2 Up Off Road?

[BigBird]

Both my wife and I were into off-road riding in the 70s.  I did lots of enduros and 2 Day quallifiers and she did lots of trail riding and a few enduros.  (I still have the remnants of a 125 Penton 6-Days and a 250 Ossa MAR in my garage. )  

I'm considering getting back in at the ripe old age of 65 and wondered if anyone has experience or ideas or advice about the possibility of doing it 2 Up.  

My wife Gail is small (5'2" and just over 100 lbs.) and very fit.  I'm 6' and 185.  We do LOTS of riding on our GL1800A and have both on-road and off-road Tandem bikes. (The off road tandem is a Ventana El Concours de Mountana with front and rear suspension).  So, as you can see, we LIKE to do things together!

Gail will not get her own bike at the age of 64 - BUT she might be brave (or dumb) enough to ride on the back with me (like she does on the off-road tandem bike).  So my thought was to get something that was cabable of riding off-road 2 up.

I know this is contradictory - but I MUCH prefer light easy to handle bikes off road (That's why I kept going back to the the 125 Pentons of which I had 3 over a 7 year period).  However, again I'd like something that was 2 up capable.

Would appreciate your thoughts and ideas.

[hig4s]

Not sure how "off road" you are talking about.. Just easy trail riding, no real obstacles, no mud, ruts, hill climbing, jumps, or other racing style maneuvers, there are a few bikes. Under 500lbs range: V-strom 650, BMW G650X. Under 400 lbs DR650SE, KLR650, Verseys. Under 300lbs: WR250R, KLX250S. Not sure how good the last two would be two up.. Power for trail riding would probably be OK, but suspension and physical room for two might be lacking.

[tigertim955]

Trish and I do quite a bit of LIGHT off road riding on our Triumph Scrambler. Yes it's  barely capable ( rear shocks have to go ! ) and heavy but does surprisingly well in the trails. A plus is that it can carry your gear down the roads to the trail . It won't come close to the off roaders you're used to but can be a lot of fun .

[Lawn Dart]

Not sure how "off road" you are talking about.. Just easy trail riding, no real obstacles, no mud, ruts, hill climbing, jumps, or other racing style maneuvers, there are a few bikes. Under 500lbs range: V-strom 650, BMW G650X. Under 400 lbs DR650SE, KLR650, Verseys. Under 300lbs: WR250R, KLX250S. Not sure how good the last two would be two up.. Power for trail riding would probably be OK, but suspension and physical room for two might be lacking.

If you are talking two-up, the only bike viable there is the Wee-Strom and it's going to be down on power.

I've done a bit of impromptue Fire-road riding two (fecking Greg and his "short-cuts"!   ).  One on such memorable occassion I had to cover a solid mile in 6" deep sand...on my R1100RSL...Two-up...loaded down...on Z6's.  Yeah, that was fun...  18" fishtails and my wife doing everything to stay on.  Somehow miraculously we didn't go down.  

In any case, to do any kind of two-up work, IMO, means knobbier tires.  TKC 80's are good, Anakee's at a minimum.  

WeeStrom, V-Strom, and the R12GS are more than capable.  

[hig4s]

If you are talking two-up, the only bike viable there is the Wee-Strom and it's going to be down on power.  

Have you ridden any of the other bikes I listed? granted the Wee-strom has the best passenger pegs and seating position. But I have gone two up off road with an old Yamaha 125 enduro (all of about 18hp) and did OK, except for the suspension being too soft and it being physically too small to be comfortable.

The KLR650 is easily as capable as the Wee-strom and weighs less. And as far as being under powered. While it wasn't off road I road all through the TN and NC mountains two up with fully loaded Givi tri bag set up.  (2 E41s and a V46) on a Kaw ZR-7 with no problems with lack of power. And the ZR-7 has no more hp, and weighs more than a Wee-strom, plus does not have fuel injection to correct for altitude. 70hp to the rear wheel is considerable more than you need to off road even two up.

[Lawn Dart]

There is a question about what kind of riding one does.  I do long distances.  Smaller bikes just don't cut it for me for comfort, especially two up.

BTW, here's a thread for you to read over at ADV.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=185329&highlight=rawhyde

[Yankee Dog]

Be sure you test drive or at least sit on the bike both at the same time before you buy.  The KLR for instance just doesnt have the seating to ride twoup.  The missus and I rode mine for just a little bit and found it uncomfortable to say the least.  She was on the  luggage rack and I was humping the tank.  

Yankee Dog

[gilgamesh]

KLR works fine 2 up on and off road

beginning of a long weekend 600+ mile trip  (the kid is a little bigger than your wife - and I'm a lot bigger than you are)


We didn't do a lot of gnarly stuff but we did have some fun in this dry creekbed

[Yankee Dog]

KLR works fine 2 up on and off road

beginning of a long weekend 600+ mile trip  (the kid is a little bigger than your wife - and I'm a lot bigger than you are)

ADVrider scum.  

but seriously, different strokes and all that.  your photo proves it to me.  I just cant ride for any distance jammed up against the tank like that. if I want to hit the gravel I will take the Ural.  

The creekbed does look like fine however.  I can just imagine the missus' screams.  

Yankee Dog