Motorcycle Classics – September-October 2019

54 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS September/October 2019

PILLION

TO PILOT

I’ve been riding pillion for more than two years now. Granted I

was a reluctant passenger at first for two good reasons: fear and

safety. I’d seen too many younger motorcyclists roar up alongside

my car in thick traffic, no helmet, no gloves, wearing shorts and

flip-flops. This seemed unnecessarily reckless to me, but this

was before I agreed to take a short trek on a vintage motorcycle

through the countryside on a bright day in May. Two things hap-

pened that day. I fell in love with the 360-degree view with what

I call smell-o-roma of a rural ride, and the comfortable, albeit

somewhat measured pace of an older, more tempered machine.

To my surprise, I loved both. I’ve ridden pillion on the gravel back

roads of Kansas, the challenging streets of San Francisco, and the

gorgeous coast and hills of California. I’ve been passenger on a

1973 BMW R75/5, a 1983 Laverda RGS 1000, a 1980 Moto Guzzi

V50 Monza and a 2016 Ducati Scrambler.  My pilot was patient

and enthusiastic, provided all my gear, and explained all the

quirks of makes and models that made the ride not only fun, but

gave me a great deal to focus on while moving; I listened for and

physically sensed those details in action. It was a rich introduc-

tion that became a serious hook. I’m told that I actually squealed

with delight that first day. Motorcycling is a sensorial experience

like no other.

Safety awareness for serious fear

If I enjoyed riding pillion so much, why bother learning to

pilot my own bike? My very first thoughts of basic motorcycle

training were really about safety. I thought it would be a good

idea for me to know more about what is happening for my pilot.

I believed that increasing my knowledge and awareness might

actually increase our safety. Facing the fear of what could go

wrong and understanding what can be done to minimize nega-

tive results just made good sense to me whether or not I actu-

ally enjoyed piloting on my own. Plus, I was just flat-out curious

if I could do it.

My curiosity was paired with healthy fear. I’m 56 years old and

have two children. I am a single parent. Like a lot of women my

age, I have been shaped by a particular cultural influence regard-

ing gender roles that complicate my psychological and social

perspective. In other words, my fears are real; financial costs

with loss of the ability to work given an accident, negative social

judgement, and shaming gender expectations are all present for

female riders. Yes, culture is changing, but many people do not

respect women motorcyclists and stereotype them instead. Yet,

my biggest fear was failure, any kind of failure, from not finishing

the course, to dumping the bike. Over the course of two years

riding two-up however, I processed a great deal of both real and

M

Moving from the two-up position to piloting

is a reality for an increasing number of women

participating in recreational motorcycling.

Story by Jean Denney

Photos by Richard Backus

A new point of view

The group on course. I wonder why my bike — a dark blue 2010 Yamaha XV250 (far left) — had no mirrors?