements of the bike but can’t make any sudden sharp movements.
