From our Archives, Mollie Craven (our founder's wife and traveling companion) writes about 'The Gentle Art of Being a Pillionist'. This is from her do's and don'ts (for both pillion and rider), originally published in 1951 in The Motor Cycle -
"It may not be many years ago, but it certainly is many tens of thousands of miles ago, since I rode on the back seat of a motor cycle. Hetty 1 was a solid-frame Matchless 500cc, and in those days, at the end of the war, a square pad on the back was all that was generally available. "That's for you," said Ken beaming.
"Oh, no!" I said firmly. "I wouldn't be seen dead on that horrid little contraption!" But in due course I undertook a 4000-mile Continental run on the thing.
It therefore appals me to notice that even today, in these happier times of spring-heels and well-balanced sprung pillions, there are unlucky women perched in discomfort similar to the kind I have described. Either these poor, doting saps trust their men in front with blind devotion, or else they are the victims of sadistic woman-haters. I should imagine that the quickest way for a young gallant to lose his best girl-friend would be for him to offer her a ride on a badly equipped solid-frame machine.
There are some rules to riding pillion: An obvious one is, don't distract your driver! Crying out, "do look at that aeroplane loop!" may only result in your doing the same; even dignified comments like "Fine example of Grecco-Roman architecture right behind you" are discouraged. As I am route-finder and navigator, I like to have my hands free for maps, and I only hook my thumbs into Ken's leather belt when I feel drowsy. Beginners sometimes find a stout belt ahead of them very helpful when the machine is climbing steep gradients, as in the Alps.
I mentioned 'drowsy' feelings while riding, and I think this can be a real danger...if one becomes sleepy the only safe thing to do is to stop, 'kip' down beside the road and sleep it off.
Essentially (pillion and rider) should ride as one person and look, from the rear, as if they balance as one person. Some riders take the harsh line that pillionists should be seen and not heard. No doubt the driver is flattered if the lass is dazzingly obtrusive to the bystanders, but he can contribute considerably to the chic and allure of his lady at the end of a day's run if he takes every care of her comfort at the start of it."
