8k 2 up tourer ???

[Dodgy69]

I suppose my box ticking priorities are a lot different this time. Never bought a bike with pillion importance.

I'm thinking in this order...

Comfort, especially for pillion.

Hard Panniers and box.

Some weather protection.

Decent adjustable suspension .

2 wheels and as light as possible.

I think it's gonna be pretty heavy whatever I go with.

Thanks all.

[Bigjawa]

I suppose my box ticking priorities are a lot different this time. Never bought a bike with pillion importance.

I'm thinking in this order...

Comfort, especially for pillion.

Hard Panniers and box.

Some weather protection.

Decent adjustable suspension .

2 wheels and as light as possible.

I think it's gonna be pretty heavy whatever I go with.

Thanks all.

The K12GT are light for what they are and the ESA suspension is great, but they're one fugly bike. I've seen better looking fridge freezers.

[KungFooBob]

The R1200RT is a lot lighter than it looks, lightest in class IIRC.

Lots of toys and ESA, etc...

[Count Steer]

I suppose my box ticking priorities are a lot different this time. Never bought a bike with pillion importance.

I'm thinking in this order...

Comfort, especially for pillion.

Hard Panniers and box.

Some weather protection.

Decent adjustable suspension .

2 wheels and as light as possible.

I think it's gonna be pretty heavy whatever I go with.

Thanks all.

The K12GT are light for what they are and the ESA suspension is great, but they're one fugly bike. I've seen better looking fridge freezers.

I didn't think mine was particularly pretty but they're quite well 'proportioned', comfy enough and could pick up it's skirt and run quite well. But I did see a couple parked up in Le Havre without the luggage fitted and thought 'Ooh, they're quite nice, wonder what they are?'

That silencer is a bit 'dusty bin' though.

Heated seats, heated grips, cruise control, 250 miles to a tank, 165mph, ESA, handlings OK. Shame there's only one little cubby in the fairing though.

Quite tempted by that one in the link I posted actually.

[Bigyin]

I suppose my box ticking priorities are a lot different this time. Never bought a bike with pillion importance.

I'm thinking in this order...

Comfort, especially for pillion.

Hard Panniers and box.

Some weather protection.

Decent adjustable suspension .

2 wheels and as light as possible.

I think it's gonna be pretty heavy whatever I go with.

Thanks all.

I think the answer is blindingly obvious and you should already know it



Ticks all the boxes you asked for above and then when the urge takes you strip it down and track it

[Horse]

... should lead you towards a bike that will do it ... - for two

How much of a say does the pillion get in the decision?

[Skub]

I suppose my box ticking priorities are a lot different this time. Never bought a bike with pillion importance.
2 wheels and as light as possible.
Thanks all.

I think the answer is blindingly obvious and you should already know it



Ticks all the boxes you asked for above and then when the urge takes you strip it down and track it

240kgs is light now?

My bike is no skinny thing,but that's 2 x 20kg bags of cement strapped to it.....

[Dodgy69]

... should lead you towards a bike that will do it ... - for two

How much of a say does the pillion get in the decision?

Not much, but she needs to be comfy, good seat low pegs I imagine.

[Asian Boss]

The bulk of my experience is over ten years old. But BMWs seemed to handle pillions (and handle with pillions) way better than anything Japanese. I think it was the funny suspension. But more than that, they seemed to have been designed with two people in mind.

I fancy one of them African Twins, but if I was going to do mainly two up then I'd get a big GS. Or other BMW. I know it's not what you want to hear but there it is.

The FJR 1300 was an exception to an extent. I wonder if the GTR1400 might be ok also but I never rode one. I'd still go BMW.

[Pirahna]

Triumph Tiger 800 any good? There seems to be enough around for sensible money.

[KungFooBob]

Triumph Tiger 800 any good? There seems to be enough around for sensible money.

The wife didn't like the pillion seat on mine.

I bought her a Tour-a-twat comfort seat, she still didn't like it.

The bike she always compares all others to is the Varadero. I think she secretly likes my new GS LC tho'

[Tricky]

Possible interest shown from wife about touring trip on bike for next year. My mates in Spain with his wife and gs and last night she said maybe if we went abroad. Jeez, never shown any interest before so I've jumped on it.

Now, I'm thinking z1000sx or Tracer. Anyone got experience of z1000sx with pillion. There's a few nice ones for well under 8k. Anything else worth considering, non GS of course.

Cheers.

I ( or more accurately Isabella, my OH) have a little experience of a 1000SX as pillion- it was Kev's - @2xtwins - we got less than a couple of miles.down the road on it and she wanted to turn around and said she wouldn't go on it again whereas she absolutely loves the Multi ( in fairness it also has a ( hideous , of course ) topbox which affects things, but putting it into perspective, she's also been on the back of the 890R and really liked that which surprised me as she thinks the bike if naff to look at so dunno- all I would say is defo get her a go on whatever you potentially want to get, to make sure you have that crucial buy-in before you buy it

[Bigyin]

240kgs is light now?

My bike is no skinny thing,but that's 2 x 20kg bags of cement strapped to it.....

Jesus, he gave a list of about 10 requirements and you picked me up on all up weight as opposed to all the others we ticked
It was a bit of a piss take as I know Dodgy and he has seen me track the Multi a couple of times so I know it could fit what he needs …. Tricky also has one as his 2 up touring and comfy for the missus on the back bike

My own missus is now talking about an Italy/Spain bike tour in the next couple of years so I know she likes the comfort of the Multi

[Count Steer]

Suzuki made a faired GSXS 1000 prior to the new GT (which is lovely) but it is somewhat challenged in the looks dept I think

Can't imaging that pillion seat's much fun.

If this is anyone's idea of an ideal bike for touring with a pillion on board, they need their head looking at. (I know it's the GT but the ergos look the same). (GT? Grand Tourer my..... ).

[Mr. Dazzle]

Yeah matching helmets always look stupid don't they?

[Count Steer]

Yeah matching helmets always look stupid don't they?

It would be even funnier if Tubs on the front was pillion and the pillion was on the front.

If I perched my missus up there and said 'Hang on pet, just a 1000km this trip' I'd need a proctologist to recover the bike.

[The Spin Doctor]

ALL the glowing tests I've seen on the GT bike are one-up.

Whilst I got the V-Strom with the full hard case touring package for the Shiny Side Up even in NZ in 2018, Brittany Morrow got the similar shape GSX-750S. It was an absolute nightmare to attach a pair of throw-over panniers to it and the humpy tank isn't tank bag friendly either because it pushes up into the space in the middle of the bag - if you fill it, it kind of balances in the middle of the base.

The 2018 big V-Strom was far from my fav bike - it's weighty and at 5' 9" I found it far too tall and top-heavy with it (how can you make a v-twin top-heavy?) which meant I nearly dropped it when my foot slipped on wet paint. Dave Moss the suspension guru had dialled in extra preload to cope with the two-up weight at the first stop, but that made it even taller, so I upset him by winding it all out again. But it was a pretty competent two-up tourer once it was rolling and pretty good for some of the long days in the saddle we had crunching miles from venue to venue. Luggage volume was good and they are quick release panniers which fit integrated mounting rails although I think they aren't OE. I just had to be careful where I stopped. At the end of 3500 miles I handed it back without too many regrets. If one came up at a silly price and I had the cash to spare, I might buy it and see if I could sort the height issue out.

Few bells and whistles - no USB charger, no fuel consumption monitor, no tyre pressure system, and the traction control was useless - I managed to spin up the rear on a wet road with a very modest amount of throttle which kicked the back out dramatically enough for the driver behind to do an e-stop and he'd been tailgating me through the wet bends - but the engine's not too bad, the suspension coped with everything NZ's roads through at us from smooth tarmac to gravel roads, and the seat is pretty good.

The Tracer 900 had in 2019 was a better bike in some ways. It handled better, it was lighter and lower, and the engine is pretty lovely low down with enough top end to have seriously upset the Kiwi cops who did part of the tour with us - lovely blokes in the pub but no sense of humour at all on duty. One bike came hooning past in the opposite direction and they did a U-turn and went after him, and gave him a ticket. So I did that "what'll it do mister" bit after they'd gone back to Wellington. 130 two-up and fully loaded and still accelerating if you want to know.

But the pillion wasn't so keen on the rear seat, and one thing I did have issues with was limited ground clearance. As the shock bedded in (brand new bike) the rear spring sagged quite a bit, and with the tools on the bike, it wasn't possible to get to the adjuster ring - I'm not kidding but it looks like the rear wheel has to come out. On the more enthusiastic corners I was touching the centre stand down, which is moderately alarming. Only the GT version gets the remote preload knob. And once again there was nothing much in the way of extras to play with, and no USB charger. And it was a bit thirsty. Even on the slower "let's look at the scenery" rides I wasn't getting much more that 45 mpg. I actually ran out of fuel allowance before I handed it back. So for job purposes, the fuel consumption rules the bike out - people already complain about the course costs - but if I had the budget and just wanted a go anywhere, do anything kind of bike, it would be on my list for sure... after I got the rear shock sorted out.

[Dodgy69]

I suppose my box ticking priorities are a lot different this time. Never bought a bike with pillion importance.

I'm thinking in this order...

Comfort, especially for pillion.

Hard Panniers and box.

Some weather protection.

Decent adjustable suspension .

2 wheels and as light as possible.

I think it's gonna be pretty heavy whatever I go with.

Thanks all.

I think the answer is blindingly obvious and you should already know it



Ticks all the boxes you asked for above and then when the urge takes you strip it down and track it

I do like the looks of the multi, it's just that servicing barrier I'm rightly of wrongly troubled with. The big Versys is up there, dare I look at the orange adventures.

I'm in no rush so will ponder more.

[Flux]

Bmw K1300s is the answer to your prayers

[Beancounter]

Not much, but she needs to be comfy, good seat low pegs I imagine.

At the risk of stating the obvious, pillion test rides are a must. I used to use a TDM for two-up commuting. Missus was very comfortable on the back - good seat, grab handles and low pegs. For me though, her old H reg CBR600 was way more comfortable, mainly because of the higher pegs meaning I felt more stable - enough for me to fall asleep regularly on the pillion seat.