For 2-up, you really have to change the way you ride completely. Two things:
- Passenger Instruction: This is very important. Tell your passenger to just sit as still as possible. They should just sit upright and not shift around. They should lean naturally with the bike when it leans. Also, when I tell my passengers that when I brake hard, it's OK for them to brace themselves against my lower back if necessary, but it's of course better not to press on me at all.
- Balance: When you have a passenger, you need to be actively balancing the bike at all times, and especially when going slow or stopping. Tiny shifts from the passenger will totally throw off your balance. This used to freak me out, but I learned that simply by being aware at all times, I could keep the bike stable and upright. By EXPECTING you passenger to be shifting randomly and unexpectedly, you can respond instantly and compensate for their movement.
Of course a really good passenger hardly moves, but no one can be expected to stay stationary all the time.
I've always really enjoyed two-up riding. You just have to be aware that it is completely different from solo riding. I do find that I do everything super smoothly when there's a passenger, including braking, accelerating and turning.
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