

My experience is when they pound their fists on your back it means "slow down".

Seriously, concentrate on being very smooth, and you will make her
experience much more enjoyable.  Even a normal upshift causes your
passenger to bob, so I ease off the throttle before pulling in the
clutch to eliminate this.  It's more work, but your passenger will
appreciate it!  Also, I've found that using more rear brake than normal
helps keep the bike from diving as much during routine stops, which
makes it much easier for the passenger to hang on.  If you're going
sport riding, have the passenger reach around you and brace themselves
against the tank so you don't have to bear both your weights with your
arms.  (Again your bike will dive less too)
