MCN Longest Day: Pillion passenger tips for motorway riding

Today (June 20) is the Longest Day Of The Year and to make the most of it the MCN team is riding from dawn to dusk, soaking up as much of the 16 hours and 38 minutes of sunlight as possible. Along with regular updates on the site follow us throughout the day on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. #MCNLongestDay and keep up to date with all our riders here.

First thing’s first, when deciding to ride pillion make sure you head to the gym beforehand…to get a weight session in to strengthen your head muscles.

No, I’m not going insane, but if you’re riding on the motorway (open/flat roads) and there’s a fair bit of wind you need to really focus on making sure your head doesn’t fly away. Literally.

Other than that, hold on tight, lean with your rider around corners and above all, do not bump your helmet with your rider. Actually more importantly, don’t fall off.

Riding with Web Producer Liam Marsden today and heading to Ace Cafe London, we had a smooth journey to our proud capital city.

I struggled to hoist my 5ft 3in self up on today’s mountain, aka the BMW S1000XR and dismounting was even harder, especially in our great British Summertime of damp and slippery.

Aside from that, we’ve had a pleasurable ride in from MCN HQ and with a VERY experienced rider, I felt safe, comfortable – in my slightly higher seat than Liam – and at ease.

The filtering on the A1 was easy on this fine Monday morning, however traffic in London was a different situation…so off for some sightseeing we go, before we head to The Bike Shed… #MCNLongestDay

Tips for pillion passengers

– Wait for your rider to tell you when to mount/dismount his/her motorcycle

– Expect brisk acceleration and braking

– Lean with your rider when going around corners

– Expect some wind noise and changeable weather conditions

– Save the chit-chat for when you’ve reached your destination

Looking to buy your own bike? Visit MCNbikesforsale.com