Comfotable bike for a passenger that's not a full touring bike...

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Phelan

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Not looking for a Goldwing or even a Concourse/ST/FJR etc. Those bikes are just too heavy/big for me at this point in life. I think eventually I'll get there lol but not yet haha.

Looking more at bikes like the FZ1, Ninja 1000, CBF1000, Bandit 1250, Versys 1000 etc. Stuff that is still chain haha.

Wondering if anyone here has passenger experience or rides with a passenger what their thoughts are on the above bikes. As I still ride a lot solo, but there are days I like to take my g/f on the back and do a day ride (~500kms) and want her to to comfortable. If you could post the passengers height that'd be great as well. Thanks.
 
Gf and I did a couple of 800km days on a k1300r and a multistrada1200. She preferred the Multistrada but both were like loungers compared to the R6 and ZX6 she's been on before.
 
I went throught a similar process recently and kinda got set on a BMW F800R. It's a bit of a weak market. The FZ8..Ninja 1000..I really wanted a lighter bike and the BMW was what appealed to me. YMMV.. :-)
 
Of the bikes that you listed. The only one that I would have doubts about is the Ninja.
I have a 1st Gen FZ1 - a 2003. It is a sport touring bike. Very similar in ergonomics to the Bandit 1250.
I put a GIVI top case on, to act as a backrest and I have done many 2 up trips with this bike. Most of them with my son on the back and he is now 6'4". He finds it comfortable. The shocks don't like the fact that he and I, without gear or luggage, exceed the maximum weight of the bike. :)
 
My gf really liked the SV650 because of the high tank which made it easy for her to put her hands on and the gram rail in the back if she needed it. However the Honda NC700 looks like a great commuter / 2up bike as well. Im looking at getting one in the near future. Ugly as hell but for the amount and conditions I ride in its the best options . . .
 
I upgraded from a V-Strom 650 to a Ninja 1000 toward the end of last year. Even took my wife on a 2-up test ride before committing. Her verdict, not as comfy, but more fun. Firm flat seat without as much padding, and higher pegs were the biggest issue. She's noticing a bit more wind noise as well. Still she enjoys rides, although we haven't done anything too long yet. I have a tail box on the OEM rear rack, which gives her enough comfort to let me have fun with the acceleration. We will be going on a longer 2-up ride this weekend, so I can report more next week. Only problem is, in the Spring we did 8 days in northern Spain 2-up on an R1200RT, so she's a bit spoiled comfort wise now.

From my perspective, the bike is great for 2-up. I crank the rear pre-load 4 notches and the handling at moderately agressive riding hardly suffers. Same for acceleration. The V-Strom had to really work hard in comparison.
 
I don't even know if its available in Canada, since I've never seen one, but the GSX 1250 looks pretty sweet.
 
Face said:
From my perspective, the bike is great for 2-up. I crank the rear pre-load 4 notches and the handling at moderately agressive riding hardly suffers. Same for acceleration. The V-Strom had to really work hard in comparison.
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Yeah, you won't win any drag races two-up with luggage on a Wee. But here's the upside:

--Torquey motor, geared well for highway cruising/passing
--Rated to carry 500+ pounds of riders and gear (100 pounds more than a Goldwing)
--Great on gas with a 400K+ range
--Cheap to buy, easy to service
--Dead reliable
--Aftermarket touring accessories out the wazoo
--Too ugly to steal
 
+1 for the V-Strom (DL650).

Have had mine since last November, and after coming from a Ninja 250R and 650R, the V-Strom is by far the best (of those 3) for comfort and suits our riding style better. My GF loves riding 2up on it vs either of the other bikes; we've done some lengthy rides on it without much issue, whereas we'd both be pretty sore after a few hours on the Ninjas.

One thing I should mention, is that the V-Strom (and presumably any other bike, especially tall ones like it) can suffer some pretty nasty buffeting/wobble at high speeds (150kph+) or on particularly windy days. There are ways to counteract this; some lower the front end by raising the forks about half an inch or so.. I added a SuperBrace (fork brace) to help stabilize the forks/front end, which made a massive difference in handling even at lower speeds. Without that, the forks were a bit on the wobbly side and liked to follow tar snakes etc a bit more than I liked.
 
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I'm not trying to dis the V-Strom. I had one for 3 years & 38,000 km and really enjoyed it. It also held it's value well, as I got a great trade in on the Ninja 1000. When I traded, it was because I was looking for something with more performace characteristics, that I could still commute with, ride 2-up and carry enough gear for a weekend get away. For cross country, given the choice of only those 2, I'd take the Wee too. But as I ride mostly solo, the Ninja suites me better (although it is a noticable difference at the gas pump!).

Based on his list, it looks like the OP is also looking for something with 1000 cc's, primarliy for solo, but also works for 2-up. From that list, I would still go for the Ninja 1000 if performance & cranking corners was higher on my list (it is!). If comfort & cruising were a higher priority, then all the others would probably be better.
 
Bandit 1250 !

Or vfr 800
 
Look into an old air cooled Yamaha FJ1100/1200 and you can afford to keep your existing bike too for when you don't want the size. Hauls a second person like they are not even on board, 50 mpg solo, long wheelbase, one piece seat, approx. 530 lb. Think pre-cursor to the Bandit 1200's. Problem is getting racks for bags or hard cases.
 
Face said:
I'm not trying to dis the V-Strom. I had one for 3 years & 38,000 km and really enjoyed it. It also held it's value well, as I got a great trade in on the Ninja 1000. When I traded, it was because I was looking for something with more performace characteristics, that I could still commute with, ride 2-up and carry enough gear for a weekend get away. For cross country, given the choice of only those 2, I'd take the Wee too. But as I ride mostly solo, the Ninja suites me better (although it is a noticable difference at the gas pump!).

Based on his list, it looks like the OP is also looking for something with 1000 cc's, primarliy for solo, but also works for 2-up. From that list, I would still go for the Ninja 1000 if performance & cranking corners was higher on my list (it is!). If comfort & cruising were a higher priority, then all the others would probably be better.
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I wasn't being sensitive--just pointing out the less obvious things the Wee does well. I agree with everything you're saying.
 
"Look into an old air cooled Yamaha FJ1100/1200 and you can afford to keep your existing bike too for when you don't want the size. Hauls a second person like they are not even on board, 50 mpg solo, long wheelbase, one piece seat, approx. 530 lb. Think pre-cursor to the Bandit 1200's. Problem is getting racks for bags or hard cases."


Those are great bikes. Are they hard to find? People I know that have had FJs seem to keep them forever. Like ST1100 owners.
 
Met a couple, both 65, from the UK touring 2-up for 2 weeks through Spain on a VFR1200. I wouldn't have thought it would be that comfortable for the passsenger, but she seemed to like it. I bit expensive and shaft drive, but certainly not a heavy underpowered touring bike. They also had smallish tail and side boxes.
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