Options for a good pillion bike

What would you consider to be a good pillion bike, I’m looking for something that the missus would be happy to travel on, mainly in this country but offering reasonable comfort. Ideally something she doesn’t have to hold on to as she suffers with arthritis in her hands. She has been on my GSA (no longer have it) with a top box but I’m thinking something like a Goldwing, although I have never ridden a bike that style, what else is worth looking at, either new or up to 3 years old.

K1200lt gets my vote. bit of a top heavy b*stard, but it's great on the back.
RT is probably a better compromise.

Ah just spotted the age limitation - that rather knocks out the k1200

Trekker3 said:

What would you consider to be a good pillion bike, I’m looking for something that the missus would be happy to travel on, mainly in this country but offering reasonable comfort. Ideally something she doesn’t have to hold on to as she suffers with arthritis in her hands. She has been on my GSA (no longer have it) with a top box but I’m thinking something like a Goldwing, although I have never ridden a bike that style, what else is worth looking at, either new or up to 3 years old.

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You won’t go far wrong with a Goldwing. I have a 2020 model, I stupidly took my SWIMBO with me on a demo ride, and the rest is history .
Only problem is I rarely get out by myself.
My partner doesn’t use the grab rails as she finds she is sat snug in the rear ‘armchair’ and finds no reason to hold on.
Another thing to think about is gear boxes. A DCT transmission is perfect for carrying pillions.
Your welcome to bring your missus and try mine if like.

a Mazda MX5???

but, if i had to go that route on a bike, maybe a Harley - cause otherwise i would end up riding too fast and get too many digs in the ribs!

stever1 said:

You won’t go far wrong with a Goldwing. I have a 2020 model, I stupidly took my SWIMBO with me on a demo ride, and the rest is history .
Only problem is I rarely get out by myself.
My partner doesn’t use the grab rails as she finds she is sat snug in the rear ‘armchair’ and finds no reason to hold on.
Another thing to think about is gear boxes. A DCT transmission is perfect for carrying pillions.
Your welcome to bring your missus and try mine if like.

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Thanks for that offer Steve and the info, I’ll try and get a test ride on my own as if I don’t like it then I don’t want the other half saying it’s perfect.
I’ve only had off road, trail style adventure bikes before so this will be quite a departure.
Did you consider any other bikes, maybe lighter?

Grunty-Motor said:

a Mazda MX5???

but, if i had to go that route on a bike, maybe a Harley - cause otherwise i would end up riding too fast and get too many digs in the ribs!

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Ha, got a MX5 and she loves it but I hate driving anywhere when it’s busy, much prefer to jump on a bike.
I’ve not looked in this sector before so don’t know what is going to be the most suitable.

Trekker3 said:

Thanks for that offer Steve and the info, I’ll try and get a test ride on my own as if I don’t like it then I don’t want the other half saying it’s perfect.
I’ve only had off road, trail style adventure bikes before so this will be quite a departure.
Did you consider any other bikes, maybe lighter?

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I was on an R1250GS before the wing. Weight isn’t an issue as it’s a well balanced bike. There’s also forward/reverse creeper gears to assist in slow movement. Having said that, I still tend to move it manually. It’s a lot easier to move than a GS.
I did try a Harley, KTM and an RT before I took the plunge.

A Tandem?

I’d have a look at the Honda Crosstourer DCT version. A beautiful syrupy smooth V-4 engine, shaft drive and Honda reliability.
Me and the wife travelled down to Tuscany and back in total comfort.
They are a terrific, value for money, grossly overlooked tourer.

Nt11 JJH

RT, NT1100 as JJ mentions above ? What is your solo to pillion riding ratio?
I ride a 2017 DCT Africa Twin, wife and I tried several other bikes during the last few years to see if we were missing something...in a rider pleasure v pillion comfort sort of thing. We weren't really. Big tourers weren't any more comfy for my Mrs and didn't get my vote.

Crosstourer is a good option as mentioned above, slightly more room than a GS and a great pillion bike

My wife didn’t like the Goldwing at all, we had one for 4 days, didn’t feel like she was on a bike and couldn’t see where she was going, I posted a review here, definitely have a good long test before you invest!

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/559955-Goldwing……-nearly

The RT is a safe bet and a fantastic pillion bike, unfortunately I find the leg room too cramped for me and I have a fairly standard 32” leg so again, try before you buy

If I was in the market I’d probably look at the NT1100, I’ve had a sit on one and it felt very good for both rider and passenger

At the recent Guzzi do at Gaydon most couples seemed to favour Eldorados. There's a good range of aftermarket stuff for them, so I think you could create a secure pillion seat/luggage combo. If you fancy the Guzzi route, one of these might be your best option.

RT gets my partners vote as does the Harley now I've spent money on the suspension and seat.

Jeez, how long is a piece of string? As on here you will get almost as many answers as there are people.

We’ve done tens of thousands of miles 2up including some very long tours.

You definitely don’t need a gold wing/ harley/RT or similar. That’s just vanity or simplified thinking or following the herd. Get the bike you both like (could be an RT or whatever) and make it work for you. Check the specs of the bike though in particular the payload capacity. You’ll be surprised how low some bikes are - the AT is only something like 160kg. You’ll both have to be racing snakes to stay inside that. Payload isn’t just about suspension either - think brakes, wheels, bearings, frames etc. they all have finite limits. Too much load over too long = premature wear and worst case catastrophic failure. Not to mention it’s probably illegal.

The length of the seat is crucial too. Too short and helmets bump, the physical closeness is claustrophobic and hot and gets irritating on long journeys. Too long and you feel like there’s a pendulum out back swinging around getting you off balance at low speeds or during quickish lane change/bend swinging type manoeuvres.

My wife says our Moto Guzzi V85TT is the most comfortable pillion she’s ever sat on. You wouldn’t think so though looking at the seat and the ergonomics. We did 375miles on it in the heat last Friday coming back from Scotland. She got off fresher than me. Me, I don’t think it’s a great pillion bike as the power to weight ratio is to low for those quick overtakes or long steep uphill hauls past a lorry yet it cruises all day at and above the speed limit with us both in comfort. Wife likes the slightly soggy acceleration as she doesn’t need to hold on much. Top box adds to the secure feeling. The seat is roomier for two than the old GSA we had. If she’s happy so am I. It’s payload is 225kg. We are not racing snakes but are inside the limit including a decent amount of luggage.

I would say keep what you’ve got and make it work. Edit, just looked at your profile and based on the bikes you’ve got yeah, get another one.

Much as I hate to say this a Harley Electraglide is a proper comfortable pillion ride, the pillion seat is more like an armchair than a regular pillion perch. Apart from that comfort issue it’s a pig ride!

Thank you all for the reply’s and suggestions, I will visit a few dealers and check out what is available, I am leaning to a Gold Wing style of bike, be it Honda, HD, Indian etc as they are quite low, getting the feet down securely is a worry when 2 up with luggage on something like a GSA.
It’s not really a bike I would want to ride solo so I will be keeping what I already have for those outings.
Keep the suggestions coming in case there is something not that obvious.

The lovely Mrs Saint hated riding pillion on our Wing. She felt detached from the ride and might as well have been in a car. Her favourite was our Varadero, which gave me a pain in the coccyx. The GS suited us both. Had we not got a dog we would have had a good test ride on an RT. Touring for me is now a solo thing, hence the SDGT while the lovely Mrs Saint looks after our collie, Melon.

Would an RS be an acceptable compromise as it is a really good bike solo or with pillion?