Would better pillion accommodation help....

AngelGrinder · World Chat Champion Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Karma :

....to sell the new sports bikes?

These days the sports end of the market is getting more and more extreme and was just thinking, would giving them better pillion accomodation help dealers sell more...?

Would you be more likely to buy the latest 1000 over a commuter if it offered better pillion seats?

Just thinking, as I recently had an R6, and for me, it was fine, but the missus was none to keen! While it was ok for short distances, it wasn't so good for longer journeys. Grab rails for a start are pretty handy....

But, say the new 2009 R1 came with switchable seat cowl/Pillion seat...with cowl as standard, and pillion seat as buyable extra...would this mean they could market it with the sexy rear end so it looks good in showrooms and pictures...and then sell the seat bigger than it would have been, and perhaps even mountings under the seat for grab rails?

Would this be a good idea, or a bad idea?

Does no-one with a sports bike ever take pillions for more than 15minutes? Everyone that takes pillions gets a more comfortable bike? Let me know your thoughts!
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Currently Riding - 2002 Aprilia RSV1000 Mille

Seb · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Jul 2007 Karma :

My biggest gripe with being a pillion on a sports bike is generally the lack of leverage to brace myself on, decent pillion rails are more important than the size of the seat unless your trying to tour 2 up on the thing imho Thumbs Up

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2010 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST

G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

Those that have pillion accommodation as a major buying factor probably don't buy modern sports bikes. Not really a new thing - I've done a reasonable amount of hours on the back of a 90s CBR400RR and that's far from a comfortable seat.
I generally don't use pillion rails - prefer a hand against the tank.

Think various Suzukis have come with both the cowl and the seat as standard; but then these were bikes that were quite fat in the first place.

rotax81 · Nearly there... Joined: 10 Sep 2008 Karma :

Greenychris · Nova Slayer Joined: 01 Mar 2008 Karma :

s44678 · Guest

I know what your saying.

But sports bikes are designed to be ridden solo. Everything about the geometry is setup accounting for a 3rd of the total weight shuffling about on the seat in the middle. The fact that they can take a person on the back at all and not handle like a bag of shit is pretty impressive. I don't think you could really do anything to make the pillion more comfy without compromising the whole purpose of the bike.

The pillion seat on my old Bandit was pretty ample, and had a nice big grab rail, but my Mrs was still getting 'pillion envy' when we went out for a blast. She'd point to the Goldwings and shit that basically have an armchair at the back and say 'oooh that looks comfy why don't you get one of those'. I told her, because i'm not 50 yet and I don't look enough like Willy Nelson to get away with a Goldwing.

So I reckon theres no pleasing them. If they want comfort, tell em to get their own fucking bike.