V7 Stone, Hepco & Becker Junior Panier and Pillon - Question

[petitchat]

Hi everyone !

I've read many posts on the forum, but I think it is my first. I've tried to look for past answer but I couldn't find anything.

So I have a 2013 V7 Stone that I plan to take for a touring trip with my girlfriend. I've tried some soft luggage, but they don't fit pretty well on the bike (the saddle doesn't go far in the back so everything I tried gets too close to the passenger pegs).

I was wondering if any of you guys (or girls) have installed a HB rack with some junior paniers, and had a passenger sit on the bike. How was it ? Is there enough room for the legs/feet ? I have to possibility to buy a HB side rack for 180$ CAD (normally 450$ CAD for a new one) and I just want to make sure the it would fit my needs  !

Thank you very much for your help everyone ! And sorry for the grammar, english ain't my first language 

[rocker59]

There is plenty of leg room for the passenger.

[pete roper]

When we were in Tasmania a few years ago touring on the Mana we met another couple on the boat riding a V7C with HB bags and a rack with a box on. They weren't tiny people and it worked just fine for them. Differences between Stone and Classic are minimal.

Pete

[sign216]

Petitchat,

Good luck on your journey.  I have a V7 with soft luggage, but I ride alone (unless I've got a partner to take to the local tavern). 

Touring with two can be a test for the relationship, so be careful there.  Like so often on forums, you ask for technical advice but I offer a social warning.

Joe

[Kev m]

There CAN be enough room, but in these matters I always like to warn that people are all different (size, flexibility, comfort, etc.). So you MIGHT want to try and sit on one with the bags already (attend a Guzzi rally or breakfast) and confirm it works for you.

Personally I don't like my V7 for 2-up work. I don't think there is enough suspension or brakes for it. But I'm a bigger guy (225ish) and I realize a pair of smaller people than me might not equal much more total weight.

Still, if I was too carry just a 125# passenger that would put us at a combined load equaling almost 80% of the wet weight of the bike itself. Maybe others feel comfortable at that, but not me.

[rocker59]

There CAN be enough room, 

Personally I don't like my V7 for 2-up work. 

Yeah. 

There's enough leg room.  Seat room is a little crowded for bigger people.

The V7's shortcomings as a 2-up tourer don't have anything to do with passenger leg room.

Biggest problem in comfort for us is suspension.  Then power.  Then handling.  Then comfort.

I guess the OP's definition of touring would have an impact on how appropriate the bike will be.  I know a lot of people for whom "touring" is riding a hundred or two hundred miles to some resort town for the weekend.  For me, I can 2-up tour on anything a couple hundred miles per day.  That's only four hours of seat time. 

For longer days, I'd prefer something different than a V7.  I bought mine for local fun, within a couple hundred mile radius.  For that job it's perfectly adequate.

[Kev m]

Yeah. 

There's enough leg room.  Seat room is a little crowded for bigger people.

The V7's shortcomings as a 2-up tourer don't have anything to do with passenger leg room.

Biggest problem in comfort for us is suspension.  Then power.  Then handling.  Then comfort.

I guess the OP's definition of touring would have an impact on how appropriate the bike will be.  I know a lot of people for whom "touring" is riding a hundred or two hundred miles to some resort town for the weekend.  For me, I can 2-up tour on anything a couple hundred miles per day.  That's only four hours of seat time. 

For longer days, I'd prefer something different than a V7.  I bought mine for local fun, within a couple hundred mile radius.  For that job it's perfectly adequate.

With all due respect Mike, I hate black and white answers like "there IS enough leg room".

I think the rest of your answer is better.

To say without a shadow of a doubt that there IS enough leg room for a passenger forgets that people might have longer or shorter thighs, thicker or thinner calves, larger or smaller feet/boots, knees that cramp up and force them to reduce the angle of the bend, maybe put their heels on the passenger pegs (while maybe the rider likes to put the balls of their feet on their pegs) etc.

It can = NOT having enough leg room, depending on the pair.

That's all I'm saying (coupled with my anecdotal personal preferences of other limiting factors).

[rocker59]

With all due respect Mike, I hate black and white answers like "there IS enough leg room".
 

That answer was in response to his question about leg room and the possibility that the H+B bags would be in the way of the passenger footpegs, like his soft bags are.

I've tried some soft luggage,,, but they don't fit pretty well on the bike...  Everything I tried gets too close to the passenger pegs.
 

All I was saying was that the H+B bags are not in the way, and do not limit use of the passenger footpegs.

If he has a really short passenger, maybe here thighs will hit the corners of the H+B bags, but I have not seen that to be an issue in my time with two V7s and H+B bags.

Now, on my V11 LeMans, yes, there were some limitations to foot room and leg interference, but I was able to haul passengers from 4'11" to 6'-0" on that bike.  To be perfectly honest, the range of passenger sizes on my V7s, has been more limited.

[Kev m]

That answer was in response to his question about leg room and the possibility that the H+B bags would be in the way of the passenger footpegs, like his soft bags are.

All I was saying was that the H+B bags are not in the way, and do not limit use of the passenger footpegs.

If he has a really short passenger, maybe here thighs will hit the corners of the H+B bags, but I have not seen that to be an issue in my time with two V7s and H+B bags.

Now, on my V11 LeMans, yes, there were some limitations to foot room and leg interference, but I was able to haul passengers from 4'11" to 6'-0" on that bike.  To be perfectly honest, the range of passenger sizes on my V7s, has been more limited.

I understand all that and disagree.

I had problems hitting my daughters foot with the V7 and her using the pegs.

I realize the bags do NOT pose a problem for a lot of people, but I wouldn't give a blanket answer that they WILL NOT.

[petitchat]

Thanks everyone for the answers!

I'm a 5'10" guys, 180 lbs and my girlfriend is 5'6" 110 lbs, so we're pretty comfortable without any luggage. I just needed to know if a passenger was compatible with the paniers.

Now for the touring question; I was more thinking about moto camping. Go a few hundred miles away, but maybe not 3000 miles. Also, we're planning on doing small days (200-300 miles/day). So yeah, the term "touring" might not have been the best word.

In a perfect world I'd buy a Norge/Stelvi or something like a Kawasaki Concours for touring. Unfortunatly, on a student budget I can't afford to have two motorcycle. Maybe later!

But thanks again for the answers, it is truly appreciated.

[Toecutter]

"For longer days, I'd prefer something different than a V7.  I bought mine for local fun, within a couple hundred mile radius.  For that job it's perfectly adequate."

I've done 1000km days on mine (600 miles), happily. Adequate? I'd say it;s considerably better than "adequate".

[rocker59]

"For longer days, I'd prefer something different than a V7.  I bought mine for local fun, within a couple hundred mile radius.  For that job it's perfectly adequate."

I've done 1000km days on mine (600 miles), happily. Adequate? I'd say it;s considerably better than "adequate".

Adequate.

adjective
1.
as much or as good as necessary for some requirement or purpose; fully sufficient, suitable, or fit.

Synonyms
1. satisfactory, competent, sufficient, enough; capable.

[Cam3512]

I just put 1,045 miles on mine going to and from a rally last weekend.  Loaded down with camping gear, etc., the ride home yesterday was 500 miles.  I had no room to move on the seat, and my knees were killin' me after about 10 hours in the saddle (scenic route with food and gas stops).  The bike ran strong and flawlessly, but damn I couldn't wait to get off it! 

[rocker59]

The bike ran strong and flawlessly, but damn I couldn't wait to get off it!

Yes.  I feel the same way after a long ride on my V7 Special.

Funny, but my spine frame bikes are different.  More like, "damn, that's all?  I don't want to get off!"