Sub 220kg bike for 2 + luggage

Yup, pillion comfort trumps everything for me too, although I also happen to really like riding my oilhead. Can't imagine many riders could go away for months on end spending many thousands on a trip and leave the other half at home...

If my bike gets too much, I might seriously look at an R100R or a Mystic. Simple, spacious, low and with good brakes and tubeless tyres. Sorted.

Happy pillion, Atacama Desert, Chile.

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@ChasF im surprised you found the V85 cramped, although I’ve opened mine up a lot with a raised seat plus cool cover, raised rear shock and lowered rider pegs. I find it supremely comfortable, much better than my previous GSa with sergeant seat. And I think I’ve sorted the screen related issues of noise and buffeting with a Palmer Products screen mount. Wife says the pillion is also the best she’s ever sat on - I get wriggly before her. It’s plenty roomy too for us both. We never bang helmets and we don’t touch anywhere either. It surprisingreally as it doesn’t look spacious. We’ve done three biggish trips on it all fully loaded, camping two-up. The longest being Balkans/Greece/East Europe via France and italy. The bike coped fine. It’s a bit over the 220kg specified though, although the weight is low.
 
I've got a tiger 900 GT Pro. It's bloody brilliant. I've had two 800s and although the new engine is mtoe vibey it makes up for it in other areas. Loaded with tech. Even has back lit controls unlike a certain other 20k+ German steed. Tours t

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AustinW said:
Weight. It’s as much about where that weight as how much it weighs. Top heavy but 200kgs feels way worse than 230kg and carried low and central.

Didn’t the early GSs weigh only 200kg or something dry, so 220 ish wet.
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Yup
As is discussed in a few of the posts and at #40...and like you, pillion comfort trumps most considerations for me but it becomes a bit of a catch 22 if she sits on something like a Goldwing weighing well north of 300kg and loves it....it's all about compromise. I needed some other ideas and now need to have a proper look and ride on some stuff.
 
AustinW said:
@ChasF im surprised you found the V85 cramped, although I’ve opened mine up a lot with a raised seat plus cool cover, raised rear shock and lowered rider pegs. I find it supremely comfortable, much better than my previous GSa with sergeant seat. And I think I’ve sorted the screen related issues of noise and buffeting with a Palmer Products screen mount. Wife says the pillion is also the best she’s ever sat on - I get wriggly before her. It’s plenty roomy too for us both. We never bang helmets and we don’t touch anywhere either. It surprisingreally as it doesn’t look spacious. We’ve done three biggish trips on it all fully loaded, camping two-up. The longest being Balkans/Greece/East Europe via France and italy. The bike coped fine. It’s a bit over the 220kg specified though, although the weight is low.
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Total agree with these comments - I've done 16K miles with my V85 two-up with no complaints from my pillion, and we are not the smallest people on the planet! Currently planning a trip to Romania later this year and we both really looking forward to it on the V85.
 
I’m in the lower centre of gravity is more important camp.

My wife’s 1200 LC is physically lower than my TC (not lowered) and so is the seat height.
Once bikes are rolling they’re mostly fine, it’s the slow riding, stopping on a camber and wheeling the bike around (especially with luggage) that causes the most problems.
Her bike is so much easier in those departments than mine. It’s also easier to wheel around than a CB500X, Transalp or any of the tall ADV bikes - we’ve tried them.
As for pillion comfort - my bike had a puncture when I got them out on Sunday so I spent the day pillion. It was extremely comfortable and the pillion seat is noticeably higher than the riders so no helmet bashing and great visibility for me. We were out with another couple on an AT and there was a complaint of helmet bashing.

LC - wet weight 238kg
The wet weight of the early 1200s is 225kg - the seat height is a lot higher so I’d like to try one to get the feel of it. Not that height is a problem for me.

I would have thought that a bike with a even lower centre of gravity is the R 12— R.
Anyway, good luck with your research.
 
AustinW said:
@ChasF im surprised you found the V85 cramped, although I’ve opened mine up a lot with a raised seat plus cool cover, raised rear shock and lowered rider pegs. I find it supremely comfortable, much better than my previous GSa with sergeant seat. And I think I’ve sorted the screen related issues of noise and buffeting with a Palmer Products screen mount. Wife says the pillion is also the best she’s ever sat on - I get wriggly before her. It’s plenty roomy too for us both. We never bang helmets and we don’t touch anywhere either. It surprisingreally as it doesn’t look spacious. We’ve done three biggish trips on it all fully loaded, camping two-up. The longest being Balkans/Greece/East Europe via France and italy. The bike coped fine. It’s a bit over the 220kg specified though, although the weight is low.
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I see the V85TT as the successor to the old airhead GS even though it doesn’t have that much in common technically and it’s not even made by the same people but it does fit the same bill. Our problem is perhaps more subtle - we don’t do that many bike miles these days and much as I’d love to have a newer bike in the garage, convincing wifey that spending the money would be hard enough let alone having to spend more money on it before it would be comfortable for both of us. I did feel a bit pushed forward when I rode it but was aware that I could sort that with a different seat and lower pegs (both of which I have on the airhead). I’m just getting the airhead ready for a trip in the Pyrenees next week and it’s consuming a fair bit of money, not to mention spannering time, so depending on how it all goes may be a good time to have another look at the Guzzi on the way home, there’s a good Guzzi concession in Toulouse that we’ve been to before.
 
ChasF said:
I see the V85TT as the successor to the old airhead GS even though it doesn’t have that much in common technically and it’s not even made by the same people but it does fit the same bill. Our problem is perhaps more subtle - we don’t do that many bike miles these days and much as I’d love to have a newer bike in the garage, convincing wifey that spending the money would be hard enough let alone having to spend more money on it before it would be comfortable for both of us. I did feel a bit pushed forward when I rode it but was aware that I could sort that with a different seat and lower pegs (both of which I have on the airhead). I’m just getting the airhead ready for a trip in the Pyrenees next week and it’s consuming a fair bit of money, not to mention spannering time, so depending on how it all goes may be a good time to have another look at the Guzzi on the way home, there’s a good Guzzi concession in Toulouse that we’ve been to before.
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With the new Stelvio out now, and the tech refreshed V85 due any time now there’s going to be plenty of used old spec V85s coming on the market this year. It’ll be a buyers market good luck.

Here’s mine. I was messing with the screen so it’s way out of position.
 

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Given your needs, have you thought about a cruiser?

They carry their weight low, and a thriving aftermarket means you should find a really comfortable pillion seat. An Indian maybe?
 
Does it need to be brand new?

What about something like a F800ST. Should be just a snitch over 200kg and will carry everything no bother.
 
I aren't look at new (can't believe I didn't type that in the first post) I really cant stomach the prices of new bikes nowadays (especially as I paid £9k for my last new bike in 2017....to replace it would be c £16k...but €19k as I'm in France...where 2nd hand prices are a bit mad)
 
Ah well if you don't need new there's umpteen million reasonable weight sports tourers out there. A Blackbird might be just slightly over weight but it'd be a cracking choice if you got a good clean one.
 
I'd never thought of going back quite as far...but with Honda build quality back then, coupled with the lack of shitty salty roads here in France...2nd hand bikes are generally way better than UK ones.
Edit...quick look shows it north of 250kg
 
notoriusb.e.n said:
Does it need to be brand new?

What about something like a F800ST. Should be just a snitch over 200kg and will carry everything no bother.
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Is the ST bigger than the GS? We found the F800GS too cramped.
 
its laid out different, feels longer - of course its a different frame to the GS. Theres the GT as well as the ST version.
 
Didn't the GT just supersede the ST. I don't mind the GT, belt drive and have nice clean lines
 
yes the GT replaced the ST, bit more fairing to stop them downpipes and front engine case crumbling. Its very good on fuel, rubber band so no chain oiling, plenty of real world torque and not that "buzzy" for a parallel twin.
 
We’re just back from a 1000mile tour of the Pyrenees so I thought I’d drag up this thread discussing the issues of weight and pillion comfort. We were riding our 1989 R100GS two up with about 50kg of luggage including camping gear, our friend, who we met up with in Saint Jean Pied de Port was on a 2018 1200GS one up with quite a bit of baggage. We rode a lot of fast twisty roads and even managed an unintended very steep unpaved section. Our bike did everything asked of it and kept up well with the 1200. Comfort for me and the wife was fine the only issue being me getting off the bike with my new knees - balance is not quite as good as it was and it’s not possible to put the bike on the sidestand whilst sitting on it. Realistically as we’re not likely to do more than about 5k miles a year from now on, the old GS is probably all the bike we need.3FC91CFC-DA3C-4B4C-9A63-F1F3CA06A95F.jpeg
 
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