Riding two-up

[MikeZ]

thats right, im in the navy and really dont make that much and when she pays for everything i will happily buy another bike with hers/our money.  especially, when she loves being a passenger as much as love riding


the more i think about it im leaning towards one of the bmw k bikes, my girl wants a cup holder and cell phone jack.  thanks for the input guys and the sarcasm, i love it.

I can get the phone jack. I installed 2 on my Tiger so the wife and I can both keep our phones charged but a cup holder? Really?
Hard to drink with a full face helmet on too

[zooom]

I can get the phone jack. I installed 2 on my Tiger so the wife and I can both keep our phones charged but a cup holder? Really?
Hard to drink with a full face helmet on too

I have a cupholder on my KTM....coffee at work sucks, so I stop by my daily haunt and pick up my java on the way in and sit at my desk and drink it....the insulated cups sits right there with no issue.

[SpikeC]

 The Diavel Strada has a high powered electrical system to power the cell phone and a cup holder could be mounted on the grab handles around the back seat.............

[duc_fan]

I have a cupholder on my KTM....coffee at work sucks, so I stop by my daily haunt and pick up my java on the way in and sit at my desk and drink it....the insulated cups sits right there with no issue.

^^ For this reason, I am *sorely* tempted to put a cupholder on the Gran Canyon.  Coffee at work sucks, and when I'm commuting on the bike the coffee shop on the way still calls to me...

Yeah, it'll get some strange looks at stoplights; dude in full-face helmet with cup-o'-joe on the handlebars?  WTF?  Not sure that I care.

Of course, if she wants you to take quick drink breaks, she could always get a flip-up helmet.

[zooom]

^^ For this reason, I am *sorely* tempted to put a cupholder on the Gran Canyon.  Coffee at work sucks, and when I'm commuting on the bike the coffee shop on the way still calls to me...

Yeah, it'll get some strange looks at stoplights; dude in full-face helmet with cup-o'-joe on the handlebars?  WTF?  Not sure that I care.

Of course, if she wants you to take quick drink breaks, she could always get a flip-up helmet.

I have a cupholder on my Gran Canyon too...



which, to the O.P., is for sale if seriously interested and it has hard cases and topcase for touring as well as being a competent and comfortable machine for 2-up....

[pesto]

yup a Ural will work. she can keep yer balls in the trunk when you go for rides.

Impossible, she'd never let me near enough to 'em put 'em on the bike.

[triangleforge]

If you get a chance, check out the current generation Kawasaki Concours as mentioned near the top of this thread - I got to ride a friend's Concours 14 a few times before he sold it, and it'd be a wonderful choice to set out for the far coast two-up (especially if your route included twisty bits), then turn around & do it again, repeat as necessary. VERY comfortable for one or two, loads of power & balanced well enough to run through turns way faster than you'd expect.

Or look at the Ducati ST series - The prices on used ST2/ST4/ST3 are getting ridiculously low. I love my ST2, but if I had it to do over again I'd get anything BUT the 1998 - it'd be hard to go wrong with 1999 and up. Throw on a Corbin or Sargent saddle, and you're both going to be happy.

[duc_fan]

Yeah, if you're looking used and/or cheap, take a look at the ST3.  A former boss of mine (and all-around cool guy) bought one and loved it.  I test rode an ST4s... total sleeper, though it needs more intensive maintenance than the ST3.  Wish the riding position had worked for me (I'm 6'4").  If you're closer to "average" height, it might be an excellent machine.

If you have more money on hand, like others have said, the BMW K-bikes are excellent long-distance 2-up machines.  Another friend of mine had a K1200GT.  He and his wife rode all over the place on it, loved it.

Zooom and I both enjoy our GCs, and they make good 2-up bikes.  A little down on power, but that can be fixed.   Comfy seat and suspension.  They're a bit needy in the maintenance department, and being a weird/rare bike, plastics can be hard to come by and expensive.  The upshots are: the bike itself can be had for very little scratch, it's economical on gas and insurance, and it makes for entertaining storytelling at every stop when people inevitably ask: "Cagiva?  What's that?"   There is an excellent rider/owner resource in the Cagiva Gran Canyon group on Yahoo.  I've had mine 2 years and still enjoy the heck out of it.

[Skybarney]

Just saw on on CL 3k.  Not bad for an Italian.....

[pitbull]

I just picked up a 2001 ST4 in super clean condition with 24k miles for $3000. The wife finds it super comfy with the sargent seat. Its a lot of bike for the money

[SpikeC]

 What a screaming deal! Even with the cost of a dealer done full service that is a rocking deal.

[Speeddog]

ST's are the bomb.

You really should test-ride one to see how you like it.

[memper]

Motus

[pitbull]

What a screaming deal! Even with the cost of a dealer done full service that is a rocking deal.

I totally lucked out. I was looking for parts for the ST2 I picked up in the summer. I happened to check craigslist, which I never do as it's not often used up here in Canada, and saw the bike down in Niagara Falls, NY, which is just an hour south of me.

I wasn't looking for another bike, but couldn't pass it up.

It has a brand new set of Michelin PR2's, a brand new Barnett clutch and basket, and a really nice arrow exhaust on it. Other than a couple stress cracks in the fairing it is almost mint.

I now have to decide whether to sell the ST2 in the spring or not. The bike is beat up cosmetically, but ran like a champ out to Colorado/New Mexico and back last month. When a bike takes me on a long trip and gets me home safely I feel a sense of loyalty to it, lol.

decisions, decisions.

[Bonster]

Money no object?  A Multi with a top box back rest for Miss Right.

Money a little bit of an object?  The ST3 is one of the best sport touring bikes ever made, a capable doubler, and you can buy four of them for the price of a new Multi.