I'm still waiting to lose more weight before riding double on this bike. (Wifey and i together are over 400lbs...it's mostly me in case you're wondering)
However, my plan is to actually get a v-strom or other similar primarily street d/s because my wife also likes to ride around sometimes, but we did it on my KTM LC4 before this, and even on that significantly bigger bike, I'd tire quickly of her pushing me forward into the tank (partly due to it's mono focused sloped seat), and she would tire quickly of vibrations (big thumpers are called that for a reason). We still did it and found it fun for short blasts here and there.

I got this bike to scoot around and get good mileage and have something infinitely more flickable (and therefore more fun) than my KTM in the heavily wooded trails around me. This bike fits THAT bill wonderfully. The V-strom is heavier, more road worthy, and seems 2 up friendly, if we sit on that and dont like it, then I'll just start sitting on bikes till we find one that's comfy because of the same problem you're talking about.

However, if you're looking to make this bike work and find the seating arrangement something you can live with and dont wanna sport for the second ride...
There's a million ways to build off it and that's why I bought it ... like the 351 big bore kit, rejetting, assorted carb mods, and exhaughsts... but if you want roll on wheelie kind of power, my guess is you're going to spend at least $700 additional extra on the bike.. (and still not have a big seat).

That said, what kind of power are you looking for? My bike still is not broken in completely, less than 900 miles. I've been taking it easy on it (mostly under 6000, except for maybe 7000 accelerating). The only mods it came with were the 13tooth front sprocket and a jet kit. I have no trouble keeping speed except above 65 climbing hills (okay, slight grades) without getting into the higher rpm ranges. I'm just above sea level, what altitude are you at and what are you hoping for?
If you drilled your slide, did a jet kit, swapped your snorkel, and worked slightly on your gearing, you should see some meaningful difference for under $100. (but still no roll on wheelie power) After that you're talking mufflers or carb mods, FMF offers a header that (supposedly) bumps as much as 3 ponies (that's a lot percentage wise in this case) and a muffler to match, the pair will cost you upwards of $500, muzzy, big gun and a few other's do exhaughsts, all upwards of $400 if you're planning to do both the pipe and the slip on. These I believe will get you into that wheelie range, a slip on alone you can probably do for under $300

The big bore kit, I think is $350 plus (I forget how much) if you do the work yourself, that's a big step up in options for less than the muffler scenario, but if you want it to breath, you need both kit and muffler.

One way to look at it, for less than the cost of the scooter, you might justify to your wife modding the crap out of your KLX ... and when she's not riding, you'll be smiling anyway!

A quick search for mods will reveal a host of options in the forum with descriptions of the gains people experienced.

 

I'm not touching that one!

 

Oh now your just adding fuel to the fire...LOL

P.S. Go back and edit that from on to one....sorry I know I'm a sick puppy. hahahaha

 

Slip-on = no go. Had a two bros... sound drove me and the lady crazy. Unless the FMF is significantly quieter and i get a good deal on one, i doubt that'll happen.

As for her having a KLX, she cant come close to touching on mine. A cruiser is about all she can fully flat foot. She loved the Honda Rebel she took her MSF on, but still wants a scooter.

Unfortunately i think myself getting new bike will be the way to go. I've gotta hold out at least one more season before i do that. I'm thinking it's time for something with 600 ccs or more of displacement. Maybe a fairing too...

EDIT: Btw- i live walking distance from the gas station, so i just shoot by there when i plan on a longer ride. i just wish i didnt have to as often as i do.

 

The perfect D/S is a question no one has an absolute answer too, but everyone can pretty much find there own "better fit" for their uses if they're honest about their real uses and priorities and know which compromises they are okay with. The great question here is what riding do you do, how much is ACTUALLY off road, and what kind of off road? The answers to these questions will push you toward a bike that is a good fit on your budget and for your needs or toward the mods that will meet it.

A bigger bike will absolutely be a more comfy solution for both of you, and is the easiest way to quiet and use-able power. If you're not doing tight trails all the time, you'll be much happier in the ways you're describing looking for on a bigger bike. My KTM LC4 640 is great anyplace where I can keep a speed over say 15mph consistently and on any trail that allows me not to put my foot down too often. When the going gets slower than that and tighter than that, wielding a heavier bike around gets to be a lot of work and is less fun the slower the going it is. (and the 36 seat height makes slow transitions a little rough for a guy like me with a 32 inch inseam.) If I lived in a place with wide high speed trails, I probably wouldn't have bought a second bike at all. My KTM does roll on wheelies in 1st and 2nd (very little, only free mods) and will beat the pants off a mustang or my friends KLR and I have never succeeded in bottoming it out... yet. I love it for riding alone anytime, many places. I just hate the high maintenance girl side of it and with the sloped seat it is 2-up capable, but it's not as comfy as I'd like as every time i stop it pushes the rider in back into me. Also it is just not small trail friendly and that's almost all I have here.

A classic KLR 650 is a much easier tush pusher than the KLX or my KTM and can be fitted with a very suitable windshield, add some tank bags and it's bit like a fairing. My friend has this bike with the 1" lowering links, and a 80/20 street tire, a windscreen and a gel pad on the seat, tank bags and panniers. It's plenty peppy for two up, way more comfy than either of my bikes and rides quite low and is more than reasonably quiet (I hear the newer KLR has an improved balancer making it even better than my friends). To give you an idea of comfort, my wife once fell asleep riding 2 up behind him on the KLR. He probably tags along on trails with me for a total of 5% or less of his riding, and he's happy with it for that purpose, when we do it, even when we hit a little mud he manages to chug along on his pretty smooth tires and in the twisties on the street he can really lean it and work it to the point of peg drag. Off road on tighter and rougher spots I tend to pull away because of suspension and flickability on the KLX. Every girl I know prefers riding on the back of the KLR to either of mine... I dont mind, I'm faster alone! However the KLR does roll on wheelies in first, will cruise along happily at 80 and has a huge gas tank for cruising and is low maintenance. It doesn't quite keep up with my KTM when I'm all out, but it's no slouch either. Off road just think of it as being more comparable to a working 4-wheeler off road than it is to a 2 stroke mx bike and realize that in slow technical areas, picking up the 340lb beast is a workout, not a play date, picking it up the 3rd or 4th time is going to make you wish you were riding a 4 wheeler.

This or the v-strom, which is a step plusher still and which has a pretty healthy amount of natural fairing sounds like they could be the fit you're looking for based on your main gripes a friend put over 20,000 on a V-strom in 2 or 3 summers.. a totally road friendly dual sport. Dual sports are often an unhappy compromise in one or more directions... the KLR and V-strom both compromise more on technical or aggressive dirt and benefit more on street while keeping some woods-worthy things and that upright posture many d/s riders, like myself, love. For a dual sport trip, the KLR will still take you just about anywhere anyone really wants to go on a bike. It wont ever feel like a MX bike and wont race you there first, but you can saddle it up with 150 lbs of gear in bags and panniers etc, have your buddies paying you double to siphon off gas half way there and still have a good time. I personally would stay away from the Suzuki DR's as neither offers as much comfort as can be had comparatively cheap elsewhere. I also would discourage you from the BMW or Buelle alternatives as it sounds like cost is a concern and the maintenance alone in addition to purchase costs can be cost prohibitive for those on a budget. Also, in case you're wondering the variety of 400cc range alternatives all tend to be more off road, less comfy, and taller than the 650's so if you're looking for power and streetability, the 650 is a better step up for you.

If you're really into riding lots of tighter trails and do more than 20% of your riding there and can only have one bike then you have a tougher choice to make. In tight offroad My KTM has a monster inseam, and feels like a Clydesdale work horse trying to run around fast in a small pony pen. In short, on small trails it's just too much horse with too little room to play, but hitting the gas on the street is exhilarating and it never runs out of suspension, ever and bouncing around never makes me feel like I'm abusing the bike, just me. However, the high maintenance and hard work on tight trails which is almost all I have available off road here pushed me to a KLX and I'm really happy with it. The KLR is similar off road in negative aspects to my KTM, but it has less torque, softer suspension, and feels a little bit less robust all around. When I ride my buddies, I just feel more scared I'm going to break something, maybe it's the lighter handlebars and the smaller forks, the softer springs and the lowered ground clearance. One way or another, it discourages big rock bashing confidence but I've never seen him break anything besides a clutch lever either, I may just be spoiled by the over-beefed feel of the KTM.

One other aside, you might look into seat mods and lowering links to make the ride more comfy on your KLX bike. The KLX will never be wind immune, but the right set-up on suspension will lower the center of gravity and a seat mod will make it a lot more butt comfy as will a more street oriented tire. Add a big bore kit, proper jetting, and a quiet exhaust and that might keep you on the tight trails and still improve your concern areas. FYI even opening up the restrictive snorkle increases ride volume noticeably. Question is really where do you ride and how much.

 

Pull away in second. I only use first in the dirt.

 

buy a car

 

or even better for all the hipsters



didnt read all the post cus some are kinda long, but i saw vstorms, klr, and lc4/8's, all good options for two up dual sports.

 

jacksonriding7,

Good post. Makes me feel comfortable that I bought the right bike.

 

get her an aprila, get you a 650 with a windshield, hand gripwarmers, back rest, cruise control, auto steering, stereo, crotch cradle (ohhh)...etc. .... sorry could not resist. Seriously, though, I got a corbin seat from someone on the forum, and stiffening up the suspension with that seat was the cat's meow. My better 1/2 and I have done several hundred miles on some great logging roads (grand tetons was awesome!. Wind is not an issue going under 40 on these roads.