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A reveiw of riding two up


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I'm considering buying this bike and would love to have some feedback on overall feel of riding with 2 up and fully loaded side and top cases .. i mean, the two of us in full gear + luggage it's somewhere 200kg/450lbs? Not planning on changing/improving of the suspension, at least not now at the beginning ..
the engine & chassis will cope with the weight - all depends on your other dimensions. If 2 of me got on the Tracer then it would be 200kg with luggage too. I think it would be a tight squeeze and I would feel happier on a full size touring bike. 
If you and your pillion are more slender, getting your weight from height rather than girth then you may find it works well. 
 
They only way to tell is take a test ride, or at least sit on one.
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I'm considering buying this bike and would love to have some feedback on overall feel of riding with 2 up and fully loaded side and top cases .. i mean, the two of us in full gear + luggage it's somewhere 200kg/450lbs? Not planning on changing/improving of the suspension, at least not now at the beginning ..
My wife and I are heavier than that and we get by. I am by far the majority of the weight in case my wife ever reads this. 8| A suspension upgrade would really help. That being said, I'd love to get an FJR For 2 up trips but I just can't justify it given my wife mearly tolerates the motorcycle and doesn't really enjoy it.
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I gotta agree Root, I recently bought the 50l top case, big enough to fit both helmets in it for 2 up riding. With full luggage and a passenger, the suspension has been my next area of focus to be able to stiffen it up, Its not so bad, Yeah I expect there to be less horses lauching up the mountain, I don't expect to drag the center stand (though I did manage a couple times which the lady said "was exillerating")(Im also on a lowered bike now too) But coming up to stop signs, I can definately feel the lacking ability from the stock suspension. It has that sensation of excessive brake dive, and then the weight shifts uncomfortably and it gives you a mini heart attack right before completely stopping. For what it is, This bike is a wonderful "Jack of all Trades" kind of bike, fully loaded touring bike it is not, and therefore understand why it requires more money to make it such.
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My issue with a pillion on the Tracer was that our combined weight completely overwhelmed the suspension and we were probably 160Kg including luggage. 200Kg is a long way beyond what the bike was designed for so the result will not be pleasant. You will have the same issue on any other bike you look at so you may as well budget in suspension work from the outset. If money is tight, go for a second hand bike instead.
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Well, an average 185cm (6'1") man weights 80kg (180) + average gf at 165cm (5'5") weights 58(130) .. full gear of both cca 10kg (22) .. so that's 150kg (330) .. that gives us 30kg (66) for accessories and luggage and we are at max rated 180 (400) ..
I'm aware that it's not the best idea to ride on max weight rate, but i'm sure that there's a lot of you/us couples riding on/near/above max .. that's why i asked for feedback ..
I am/was looking and I would prefer the S10 (which is rated for max 210kg (460)) .. but since my GF is somehow new at biking and we don't know jet how much she will like the long distance riding, i'll go with tracer - mostly because of money difference ..
 
If someone would tell me that his frame got broken because of 190kg, i would stay away from tracer ..
 
Thanks to all for your feedback .. appreciate it ..
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I have rode at near max weight. Just 3 lbs shy of it. How do I know well.. you should of seen the look on the guy at the semi weigh station. Lol.
I have never had a problem at full weight lots of power and it preform just fine. Make sure you stiffin the rear to max and stiffin the front forks as well and give yourself alittle more room to stop. Even if you are alittle over max I think it will be fine. The rear will squat a bit but this is normal. If your going to be doing this on a regular bases then invest in a rear shock that will be tuned to riding two up.
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What has the sub-frame got to do with anything? The last time I heard of crashes involving sub-frames was on hayabusa's that had the exhaust changed out. The issue is that the suspension, both springs and dampers, are built to a budget that reduced their effective working range. The result is that they are unable to cope with the weight and that means they are unable to control the bike under braking which means you are unable to hold a line when going around a corner. The results of the road going one way while you go another are not pleasant, however, if you only ride roads with no corners, you will be fine, though you would probably be more comfortable in a mini-van. If you are a big man, then you already know that many things in life won't fit you in their standard size. Bike suspension is just another one to add to the list.
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Expect a little bit more then scraping if you try the same trick on a corner that tightens up on you. If you are lucky, it will be a right hander and the Armco will keep you from going over. If it is a left hander, maybe you will be lucky and there is no oncoming traffic. Sorry, but I love my wife a lot more then the few quid it takes to sort the suspension.
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you can also use the FZ8 pegs
 
 img_2015.jpg
 
or the FZ1 pegs
 
 20140420.jpg
20140421.jpg
 
 

My other half finds it ok but finds there's not enough leg room for her although I think cause my previous 3 bikes have had a top boxes fitted I think she leans forward more and hence makes her legs ache, so should be ok when my Givi rack arrives (eventually)and I can refit my box. I'm trying to find some pillion lowering pegs aswell but no luck as yet.
 
 
Here ya go
http://www.motorcyclelarry.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=31&zenid=f362e05f63050285e4b97b0b9c65f30a
 
These should fit the fj as well.
 
Thanks for the link
 


 
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I don't worry about pegs scraping because I have correctly adjusted suspension and I avoid grossly overloading a bike. In other words, I ride within my limits and the limits of the bike. You don't. Have another look at that photo and tell what you think is going to touch down next. It does not look to me like it will be the peg or anything else designed to touch the ground! Then look at the front fork and tell me what you think the bike will do if you hit a bump. That Tracer is not fine, it is very far from fine. You may not have crashed and killed yourself or your partner yet, but that is due to your good luck, not your talent or your judgment.
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I've ridden 2 up with my chick a number of times. Combined we're probably right at about the 400lb mark with me being the heavy bastard lol8.gif I haven't touched my suspension just yet, but the bike seems to manage just fine. Feels like my old KLR where it would dip and dive more noticeably. She prefers the KLR because the seat was at the same level as me on that bike, but she hasn't noted this bike being any more uncomfortable than the KLR. 
 
I am not one to haul ass with a passenger. Infact, if anything, I probably ride below the speed limits and try to not take the freeways if possible. Also I ride in B mode to make the throttle as soft as possible, so I don't hear an earful when we stop  O_o
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Must be very lucky over the 30,000km I've ridden the Tracer for.
Re suspension: optimal rider sag is 30-35mm/30-48mm b/f, depending on who and what you're doing.
Compression mid corner is to be expected, more so when you're getting on the gas on a incline, and considering I have more then 10mm of travel left for any mishaps I had no dramas, pothole or no pothole.
 
I ride 2up a phuckton more then most, and I've all but raced the Tracer on track, so when I believe the bike will handle the weight in race style riding, I'm sure as phuck it will be perfect for cruising.
 
https://imgur.com/a/TyvyL
 
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If you have 30k riding like that then would you mind buying me a lottery ticket. I have much higher mileage then you, but I never win anything.
 
Those Sag figures look a little low to me. Sag is normally set 30/70 so when loaded, the spring is at 30% of full travel, leaving 70% to absorb bumps and 30% to push back. At 130/137mm travel front and back, I would expect sag to be about 39~41mm from full extension, but I am pretty sure that even wound to the max, the preload on the Tracer can not give you that because the springs are just not strong enough for a 150Kg+ payload on a budget 200Kg bike.
 
By the way, on a positive throttle mid corner, compression is to be expected but on the rear spring, not the front. If your front is normally as compressed as it appears in your first photo, then either you are on trailing brakes which is dangerous at that lean angle for normal people (not for you of course, as you are so lucky), or your springs/forks are phucked. If you have really been doing this for 30k, then you are clearly used to it, but that does not make it normal or safe.
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