Vroom For Two
Vroom for Two
Backseat shootout
MEGAN WENSKI
TRUE CONFESSIONS: A YEAR AGO, I DIDN'T KNOW A DUCATI from a doorstop. Then I meet this Cernicky character and I am immersed-our first date, he takes me to Ken Maely's short-track for an XR100 riding lesson. A real romantic, huh?
Anyway, I'm addicted, whether it's riding trail bikes, fly ing along curvy mountain roads holding Mark tight or drag ging knees (both of us!) at a Club Desmo track day.
So, join the Cycle World crew for two days on California's best backroads evaluating the passenger seats of 10 neat streetbikes? Hey, I'm there quicker than you can say, "Boss, I think I'm coming down with that 48-hour flu..." Here's my take, in alphabetical order:
AprHia Futura
Seat was soft and grippy, so I didn't slide around much-even with the rear wheel levered off the ground when the centerstand touched down (thanks for that, Mark). Saddlebags limit foot movement, but gave my calves a nice place to rest against. Passenger handles are in a good spot to grab (see above). Felt very comfortable on this bike.
BMW Ru 5ORS
Easiest to get on and off. So soft and comfortable that I fell asleep, even in the twisties. Seat could be grippier; I was slid ing back and forth quite a bit (sony `bout the helmet bumping, dear). Though the grabrail was big, it was behind me, which feels a little awkward. Side-mounted grabrails make me feel more secure because they're easier to reach. Vibration got to be annoying when Mark was really wingin' it.
DueO Fireboft XB9R
Not a passenger bike; I felt like I was in a clown car. Rear "seat" super-hard and small. By the end of the Buell stint, my rear and knees were killing me. No thanks.
Ducati ST4S
Padding was soft enough, but a little narrow for a long haul and a bit on the slippery side. As noted previously, I prefer the handrails on the side rather than directly behind me as on the Ducati. Saddlebag placement restricted my feet to only one position and I like to move my legs every so often to keep the blood flowing. But passenger pegs were low in relation to the seat, so my knees weren't sore after taking our turn on the bike. Hardly any vibration cruising along at freeway speeds.
Hoilda CDRGOOF4I
Bike was narrow, fit comfortably between my knees, but bending them more than 90 degrees got old real fast. No grabrail, and passenger perch was high and away, so I had to squeeze with my knees and hold on tight. Fun, but not for the long haul two-up.
HoNda Interceptor
I immediately felt comfortable on the Honda. Definitely a keeper for couples. No grabrails (they're optional, apparent ly), but it was easy to hold onto the rider. Wonder how the saddlebags (also optional) will intrude on passenger foot room?
Kawasaki ZZ-R1200
Overall passenger position almost perfect; easy to hold onto the rider or the side-mount rails. Footpeg placement put my knees at a comfortable 90 degrees. I didn’t slide around much, even under hard acceleration, of which there was a lot. A big plus? Does effortless two-up wheelies.
Suzuki V-Strom
My favorite! Absolutely the most comfortable. Seat is super soft, grab-handles are right where they should be, no feeling around or guessing. Also cool that the mirrors are so widely spaced that I could see behind us. There is some vibration at high revs, but almost none when ticking along the highway in sixth gear. In some tight comers, we leaned over far enough to drag my footpegs-that’s really, really fun. Wheelies, too!
Triumph Sprint ST
Nothing particular stood out about this one, but it’s a nice enough ride. I wasn’t at all sore after our time on the ST. Seat-to-peg height, heel clearance, relationship to rider all were well thought out.
Yamaha FZ1
My second favorite. Grippy dimpled seat cover over plush foam made it easy to stay on without holding on too tight as we wheelied out of all the slow corners and every hump in the road. I could sit close to Mark, hold on and keep my eyes on the scenery out front. No need to look back, because the FZ 1 was usually at the front.
