Hi
My wife and I are planning our first bike trip away approx 6 months. She rides a bike but likes the idea of two up for our first trip. I have a DL650 that we would use two up. On two bikes it would be DRZ400 and she has CRF230L but would change to XT250.
What do you think is the pros and cons. Cost is one big factor does two bikes increase cost a huge amount or only a small amount ( I think I'm dreaming on that point).
It would be great to hear what others have found. I have seen on the posts people starting on two bikes and going to one and the other way around I am sure happens as well.
Be interested what Two Moto Kiwis think as I have been following there thread.

For me I would in your position, ride 2 bikes.

If you have 1 bike, it is sure to be really overloaded, with both of you, plus both of your luggage.

Split onto two bikes,, where you bike can carry say 66% luggage, leaving her with just 33% luggage.

OK, there is more fuel cost, but providing your not racing, as you can really only go at the speed she is happy with.

Break downs , well 2 bikes increase the chance of a break down, but not twice the chance, because of the reduced weight.

If you do hit a break down, I guess, providing it is engine, gearbox or electrical, then you could always put a long rope on and tow to a garage, or if the break down is stopping the bike fully, then you could go get help more easy.

I would take two bikes.

vette

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............... The pillion passenger and her opinion on all aspects of such a proposal.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...p-choice-63375

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Dave

As with all aspects of adventure biking it'll end up being you personal choice that decides what you are comfortable with.

Me and Mrs fox weighed up the pros and cons of riding 2 bikes or 1 for our forth coming round the world trip, we debated the following facts.

One bike costs less in terms of fuel, carnet, Insurance etc.
One bike would have allowed Mrs fox to come on the trip with out having to get her license
If we took one bigger bike it would have been more suitable on motorways

Two bikes means we can spread the weight accross two bikes (I will carry more of the heavy stuff)
Two bikes means that with the weight spead thinner and a lighter bike we can get more off the beaten track
Two bikes means that if we want to and it is safe we can split up and do different things.
In the event that I am injured or can't ride the bike liz can ride a lighter bike that she is confident on to go get help.

I'm sure there are other things we considered but in the end we settled on two bikes. I would suggest if you are taking two bikes to take two of the same type of bike so you don't need to double up on spares manuals etc. Also both bikes will run at the same speed so it is easier to ride with each other.

Hope this is of use.

Also just a thought as you already have the dl650 and another bike why not try a few days away trying both methods and see which you prefer?

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http://mudandknobblies.co.uk
http://www.justgiving.com/FMFox

My wife & I just completed our first stage of our RTW from Egypt to Sth. Africa, I rode a F650gs twin & she a XT250. It was a fantastic trip, but we are going to go 2 up for Sth. America, (we will have the option of sending for her bike should it not turn out tho) The reason for us to change is it is simply & pain in the arse with 2 bikes & the cost of 2 carnets, 2 road tax, 2 lots of tyres, 2 this 2 that it goes on and on. However if you do take 2 bikes the XT 250 was fantastic. You will here a lot of bullshit about the weight of 2 people on bikes etc. with luggage blah blah We have seen that many couples riding 2up on smallish bikes having a blast, not being biased it is a long way for a women to ride every day many do and I admire them, but usually they are a little slower.
I am not against it as we will be back on 2 bikes for America all I am saying think about it carefully & don't be put off by negativity of both sides of this argument.

Paul

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....rather Die Living.....than Live Dying !
www.globetrekkers.net.au

This is the kinda debate that is very very personal choice. My Wife and I did UK to South Africa (west coast) then South east Asia to Australia 2-up on a 2000 Africa Twin (750cc). The bike and we were fine, there were a few very tricky spots where MrsX had to walk for 50m or so but other then that it was do able. MrsX has her license so for us it was totally choice.

There are lots of pros/con for two up and two bike (one up), others have covered most of them so i wont rehash.
others:
Parking has to be twice as big for 2 bike. (we squeezed in to very small spaced inside many random places).

two-up there is no worries about losing the other person... Ectra.

Two bikes = less weight on the bike means less ware and tare. (e.g Tyres last longer...)

HOWEVER the one thing to consider is:
Two up: the toll on the driver. you ride every day for both of you..

you are 100% responsible for the pillion; it meant for me that when normally I would just open the throttle and power/pray that i got though something, (It is amazing how well this works one up).. I could/would not risk the high speed uncontrolled fall, and hurting MrsX. Plus had all that extra weight make this technique harder to try and control.

As I am sure is true for most riders we worry about the other person more then ourselves...

E.G.: One road in Congo/gabon call the FRANCEVILLE ROAD was 250km of deep sandy ruts, deep sand, mud and slop. We estimated that Anubis (our AT) weighted in at more 500KG fully loaded, fulled and two up. It was exhausting for me. Took all the fun out of it.

Finally, is the convoy theory. There are many place in the world that should only be visited by two vehicles (two or 4 wheels it makes no difference). This is in case one breaks down/get bogged ect.... you can get out or send for help.. Two up you are only one vehicle one rider.. we had to chose not to go to some side-trips for this reason. (crossing the Sahara for one example) we got 100k down a piste, it turned in to hardcore desert/dune riding and we had to turn back (after a little bit of fun). We simply could not take the risk of being 200k away from anything and breaking down.

So to sum it up IMHO. If you want to go hard-core off road and to very remote places dont go two-up. Too Risky too hard of work.
If you are going mostly good pistes/sealed roads not too far off beaten track I loved being two up. depends on what you want our of your trip, we would do it again two up.. We like touristy things which tend to be with in our comfort zone of "on the beaten enough track". But if we were to go though the Sahara again we want two bikes.

My biggest piece of advice which either way you go.. is get a decent intercom Spend a good chunk of money on this, two up it was great to chat, talk, directions it was massively important two-up to be able to yell "hold on" or "Big F#$% drop" or what ever and for MrsX to hear me/understand and do it.. save us from many a fall.

One up same reasons but also allows you to keep in touch if not in line of sight.

We used STARCOM1. loved it. StarCom1 Motorcycle intercom helmet audio communication system bluetooth
YES there is days you will turn it off but that is okay...

I know i did not help.. sorry. i think i still debate it.. with myself.

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2000 Africa Twin
http://two-up-ona-twin.blogspot.com

DL650 two-up, six month trip:
MOTO1 - Matkalla

Quoting myself from Advrider, the thread had almost exactly the same topic (going on one or two bikes):

I can mostly comment on two people on one bike:
+ You only have 1 vehicle to buy, fill up at gas stations, maintain, buy tires, insure, get the carnet for, clear the customs at borders, and send across the oceans on a RTW-trip. Note that having two bikes sent as a single consignment could bring down the costs PER BIKE, and the dimensions/weight of the bike also affect things, but generally I´d say that in absolute dollar amount, it will be cheaper to send just one bike, instead of two.

– You often run into the problem of having too much stuff to fit on one bike; this, however, can somehow usually be solved. But in reality two-up RTW bikes are often overloaded, or very close to the load limit, so it will probably affect handling, and in practice will lead you to choose better roads, etc. Getting a fully loaded two-up bike up from the mud for example, or lifted into a canoe in a third-world country will also be a lot tougher, than if you have two lighter bikes.

Oh yeah, if you´re on two bikes, and the other bike breaks down, or has an accident, you´ll still have the other bike as back-up. Unless the two bikes end up in the same accident, you usually have your travel companion right there to help you out, call for help, or go get help, which can be very beneficial, especially in some remote areas. If the bikes are similar to one another, you can also share carrying spare parts or tyres for them.

But a RTW-tour is no place to learn how to ride, so if you have very different experience levels, it´s better to go with one bike, and put the more experienced person on the rider´s seat.

[QUOTE=Xander;419148]T
HOWEVER the one thing to consider is:
Two up: the toll on the driver. you ride every day for both of you..

QUOTE]

It always makes me smile for this kind of subject because it always seems to relate to "wives as pillion passengers", immediately.
Regarding the statement above, what's to stop you sharing the riding in the same way that you would on 4 wheels??
(I know, I hate going pillion also, and avoid it like the measles, but hey, this day and age etc).

Not mentioned so far, IIRC: if the passenger has had enough at some stage you can always ditch him/her, get them a one-way flight home and continue the travel; that is not quite so easy with two bikes.

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Dave

We are off in just over a week two up on the DL650 down the centre of Australia and up the coast. This is only for a month and will give us an idea on two up. I think the main challenge will be keeping the gear down. The plan is a big trip at the end of the year for six months (south America at the moment).
So thank you for the great advice.
Next advice will be keeping the weight and gear down.
Many thanks
Nick

A different perspective:

2-up was never an option because my wife loves riding so much that I would have been the pillion...

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Gene - http://www.RideDOT.com

At the moment my husband and I travel on 2 650cc bikes. We wouldn't even considering going on 1 bike... we both love riding... I love riding! The only time that I would go on the back of his bike is to pop into a town/village to get food or see things once we are set up at a campsite.

We are looking at using small 250cc bikes in future trips which give 90mpg each meaning we have a combined 40-45mpg between us! This will help us to cut down our petrol costs... but yes our maintenance costs will be higher than travelling on only 1 bike... but this isn't as option for us as we wouldn't enjoy it as much as the roads are such a big part of any trip.

I suppose it depends on how much your wife like riding!?!

Beej

HEHEHE

Very good point here that I should have made clear... in our case .. . Me= 188cm ~90kg, MRSX= 155cm ~55kg Anubis's seat =112cm (unloaded) her CRX250's seat 79cm (unloaded) .... the bike big enough for two up is too tall for both of us to ride safely




[QUOTE=Walkabout;419242]

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2000 Africa Twin
http://two-up-ona-twin.blogspot.com