A pillion is the passenger seat on a motorcycle or bicycle, or the person riding on that seat.

What “pillion” means (quick version)

  • It’s the seat behind the main rider on a motorcycle, moped, scooter, or bicycle.
  • It can also mean the passenger who sits there (e.g., “she was riding pillion”).
  • The common phrase is “ride pillion ,” meaning to ride as the passenger on the back.

A bit of background (fun language nerd stuff)

Originally, “pillion” referred to a light saddle or pad behind a horse’s saddle for a second rider, often a woman.

The word comes from Scottish Gaelic pillean (“little rug”), which comes from Latin pellis (“skin, pelt”), because extra pelts or pads were used as makeshift seats.

Over time, the same idea moved from horses to motorcycles and bicycles , so the word stuck as the name for the rear seat and the person on it.

How people use “pillion” today

  • In British and Commonwealth English , “pillion” commonly means the rear motorcycle or bicycle seat for a passenger.
  • In everyday speech, you’ll hear:
    • “Can you take a pillion?” (Can you carry a passenger?)
    • “I was riding pillion on his bike.”
  • In cycling circles, “pillion” can specifically mean the back rider on a bicycle.

On forums, some riders compare it to saying you’re riding “shotgun” in a car: it’s a slightly specialized word that tells people exactly where and how you’re riding.

Super short TL;DR

“Pillion” = the back seat on a bike (motorcycle or bicycle) or the passenger sitting there, especially in British English.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.