► Longer journeys, touring potential, two-up and trip reports

[nikp]

I got back from France last week after 5 days of Touring the Normandy beaches etc.

It's was my first time back in france for 25 years (last time 14 yrs old and drunk on a 50c bottle of plonk on a school day trip). It's amazing how much you remember that can get you by.

Ferries and driving on the wrong side are stupidly easy and am thinking of going back a bit later this year.

On the last day I did over 600miles to get home with only a 2 hour break for the ferry... all I can say is hail the airhawk!!! I bought one at the last minute before setting off on the excursion and i reckon I could easily have kept on going for a good couple of hundred more miles... well worth the money without question and made the trip so much more enjoyable.

 

[jeffers]

2 up with luggage

guys & gals

anyone downsized from a 1200 and toured 2 up with luggage on an 800 gs? been through all posts and cannot find any clues.

Having had an off in france, while on a 3 week tour this year on the 12 and being very short in stature i am thinking of changing. any thoughts?

cheers

 

[GS Biker]

guys & gals

anyone downsized from a 1200 and toured 2 up with luggage on an 800 gs? been through all posts and cannot find any clues.

Having had an off in france, while on a 3 week tour this year on the 12 and being very short in stature i am thinking of changing. any thoughts?

cheers

I have ridden 1200's back in SA, must say that they are abit more comfortable 2 up with the luggage (bread tins, tank bag, etc). Having said that, the other half and I have done weekends away on my 800 and there have been no problems although i dont have bread tins on the sides, for now that is. I do however use one of these (see the pic) and they work well.

 

[divelandy]

anyone downsized from a 1200 and toured 2 up with luggage on an 800 gs? been through all posts and cannot find any clues.
cheers

I spent a week touring Normandy in July, staying in a B&B with the SO and managed with a small tank bag and a 36l top box. We really did take minimal clothing. Now i have some ARDCases, i'm going away for a week from Sat and have filled the panniers and the top box - i'm only going on my own.

After meeting Martin last week to compare seats, we both commented on how 'intimate' the seating is with a pillion. It depends on your size also - 2 'comfy' adults will be squeezed in, 2 svelt adults will be able to wriggle around as required - we were ok, but my wife's still longing for a motorcycle with an old cast iron tractor style saddle!

 

[ceeessbee]

Done a week 2-up to Spain with full luggage (side and top cases, tank bag) with no problems, and more importantly no complaints from the back! Have had the seat altered for more comfort and a bit lower. IMO the 800 is as tall as the 1200 with standard seating although maybe the seat is a bit narrower allowing feet down more easily. A lot depends on the size of rider / pillion, we are 5'9" / 5'6" and the right side of the BMI index! As others have said the 1200 has a little more room but don't let that put you off, the 800 is more than capable.

 

[everywherevirtually]

Jeffers you are local to me. My brother lives in Macc so if you ever want to see the setup and have a sit on the 800 let me know. I'm 5'7", 29inch inside leg with the low seat. For long trips I use an airhawk.

I've done a few long trips (600miles +) two up with camping chairs, tent, tarp, sleeping bags etc. Personally I prefer soft luggage because it's lighter.

No problems really. I would say just keep your eyes peeled when on tricky ground two up. If it's particularly rough I ask my girlfriend to hop off. I'm thinking of a few campsites in North Wales that have steep access on rocky trails and water running across them

I'm off to Austria this evening but next week I'll be around

 

[martin c s]

Hi Jeffers, I did 2300 miles round Ireland last year two up with the BMW panniers and top box I'm 6 foot 4. and quite slim and SWMBO is 5 foot 6 and how shall I put it, no Elle Macpherson! (she won't read this will she!). It was fine, my previous bike was a Dakar 650 (on which we had done 16000) so the 800 felt great for a long trip, just the usual complaints seat too hard and the screen too low.

 

[sijohnston]

it's absolutely great 2-up. toured twice (camping) in scotland and ireland on it, several hundred mile days, and no complaints. was riding with a versys who was riding on his own with minimal luggage and he couldn't keep up...so it's all good. i'd go to mongolia on it with her tomorrow, subject to her wanting to, me having no job and lots of money of course

 

[bradders]

Tour of the Lake District

My missus & I went up to the Lakes touring for a long weekend and the 800 was great. Had alpos panniers on either side, Tony Archer modified seat & a powerbronze high screen and was well sorted.
Great on the twisties, well held it's own on the motorway stretches and pulled lots of onlookers when we stopped for refreshments !
Having ridden a 1200gsa I believe the 800 is a better bike for my requirements !
I am 5'11 and 12.5 stone btw

 

[everywherevirtually]

This was taken from an extract on Facebook. This guy turned up a few days later in Magadan. She is still smiling after travelling from the Czech republic two up. So either the bike was great or the sex was great...

A Czech bike Tomas Holman with his girlfriend arrived in Yakutsk yesterday. Today they departed for Magadan by the Road of Bones. Their long way trip is called OFF Siberia. When they will be done with Yakutia and Russia, they plan to ride through Georgia, Turkey, Balkan and back to Prague.

 

[Martin]

Sorry to disagree with the previous posts but in my opinion, the 1200 is much better for two up riding. The other half had more room on the 1200, and feels wedged in between me and the top box on the 800. On the 1200 she had plenty of room to move about. The suspension is also heaps better on the 1200 and there is no "dive" when braking. She also found the standard seat on the 1200 much more comfy than the 800, even after I've had it memory foamed.

I test rode an 800 with her on the back, and she didn't like it. I thought she would get used to it.......

When the new 1200 comes out next year, and people start trading in their nearly new "old model" 1200's to buy one, I may well be paying my local dealer a visit.

 

[everywherevirtually]

Sorry to disagree with the previous posts but in my opinion, the 1200 is much better for two up riding. The other half had more room on the 1200, and feels wedged in between me and the top box on the 800. On the 1200 she had plenty of room to move about. The suspension is also heaps better on the 1200 and there is no "dive" when braking. She also found the standard seat on the 1200 much more comfy than the 800, even after I've had it memory foamed.

I test rode an 800 with her on the back, and she didn't like it. I thought she would get used to it.......

When the new 1200 comes out next year, and people start trading in their nearly new "old model" 1200's to buy one, I may well be paying my local dealer a visit.

Clearly the 1200 is better for two up and touring but this is more a question of "is the 800 being adequate for touring?". A car is more comfortable than a 1200 but we need to compare like with like. The 800 and 1200 are different beasts and the 800 is more suited to the dirt. That said the 800 is only 20kg lighter than the 1200 and of course not a TRUE off roader

For us shorter folk the 800 is easier to manage than a 1200 fully loaded and two up.

 

[sijohnston]

agreed. if you're sticking to the tar with your partner, 12 is better, no doubt. however, if you're planning a trip which has any off-road (eg maroc or mongolia), i'd much rather go on an 800. for this, the 800 suspension is much better. as for dive, yes, there's a lot, but you soon off-set it by more rear-braking.

Clearly the 1200 is better for two up and touring but this is more a question of "is the 800 being adequate for touring?". A car is more comfortable than a 1200 but we need to compare like with like. The 800 and 1200 are different beasts and the 800 is more suited to the dirt. That said the 800 is only 20kg lighter than the 1200 and of course not a TRUE off roader

For us shorter folk the 800 is easier to manage than a 1200 fully loaded and two up.

 

[jeffers]

thanks all, seems the only way to find out is to try it!

ceeessbee, good to hear of the spanish trip, was there last year and loved it.

si, wish i was in your shoes good to hear no complaints from the back, swmbo likes the GS but having had a lifetime of sportsbikes and a tuono before the GS she finds it all a bit sanitised not sure what she wants, i bought the GS after longing for a giant trailie since the africa twin was new. i really do love it but am struggling with the sheer physical side of it.

EV, would like to take you up on that, your brother isn't called Lee by any chance, i was in town yesterday talking to a guy called Lee who has a red 650.

I definately agree with the 1200 being a great tourer, you dont feel any of the weight when moving but its the low speed stuff, also just moving it about, i'm only 5"6 and it is a big beast without a doubt.

you can also pick out what you want to hear from all the posts so i need to try it i guess, not planning any changes until march/april anyway.

thanks all for the response.

 

[Shalrok]

Did a week in France last year, 2 up full luggage set and tank bag, averaged 65mpg, mixed group of bikes mine being the smallest, KTM990, BMW GS and GSA1200's, all seemed impressed that the little un kept up

Comfort seat fitted with an average mileage of around 200 miles a day, wife was more than happy with the comfort even on one of the longer day of 290 miles.

 

[qcridgerunner]

Two up on a F800 GS

Here are pics of our six week summer 2013 moto camping trip in northern Europe. The F8 never skipped a beat.