Sportbike/Streetfighter for two up

[fullofmax]

Hi guys,

 

Im going to make it short:

 

I finally want to upgrade from my honda click to something bigger. After 3 years of riding clicks and honda forzas I want something more sporty now. However Im riding 90% of the time two up with my gf (45kg,165m).

I really would like to get myself a ninja 300 or Z300 but after I saw the two up videos on youtube Im not sure if I want to do that to my gf haha.

I guess something like a CB650F or a CBR300/500 would be better because of the seat, however my heart really beats for the Kawasakis.

I guess I would like to hear someone saying that they ride a ninja or Z300 all time with their gf's behind but thats just my mind trying to talk me into it :D

 

Any opinions and advise is much appreaciated :)

 

Thanks alot

[JaiLai]

ER6N would work.

[chrissables]

Versys for comfort.

[Kwasaki]

Yeah the guys here are spot on proper Sportbikes & proper Streetfighter no pussy seat. 

[Anythingleft?]

If your two up on either a sports bike or a streetfighter then you are not doing the bike justice, get a cruiser/pootler......

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[Pdaz]

Triumph Street Triple

[flare]

I don't think anyone who regularly rides two-up regretted going bigger instead of smaller as far as displacement is concerned.

[VocalNeal]

I would let the g/f sit on all the bikes and then let her decide.  Not all pillion space is designed for distance, even on cruisers and...Most are for ocassional trips.  Does she really wish to sit on a padded saucer, way up in the air with her legs all tucked  up. Looks cool in town if she is the right shape and wears DaisyDukes but.... 

 

I don't like riding on some auto scooters that mocy taxi riders use. But I'm only on there for 45 seconds.  

 

After some looking, Honda CBR250R got a nod. That would be 300 here. Or something with a flat seat like a Bonneville, which got a nod on two sites.  Suzuki V-Strom also got a nod if you want to go upscale a bit.   

 

[fullofmax]

Yes we probably go and test a couple of bikes and then look whats comfortable and suits us both :-)

[Happy Grumpy]

Er6n, Versys650, versys300. 

[LburtonL]

Triumph Street Triple

yep just bought myself that beauty RS

[fullofmax]

On 2.9.2017 at 8:12 PM, LburtonL said:

yep just bought myself that beauty RS

Are there different versions of the Triumph street tripple ? 

I googled it and the pillion seat seems to be quite abit higher than the drivers seat which is supposed to be very uncomfortable for the pillion driver ?

[leonidpattayski]

I am riding Yamaha R3 with my wife now. It is perfectly fine motorcycle for two people. Motorcycle manufacturers make new models with gear indicators, i cannot imagine how i can ride manual without gear indicator, you need always to remember gear number in your head. 

Unfortunately Honda did not update all its models for long time and has no motorcycles with gear indicators.  Kawasaki has but only on this year Ninja and Z 650. Kawasaki Ninja/z 300 have very short distance between seat and footpeg and too much lean. Yamaha R3/Mt3 have slightly better ergo.

 

I am thinking now to upgrade from R3 to Ninja/z650. I am selling now my R3, if you are interested i can make you a good discount it almost new just 6 months old.

[eisfeld]

2 hours ago, leonidpattayski said:

Unfortunately Honda did not update all its models for long time and has no motorcycles with gear indicators.

 

I would also like to see more Honda models with gear indicators but what you said is not true. My Africa Twin has a gear indicator and the Fireblade has one too. Bet there are other models as well.

Not that this has anything to do with riding with a pillion. I like this feature but in no way would this be a deal breaker.

 

On 9/4/2017 at 1:47 PM, fullofmax said:

Are there different versions of the Triumph street tripple ? 

I googled it and the pillion seat seems to be quite abit higher than the drivers seat which is supposed to be very uncomfortable for the pillion driver ?

 

My pillion (who is very similar to yours) definitely prefers bikes where the back seat is higher than the riders. This gives her a better view and a slight lean forward means less chance to fall off the back when you accidently twist the throttle too much (she hates riding pillion on my Ducati Scrambler).

I like the new Street Triple but the pillion seat is comically small. Not sure how happy a pillion would be for trips longer than to 7/11. Not sure if there are aftermarket solutions. Also I hope they might introduce the R model at the end of the year in Thailand which could be a bit cheaper.

 

The CB650F is a pretty good choice. Yamaha MT07 could be also interesting. A Ninja/Z300 wouldn't keep you happy for long if you are bored of Forzas already.

[leonidpattayski]

33 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

 

I would also like to see more Honda models with gear indicators but what you said is not true. My Africa Twin has a gear indicator and the Fireblade has one too. Bet there are other models as well.

Not that this has anything to do with riding with a pillion. I like this feature but in no way would this be a deal breaker.

 

The CB650F is a pretty good choice. Yamaha MT07 could be also interesting. A Ninja/Z300 wouldn't keep you happy for long if you are bored of Forzas already.

You know mainstream Honda models cb150, cb300,  cb500 and cb650 have all quite old design with very little changes for long time. Just for comparison MT07 is 2015 year model based on new platform. Ninja/Z 650 is a 2017 year model on new platform too. CB650 was built in 2014 on old 2011 platform, if you see pictures 2011 year CBR600F it  looks almost same as CB650f, same swing arm, same engine just increased in size little. CB650F is heavier than its Yamaha and Kawasaki rivals by 20 kilos, more fuel consumption, no gear indicator, no slipper clutch. Even though CB650 have the highest seat, it has less space for foots, due to foot peg located very high. From my personal opinion CB650 is overpowered for Thai roads and is not definitely a beginner bike( i do not count scooters as a first bike).  I would better stay away from CB650, even CB500 is much more user friendly.

 

 

 

 

[soihok]

MT-10.

You know you want to....

[eisfeld]

14 hours ago, leonidpattayski said:

You know mainstream Honda models cb150, cb300,  cb500 and cb650 have all quite old design with very little changes for long time. Just for comparison MT07 is 2015 year model based on new platform. Ninja/Z 650 is a 2017 year model on new platform too. CB650 was built in 2014 on old 2011 platform, if you see pictures 2011 year CBR600F it  looks almost same as CB650f, same swing arm, same engine just increased in size little. CB650F is heavier than its Yamaha and Kawasaki rivals by 20 kilos, more fuel consumption, no gear indicator, no slipper clutch. Even though CB650 have the highest seat, it has less space for foots, due to foot peg located very high. From my personal opinion CB650 is overpowered for Thai roads and is not definitely a beginner bike( i do not count scooters as a first bike).  I would better stay away from CB650, even CB500 is much more user friendly.

Yes Honda are a bit too conservative with their lower and mid tear bikes. I'd also like to see them push harder there. But old platform or new.. what does it matter much with these bikes? What does the Kawa 650 do better than the Honda? I'd rather take the Yamaha. Missing slipper clutch is indeed a feature that I think any new bike should have. But it wouldn't be a dealbreaker for me as I rarely get into situations that require it on public roads. I do think the CB650F can be a good beginner bike for someone who has at least a tiny bit experience and can be mature enough to not get into trouble. It's definitely not overpowered for Thai roads. There is no such thing as overpowered as long as the fueling is ok and doesn't want to throw your ass off the bike with the slightest twist of the throttle. Any bike with less cc will be easier to ride, that's normal. Less torque = you can be less careful with the throttle. The 500 series are pretty good bikes. I have a CBR500R myself and I'll keep it. It's not too bad for a pillion either. Can easily do day trips and at 200k THB not a bad deal. I think the 650cc middle weight class from Honda/Kawa/Yamaha are all good compromises between power(fun), comfort and price. A bit higher in the price range a Triumph Street Twin might be worth a look also.

[jgbc]

Hi fullofmax

My wife bought me the z300 about a month ago now and we're loving it.

We ride two up all the time and although we've not been on a ride longer than 1hr in traffic she says she's comfortable on the small seat and at 5ft tall she likes the extra height to see where we're going. I'm around 75 kilo and she's 42 kilo and I could easily forget she's on the back.

For me riding around BKK it's got plenty of power and it feels safer than a little scooter on these crazy roads.

What I'm really enjoying is the constant gear changes and the forgiving slipping clutch as I feel it keeps me more alert and focused on what's going on around me.

I coincidentally parked up next to a Honda 300 yesterday and surprisingly there's little difference in the seat heights and of course I think the z300 looks much better lol.

Whatever you decide on I hope you dump the rev and go and get a real bike both for safety and the immense enjoyment it will put back into being on the road again.

I've had a gpx demon for a while but it was too small for me, dangerous even as I had trouble using the rear brake and my legs stuck out too far lol. It was never my choice as I'm 5'10" and looked stupid on it but the dumb ass BIL tried to rip us off and so I took his bike much to the dismay of the family. Oh well that's another story but mu point is get a bike that fits you and the 300s are a good size to start with and not too heavy not too light.

Just my opinion and I know shit about bikes really.

Stay safe


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[AllanB]

I would have thought that if you were looking for pillion comfort you don't really want a sports bike, they are designed for one, with any unfortunate passenger left perched on his shoulders.

 

We had a look at the Kawasaki Vulcan a while back, lots of space and adjustment for comfort for both and the 650cc you are looking for. I cool looking bike too IMO.

[BKKBike09]

Another option could be KTM Duke 390. Bit more than Z300 but not much (basically it's 200K). These guys also seem to have a lot of second hand bikes so maybe one visit would let you check out lots of options.

 

https://www.motogroupthailand.com/ktm-pricelist

 

Have a read:

 

http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/ktm/2016-ktm-390-duke-long-term-review.html

 

[AllanB]

57 minutes ago, BKKBike09 said:

Another option could be KTM Duke 390. Bit more than Z300 but not much (basically it's 200K). These guys also seem to have a lot of second hand bikes so maybe one visit would let you check out lots of options.

 

https://www.motogroupthailand.com/ktm-pricelist

 

Have a read:

 

http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/ktm/2016-ktm-390-duke-long-term-review.html

 

This is about the most cramped bike on the market...for two people? Barely room enough for 1.

[leonidpattayski]

From my personal experience, i feel comfortable even on cheapest scooter like fino or scoopy, but majority of  300cc bikes are not comfortable for long rides. Very little space for legs and too much lean forward. I did not tried KTM 390 duke, but from spec and picture it looks like exception and should be very comfortable, have highest seat and 0 lean forward. Honda CB300f also not so much bad as 300cc kawasaki and yamaha. 

I was impressed by Yamaha Mslaz, tall seat and very upright position, but no ABS, same as all 150cc.

[Kwasaki]

2 up on a bike +.  

 

[AllanB]

17 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

2 up on a bike +.  

 

Perhaps I was wrong about the KTM390?