Two-up on an R1100S

[Anonymous]

#2709

Greetings all.I am thinking about purchasing an R1100S to replace my aging R80RT. The reason I am looking at the R1100S is that I am not a big lad and according to the specs the R1100S is only a couple of kgs heavier than the R80RT and the seat height is slightly lower. My concern however is the suitability for two-up touring bearing in mind it is more a sports-oriented machine. Most of my running is longer distances with my partner as pillion. Is the R1100S good for this? Is the pillion seat too uncomfortable? Are there any issues at all with regard to two-up touring on this bike? I have "googled" for information on this topic but there is not much around it seems. I would appreciate any thoughts and/or comments.Thanks, richter.

[Dave Morris]

#10683

welcomeanother very underated bike is R1200ST A very nice riding position and comfy, appears to be a lot of R1100S for sale so a lot of arm twisting could be doneSteve

[Dave Ross]

#10684

Welcome to the forum and I hope you'll enjoy your stay.Bwucie should be able to give you some feedback on the two up potential of the R1100S. I can't see why not. You can always fit an after market seat to improve the pillion accommodation. Like Steve said, there seem to be quite a few for sale and very reasonably priced for what you get. 

[dave.valma]

#10685

Keep the R80RT even if you do get the 1100, there are quite a few riders who have done the swap and not really been satisfied, If after a year you are still in love with the “new” purchase then put the R80 on the Market. That being said Airheads are seriously undervalued these days and don't seem to bring much of a price so have the best of both worlds. On ride day you can pick which one you prefer for that ride.

[Anonymous]

#10686

Welcome,I think Phil probably does more pillion work than me: I generally prefer to leave the cover over the pillion on mine. I have carted a couple of folk after their rides have let them down, with no complaints. Both my wife and my brother in law have mentioned that the footpeg position on what looks like a hard-core sports bike is very comfortable. My wife, who was very attached to the K100LT, doesn't like the bobbling in the wind she gets on the eleven hundy.I have to keep the suspension on both ends as soft as I can get it when I ride solo, they are a fairly harsh ride, so there is heaps of capacity in the suspension for a pillion and the boxes, and all the extra kilos that  pillions of the female persuasion like to pack when you are touring.At legal speeds, even with the high bars, the eleven hundy leaves you hanging on your wrists fairly heavy. At 120 and up to about 160 I am weight neutral with wind off the screen on my chest, above 160 I need to crouch a bit, or I am swinging on the bars in the wind. I have no idea how I found that out, because the limit is 100kph, and I would never ride quicker than the law allows, unless the day had a "y" in it.Riding an R1100S makes you come home like this  :-D, every time.Yesterday was fine, so I was like this:  😀 😀 😀 😀

[David]

#10687

Bloody brilliant Bwucie!

[Anonymous]

#10688

Hi all – many thanks for all the useful feedback.Cheers – Richter

[honeybear.2399]

#10689

A great bike the R1100s I do do a far bit of 2 up riding. I weight in at 87kg. and judeth a little less. ( don't for gods sake let her know I 'v put this on the web) anyway we both find the seat very comfortable. a few weeks back we did a trip from Gisborne to Thames around the coast. About an 7 hour trip. We were still Mates at the end of the day, that was with boxes on as well.   When riding solo back off the suspension on both ends, a little, put on the seat cover, Looks great, and you have a bike that will hold it,s own with most so called sports bikes.   Get one you will not be sorry. If you want to know more PM me  Regards Phil

[Anonymous]

#10690

Thanks to all you friendly folk who responded to my initial  query…I've had an R1100S out for the weekend and run up quite a few kms - and yes! it is an awesome machine! But - it is not fo me for a number of reasons....Being a sports bike it doesn't have the same degree of weather protection as my old RT - in fact I found the wind blast on my chest cold and uncomfortable. Although just a couple of kgs heavier than my old girl (bike that is...) the centre of gravity of the R1100S seems higher so tyhe bike feels a lot heavier at times. And as for those crazy indicator switches and the cancel button...I suppose one would get used to them but everytime I tried to cancel a turn indicator I blipped the throttle due to my having small hands.Maybe I'm old fashioned...but there was nowhere to put a first aid kit, a camera, map book, dunny paper...unless the panniers wewre on-board. Plenty of storage places on an RT without the panniers...and! the panniers wouldn't hold my helmet without putting tensuon on the pannier lid hinges! The old ones fit a helmet easily. However - I did enjoy the bike - powerful, comfy ride 2 up, well balanced, great 6 speeder after my old clunky 5 speeder - it's just not for me as my partner and I do a lot of long tripping 2-up. She found the pillion seat comfortable - and was pleased to be able to see over the top of my helmet - but got a sore neck from her head bobbing around in the wind at anything over 80km/hr. Maybe I'll try an R1100RS or RT now and see if I can handle the extra weight.Again - thanks to all for your thoughts and comments. Cheers Richter.

[Dave Morris]

#10691

now i know a man that may have a tank thet was specially made for a R80RT so u fill up in auckland and next fuel stop Wellington, may stillhave it will try and find pic and post it

[Dave Morris]

#10692

I put 35 ltrs into it when it was finished. It has rebates at front so that it will fit with the original storage bins still in place on inner side of fairing . ..

[Dave Morris]

#10693

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[Dave Morris]

#10694

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[Anonymous]

#10695

Being a sports bike it doesn't have the same degree of weather protection as my old RT - in fact I found the wind blast on my chest cold and uncomfortable. Although just a couple of kgs heavier than my old girl (bike that is...) the centre of gravity of the R1100S seems higher so tyhe bike feels a lot heavier at times. And as for those crazy indicator switches and the cancel button...I suppose one would get used to them but everytime I tried to cancel a turn indicator I blipped the throttle due to my having small hands.Maybe I'm old fashioned...but there was nowhere to put a first aid kit, a camera, map book, dunny paper...unless the panniers wewre on-board. Plenty of storage places on an RT without the panniers...and! the panniers wouldn't hold my helmet without putting tensuon on the pannier lid hinges! The old ones fit a helmet easily.

Richter,I absolutely agree with every one of your criticisms of the eleven-hundy-ess above.Absolutely!But it's the horse for my course: took it out today, and could not live with two GS's and an R75, because I couldn't see the road, because my graduated lens spectacles were moving around inside my helmet when I tried to stay with them, I don't like to fly blind.I don't care, the blue beast is still the love of my life, second only to the scooter riding librarian.You'll know when you have found the right machine, 'cos you'll "just gotta have it". Enjoy it when it finds you.Oh, today was another four grins day. 😀 😀 😀 😀

[Graeme Bergh]

#10696

My suggestion is going to be left field. I have an 800 ST and most of my riding is two-up. This bike is light in weight and there is low seat option. The Pillion seat is very comfortable (according to the passenger and in comparison to being on the back of an 650GS). Just a thought and unlike a lot of beemer owners I appreciate modern technology not that I'm against the trusty old boxer engine. The clam-shell panniers actually hold just a much as the panniers on my old GS.Norm

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