[Carl_T]

I may go buy a 2004 F4i Tuesday (still trying to decide between that and an SV1000 at the stealership, leaning to the f4i).

My main question about the bike is can you carry a passenger up to 35 miles without them getting into a permanent frozen position of pain and loathing. Has anyone carried a passenger farther without being beaten about the head and shoulders after the ride? Can the bike carry a passenger reasonably at all?

It's kind of tough to tell just sitting there at the dealer, so I'm going to the source (owners) for the real deal.

[Hammer]

Never myself been on the back of a bike, but my wife has ridden approx 200 miles in one night. 35 miles should not be a big deal.


Welcome to da .Org

[ConqSoft]

Yep, the F4i is a good 2up bike. The SV should be good for 2up too, if you plan on doing a lot of it, since it will have more grunt.

What's the total weight of the two riders?

[Carl_T]

200 miles on an F4i seems very good indeed. Perhaps she would do well in the 1K iron butt with her own bike just kidding. Anyway that's good news to me since I'm leaning more towards the F4i (hoping for better handling than the larger SV).

We'd be a hefty 350lb or so together as she is not light. However the most she will be doing is a slow going Movie or Starbucks run, otherwise I'll be on my own now days.

We had an ST1300 to do some high mileage sweepers and twisty runs together (and we did get to really enjoy some of that), but her physical condition has caught up to her and set that option aside now though.

So, I sold the ST since I ended up mainly strafing the local twisties with it and burning tires off of it on my own. It was a lot of overkill bike size and weight wise for the main type of riding I ended up having time to do, which is mostly short 35 mi. to 125 mi. morning runs when I can set some work aside and make up the time at night.

A few times a year I’ll likely still go on some 900 mi. weekends with some ST buds (if they’ll stop and wait for me to get gas). That’s only once or twice a year though.

With the left over $$ from the ST sale I can pick up a local F4i with 600 mi. on it and 2inch chicken strips, so I figure it's been run light. The SV would require a partial loan (though I'll miss the ST torque which the SV has). I know I'd really enjoy the lightweight handling of the F4i in the turns though.

Anyway, I just wanted to be sure the F4i was comfortable enough for the few short runs she would want to do on it. They would be very easy going back road type stuff, so even though it would be a load for the bike, I’m pretty sure I could take it slow enough to make it work if people have been able to manage going as far as 200 mi. 2up trips with the F4i.

As an aside the ST1300 didn't even know I had someone on the back. Doing turns quick enough to easily keep a spirited pace with a group of one up riders, or go even quicker and scrape pegs, was not a problem on that bike since it had a spring that was just up to it, and a hydraulic preload knob that we cranked all the way in. Of course the weight distribution had the front end lighter but the bike really took two up in easy stride.

Those days are behind us now though as riding any length of time hurts her. I’m looking for something that’s an exceptional amount of fun to do twisty bits with on my own, yet capable of a short into town run 2up once in a great while without her having to play Spiderwoman of the iron ass tribe to do it. From the feedback you guys gave me it sounds like perhaps I have found the machine for that.

Thanks.

[ozthis]

i had a 03 sv1000 and liked it a lot. Anything you want to know about that bike can be found at www.sv1000.zyns.com. Great people

[Carl_T]

Thanks guys, I believe I'm going tomorrow morning to buy the F4i.

Another question, Is there anything (beyond frame sliders and a throttle miester) that you all think I should get for the bike at the same time (good time to negotiate dealer cost add ons)?

[ConqSoft]

See if you can get an extra throttlemeister at dealer cost for me.

[BDA116]

D&D pipe, for sure.

[gabester76]

so did you purchase the bike? If so...what kind of a deal did you get?