Hi all, as mentioned in my intro thread my wife and I plan on travelling east from Istanbul for a lengthy period...somewhere between 6-12 months beginning next year. There's no set route as such but we will want to swing by India to visit family.

I currently own an 1200Z which we have used for countless rides across Turkey and Europe. It has performed flawlessly and is very satisfying riding two up, specifically over tarmac. I dropped the bike with empty panniers recently in Greece and found it relatively easy to pick up, however I have a herniated disc and can't imagine it being an easy lift after 4 or 5 drops in rugged terrain.

So I'm now thinking maybe the S10's smaller sibling, the 660Z, might be a suitable alternative. It's about 50kilo's lighter, has a large tank, decent enough power and a proven reliable engine.

I realise the S10 is reliable too, but dropping her could cause greater damage potentially leaving us stranded road/trail side. Also, if there were technical issue I'm guessing parts would be harder to source than the 660.

I used to have an XT660X which we used to travel 5500kms around Turkey 2 up over a couple of weeks. Sure it was cramped but it did the job. One of my main concerns is whether the 660Z would be able to carry 2 people, hard panniers and luggage? I would envisage installing an upgraded suspension unit and if possible strengthening the subframe.

So....I would love to hear peoples thoughts on which bike they would chose for a 2up trip across Asia and potentially further afield, giving reasons too.