GSX1000 better for pillions than GS - its 'Official'

[apoll013]

I have always like TWO Magazine - I shared an office with alot of them for a short while when they worked at Superbike a few years ago. So I was intrigued to read their 'International King of Bikes' group-test of all the category winners (GSX-R1000, Sprint ST, Z750, R1200GS, V-Rod, ZXR1200R) I am not really so bothered that the 1200 GS came 7th of of 8 bikes (just holding of the V-Rod to the line). It was highly subjective as these things are -e.g. they were happy to test the 1200GS on the track but pointedly ommitted to take the GSX1000 on even the mildest off-road trail - not obviously very fair. But alarmingly they voted the GSXR1000 better for pillions than the GS - in fact the former was the 2nd best pillion bike on test. Really? I my wife's arse-ometer would certainly disagree, as it often did on the R1.

BTW - For regular forum-viewers my gearbox has been replaced under warranty and I am just off to test it now. A pest and 3 weeks in the garage but no quibbles from Wollaston and they lent me a bike for the duration.
Have a great weekend everyone..

 

[swebb]

Just goes to show how "race bike" biased the majority of bike media really is!!

There is absolutely no way in hell that a GSXR1000 is more pillion comfortable than a GS... not only butt, but even the angle for your back, head height, pillion foot pegs etc all go against that theory...

it's all total tosh.... laughable.

(IMHO that is )

 

[Droopy Dick]

I have always like TWO Magazine

Perhaps it's just an age thing, but I find TWO to be very visually 'noisy' with poor layout and a tendency to print coloured text on to backgrounds that don't give good contrast.

All very Janet Street-Porter.

And as for the article claiming that a GSX-R was a better pillion seat than a GS ....... this is the girly in shorts, t-shirt and flip-flops, with he knees near her ears (probably habitual), perched a good 12" higher than the rider, and looking scared?

 

[sarahchiar]

I read the same during a recent visit to the uk and thought it was a British bias against comfortable pillion riding. What I don't like about this kind of test is the lack of specific information on its conditions. I recently did a 1000 mile weekend. Was this what was tested forr the pillion? If the ladies on the panel tell me they did 1000 miles on each bike, and still beleive the gixxer to be better than the gs, then I will bow and acknowledge defeat.

 

[Gecko]

Maybe the sideways movement in the rear wheel on the 12GS caused by the final drive bearing failure was causing the pillions a degree of discomfort not experienced on the GSXR

 

[Pukmeister]

I was impressed that my local dealer came 2nd in a motorcycle magazine for dealer customer service (rider power survey 2004), as they are very professional and helpful and I dare say they deserve it. When I mentioned the article to one of the staff, he said it was probably because they had lent the magazine a bike for a year for free, although they are proud to provide excellent service. Needless to say, I no longer naively trust magazines to tell the truth or give an honest survey.

I also like reading TWO magazine, however their sports bike focus means they are hardly likely to vote anything but a full-on sportsbike as 'king' for fear of a backlash from their readership.

I own a sportsbike and a 1200GS, and I know which is the better for pillions, which was one of the major deciding factors why I bought it, especially with the padded system topbox to lean against for added security. My wife has never been on my sportsbike, and probably never will.

Pinch of salt anyone ????

 

[birdseye]

Despite built in cushioning, my wife's arseometer doesnt think a great deal of the GS as a pillion ride, but thats not in comparison with a sportsbike but a Pan. The seat is hard, the position is high giving buffeting, and the pegs are too close to the seat. Allegedly.

On the question of magazines, I had a long and interesting conversation with the Editorial Director of a group of mags a couple of weeks ago. He explained that they had to pay a capital sum to WHS just to get them to distribute the mag (like food makers pay Tesco to stock their cans) and then of course there is a large discount to the newsagent. As a result, the money they receive from sales is less than half the cost of producing the magazine. The balance and any profit (apparently several of the pop bike mags are losing money and may well have to stop publication if this doesnt improve) is made up by trade advertising.

So my contact was quite open about it - they cannot afford to upset advertisers. He was adamant that they never knowingly printed untruths, but made it clear that they often had to go easy on the negatives.

Which, incidentally, is probably why Triumph gets a consistently worse press than Honda or the other Japs.

 

[Droopy Dick]

So my contact was quite open about it - they cannot afford to upset advertisers. He was adamant that they never knowingly printed untruths, but made it clear that they often had to go easy on the negatives.

Which, incidentally, is probably why Triumph gets a consistently worse press than Honda or the other Japs.

They all must have upset the Jap bike manufacturers earlier this year then.

Both the Speed Triple and the Sprint ST got brilliant write-ups and were reckoned best in class.

Although they all commented that the ST's mirrors vibrate like hell which is amazing after all the time and moeny spent on development.

If the GS's mirrors can be vibe-free and the K1200's even better, why couldn't Triumph get it right?

 

[apoll013]

Pillion

There is a serious lack of objectivity somewhere - I agree with Antonio - what were the test conditions? Actually it must be all nonsense on stilts - how can a GSXR be more secure, comfortable, re-assuring, relaxing....etc than a GS12? Not possible.
The test also monitored how good each bike was for carrying a pillion from the rider's perspective. And apparently the GSXR felt better than the GS? I remember well riding with my wife on a sportsbike. I am getting to the age when I can hardly carry my own weight, never mind both of us. Braking was to be dreaded as she became my 9-stone rucksack for the duration.
There must be a market for a less sports-centric publication?
I still maintain - if you are going to test a GS on a track then you must test the GSXR on light trails at least?

 

[Deadskin]

When i purchased a GSXR 1000 K5 this year,
the dealer and i went through the usual stuff,
then handed me the pillion pad
One look at the wifes face and i knew
it wouldn't be needed