A Question for the PASSENGERS......

[412driver]

I had the extreme pleasure of test riding a new BMW R1200GS yesterday. I had my wife along to test the passenger side of things. Well, I fell in love with this bike and would have ordered one that day. My wife however wasn't so happy. I believe that she was a little tense through the ride as the bike had no backrest which is something that she has become accustomed to having (presently we ride a 1100 V-Star cruiser). So she was "tense" as I put the bike through it's paces. She loves to ride. She just wants to be comfortable.

My request is if any other passengers on long trips could comment on the comfort (or, to be fair, lack there of) on the bike, it would be appreciated.

[flashy_cj]

My last bike was a BMW K1200LT and my wife would often fall asleep on the back (great bike for hard surface riding. My current bike is a BMW powered Chang Jiang that we will do our RTW tour starting in mid July. The first thing I did was to add a temperature activated foam seat from Bar Enterprises in California because the Chang seat was such a horror. Not really looking to loose my wife off the back during her sleep times, I am adding a backrest. With the number of companies around who can fabricate such a modification it should be quite easy.

Better to ride a funny looking bike you love rather than to get a bike you don't like just to keep a riding partner.

[Grant Johnson]

A top box fits in nicely with the travelling, and makes the wife happy - doubly - more stuff, and a backrest - if you put a nice pad on it.

[yuma simon]

Your mention of the Chang Jiang reminded me that they are the ones that make the sidecar/bike as a replica BMW. Why not the sidecar model?

[flashy_cj]

We wtought about her riding in the sidecar but neither of us could tolerate the thoughts of tens of thousands of kilometers in the sidecar so we will pack that with the gear and and Janet rides as pillion.

[DougieB]

maybe

'So she was "tense" '

because

'I put the bike through it's paces'

were you scraping the pegs? she gets on a new bike, which will feel totally different to the old one, and you up the pace because you're enjoying it. maybe she just needed a gentler introduction to the new bike? the gs will corner faster and lean more than your cruiser, which would probably make any passenger nervous if they're not expecting it.

you could always try again and consciously ride slow.

[412driver]

oh believe me...i was in the middle of the BMW riding group so no, no scraping pegs. it was the lack of backrest (and the BMW guy saying "hang on so you don't fall off the back".....

and she is used to hearing the cruiser floorboards scraping, believe me....

no, she just couldn't lean back and relax while i was accelerating and deaccelerating, that's all....