Two up touring bike preferred.

[ssrealty]

How about a Ducati Multistrada? Not too heavy, comfortable seat, 40+mpg, good windscreen, plenty of power, excellent brakes and handling, plenty of storage, heated grips, and even qty two standard accessory connections for heated gear.

New ones are expensive. But there are plenty of used 2010-2014 1200 models below $10K-$11K. Top box will fit helmets and gear. Side panniers are good size. There is even a larger capacity pannier option. The regular sized left pannier will hold a full size helmet.  The panniers appear larger than some of the Harley's. I have rented several Harley's when traveling, and the panniers are skinny and won't hold a full-size helmet. Later Multistrada models also have longer 15,000 mi valve service intervals.

I really enjoy my 2014 Multistrada. That is why you need more than one motorcycle!

[blackbuell]

Hard to believe that on a Guzzi forum nobody mentioned the Norge. I have put 30+ thousand 2-up miles on 2V Norges. Plenty comfortable for us and lots of gear; we are not large folks; might be a bit cramped for larger people.


Jon

[Lannis]

Hard to believe that on a Guzzi forum nobody mentioned the Norge. I have put 30+ thousand 2-up miles on 2V Norges. Plenty comfortable for us and lots of gear; we are not large folks; might be a bit cramped for larger people.


Jon

For me, I was only mentioning the ones that I know work for me ... We rode ALL of them.    I really wanted a Norge to work for us, but it didn't .....

Although if two of us weighed 275 pounds, together ... our options would probably be much wider open.   How do you even DO that ... ?

Lannis

[Gliderjohn]

From SSRealty:

I have rented several Harley's when traveling, and the panniers are skinny and won't hold a full-size helmet.

I would venture to guess that H-D wasn't to concerned about making panniers wide enough to hold helmets.

Will also say as a Norge owner it would be a pretty good two up bike if both are not too big and in fairly good shape. With side cases and a top case it takes a pretty good leg left for the passenger to get a leg up and over. Also passenger weather protection is not all that great.
GliderJohn

[blackbuell]

Regarding the Norge as a good 2-up bike: together my wife and I weigh about 275 lbs. It is difficult for her to mount the bike: she must climb aboard before I do. However, she has never complained about lack of protection, even though we have ridden through some tough weather. The bikes are not deer-proof; lost the first one that way; now on the 2nd.

Jon

[vstevens]

I think nick's maxi scooter looks good for comfortable 2 up touring... the gts Vespa isn't bad either.  The bigger scooters have good storage and go fast enough for touring... but fast is a relative term.  Horses for courses.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Quote from: flower_king001 on Today at 10:32:00 AM

IMHO, Guzzi has never made a comfortable 2 up bike.

No...for her

Tim and Merriam have been all over the country on my 100,000mile G5. 2 up camping, too.

[Darren Williams]

Since my wife hates being on the back (she wants to ride her own bike), we have only taken a few trips two up. Stelvio and R1200GS were about equal. Getting on and off the taller ADV bikes and then riding so high in the saddle were an issue for her. My lower to the ground (with a stock suspension) FJR was her least objectional. Plenty of luggage space with the large side cases and a big top box. Air Hawks on all the seats were no problem. Also she would reach around me and adjust the power windshield for her comfort, which was also best for me too, wink-wink.

The FJR flicked back and forth better in the twisties than the taller bikes, with a passenger. And it's straight fast road manners were "forget anyone was back there" capable. It must be said that neither of us like cruiser ergo bikes. I'm 175 lbs with 33" inseam and she is 125 lbs with 32". together we will carry about 70 lbs of gear.

We just don't do it because she gets bored back there and I'm too scared to ride behind someone. 

[canuck750]

I faced the same question a little over a year ago when I decided to sell my 2004 BMW R1150RT. When I decided to let the beemer go my wife asked what she would ride on if I sold the Rt? So we went to the local dealerships and she compared what the passenger seat was like on a lot of bikes; GL 1800, HD Ultra Classic, FJ, Concours 1400, Triumph Trophy and then the BMW K1600 GTL. She liked the seat and passenger comfort of the BMW the best and we had rented one in Scotland for ten days a couple years back and she was comfortable and I liked the bike. I am 5' - 9" and I can get both feet flat on the ground with the low seat position. Maximum range driving sensibly is about 450 Km, ring its neck and that will fall to just over 300 km. One downside is it wears out back tires around 10K. Its very quiet driven normally but it will howl like a Ferrari when pushed (Harley rider's description of the exhaust note). I am not a cruiser gut short of riding my 1972 Eldorado and I was glad my wide nixed all the metric cruisers and the HD / Indian lines, fine bikes in their own right but I want the sporting ride of the BMW / FJ etc. I rode it across the high desert from Bakersfield to Mojave last winter and on a deserted stretch of straight road at 225 km/hr it's dead smooth, don't need to do that too often, I think it's limited at 250 km/hr. At a steady 140 ~ 160 km/hr it is running around 4200 rpm and is very quiet and smooth and still gets decent mileage/

The BMW has the others beat in power and gadgets though the new Wing is close. The BMW weighs in under 800 lbs but it feels 100 pounds lighter than my old RT. I like the luggage system, great clearance, you can really lay it over and the power is fantastic with 160 hp. The dynamic suspension is nice and the left hand control for all electronics is simple to use. We are flying the K1600 GTL to Europe this summer for a long tour of the eastern European countries that we behind the iron curtain when we took two months off over 30 years ago to wander, hopefully a few runs on the Autobahn will let the BMW run unimpeded without fear of loosing my licence

If you lean more to sport riding and still want to keep your passenger comfortable for 8 hour days, day after day the GTL is pretty hard to beat. If you are not going to have a passenger on it I would go for something lighter like the FJ.

[twowheeladdict]

My wife and I use my Vintage around town, but it doesn't have enough room or amenities for her for an extended ride. I would look for something with lots of fore and aft saddle space for your passenger, a dished saddle shape, a comfortable backrest, pegs/boards in the right place, and maybe even armrests. There's not much to do back there, so it needs to be comfortable and secure-feeling. If high dollar bikes (HD FLs, Gold Wings, K1600GTL) are out of your range, have a look at the Kawasaki 1700 Vulcan ABS. It has most of the good stuff, but will save you a bunch of money.

https://www.kawasaki.com/motorcycle/vulcan/touring-cruiser/vulcan-1700-voyager-abs?cm_re=GLOBALNAV-_-PRODUCTGROUPLIST-_-MPP

I owned a 2010 for 60,000 miles.  Definitely a reliable 'bang for your buck' motorcycle, but pales in comparison to the new Harley offerings. 

[twowheeladdict]

I wanted to ask what in your opinion is the “best” two up touring/All around motorcycle? ( and why ? )
Any brand , any year .

 


Cheers and happy new year!!
Marco

It really depends on the size of the rider and passenger.
It really depends on the type of roads you are planning on riding.
It really depends on your budget
It really depends on what creature comforts you desire.
It really depends on your willingness to do roadside maintenance.

Etc. 

Maybe share your wants and needs and based on the above and you will get a better answer.

I hated the riding position of the 1800 Goldwing.  The new one feels better to me.  More of a balance between touring and sport touring. 

I love the riding position of the Road Glide, but I won't take it on many roads that don't have full lines painted on them.

The sport touring bikes were a blast, but not all passengers will agree.  I preferred the Trophy SE over the Concours 1400 for the twisty road capability.

The Versys 1000 LT makes a good 2 up touring bike

[Tusayan]

Although if two of us weighed 275 pounds, together ... our options would probably be much wider open.   How do you even DO that ... ?

160 + 115 lbs is not a terribly unusual combination or an unhealthy one.  In my case, the light of my life is petite so I have the luxury of adding a few extra pounds during the holidays and still staying within the weight budget.  Let's hope I lose them by May, that will be my objective as it was last year!

Carrying camping gear plus passenger adds a new dimension to the requirements on a bike but my wife hates to camp and I'm not a huge fan either, so we don't have that particular issue.  I did have a different issue once upon a time - one of my criteria when marrying was that me plus wife plus bags plus full fuel had to remain under gross for a small two seat aircraft...(only kidding, I think  )

Most of the monster motorcycles being mentioned in this thread are less than fun for me on the roads I love most, as good as they may be on the interstate.  There is nothing like flying past a line of R12GS clones on a tight twisty Alpine road, with less than half the power and a lot less weight.  When the passes get tight that is exactly what can happen, as much as people riding those roads in 2019 seem to deny it in their quest to have an ever bigger and more fashionable ride.

[Joliet Jim]

When we did it we put our combined 450# on an 02 Cali and pulled a trailer with it. Wasn't as comfortable as a bigger bike would have been but it was doable. It's been a great bike, but a used Valkyrie Tourer would have been more spacious.

[Lannis]

160 + 115 lbs is not a terribly unusual combination or an unhealthy one....

I suppose that's true in the big wide world.   I've been in the Guzzi world too long, I guess, where that IS terribly unusual  !

[Ncdan]

160 + 115 lbs is not a terribly unusual combination or an unhealthy one.  In my case, the light of my life is petite so I have the luxury of adding a few extra pounds during the holidays and still staying within the weight budget.  Let's hope I lose them by May, that will be my objective as it was last year!

Carrying camping gear plus passenger adds a new dimension to the requirements on a bike but my wife hates to camp and I'm not a huge fan either, so we don't have that particular issue.  I did have a different issue once upon a time - one of my criteria when marrying was that me plus wife plus bags plus full fuel had to remain under gross for a small two seat aircraft...(only kidding, I think  )

Most of the monster motorcycles being mentioned in this thread are less than fun for me on the roads I love most, as good as they may be on the interstate.  There is nothing like flying past a line of R12GS clones on a tight twisty Alpine road, with less than half the power and a lot less weight.  When the passes get tight that is exactly what can happen, as much as people riding those roads in 2019 seem to deny it in their quest to have an ever bigger and more fashionable ride.

Fly past this "MONSTER" Goldwing, in the Twisties and give him a good spanking:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrMQ3QwyPo

[blu guzz]

i looked up the kawi voyager.  man, you can get low mileage examples for $8,000.  a real bargain for that kind of bike, but then i looked at the weight: 903 lbs.  that if almost 5 times my weight.  my cali 1400 weighs 700 lbs and that is enough to be planted on the road and still hustle in the curves (within its limits).  i am pretty sure that my next bike will be lighter now that i have passed the big 60.  my wife does not tour with me, but the few times a year she rides with me, she finds the bike very comfortable.  I could add a large tail trunk and side cases for touring if needed, it would up the weight about 50 lbs, but still relatively light as these types of bikes go.

[blackcat]

We are a combined 260lbs and the Norge works fine for us. With hard bags, the 1000S was fine too, but the SPIII was a problem for my wife as she was always sliding into me on braking so we were constantly bumping helmets in city riding.

If I was constantly riding freeways, I guess a Goldwing would be OK though I stand by my Miati comments of past. I'd rather be in a Miata than any year GW.

[rocker59]

So, the bikes I've enjoyed solo should be great for a lot of you couples!!!   

Makes me think I need to lay off the cookies and pie !!! 

[radguzzi]

Lots of personal tastes here, it happens with individuals.  Wouldn't have it any other way.

Sue Ellen and I have toured extensively on EVs and five years ago we went with an HD for some added comfort.  I like it a great deal.


One of the EVs...




HD Electra Glide...

[flower_king001]

Tim and Merriam have been all over the country on my 100,000mile G5. 2 up camping, too.

Well everyones 'mileage' will vary.What one calls comfortable is not for another.

Personally I have toured extensive on my '86 Lemans but two up it's cramped. I have also tried to do the same on my EV with a Corbin but my wife is not fond of it.

[Tusayan]

Fly past this "MONSTER" Goldwing, in the Twisties and give him a good spanking:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrMQ3QwyPo

I'd keep up but there would be no point for me in passing - his pace is good on a moderately twisty road.  If the road got really twisty, as in many passes in the Alps, his bike would not go as well as something smaller 

[Tusayan]

Well everyones 'mileage' will vary.What one calls comfortable is not for another.

Personally I have toured extensive on my '86 Lemans but two up it's cramped.

Oddly enough (it certainly confounded me) one of my wife's favorite bikes to ride two-up is my Daytona RS.  It's not really made for the job and doesn't steer well with the extra weight but apparently with the wide flat passenger seat and her shirt legs, she finds it comfortable.  So what you say is true - it's all about fitting the bike to the riders (and in my opinion not going too big).

On my R100GS I can only just feel her on the back, mostly that's under hard braking given the upgraded but still weakish front brake on that bike.  On tight roads the old GS is amazing for us, comfortable, much more fun than newer BMWs for us and quicker through the really tight stuff.

The ST Ducati comes into its own for us on slightly more open roads, and making time to get home when the fun is mostly over.

[Scott of the Sahara]

I was asking this same question about 8 1/2 years ago. I sat on (and tried out) many different touring bikes. For me when riding 2 up being able to put both feet down was a must. Many of the offerings were just too tall. I am not about to come to a stop and not be able to keep the bike upright.
I really liked the Norge and that is what I bought. My wife and I have been on many 2 up adventures with it........

Now I do not think she will ride on the back of the Noge for a moto trip again.

2 years ago I bought an old Ural with sidecar. I have since upgraded to a newer one. She likes to ride in the sidecar. It is much slower than the Norge and I think she likes that too. No chance of the bike falling over at a stop. Huge trunk. Good wind protection. Lots of fun. This is my 2 up preferred transportation.

[Ncdan]

I was asking this same question about 8 1/2 years ago. I sat on (and tried out) many different touring bikes. For me when riding 2 up being able to put both feet down was a must. Many of the offerings were just too tall. I am not about to come to a stop and not be able to keep the bike upright.
I really liked the Norge and that is what I bought. My wife and I have been on many 2 up adventures with it........

Now I do not think she will ride on the back of the Noge for a moto trip again.

2 years ago I bought an old Ural with sidecar. I have since upgraded to a newer one. She likes to ride in the sidecar. It is much slower than the Norge and I think she likes that too. No chance of the bike falling over at a stop. Huge trunk. Good wind protection. Lots of fun. This is my 2 up preferred transportation.

I would like to see some pictures of the Ural

[Lannis]

I'd keep up but there would be no point for me in passing - his pace is good on a moderately twisty road.  If the road got really twisty, as in many passes in the Alps, his bike would not go as well as something smaller 

It's always so hard for me to tell how fast someone is going, and whether I'd be able to keep up, from watching an on-bike video.   I don't go around any blind turns anywhere when I know I couldn't stop if something was in the road, but on turns where you can see, I consider that I do pretty good.

But I have no idea whether I'd be able to keep up with these guys on one of my bikes that I have experience riding ....

So often, it's only on the track when you can compare yourself to others and know that it's skill level that's the differentiator; on the road, it's often just less of a death wish that has someone running faster or slower.   (I leave out the bike as a factor, because it's almost never the bike.)

Lannis

[Kev m]

If that's the video/rider I'm thinking of that is a pace a lot of dedicated sportbike guys can't keep up on that road and one that I'd never even consider trying.

Bottom line is I've found I can pretty much ride whatever I want because it's highly unlikely I'll find the cornering limits in the vast majority of my riding.

[Ncdan]

That video is on the DRAGONS TAIL. it's been out for a couple years now. You can pay this guy a small fee and he will follow you on his sport bike and video you. The sound you here is that Goldwing scraping the pavement on most of the turns. Before that I saw that video i woukd hive never believed one of those cows could give a croch rocket a fit on that type of ridding environment.

[canuck750]

Why limit the search to juts a two up capable bike?

[Murray]

KTM superduke GT big fuel tank panniers if you want them good headlights cruiser control (that an be set on any speed up to about 120mph, The bike itself is around 200kgs without the stupid seat hieght of an adventure bike, and sensible size tyres you can get any pretty much any compund you may desire.

IMO by the time you get to things like the BMW1600LT (Light Truck) or a Goldwing you don't really want a motorcycle anymore go get yourself a Mazda MX5 (Miata) it will be cheaper and what you actually wanted.

[arveno]

Good day to all and happy new year!!
Thank you so much for the feedbacks.

Right now my two up touring bike is a R100GS

I think I will stick with it for awhile....I have never ridden the Stelvio which I will consider.
The new GS are gone way to far with electronics etc and they don’t really appeal me much .
The Milwaukee couch is nice but not ready to get one yet.

Thank you
Marco