Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: Passenger etiquette, textbook answer, center of gravity

Question
Hi Pat,
I have been riding on the back of motorcycles since I was fourteen years old. My first time out on my boyfriends Harley he told me to relax and lean into the turns with him.I'm 46 and that's how I have always done it with never any complaints from anyone.The other day I was having a conversation with a girlfriend and she said she was told not to lean into turns and that is how she has always done it.Which is right? I consider myself motorcycle savvy and feel so dorky about asking this basic question.Thanks for being here to ask!!
Tammy

Answer
Hi Tammy.

The textbook answer is that you lean with the bike in the turns.

Leaning away from the turn (or sitting bolt upright) means the bike has to lean farther into the turn, which reduces ground clearance and uses additional traction.

That said, every rider has a different idea of how to corner. Some riders may prefer to have their passenger remain seated upright. This may be because they don't understand center of gravity and ground clearance; it may be that they prefer that the passenger doesn't shift their weight around while cornering. A squirmy passenger can upset the bike's stability and make it more difficult to control in a turn.

You are correct to lean with the bike, but in motorcycling there are few absolutes, so someone else may have a different technique.

Hope that helps!

Pat