Improving the passangers comfort

Was thinking of getting some givi bags because i want them, but i was also woundering how they may improve the passanger comfort, anyone have any suggestions for this?

also what else have you done to help your passenger?

 

okay so the side bags to make getting on and off harder. I think that is almost something she wants, and illusion of behing hard to fall off.

also the main comfort adding would be the rear one with a back rest pad, could not find much information on these other than some pics to determin that yes some do some don't have a pad.

Also she does drive, last trip to calagary to see the folks she drove and got a speeding ticket....bags may cheeper in the long run.

 

I have the set up and let my girlfriend get on first then I hop on. No backrest needed as your other half should be wearing a CE back protector anyways in the Jacket! The handles give her something to hold to if she likes as well..

 

I ride a new 2007 FVR 800A with the optional Givi top-case and side-cases. Soon after I began riding this motorcycle I replaced the stock seat with a custom ordered Sargent seat with tooled top-leather.

I have a lady friend (she's 5'7", 115 lbs. with long legs) who has rode at least 2-up -6000-7000 miles with me, with most of those miles logged on a fully loaded BMW K1200GT. At any rate, last weekend we rode my VFR 2-up for the first time (~200 miles), and we were able to talk with each other through an Autocom Super Pro AVi communication system, just as we did on the Beemer. (FWIW, we both always wear full protective gear from head-to-toe.)

As we rode along a wide range of roads from freeways to twisty and hilly roads in SE Ohio, she offered her invaluable opinions about how the VFR compares to the K1200GT...

1) She found the VFR's Sargent leather seat to be much more comfy than the Beemer's stock seat. She also much preferred the higher perch of the VFR's seat to that of the Beemer because her forward visibility was so much better. She was better able to glance down and see various cockpit displays such as the Zumo 550 GPS, tachometer, etc. (Of course, her forward visibility is also better because my upper body riding posture is more forward and downward on the VFR.)

Initially there was a tendency for her butt to slide forward a bit during hard braking and quick downshifting, but she quickly learned to overcome this by using her leg muscles to better keep her butt from sliding forward, as well as using the side grab-handles more effectively.

2) She quite emphatically and repeatedly remarked that the backrest on the VFR's tope-case felt much more comfy than the backrest on the Beemer's top-case. In addition, she also really liked the side grab-handles on the framework that's part of VFR's optional Givi top-case.

3) She found the VFR's engine and transmission to be significantly smoother than the K1200GT. (Many Beemer's are often notorious for clunky shifting, particularly in 1st and 2nd gear, and the K1200GT is no exception.) She found the VFR's 800cc engine to feel less buzzy, more smooth, and quieter than the K1200GT's rather massive 1200cc, 4-cylinder engine.

4) She found the VFR to be more fun to ride in terms of kinesthetics in which she described the VFR as feeling more agile, nimble, responsive, and flickable than the much heavier and more massive K1200GT.

5) Even though she has long legs, she had no complaints about the positioning VFR's rear foot pegs, nor did she ever feel any discomfort in her knees due to the angle of her knees when her feet were on the rear pegs. Moreover, she never had any problems nor did she ever feel uncomfortable or unstable when mounting or dismounting the VFR's rear seat.

6) Much to my surprise (after coming off of the K1200GT with it's electronically adjustable, stock windscreen, which sucks) she had no significant complaints concerning wind buffeting with the VFR. Yes, there was more wind at high speeds, but she said that my body served quite well as a windscreen, and she never felt hammered by the wind while riding 2-up on the VFR.

All things considered, my first impressions riding the VFR 2-up are positive, but keep in mind that my riding partner here is very light (even wearing full riding gear) and athletic, and she has guts. About 150 miles into our 1st 2-up on the VFR, we went down in a low-side slide while negotiating a tight, slow, 90 degree lefthand turn at no more than 10 mph. I believe we hit a slick spot on the road (a film of antifreeze is highly suspected) the back tire broke traction, and down we went. We slid on our left side at least 50' before we came to a stop, with both of our left legs pinned under the considerable weight of the VFR (not to mention the heat from the bike).

Neither of us were injured (thanks in large measure to the full protective gear we always wear, which absorbed the brunt of the damage that would've otherwise resulted in nasty bodily injuries), and the damage to the bike was purely cosmetic. We ended up riding the bike back home without any further problems. Our heavy textile riding gear and leather boots were pretty chewed up from the slide, but it save our hydes, and it also prevented thermal burns to our legs. The riding gear meant the difference between riding the bike back home after the crash, rather than riding an ambulance to the nearest emergency room.

In conclusion, I will say that I have some niggling concerns about the 2007 VFR's suspension, particularly it's front suspension. I can't yet rule out a problem with the bike's front suspension, and I'm very actively looking into this possibility, but in the meantime I will say that on the way home from this accident, we both commended ourselves for having enough common sense to always wear full protective gear.

 

Side case makes it harder for the passenger to get on/off and limits their leg movement fore/aft on the foot peg. That is the only complaint I've had from the folks behind me. They all love the topcase's support and grab handles.

 

FWIW, I never ride with the side-cases on my bike unless I have a need for them. Mostly they just sit in my garage. Thankfully, they were not on my bike when we went down.

 

Its cheaper to use your case as a slider then your bike

 

+1

I've had the same experience with my 5th gen and the Givi trunk case. Lady friend was wearing an Aerostich jacket with the back protector and felt completely comfortable leaning against the Givi bag without the optional backrest. The trunk mount brackets also made convenient hand holds.

FWIW, I'm putting a Corbin with the optional backrest up for sale, if you're interested, should be on the site later today.