Two-Up Motorcycle of Choice

[MinneapolisCB_imp]

I find myself needing to find a more comfortable bike to ride with my wife. She used to ride her CBR500R, but can no longer do so for medical reasons. The CB1100 just doesn't have enough room or support for our 350 combined pounds, so it is time to acquire a dedicated two-up machine.

At this point, I'm debating between the Indian Springfield, Harley Road King, and Honda Valkyrie. I test rode a Springfield and was pleasantly surprised by its smooth ride and handling. The Harley seems like a similar alternative. The Valkyrie seems like it could offer similar comfort with more power.

For those of you that appreciate the beauty and quality of the CB1100, what is your preferred motorcycle for two-up riding?

[PowerDubs_imp]

If I remember correctly left over valks can be bought dirt cheap. So that’s what I would do.


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[the Ferret]

Doesn't sound like you are talking riding across the country because you neglected the BMW 1600, The Honda Goldwing, the BMW R1200RT, the Yamaha FJR. Looks like you are talking local cruising because all you mentioned were cruisers. Don't know much about the Indian, but the Harley and Valkrie (Goldwing motor) have well deserved reputations for dependability. There are some smoking deals going on Valkries right now. Forum member use2be just bought one brand new for about $8k I think..maybe less.The Harley will probably run you in the neighborhood of $25 K if bought new, then another couple $K for chrome and clothes lol. (just kidding). You might have a look at the Honda Goldwing Tour also the Yamaha Eluder, a big V twin like the Road King.

Personally I'm not much of a V Twin guy, especially big heavy V Twins, so the Indian and Harley and Yamaha Eluder would not be in the running for me,(which is why I bought an inline 4 Yamaha FJR 1300 for our 2 up riding), but maybe you are a V twin guy? If you buy the HD or Indian no doubt there would be plenty of people to ride with, particularly if you bought the HD.

[MinneapolisCB_imp]

Doesn't sound like you are talking riding across the country because you neglected the BMW 1600, The Honda Goldwing, the BMW R1200RT, the Yamaha FJR. Looks like you are talking local cruising because all you mentioned were cruisers. Don't know much about the Indian, but the Harley and Valkrie (Goldwing motor) have well deserved reputations for dependability. There are some smoking deals going on Valkries right now. Forum member use2be just bought one brand new for about $8k I think..maybe less.The Harley will probably run you in the neighborhood of $25 K if bought new, then another couple $K for chrome and clothes lol. (just kidding). You might have a look at the Honda Goldwing Tour also the Yamaha Eluder, a big V twin like the Road King.

Personally I'm not much of a V Twin guy, especially big heavy V Twins, so the Indian and Harley and Yamaha Eluder would not be in the running for me,(which is why I bought an inline 4 Yamaha FJR 1300 for our 2 up riding), but maybe you are a V twin guy? If you buy the HD or Indian no doubt there would be plenty of people to ride with, particularly if you bought the HD.

I am definitely not learning towards a v-twin, but am considering the possibility for the sake of comfort and style. Being surrounded by v-twins in the Midwest, I appreciate how carefully you worded that! My wife is from Oregon and is generally v-twin averse, but she likes the beauty of the Indian line-up. I personally prefer an engine with a larger RPM range as well.

Anything from the Japanese big 4 is a possibility, including the FJR. My only concern about it or any other large 4 cylinder is the engine heat in stop and go traffic. If the heat is similar or less than the CB1100, it could work wonderfully.

A full-size touring bike like the Gold Wing, Eluder, Roadmaster, etc. is more than my wife can handle at this point. She's not that far removed from riding her R1, so she's not emotionally ready to go that far. We generally use the bike for weekend excursions, so we don't need cross country luggage capacity.

[LongRanger_imp]

One key consideration will be the bike's GVWR. Some of the Honda models I've considered in the past had surprisingly moderate GVWR ratings, notably the ST1300 and Gold Wing. It seemed that two normal-sized adults plus luggage would easily exceed either bike's GVWR, which could result in a safety issue. Despite owning a few BMW's, I'm not loyal to the brand but they generally have relatively high GVWR's, so it may be something to consider. My ex-Kawasaki Concours ZG-1000 also had a high GVWR and was plenty roomy and powerful when carrying a pillion and gear. I'm not sure about the cruiser models you cited.

[MinneapolisCB_imp]

One key consideration will be the bike's GVWR. Some of the Honda models I've considered in the past had surprisingly moderate GVWR ratings, notably the ST1300 and Gold Wing. It seemed that two normal-sized adults plus luggage would easily exceed either bike's GVWR, which could result in a safety issue. Despite owning a few BMW's, I'm not loyal to the brand but they generally have relatively high GVWR's, so it may be something to consider. My ex-Kawasaki Concours ZG-1000 also had a high GVWR and was plenty roomy and powerful when carrying a pillion and gear. I'm not sure about the cruiser models you cited.

That is an excellent tip for a statistic that isn't as widely published as it should be. That is one of the reasons I've stayed away from the Africa Twin, but I just discovered the Valkyrie is slightly worse.

[the Ferret]

Honda always has ridiculously low GVWR. My wife and I were overloaded on the ST every time we rode it, and we are not large people. Ii haven't even checked GVWR on the CB or FJR for that matter. Whatever it is we are going to ride regardless.

[Banned_imp]

One key consideration will be the bike's GVWR. Some of the Honda models I've considered in the past had surprisingly moderate GVWR ratings, notably the ST1300 and Gold Wing. It seemed that two normal-sized adults plus luggage would easily exceed either bike's GVWR, which could result in a safety issue. Despite owning a few BMW's, I'm not loyal to the brand but they generally have relatively high GVWR's, so it may be something to consider. My ex-Kawasaki Concours ZG-1000 also had a high GVWR and was plenty roomy and powerful when carrying a pillion and gear. I'm not sure about the cruiser models you cited.

That is an excellent tip for a statistic that isn't as widely published as it should be. That is one of the reasons I've stayed away from the Africa Twin, but I just discovered the Valkyrie is slightly worse.

That is an excellent tip for a statistic that isn't as widely published as it should be. That is one of the reasons I've stayed away from the Africa Twin, but I just discovered the Valkyrie is slightly worse.
I know most on here are Harley adverse but they have their plusses, first and foremost is dealer support. Pretty much anywhere in America you are never more than 1 hour from a Harley shop, not so much with other brands. Dealer accessibility is the main reason Harley won out over BMW when I bought my '03 Night Train.

As for exceeding the GVWR - you've seen some of the people that ride Harleys right?

My recommendation would be the new 2018 Softtail Sport Glide.

[MinneapolisCB_imp]

One key consideration will be the bike's GVWR. Some of the Honda models I've considered in the past had surprisingly moderate GVWR ratings, notably the ST1300 and Gold Wing. It seemed that two normal-sized adults plus luggage would easily exceed either bike's GVWR, which could result in a safety issue. Despite owning a few BMW's, I'm not loyal to the brand but they generally have relatively high GVWR's, so it may be something to consider. My ex-Kawasaki Concours ZG-1000 also had a high GVWR and was plenty roomy and powerful when carrying a pillion and gear. I'm not sure about the cruiser models you cited.

That is an excellent tip for a statistic that isn't as widely published as it should be. That is one of the reasons I've stayed away from the Africa Twin, but I just discovered the Valkyrie is slightly worse.

That is an excellent tip for a statistic that isn't as widely published as it should be. That is one of the reasons I've stayed away from the Africa Twin, but I just discovered the Valkyrie is slightly worse.
I know most on here are Harley adverse but they have their plusses, first and foremost is dealer support. Pretty much anywhere in America you are never more than 1 hour from a Harley shop, not so much with other brands. Dealer accessibility is the main reason Harley won out over BMW when I bought my '03 Night Train.

As for exceeding the GVWR - you've seen some of the people that ride Harleys right?

My recommendation would be the new 2018 Softtail Sport Glide.

Yes, around here at least 80% of the motorcycles I meet are Harleys. They can obviously handle a load! For the record, the Mrs. and I are only 350 pounds combined, so that isn't a key constraint in this situation.

[emptysea]

I'd look at the new Goldwing...in fact, I'd probably look at the Goldwing with DCT The bike feels much smaller than it is. We don't have the money, but if we did, I think that my wife would be looking at one for her own bike. (She says "no", but that's the accountant in her talking, I think).