Passenger Seat Comfort on Long Tours

[Jilly]

We are researching all new touring/cruising cycles and I wondered if I could get first hand reviews from LT passengers on how comfortable the passenger seat is for older women who have seen one too many cheese cake slices? Also is the passenger and driver cramped or is there plenty of room in between. Are the foot pegs comfortable for shorter or taller passengers or for both? Is alot of wind and rain deflected or does the passenger's legs get it all?

[meese]

Welcome, Jilly. If at all possible, try a test ride on the LT and decide for yourself. Or at least sit on one at a local dealer if the weather precludes a test ride.

More than one LT has been sold by the passenger seat alone. My wife finds it extremely comfortable. So much so that when I had my riders seat redone, she told me that her seat was just fine and not to touch it.

I did get a Cee Bailey #2 windscreen, which helped reduce helmet buffeting for her significantly, especially at freeway speeds. Also, there are a few choices for adjustable passenger pegs or floorboards, which can help comfort quite a bit. She's had no complaints about wind on her legs, so I doubt that's an issue.

But a test ride is the best way to know for sure.

[jhowdy]

As Meese indicated the test ride more than likely will be the selling point. In our case, my wife "decided" we were going home on the LT after the test ride (glad I was pretty fond of the bike too). There are some variables that affect the issues you asked about that will be specific to each couple. Rider/passenger heights, windshield positioning, inseam, torso length, etc. I don't believe I recall a single issue noted with the actual passenger seat comfort or space, except when a backrest is involved. The passenger seat is very unique in that it is more of a saddle design verses just a flat surface. The radius seems to distribute the overall weight along a larger portion of the seat and leg area to prevent hotspots and the dreaded tailbone numbness. I can only speak for one passenger, but she can do repeated 600 or 700 mile days without any ergonomics issues.

Jack Howdeshell

[RoyvL]

My wife has been known to doze off on the back - nuff said.

The backrest can also be moved back a bit with the stock fittings and even further with some mods - to accomodate the cheesecake!

[artk50]

My wife has never complained about the seat, well except the one time that I accidentally switched on the heater before a long ride with the temperature being over 100 degrees. She does like the windscreen up fully but I intend to get the Cee Bailey replacement. Likewise she tends to fall asleep from time to time. So, I added the Z Technic arm rests so that she doesn't fall off.

The real selling feature for Marcia was the vanity mirror in the trunk. And the fact that there is a light, well that just pushed the decission over the top:)

[justincase]

My wife says this is the most comfortable MC passenger seat she has ever been in. Even better then my car or truck seat. Long rides no pain or back issues that my previous bikes had.

Good luck with the mirror, I've had two replaced under warrant, and am working on the third before it expires in March. After that I guess I'll need to go for the piano hinge fix.

[Jilly]

I really appreciate all the technical info. and most of my questions have been answered.

Hopefully this cycle will be at the Motorcycle Show in Toronto (Exhibition Place) at the beg. of December, so I can try out the seat and my husband can see if the standard windshield is not too high among other pet peeves of his.

So Meese, if we buy this cycle and keep the standard-supplied windshield, are you saying that winds will be directed towards the passenger's helmut?

How high (vision-wise) is Cee Bailey #2 windscreen? This may be an issue because my husband prefers low windshields so as not to obstruct his vision (he is tall in the saddle).

Thanks all, again.

Jill.

[meese]

First, a clarification. From '99-'04, BMW supplied their tall windshield (rounded top) on US bikes as standard. In Europe, they got a lower windshield (flatter top, sometimes called a Euro shield) as standard. On the '05 bikes, they started supplying the lower Euro windshield as standard, and the taller windshield as an option. I'm not sure what's standard on Canadian bikes.

Also, a lot depends on your relative heights, so there is no right answer until you both sit on one, and ride on if at all possible.

I'm 6' and my wife is 5' 8". The stock (tall) BMW windscreen was OK for me solo, but she noticed helmet buffeting at highway speeds. At anything over about 60 mph, she needed the windshield full up, and would notice immediately if it wasn't. That was OK, except that I was always looking through the windshield.

We tried a Laminar Lip (small improvement), an Aeroflow windshield (better wind flow but too much distortion), and cutting the flatter Euro profile into the stock windshield (easier to see over but the same buffeting).

The Cee Bailey #2 windshield is shaped differently than stock, so it can be left lower but pushes the air higher over head. She noticed an immediate improvement, and is still happy with it.

Also note that Cee Bailey will make the windshield taller or shorter than stock, so you can get a custom fit that you will be happy with and he can still see over. When you're ready to buy one, we can give more specific recommendations as to an exact height. Also the adjustable windshield on the LT makes it easy to fine-tune the position so that you're both happy.

The bottom line is that these are minor issues that are easily fixed. Don't let the stock windshield, or passenger pegs, or any other small issues detract from what is really a great handling and very comfortable bike. If it generally fits you and he's happy with the overall ride and performance, then the rest of it can be easily modified to suit you both.

[simoncharles]

Jilly,
Just to remind you, in case you didn't know, is that the shield goes up and down with the push of a button, which as I also prefer to look over the shield whenever possible, is one of the reasons I bought the bike.

As far as comfort goes, my wife has never complained, and also occasionally doses off, something unfortunately I can't do !.

[danbrew]

I put my old bag on the back seat and have never had a complaint.

http://twentyninewest.com/images/pch/slides/image/img_1125.jpg

:)

[BudCesena]

Cindy did not like the RT because it cramped her legs. First time we rode the LT she said "Buy it now, sell the RT". We did and went to Nova Scotia. No problems. She has never complained about tthe ride. Hope you have a chance to test one, as long as the weight of the bike is OK for your husband you will be ok.

[Jilly]

Well, since I'll by paying for 1/2 the cycle it had better not give me anything to complain about.

[DaveDragon]

Sue is very comfortable on the LT.

It took adding peg risers to get her legs in the proper position to get her knees comfortable.

A Laminar Lip helps a lot with the wind protection and comfort as well.

She has plenty of room and has done several 700 + mile days on the back.

[nearmisses]

All I can tell you Jilly is my SO Susan LOVES the Bike and the seat more than me it seems at time. I have to say it's the only spot I can put her in and she doesn't whine, not to be confused with the whine from an LT at speed. The first time she sat on one was at Daytona in 02 4 months after we met, She really liked it but we couldn't get a test ride and she thought it way to big. I got her on an 04 for a test ride and she couldn't wait to get off of it after only 4 miles on the freeway at speeds of 75mph, She absolutley hated it! It had that new Euro shielld on it and her head was bobbing around like one of those dolls you see on dashboards only really fast!

When I finally got enough money to go and buy one she had pretty much forgotten about the test ride confused by all the bikes I was making her try on, so it was sort of love at first site again and the seat and Gold color did it. The bike was used and a friend owned it. It has a Cee Bailey #2 on it cut down from a +4 I believe. I'm 5'9" and to see over it I have to sit up straight and stretch. Susan is 5'4" and a bit more in size than when we first met. Let's just say around 150lb. She looks over my head on the bike if she wants and sometimes the wind bothers her without a helmet on, on hot days down here in Florida in the summer. In general she doesn't complain at all.
She sprained her ankle and tore some ligaments the nite we brought the bike home walking and slipping on wet pavement. She couldn't ride it for 3 weeks at all. She was perturbed considerably! When an opportunity to go the Keys for a few days came up about a month after her accident to babysit her new grandson well, she was the first one on and did her longest ride ever 340 miles on a bad foot no less. She LOVED it! The trip home entailed outrunning some serious rainstorms and getting a little wet (and raising the windshield) in the process but not much. We went on a ride to the grandsons (about 100miles) a few weeks ago and hit a cold front coming back and tried out the heated seat,(we're spoiled down here) she did fine except she didn't have boots on, again!(still havin' foot problems) and was a little cold because of it. All in all I think you'll be more pleased with the bike than you can imagine. As others have said here, any small problems can be fixed quite easily and that push button windshield is a boone to saving our butts when the weather gets nasty. Tell your husband the trunk is yours!
Brian

[lovetomotor]

The LT is designed a little differently than say a goldwing. The passenger on an LT sits a little closer to the rider, giving more protection to the passenger than on a wing. Two up on an LT is beautiful. My wife most always goes to sleep on trips. Keep in mind the rear top case can also be moved back for more passenger room. It has two positions and the bike always comes from the factory with the top case forward.