How to make the LC more pillion-friendly.

[Nick V]

So yesterday was the first long ride of the LC with my lady on the pillion pad.

She usually hugs me quite tight under hard acceleration, and she's also good about using the rear grab handles to brace herself under hard braking. But there's still the occasional clash of helmets during gearshifts. This is worse on the LC than on my previous Hexheads because the clutch action seems to be 'grabbier' (with 'Road' mode as a baseline). It's not such a problem at freeway speeds, but it's a PITA when filtering and in towns.

Predictably, the sharper throttle response of 'Dynamic' mode makes this worse.

Even though there wasn't a cloud in the sky, I decided to try out 'Rain' mode. Surprise, surprise... problem 90% solved - mainly because the throttle is now much easier to modulate!
Helmet clashing during clutched gearshifts all but gone, and occasional takeoff stalling is also greatly diminished.
No effect on actual power - overtaking is still a breeze, even from 90 Km/h in 6th gear.

Try it the next time you're carrying a pillion. They might just thank you.

 

[Decster]

I always get pillion to look over one shoulder rather than keep head directly behind!

Also smoother riding ensures no head butting.....

 

[andylel]

Quick shifter sorts it out as well

 

[Nick V]

I always get pillion to look over one shoulder rather than keep head directly behind!

The trouble is that while I'm 6"3, she's 5"0. Even with the rider's seat in the 'low' position (which kills my knees) and the pillion seat 'high', she has to lift her butt off the seat to do this.

Also smoother riding ensures no head butting.....

Don't get me wrong - I don't advocate this as a substitute for good riding technique! It's merely one more thing that an LC rider could do to make the bike smoother when carrying a pillion.

Riding solo, we can (and usually do) counter the change in momentum during gearshifts by shifting forward slightly in the saddle. Unless a pillion knows your riding style inside-out, and has some knowledge of inertia and weight transfer, they usually don't.

 

[Engineer]

You will learn how to do smooth changes with practice - I only have 'road' mode on my basic 2013 LC and ride often with my lady friend and there is no great problem with with helmet clashing, although she is a very smart pillion passenger - the LC is much more responsive to throttle inputs compared the 'softer' hexhead but like all bikes you get used to their quirks if you ride often enough

 

[Mr K]

Learn to ride properly.

 

[Giles]

Surprise, surprise... problem 90% solved - mainly because the throttle is now much easier to modulate!

Learn to ride properly.

It's all in yer right hand ..... . .

 

[Nick V]

Learn to ride properly.

Ride? What is this thing, 'Ride'?
Some say we Courgettes know nothing of Rides. And that we occasionally offend the sensibilities of those who possess mouths of meal.

It's all in yer right hand ..... . .

I disagree - extreme smoothness only goes so far with this bike. The clutch action IS grabbier than my old bikes. And it is definitely grabbier when the oil is warm.
Maybe this bike was in the hands of a wheelie merchant at some stage. Who knows?

 

[batman1]

Part of the issue is that there seems to be less room between passenger and rider on the LC.
Think Hexhead maybe had a bit more room behind.

 

[Deleted account 251212001]

You will learn how to do smooth changes with practice - I only have 'road' mode on my basic 2013 LC and ride often with my lady friend and there is no great problem with with helmet clashing, although she is a very smart pillion passenger - the LC is much more responsive to throttle inputs compared the 'softer' hexhead but like all bikes you get used to their quirks if you ride often enough

+1 no 'banging' issues here in road mode with pillion, bit of extra clutch slip always helps smooth the drive out on bikes. Give it time.

 

[Sooty09]

Fitted a top box pad so Mrs Sooty could lean back a bit more, took a while to get used to having a pillion and rain mode smoothed things out for a while until she adjusted and relaxed. Her problem is the grab rails dig into her legs and she finds it very difficult to hold the handles, poor design BMW, the old GS rails were spot on for a larger pillion.

 

[knucklemoto]

What's this 'Courgette' you speak of sir?

 

[zoltan]

Sargent seats is the answer

 

[Nick V]

What's this 'Courgette' you speak of sir?

Note the lack of hands. It's why my throttle and clutch control are so atrocious.

But some say that, even piloting a Chinese bottle rocket, I still lapped the Earth within a second of John Glenn.

 

[Gossy]

.........................................................

 

[Engineer]

..........
I disagree - extreme smoothness only goes so far with this bike. The clutch action IS grabbier than my old bikes. And it is definitely grabbier when the oil is warm.
Maybe this bike was in the hands of a wheelie merchant at some stage. Who knows?

If your clutch is 'grabby' then there is something wrong with your bike - it is just about the smoothest clutch I have ever had on any bike, it is luuurverly - I reckon yours is broken.

 

[GrinningGSer]

+1 my clutch is the smoothest thing both up and down the gears, most definitely NOT grabby.

 

[batman1]

+1 Smooth as silk!

 

[chukky]

Far better clutch than on my Tex, no problems......

 

[Nick V]

If your clutch is 'grabby' then there is something wrong with your bike - it is just about the smoothest clutch I have ever had on any bike, it is luuurverly - I reckon yours is broken.

Possibly, I've made the problem seem much worse than it actually is.
The grabbiness of which I speak seems to manifest if I pull away from standstill on a very light throttle with revs below 2 000 (my hexheads did this perfectly). If I hold the revs at or above 3 000, still on a light throttle, the grabbiness is greatly diminished.

It's not like the clutch has a 'switch' action in the same manner as a racing clutch. It's just not as progressive as the clutch action I had on my hexheads.
Put it this way, I would choose this clutch over the Sachs button clutch I had in my first GS Adventure any day.

One thing I did check last night was the fluid levels.
Thinking the clutch reservoir might be overfull, I undid the lid. Sure enough, fluid came pouring out. Even with the lid off, the fluid level was over the brim of the open reservoir. I removed a little over 6 millilitres with a syringe before closing the lid.
The front brake reservoir was also overfull.
It seems the dealer did a half-arsed PDI on this bike... surprise, surprise.