GS & Riding Two-Up

[mister]

I'm in the market for a new bike. The GS 500 is at the top of my list. But it needs to be able to handle two-up.

I understand about two-up riding and my question is not one about technique, but about the bike's ability to handle two-up riding without too much grief.

Can the GS500 handle two-up without too much grief?

Type of riding I would do two-up... a small amount of city riding with the majority on rural roads - straights, slow sweeping bends and some twisties - all taken at comfortable speeds (I ain't no speed racer, too old for that, besides, when someone else's life is yours to protect it is best to ride sedately).

Physics dictates breaking and acceleration will be altered, but is acceleration greatly hampered - I'm about 180lbs and pillion about 110lbs?

How have your pillions found the stock seat?

Michael

[Bluesmudge]

Yeah, the GS is has plenty of power for 2-up riding. My girlfriend + me comes to about the same weight you are talking about. Its not as quick as when you are riding by yourself, but I try to be smooth when I'm riding two-up anyways. My girlfriend has said its tiring on the back, but I don't think that's the GS's fault.

One thing though, my suspension is altered with .90kg Sonic springs up front and a Katana shock in the rear which makes this all possible. I remember trying to ride 2-up with the stock suspension and it was a scary nightmare. Hard to balance when starting and stopping because everything was so springy and corners were very scary. With the upgraded suspension I don't even think about that stuff anymore.

[jrains89]

if you haven't put new springs, or switched to heavier fork oil, the forks will bottom out. but other than that it's great. I switched to 20 weight and haven't bottomed it out since. acceleration is hampered but what did you expect, you're adding another person's weight.

[AccidentalF]

Two words: REAR PRELOAD

[ecpreston]

combined we're a few more pounds than you and I had no problems even on the stock suspension. Of course I agree though, rear kat shock and sonic fronts do make it better. Power isn't an issue at all.

[O.C.D.]

I take the wife all the time.  We did a pretty long ride the other week and it is great.  Sure the forks load more, and the rear drops a bit, but not too badly.  She gets frustrated because she always is pushing on me when we brake.  I kind of do too because it is a lot more weight on the arms. 

Still though, I have an SV650 rear shock coming and progressives with thicker oil up front now.  So maybe that helps?

[Chanse]

Im about 240 and she was about 105 to 110, I always have the rear shock set at 7 and I switched the fork oil (with stock springs) to 30 weight. I never felt her on the back except for those nice big aahmmmmm pressed against my back.  Ok getting off subject.....  as hard as it sounds to believe it only felt slightly less responsive and quick to climb to pass.

[mister]

Thanks all.

Well, that puts the final stamp of approval on it. Time for some hagglin'

Michael

[DoD#i]

Remember, back in the day 500 was a big bike. The power is adequate. Suspension upgrades are good.

Having done 2-up on a 175 two stroke while visiting an equatorial country on the far side of the globe, 500 4-stroke is quite fine. Of course, being equatorial they don't have snow, and they had some absurdly steep hills - on one I failed to get an adequate run-up and died halfway up. I locked the front brake (at a standstill) and the tire slid backwards on the pavement (it was a STEEP hill); that was no fun. I should have kept my foot on the rear brake, but had never experienced a situation where the front brake alone would not hold a bike still before. Meanwhile the locals were riding 5-up on even smaller machines, or with 300 lbs of bananas or coconuts strapped on the back of the bike, sticking out a couple of feet to either side....

[Esteban]

Can the GS500 handle two-up without too much grief?
...
Physics dictates breaking and acceleration will be altered, but is acceleration greatly hampered - I'm about 180lbs and pillion about 110lbs?

How have your pillions found the stock seat?

I'm ~185 lbs and my girlfriend is ~135 and I haven't had any serious issues.  I become *extra* cautious about braking because my braking distances become quite a bit longer, but that's to be expected.  I also haven't adjusted the rear preload (running stock setting) on my '07 GS500F and haven't had any complaints from the back other than to keep both hands on the bars (I like to grab her knee/leg every once in a while to remind her that I'm thinking of her/know she's there).  The bike is more than capable, but make sure to educate your passenger about proper 2-up riding though.  It's not fun to feel the bike begin to lean into a turn before you.

[mister]

 The bike is more than capable, but make sure to educate your passenger about proper 2-up riding though.  It's not fun to feel the bike begin to lean into a turn before you.

Thanks Esteban,

So there we are on a group ride. About a dozen bikes cruising through some twisties. A couple of sports bikes try overtaking one or two of us at a time. Then some kind of cruiser also decides he wants to get by. He has a pillion on. And as the rider straddles the middle "do not overtake" line and overtakes around bends and the like his pillion is... upright!!! As he leans left she stays upright (essentially leaning against the lean of the bike). He he leans right, she is upright again.

Not only was He a danger for overtaking on bends and the like, she was hampering the ability to get around the corner in the first place. We slowed up, pulled over and let them go by. No need to risk our safety as well.

I see Lilwoody on this thread http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=48747.0 has his bike set up nicely for him and his wife. Cool

Michael

[Danny500]

I've ridden 2 up a bunch with my gf. I'm 220, she's 150... I also run .90 Sonics, 20w oil @ 4.25" from the top of the tube, and a Kat 750 shock w/Preload, Rebound, and Compression damping.

Make sure your CHAIN has enough slack to handle 2 up. Anything under 1.5" will BIND... Keep it loose.

Lastly... The rear pegs on the GS500 are weird. When we first started riding together, she was complaining of the foot position of the pegs. Upon closer evaluation, the pegs were angled up on the ends, forcing your knees to come together and your feet to be crooked on the peg.

Remove the pegs, and shave down the tip of the peg that rests against the mount... about 1/8th to 3/16ths of an inch almost perfectly levels the pegs to match the driver's... SOOO much more comfortable.

Other than that it's completely capable. I'm also in the market for a seat pad, or Gel insert of some sort, after about 50 miles you start to feel the plastic under the foam... I also notice, as a driver, that my inner thy and the area under my butt hurts after a good 75 mile hike. Maybe it's time for a Corbin...

[mister]

I've ridden 2 up a bunch with my gf. I'm 220, she's 150... I also run .90 Sonics, 20w oil @ 4.25" from the top of the tube, and a Kat 750 shock w/Preload, Rebound, and Compression damping.

Make sure your CHAIN has enough slack to handle 2 up. Anything under 1.5" will BIND... Keep it loose.

Lastly... The rear pegs on the GS500 are weird. When we first started riding together, she was complaining of the foot position of the pegs. Upon closer evaluation, the pegs were angled up on the ends, forcing your knees to come together and your feet to be crooked on the peg.

Remove the pegs, and shave down the tip of the peg that rests against the mount... about 1/8th to 3/16ths of an inch almost perfectly levels the pegs to match the driver's... SOOO much more comfortable.

Other than that it's completely capable. I'm also in the market for a seat pad, or Gel insert of some sort, after about 50 miles you start to feel the plastic under the foam... I also notice, as a driver, that my inner thy and the area under my butt hurts after a good 75 mile hike. Maybe it's time for a Corbin...

Thanks for all info. I'll have a look at the pegs when I get it. And the chain... have you found that when you have it set up for two but ride around solo that anything is effected negatively?

For comfort on the seat I use an AirHawk Cusion http://www.airhawkguy.com.au/ - this is the link to the guy in Oz I bought it from (he imports them from the US and I cannot recall who from though). Since using it I get no numb butt or sore spots or back fatigue and can ride for hours without the usual discomforts. Plus I can take it off the stock seat. So I can see one being bought for my pillion as well 

Michael

[Danny500]

Thanks for all info. I'll have a look at the pegs when I get it. And the chain... have you found that when you have it set up for two but ride around solo that anything is effected negatively?

For comfort on the seat I use an AirHawk Cusion http://www.airhawkguy.com.au/ - this is the link to the guy in Oz I bought it from (he imports them from the US and I cannot recall who from though). Since using it I get no numb butt or sore spots or back fatigue and can ride for hours without the usual discomforts. Plus I can take it off the stock seat. So I can see one being bought for my pillion as well 

Michael

Hey Mike, no problem.

Actually, nothing I've encountered is affected negatively. The bike actually tends to handle better with more weight on it.. it's lower, the rake is longer, and the over-all wheelbase is increased... Much more stable at highway speeds and corners feel less cumbersome as long as the passenger knows how to relax and lean with you.