Need help from the Sprint Forum

[Thrux-ton-up]

I have had a Thruxton for over 2 years now and love it. No problem there. The problem comes in the form of my wife who wants to go riding with me (this in itself is not a problem), but riding 2 up on a thruxton s ux. So I would like the opinion from those of you who ride two up on a newer (05, 06 Sprints). I am looking to add another bike to the stable that is comfortable enough for full day outings with 2 riders. Will the Sprint fill that bill or should I look outside the triumph family? My main concern is the comfort of the 2 riders, as I have read a good deal on the sprint and it seems a very capable machine for touring - but is it great for 2 up riding? If it makes a difference my wife is 5'2" and 110 lbs. and I'm 5'11' and 165 lbs. Thanks for your help.

John

[Beach]

Hey John,

The answer to your question is a subjective one I think.

I had a '99 ST that I put 85,500kms on in various riding conditions. I had two "long term" pillions and they both loved the comfort especially with a Sargent World Sport seat on that bike. Both of them managed to fall asleep on long trips. Having said that the bike did suffer a little in the power & handling areas. Not a lot, but enough to be noticeable.

My '05 ST is a little different. Firstly the pillion seat is a good deal higher. My partner tells me its not as comfortable as the previous bike and she's not sure about being able to see straight over my head and the height making her feel a little exposed. After a few rides she tells me she is getting used to it. The bike does handle two up riding a lot better than the previous series. The engine manages without any trouble and after adjusting the preload the handling is ok. Having said that, the ST, across all models, does come with soft springs and a distinct lack of damping, so I'm going to upgrade the suspension anyway.

Feel free with any more questions.

Hope this helps.
Brett.

[REGULATOR]

wife loves the sergent seat on my 01


I think that or a corbin with a back rest might do it.

[iceman]

John,
The pillion question is one that I had before buying my Sprint and it has turned out better than I expected.

Good things are: it has plenty of smooth relaxed power,the footpegs are a good distance from the seat so there's plenty of legroom,the raised pillion seat gives a good view,and the seat itself is fairly comfortable.

The only bad thing that we have noticed is the pillion tends to slide foward easily when braking or on twisty roads - I understand that some of the aftermarket seats have addressed this.

I am about 6' and 200lbs and my pillions vary but my eldest son is the one who has done the longest trips and he is about 5'11'' and 150lbs.We ride with the standard suspension settings but I probably should wind on a bit of preload.He has commented on the lack of buzz through the pegs compared with my last bike - it was a 1200 4 cylinder.

There is a photo in my album of a lovely young lady riding pillion - she was only about 5'2'' and got a pretty good view and enjoyed the ride - or maybe it was just my scintillating company :-D

Grant

[Thrux-ton-up]

Thanks for the input guys. I have been looking at various aftermarket seat options for the bike. It's good to get input from people who actually ride 2 up.

John

[JLesismore]

2 up riding was a huge factor in deciding on the purchase of this bike. Although the seat is a little exposed and can get hot from the under tail exhaust, she tells me that it is pretty comfortable and likes that she has a nice view of everything going on around her. She is about 5'3" with shorter legs, and I am 5'10" so our dimensions are pretty close. We are saving up to get the Corbin Gunfighter and Lady seat with back rest. This looks to be the best seating option available. To deal with the heat issue, you can purchase some of this:

http://www.thermotec.com/products/full/14001/14001.html

or

http://www.thermotec.com/products/full/13500/13500.html

Once we get the new seat I will let you know how it rides. Did you have a chance to check out the September issues of Cycle World? There was an article in there about speed wagons and the best 2 up bike available. Hope this helps.