Passenger comfort

[eric222]

I've heard Monsters are not super comfortable for passengers.

What has your significat other, or riding partner said about riding on the back of your monster?

Are long distance rides comfy for the driver?

[Burt69er]

My Mrs. has ridden on the back of my 620. Shes good for about an hour and then complains that she is uncomfortable. She about 5'5" 130lbs. The bike does feel underpowered with two people and the rider gets a little cramped as well. Definately need to rethink your shifting and braking with two people.

[eviltwin]

Long distance rides are not a problem on the monster. The ergos do not work for everyone though. As far as pillion passengers, the pegs are a bit high making for cramped leg room which, in my experience, was usually the 1st reason rides were cut short. Passenger portion of seat is not very roomy either which led to my passenger leaning on me more. OK for a little while but will fatigue you faster.

[fasterdammit]

I've gone all day on my 750 solo, and have done 4-5 hour rides 2up (with breaks). I never go places 2up that I'd only go by myself (in terms of aggressive riding) but the bike never felt under powered. mrs.fasterdammit hasn't complained too much, although she's not a big fan of the recently-implemented café ergos. But prior to that - w/ std bar & flyscreen, her only complaint would be peg height and some saddle-sore after 3+ hours.

All the better excuse for me to rub her butt though

[fasterdammit]

Originally Posted by Burt69er

My Mrs. has ridden on the back of my 620. Shes good for about an hour and then complains that she is uncomfortable. She about 5'5" 130lbs. The bike does feel underpowered with two people and the rider gets a little cramped as well. Definately need to rethink your shifting and braking with two people.

+1 re: being cognizant of braking distances and methods ... your passenger will slide forward pretty easily, which doesn't make for a whole lot of fun if you're a guy

[Stopwatch]

Here's a scientific evaluation of the phenomenon: http://www.ducatigirl.com/grab_bag/monsterass.html

[RudolphHart]

Although Mrs H hasn't been on the back of my Monster 695, our eldest daughter rates the ergonomics as fine for the numerous 1-hour rides she has taken on the pillion seat. The performance wasn't significantly affected but then she is of petite build. I suspect Mrs H may prefer a larger pillion seat, somewhat lower footpegs & a more convenient grab handle. That sounds rather like a Multistrada description but I'm happy with the Monster.
Mrs H isn't exactly demanding time on the back of my bike.

[mxwinky]

My gf rates it this way: 900 SS/SP - Monster - Multistrada - We like to take all-day rides and are planning a weeklong getaway soon. Guess which bike we'll be taking.

[Moronic]

Originally Posted by eric222

I've heard Monsters are not super comfortable for passengers.

What has your significat other, or riding partner said about riding on the back of your monster?

Are long distance rides comfy for the driver?

The pillion seat slopes the wrong way (rearward) and its sides lack support. Also, the rear part of the seat is poorly supported and with a passenger will sag onto the tail lamp. There is no pillion grab-rail - unless your passenger is built like a gorilla and can reach the handles on the rear frame rail. On the high-pipe Monsters, the right pillion footpeg is offset to the right to clear the exhaust.

My regular passenger gets uncomfortable after about 45min. But with a seat-pad made up from shaped high-density foam, she is happy for about an hour and a half, which is about the limit of the stock rider's seat IMHO.

The lack of a proper grab rail is an issue. Until it's gone, you don't think about how handy it is for pillions locating themselves on the bike, resisting braking forces, repositioning themselves on the seat, etc.

The multi is in a whole other league for passenger comfort.

[Moronic]

Given the OP asked what my SO has said, I should add that she still loves riding on our S4Rs and says she'd rather ride on it than a Multi, which we've also tried. Likes the Testastretta motor.