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Do you want sporty looks or sporty performance? What is your minimum performance envelope? The BMW GS bikes can be run through a twisty canyon as fast or faster than any sport bike available today, providing you aren't riding on the street like its a racetrack. And an R1200GS doesn't do half bad as a track bike, either. Pillion comfort is second only to the moto-couches like the goldwing and K1200LT. I've done about 30,000 miles 2-up on a GS over the years, and my pillion loves it. Even better, there are some truly enormous sidecases available for it (http://www.jesse-luggage.com) which are sturdy for offroad use, and do a much better job of keeping weight low and close to the centerline than the stock bags, keeping their impact on handling to a minimum.

I keep wishing I could find a 2-up motorcycle that did the job even close to as well as a GS, so I could move away from the BMW marque (nearest dealer - 50 miles. nearest good dealer 150 miles), but nothing comes close. If you aren't going to be doing long trips but still want to ride a sporty machine for sunday day-rides with a pillion, you might look at a Yamaha FJR. The power and handling is all there, and the price is hard to beat, too. My pillion quite likes the back seat of the FJR, but we haven't done any serious miles on one.

You are always going to give up some performance for a comfy 2-up ride. The pegs will be lower, and the bars will be higher and closer, both of which compromise outright performance to some degree, in exchange for either rider or passenger comfort. My pillion is actually quite comfortable on the back of a full sport bike, because she can just lay on my back and use her hands to brace her against sliding forward or back. However, riding with all that weight on my back is murder after an hour or two. Hence the requirement for a more upright position.

There are other bikes in the class, though. The Duc Multistrada, Triumph Sprint ST, various BMWs. I haven't ridden one, but I'd look long and hard at a BMW K1200R or K1200S. You get serious sport riding performance, according to all the reviews, and a chassis long enough for comfort for 2, not to mention factory bags (even if they are small). The K1200R looks to me to be the best 2-up sport riding package out there right now, so long as you don't need to be able to tour 2-up. And ABS braking really is a nice to have item when riding 2-up in questionable traction conditions (rain). I can live without it in any other circumstance, but a rainy 2-up ride always makes me happy to have ABS.

--sam
 
Aprilia Futura, shop around they are going cheap.(I just sold mine)

They are great two up and everything else solo is handled with relative ease.



I would go as far as best seat for two up from anyone.
 
Try the Kawasaki ZRX1200R!!! My modified ZRX1200R will stay with a R-1 in a straight line and pass it 2-UP on curvy roads, gets 50 mpg when ridden sanely...all with old tech carbs. My total outlay was under (new) $9000 including a set of OHLINS, slip on STAINTUNE, Jet Kit, Sargent seat, braided lines, K&N and fork upgrade.



Most importantly, my wife loves the comfotable seat and really likes the handles! She actually enjoys the ride! Old school rules!
 
I'll correct your correction. The 04+ 919s have rebound and compression/rebound adjustability up front and preload adjustability in the rear.



I'm a proud owner of an 02, and even without adjustability it's a top notch bike. And it's a Honda. Can't compare it to an FZ though, I've never ridden one.
 
I know this may sound crazy but my buddy has a yamaha R6 and his girlfriend rides on the pilion pretty often. The other day I was sitting in his driveway on my Duc 748 and she jumped on the back of my bike and immediately said "woah this is a lot more comfortable than the R6."
 
ZRX? Good pillion? You into Midgets? Wife hates the ZRX 'cause of the footpeg location. She will go all day on the 650 V-Strom, though. We're kinda older. 10K miles on both bikes so far.
 
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