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riding two up.


johnakay

johnakay

Member
Joined
May 24, 2016
Messages
41
Location
uk
thinking of purchasing an MT09.
the most common mod on these for two up is 1st the seat and the pillion hangers.
my tracer 900 is getting a bit heavy for me.
riding not a problem but trying to maneuver and pushing it out of the garage its heavy mostly top.
so I sat on an older MT09 and found it to be very light and maneuverability is quite easy.
not ridden it as I was in my car. wife sat on it and found the pegs a bit high. not a problem I can change those as well as seat.
also considering touring next year about a 1,000 miles.
the question is how do you or your partner find these for comfort and riding long distance and with heavy luggage ..
 
Riding 2 up the first thing you have to do is ditch the rear shock if you have the standard shock for something a lot better, ie Ohlins or Nitron, the original shock is only capable for up to 190kg apparently
 
I regularly take my kids on the back, no luggage, total weight about 18 stone, its OK up to about 100 miles in a day.
Obviously dont go that fast with my kids on the back, the rear shock gets easily overwhelmed when pushing on, more weight would only make things worse
 
after much thoughts I have now decided not to get the mt09.
going for the 700 tracer or the NC750s auto.
thanks.
 
Good luck with the Honda - it weighs a ton compared with the Yam, which is why it never made my shortlist.
 
honda is heavy I know but lower down which is more manageable.
most bikes are about the the same in weight.
the tracer 900 is top heavy thats why I want want some a bit lower.
 
Most of this style of bike are top heavy simply due to the nature of being so tall.

If you're looking for something easier to ride with lower centre of gravity I'd maybe look at bikes like the XJR which would also be nicer from a pillions perspective.
 
Not a Yam, but the Kwak Ninja 650 might be worth a look, as it's low and light. I'm not sure how it would work for two-up touring, but it is similar power to the MT-07.
 
I weigh 105kg my wife is 65kg, 95% of the riding time is two up.

If we go on a trip we have a big Givi topbox with weekend kit, my Tracer has stock suspension with out of the box settings and it rides just fine.
 
Have to admit after a long weekend in the Scottish Borders on some bouncy roads, found the centre stand hitting the road, I weigh 100kg and the wife 60kg but with the panniers and top box on that was the problem so looking for a solution !!
 
My 2018 MT09 does a passable job of transporting my wife and I plus overnight bags. No suspension issues despite a combined payload of over 350 pounds. Just had to spend a few bucks on a comfort seat, pillion footpeg extenders, windshield, luggage rack, etc.

Biggest complaint is the snug fit for two adults... there's just not a lot of wheelbase. But it's a fair trade for such a versatile bike. I use my MT for jumping puddles in the city, exploring gravel trails in the countryside, sweeping through high-speed curves with my supersport buddies, and taking my wife on weekend getaways. It just feels competent at everything.
 
Here's a question for you suspension experts...

This is my wife and myself taken 2 weeks ago. Total rider and passenger mass 175kg without gear (or clothes)!

Does it look like we are overloading the bike? I don't ride like a maniac but it handles fine.

2b950595-b1ad-4911-b17b-3febdc00ef3e.webp
 
"without clothes"? That certainly gives new meaning to the term 'adventure riding' :)

Our MT has no problem carrying that amount of weight. It actually rides better - on stock suspension - than my 700-pound V Star 1300 did.
 
don67 said:
"without clothes"? That certainly gives new meaning to the term 'adventure riding' :)
Click to expand...

😊

When I posted this I hadn't weighed the gear so the 175kg is combined body weight, when I add the helmets, jackets, boots and a full top box we are around 200kg.

Mine has no trouble carrying that weight either. I think we were around 20kg down on this total when I had my 600 Fazer and it didn't struggle with that.
 
don67 said:
My 2018 MT09 does a passable job of transporting my wife and I plus overnight bags. No suspension issues despite a combined payload of over 350 pounds. Just had to spend a few bucks on a comfort seat, pillion footpeg extenders, windshield, luggage rack, etc.

Biggest complaint is the snug fit for two adults... there's just not a lot of wheelbase. But it's a fair trade for such a versatile bike. I use my MT for jumping puddles in the city, exploring gravel trails in the countryside, sweeping through high-speed curves with my supersport buddies, and taking my wife on weekend getaways. It just feels competent at everything.
Click to expand...
I would like some info regarding the pillion footrest extenders. My wife has a problem hip.
 
mikethebike said:
I would like some info regarding the pillion footrest extenders. My wife has a problem hip.
Click to expand...

I use these 40mm extenders from Amazon. They make a small but crucial difference in my wife's knee angle. Neither of us has any health issues but at 53 we're not as flexible as we used to be.

Edit: Upgrading to the Yamaha comfort seat also helps with knee angle, due to its added thickness. In combination with the footpeg extenders it makes the pillion geometry a bit more Tracer-like.
 
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