I’m on the fence with this product. There’s an element with the Moto-Grip “passenger safety harness” that strikes you with one of those “now why didn’t I think of that” moments. The idea is a simple harness that a rider wears, which provides hand grips on the rider’s chest and back that a passenger can hold onto as they are performing their various pillion duties. Looking like one of those baby backpacks that helicopter parents employ to lug their child around in, the Moto-Grip is fairly straight-forward with its $179 design.
My other inclination with the Moto-Grip is that it’s an expensive piece of kit that one could approximate with about $10 of hiking webbing, but before I’d even get that far, I’d have to ask the question of efficacy. Your pillion preferences may vary, but I generally try and avoid having a passenger holding directly and solely onto my body. While everyone likes a snuggle bunny on the back of their bike (Mama B probably tolerates my motorcycle habit purely because it’s an investment in her future of having grandchildren), under braking the last thing I want is 100-something pounds or so crashing against me.
To help relieve arm strain, not to mention body parts crushing against the fuel tank, I usually have passengers wrap their arms around me, and brace against the fuel tank with their hands. There are different schools of thought here (though Jason Pridmore and I are in agreement), but if you haven’t tried it, give it a go on your next two-up ride. That being said, the Moto-Grip puts a pillion in the exact position you don’t want them to be in for the same ball-crushing reasons.
I suppose a passenger could do a hybrid hand-hold switch maneuver, but I have a hard enough time getting a non-rider to look over the right shoulder when cornering on two wheels. That being said, I do like the idea of some filly’s hands running all over my chest looking for a hand grip, and then all over my pants looking for the fuel tank…Wait, this may be the single-best invention ever!
Source: Hatch Ventures
$179!?! Go down to your local army surplus store and pick up some old combat webbing, which can’t be that much. This rates right up there with the bar end cup holder I saw at cyclegear for $20.
it’s pretty expensive for something that sounds awesome and will end up just being an annoyance
Saw this hardware on a bike in the UK:
http://www.vinxxgrip.ch/?lan=en&view=2100
Seems like a pretty good solution to me
http://www.vinxxgrip.ch/?lan=en&view=2100 ….. now that is cool, excep it would only work on a sportbike. Nice design though
What ever happened with people simply clasping their hands around someone? If you’re that scared to ride on the back get the f* off.
Unless my pillion was blessed with Orang-utan arms (although some have Orang-utan faces), there’s no way they could use the tank these days. I do have a buddy belt with loops in it for pillions to hang onto and it cost a lot less than $179. Usually when I have a pillion on the back my riding is sedate enough that I can hardly feel them when braking or accelerating. (It’s trying to convince them that the bike isn’t going to fall over when corning is the problem as they try and pick it up for me so I tell them “keep your spine in-line with mine”).
I was also able to pick up the Buddy Belt before they stopped producing it. My 9-y/o son rides with me quite a bit and found this to be a much better solution. It gives him the ability to hold on at either side of my waist or right at my lower back (4-handles total) if he wants to rest his arms. We’ve also used it when riding PWC’s. Versatile and a whole lot cheaper than the Moto-Grip.
Not sure what makes this a safety product. There’s nothing about it that prevents a bike from going down or protects the rider/passenger. The woman in the pick would be better off investing the $179 in a riding jacket instead of a cute little t-shirt.