Is two up really that bad?

[tenny80]

I was all set to trade my concours 14 even for a brand new left over 2014 NC750X.. but i've read horror stories about two up riding on the NC. Is it really that bad?

I'm looking for a bike that's cheap to run and insure and the NC seemed to check all of the boxes until I read about two up riding. My wife and I like to away for weekends and go riding. I also like to tour by myself and load it up with camping gear that probably comes close to two up weight lol.

I ride very conservative two up... to be honest I don't really like taking my wife on the bike.. we have 3 kids under 13 and I worry about if something was to happen. She absolutely loves it though and our weekend trips are always a fantastic time!

 

[rippin209]

I was all set to trade my concours 14 even for a brand new left over 2014 NC750X.. but i've read horror stories about two up riding on the NC. Is it really that bad?

I'm looking for a bike that's cheap to run and insure and the NC seemed to check all of the boxes until I read about two up riding. My wife and I like to away for weekends and go riding. I also like to tour by myself and load it up with camping gear that probably comes close to two up weight lol.

I ride very conservative two up... to be honest I don't really like taking my wife on the bike.. we have 3 kids under 13 and I worry about if something was to happen. She absolutely loves it though and our weekend trips are always a fantastic time!

The NC works fine for moderate 2 up, my wife and I with loaded side cases are almost 600lb and it handles just fine. We have ridden about 4 hours with one 15 or 20 min stop, with the stock seat that was longer then either of us would do again. But 2 to 3 hours at one time riding 2 up is pretty easy and I don't ride solo that far more then a few times a year so neither one of us is long distance rider, anything longer we will rent a big bike

 

[Juggler]

NC750XD handles just fine with 2up. I always drive in S-mode to have enough power for acceleration. But you have to do something with seats - they are awful. You always have to remember that braking is worse with 2up and allow some more room for maneuvering. Also I had to upgrade rear coil for a stronger one, since I use side cases and rear case with 2up. And this is not really a touring bike, but we've done 600-700km/day just fine.

 

[Deleted member 1183]

Women are resilient. In short some of them put up with a lot and rarely complain. My Wife once sat on the back of a fully loaded KLR 650 for 500 miles. She was much younger then and didn't know any better. She would not do that now having experienced much better pillion perches. An NC is not as good as a Concours 14 for pillion carriage. Just compare the two seats and the conclusion is easy. If your Wife likes that bike then perhaps it would be best to bring Her for a two hour ride on an NC prior to purchase and let her decide back to back with the Concours.

 

[OldJeff]

Several factors come in to play with 2 up on a NCX. The Honda top box sits much closer to the pillion seat than other brands by several inches and that made a big difference for my wife. The Honda side cases pushed her legs into the back of mine making it uncomfortable for both of us.

It was fairly comfortable with all the bags removed as far as positioning, but even with a Corbin rear seat, she couldn't stay on it for more than 30 miles. That pretty much eliminated any long rides. I think maybe with other bags and a wife with a less plush Latina butt, it could work But that's how it is for us.

 

[frozenpoet]

I just did 12 days 3400 miles two up on the nc, wasn't the best but it worked.

 

[OneGun]

The NC works fine for moderate 2 up, my wife and I with loaded side cases are almost 600lb and it handles just fine. We have ridden about 4 hours with one 15 or 20 min stop, with the stock seat that was longer then either of us would do again. But 2 to 3 hours at one time riding 2 up is pretty easy and I don't ride solo that far more then a few times a year so neither one of us is long distance rider, anything longer we will rent a big bike

I'm very encouraged to hear this. My wife and I are both... let's just say not light weights and I've been thinking about getting a bigger bike for 2up touring, but I honestly never really tried it on my NC. Didn't think the weight of us and our gear would be something the bike could handle. But I'd say with both of us and gear, we'd be right around the 600 mark too, so I'm very happy to hear that it's doable... and as much as I'd love to have another bigger bike in my fleet, I'd be really pumped if I didn't need to spend all that $$... especially if it's doable on the NC.


Are others here doing 2up touring with this kind of weight? If so, how has it gone?

Sorry if this is a redundant question from the OP and/or hijacking, but I'd really like to hear some feedback on 2up w/gear on the NC.

 

[tenny80]

Thanks for the info guys. I think i might be able to make it work...

I love the concours but it's just to damn expensive to run... 35mpg AND premium gas, tires are not cheap and they wear out in 6-8k miles, service is a pain in the *** with the fairings and I'm amazed I have not got a speeding ticket with it yet because it's actually a boring bike power wise until you get the revs up and by the time you get the revs up you are already speeding before you even hit the power band... down side of having a bike that can do 180mph I guess! lol

 

[ChuteTheMall]

Two NC's are better than one.

 

[johnakay]

I ride two up all the time but dont carry any camping gear so I can't comment on that otherwise I find the bike more than adequate for two of us.

 

[Pianoman]

I sometimes ride with two up and our combined weight is around 200kg (440lb ?). It's not great, you have to be more careful with breaking and leaning but it can be a great time for us.
But... not with the stock seat. My wife always complained about the stock seat and I had to buy a different one (SHAD). With the SHAD seat it's much better (even for me).
Also, the Honda top box shorter distance was an issue.
I had a part custom made (basically a metal plate) that makes the top box sit a little bit further away and there is more space available for my wife.
Now, everything works better with an investment of about 350 euros (390 USD ?).
I hope it helped.

 

[Triumph 'n Shadow]

Have you test rode the NC yet?
I think you will be surprised at how nice the NC rides two up.
It has decent power.
My wife and I have run it two up at 80MPH on the highway with power to spare.
So, that is not an issue.
The pillion is not the biggest but, depending on you and your wife's build, should work fine.
You won't have all the extra room like you had on the Concours.
If you are used to each having your own side to the bike like some split their bed, that won't happen.
These style of bikes are not made roomy and were not really designed with two up riding in mind.
It was almost like they created the bike and, oh yes, might as well add a back seat.
Best bet is to go out and test ride the bike.
Research storage options.
Realize after market seats, seat beads, and airhawks are out there to make your bottoms more comfortable on long rides.
But you really should find a dealer with one on hand and give it a try.
I feel you will really like it.
Going to be totally different from what you are used to.
And being it is less expensive, if you want to upgrade suspension or other areas it is a little easier to afford.

Some thoughts.

God bless and ride safe!!

Michael

 

[mtiberio]

I just did 450 miles with my 19 year old son last weekend. He weighs more than me (he is 195#). I have mini-floorboards for pegs and another set on the crash bar. So I would let him use the normal drivers board while I had my feet on the forward boards. He beefed a bit about leg stiffness, but handled it fine. The bike was fine, as has been said, I left it in S mode.

 

[SergeantChuck]

My comments will pretty much echo what OldJeff has said. I have the OEM topbox and panniers. They never come off. My wife is small. She is 5'7" and 145lbs. The topbox pushed her forward and the panniers pushed her legs into mine. It was uncomfortable for both of us. She was begging me to head home after about three hours of riding and that was with a rear BMS aftermarket seat. So for me, my wife will only do short trips.

As far as the bike goes, it handled great and power was only an issue going up steep hills at higher speeds.

 

[ld_rider]

i've read horror stories about two up riding on the NC. Is it really that bad?

No, those horror stories are written by liars.

I suggest you start your investigation as to the NC suitability for two-up riding on a forum dedicated to....NC enthusiasts. That should give you some unbiased opinions ;-)

You do know that everyone that had a NC, found it terrible for two-up riding has probably left this forum and can be found either the Versys 650 or FZ-09 forum telling grand stories of their two-up adventures, right?

What about a used Yamaha FZ-1 for about half the cost of a NC?

Remember this:

Search long enough on the Internet and you will eventually find answers you agree with. When you have that confirmation, simply buy the motorcycle you wanted to buy in the first place and try it out! If it doesn't work, just sell it.

If the mission included two-up touring and I was obsessed with fuel mileage I would buy a used NC (for peanuts) . That way, the financial sting will be much less when I sold it and bought a better suited motorcycle after a few trips.

The NC can tour two up...the question is.....why do it when there are dozens of motorcycle out there better suited? I just passed on a GL1800 w/ABS brakes for $6,800 USD (w/lots of miles on it) which would get my vote rather than the NC.

Good luck with your due-dilligence and remember: Comfirmational Bias can be tough to shake ;-)

 

[randmun]

My wife and I enjoy two up riding all the time. We used to have an ST1300 and she says the NC is equivalent to her in terms of comfort. Actually her most comfortable ride was our Burgman 650 scooter. I'm not a really big guy so the weight of the ST was an issue. Also the power and speed got me in trouble. With the NC on a small country road I feel like I'm going fast when I'm only going 50mph. Also gravel and rough roads are lot of fun with the NC.
1. With the NC we enjoy exploring smaller roads and even some gravel - not much fun with heavier ST
2. With the NC I have no issue with maneuvering and parking lots or even gravel lots - both always bad scenarios for the ST
3. We got the Shad seats - big improvement
4. We ditched the top case - she now has more room and we're not all bunched together
5. Our rides are no more than 150 miles/day with nothing on the highway

 

[rippin209]

With PR4's I wouldn't try a gravel road 2 up, and I've never ridden the NC with real dual sport tires, I'm sure it would help but still think I wouldn't

 

[JamesD]

My wife and I enjoy two up riding all the time. We used to have an ST1300 and she says the NC is equivalent to her in terms of comfort. Actually her most comfortable ride was our Burgman 650 scooter. I'm not a really big guy so the weight of the ST was an issue. Also the power and speed got me in trouble. With the NC on a small country road I feel like I'm going fast when I'm only going 50mph. Also gravel and rough roads are lot of fun with the NC.
1. With the NC we enjoy exploring smaller roads and even some gravel - not much fun with heavier ST
2. With the NC I have no issue with maneuvering and parking lots or even gravel lots - both always bad scenarios for the ST
3. We got the Shad seats - big improvement
4. We ditched the top case - she now has more room and we're not all bunched together
5. Our rides are no more than 150 miles/day with nothing on the highway

Most touring bikes don't like dirt roads. The suspension, handlebars, and steering geometry just aren't designed for it.
Dirt requires more stability, wider bars for more leverage, and suspension capable of handling the bumps.
A low center of gravity also makes a huge difference when the tires break loose. Touring bikes really aren't designed for that no matter what tires are on it.
You might get a more comfortable seat with a touring bike, but that doesn't mean you'll be more comfortable riding on dirt.

 

[tenny80]

I ride two up all the time but dont carry any camping gear so I can't comment on that otherwise I find the bike more than adequate for two of us.

That's great news, would you mind sharing the combined weight of you two?

 

[tenny80]

I sometimes ride with two up and our combined weight is around 200kg (440lb ?). It's not great, you have to be more careful with breaking and leaning but it can be a great time for us.
But... not with the stock seat. My wife always complained about the stock seat and I had to buy a different one (SHAD). With the SHAD seat it's much better (even for me).
Also, the Honda top box shorter distance was an issue.
I had a part custom made (basically a metal plate) that makes the top box sit a little bit further away and there is more space available for my wife.
Now, everything works better with an investment of about 350 euros (390 USD ?).
I hope it helped.

That's great news! Does this issue happen for all top boxes or just the honda?