Oh dear, you've got your work cut out i suspect :rofl:. How does she get on with being grubby and not a bit smelly (sweaty-type smelly, i hasten to add...), as riding in hot climes usually entails. Perhaps an air-conditioned/heated sidecar, ho ho!

"It's touring, Jim, but not as we know it".

Baby Bear Porridge
 

I have my work cut out alright......the first trip has to be just right, baby bear porridge....not too hot and not too cold! once she see's that there is a room with a mirror and a shower at the end of the day then she may not be so bad. As for total, all out adventure...well I think that will be up to me to be getting on with - or she may surprise us all and get a 650 and really go for it on her own???

Time will tell

"Beam me up Scottie.....I stink!!!!"

Hi Scottie. I passed my test last year and brought the bike i thought I wanted. Bearing in mind the 'Pillion Problem'!:eek3: I had my choice more limited as to what was comfortable for her too. Having ridden it for some time in various weather conditions I started to wonder what else was out there. My other half had come as a pillion quiet a bit over this time and had always stated "I don't want to learn to ride!!!!!!!!!!" "I am happy on the back" and lots of other similar phrases. She then turned to me one day and said "I wouldn't mind just trying a little bike" :scooter:so I organised a taster session for her with the local school. Well She was hooked! She passed her big bike test at the second attempt and has since said it was the best thing she did last year. :funmeteryes::funmeteryes:
It has given her so much more confidence in everything else she does too. Her workmates think she is as mad as march hare but who cares, she is the one doing it and not looking on from the sidelines. She has since got a big bike of her own and I have recently changed my bike to suite what I want to do more too.
Everyone's happy:thumbup1::thumbup1:
If you want to work on your other half we could meet up and let them have a chat:sneaky2: hehe.

Cheers mate, what's a "sleeper bike?"

And they say that fairytales are not real!!! I can't think of nothing better that having your other half join in on the adventure, after all that's why we decided to share life with them.......

I'm sure we'll all meet up at some point and the girls can chat, i'm focusing on getting a bike for myself first rather than having to pay for her lessons, test and then a bike (she's a student)

Same goes for the Suzuki GSX-F which is basically a Bandit with a jelly mould fairing. Not cool but a fair amount of bike for not a lot of money. Only problem you'll have with either the RF or GSX-F is getting rid of it. I'm thinking about getting a BMW R850R to use as my touring bike next year (don't think I'll get away this year.) Very conservative but I'll be keeping my RSV as my toy so I'm not that bothered.

Also some good advice there about going for textile riding kit over leathers. I usually wear leathers but they're too hot in warm climates. I have a budget Weise textile jacket which is great for commuting but I'm probably going to buy some better quality textiles from Hein Gericke.

i had a RF600 as my first proper bike (not counting the chinese 125 for 2 weeks on L-plates). did 20k in 8 months touring the Uk on it. excellent bike for £500! part-ex'd it for £400 at the end too.
my only complaints with it were they are too short in the leg, my knees cramped up being that bent. makes it a good girls/short blokes bike though as the saddle is nearer the floor. the other thing is i found im not a real fan of sporty riding styles, they make my wrists ache.
i took a few pillions on it & even geared up (less revs for the same speed with different sprockets) it was fine, still plently of speed & so on. a 600 will tour fine 2up with luggage, you'll need to use the gears more thats all. but then 600s always need that as they tend to be more tuned than the bigger bikes so need keeping on song.

random scottish photo
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m...d/PICT0232.jpg

I hadn't realised till I popped into the local BM dealer yesterday that the F650GS is actually 798cc just like the F800GS. Aside from a few bits of plastic, it seems the only difference is a detuned engine, the wheels and the ability to have the 800 set for 91RON petrol. What's the point in that? Surely if you're going to lug round the extra weight of an 800cc engine you may as well get the oomph out of it?

Mind you neither of them looked like the one you posted above

That picture posted was a photoshop lash-up from ages ago, before the bike was actually released...

As for the differences between the 'F650' and the F800 - I agree, and the name (or rather miss-naming) of the cheaper bike is just stupid...

I think the reason for having two versions is that the cheaper bike is considered an 'entry level' machine - it also has a lower seat and is aimed and those people who might be intimidated by an 800 as a first bike (don't you dare say women!) - personally I think it borders on insulting the intelligence of potential buyers, but there you go...

(btw. the ability to run on lower octane fuel is a nod towards those who might wish to travel out of the first world... that said, 91 is actually considered 'super unleaded' over here in the USA - regular 'gas' is only 87 for goodness sake!)

xxx