Top tips for two-up touring
- Simon Weir
- Jun 3
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 4
There is nothing better than sharing time on the bike with the person you love. But. Well. How can I put it? All that time together, just the two of you… I've met plenty of people whose partners tried it once and now won't go on the back of the bike. So I know that it isn't just luck and affection that keeps it running smoothly.
I've just come back from a tour – well, two, in fact. First was a run through Portugal and the Picos de Europa with Chickenstrips. Then I dropped the guys at the Santander ferry terminal and rode up to the airport to collect Ali, my fiancee. Our first holiday in two years would be the ride back across Spain and France. It ran like clockwork. Here's what we learnt from this trip – and the others we've done together.
1 Build up to it
This might sound obvious, but if your partner or girlfriend has never been on the back of a bike before, a seven-day tour with big miles each day isn't the best way to start. Short runs to the local bike meet or the seaside help build confidence – but try a few shorter trips before committing to a full tour. "It's very different doing a couple of hours on the back of the bike on a Sunday to doing the longer days on tour," says Ali. "It takes a bit of stamina (mainly in the tolerance department...)"
The first trip Ali and I did together was a run to the West Country to visit friends – only an hour or two longer than a normal weekend ride. Then we went to Scotland for two nights – much fuller days.
2 Get the right bike
Now, you can tour on anything – and usually the best machine for any tour is the one in your garage. But some machines are better for two people than others. I love my Kawasaki Z1000SX and the new Ninja 1100SX is even better. "That one has a better pillion seat – I could do all day on that comfortably," Ali said after I took her out on it a few weeks ago. But I was taking no chances – and more stuff than would fit in just two panniers – so for this trip we used the new Kawasaki Versys 1100 S Grand Tourer.
Having the right bike makes all the difference: a comfortable riding position; a comfortable pillion seat ("And there's enough leg room without my feet hitting the panniers," says Ali); enough luggage for two people, good wind protection, a smooth and torquey engine… something powerful without being hair-trigger jerky. The aim is to waft the pillion along in comfort and style. No question that the Versys 1100 was the right tool for the job in this case. "It's just so comfortable – but still exciting to ride," said Ali.
3 Have a plan
And share the plan. This is really important. You should build your tour around things you both want to see and do. Then review the plan regularly, to keep excitement and anticipation levels up. On our tour, we started by staying in the medieval town of Sos del Rey Catolico – so there was something amazing for Ali to look forward to after the flight.
But there were more things along the way. Ali loves gorges so I tried to ride as many as possible – both in the Pyrenees and going through the mighty Tarn Gorge, after visiting the Millau Viaduct. She also likes caves so I detoured the route slightly to include Mas d'Azil cave. We visited the citadel in Carcassonne, rode the Morvan hills and stopped in Chablis, with a final night on the square in St Omer. I wanted to build a tour with things that would appeal to her – and sharing the plan kept it feeling exciting.
"Just understand the route," said Ali. "If heights or tight roads freak you out, don't go on a mountain route. If you can't bear sweating in your kit, don't go to a hot country in the height of summer.
"When booking your hotels, work out how far they are from attractions," advises Ali. "Sometimes after a long day's ride it's nice to walk into town to explore or for dinner. Other times, you just want to rest and eat in the hotel."
4 Communicate. A lot
Talk isn't necessarily cheap when you're looking at Bluetooth intercoms, but the reality is that the low-cost systems don't match the top-end ones in terms of build quality, battery life, sound quality, volume… everything, really. We use Cardo intercoms and the ability to talk while riding transforms the experience – yes, in a good way…
"You do share the experience more," says Ali, "Pointing out things from eagles to castles to speed cameras… But also if you're getting tired or thirsty, you can tell the rider and they can find somewhere for a break. There's no point sitting there getting grumpy when you can tell them what you need."
From the rider's point of view, the comms make it possible to get an extra pair of eyes if looking for somewhere to park or for a hotel entrance. It also really helps to explain what's going on if you overshoot a junction and need to turn around (not that it happens to me… ahem). It also makes it easier for the pillion to check when to get on and off the bike.
5 Ride well
This sounds obvious, but it's still really important. Pillions enjoy riding when they feel safe and secure – not when they're hanging on for grim death, being shaken about all over the place. Smoothness is key. You can still accelerate positively and brake hard – as long as you do it smoothly. Strive to make every gear change imperceptible (the quickshift on the Versys 1100 is genius for this), make every overtake steady and safe, flow through the bends like a gently rolling river – not like white-water rafting experience.
But machine control is only part of the package. The biggest part is the planning – making sure you can fit the distances you need to cover into sensible timeframes. If you're spending ten hours a day in the saddle, gulping down Ginsters on petrol station forecourts for lunch and flogging yourselves silly to cover a vast distance, neither of you will enjoy it – and as you get fatigued, your riding will deteriorate with jerky braking and acceleration that's no fun for the passenger.
6 Pack smart, not hard
Finally, the contentious subject of packing. There are always compromises involved in fitting everything into a bike's luggage space – even one with 103L like the Versys 1100S Grand Tourer. As I was away for two weeks, I had the two 28L panniers; Ali had the 47L topbox.
"You need a lot less than you think," says Ali. "Lightweight dresses take up a lot less space than tops and skirts/trousers. Mountain Warehouse do jersey dresses that roll up small, don't crease and can be washed and dried overnight."
Washing and drying is key to my approach as well. Every day I ride in the same shirt, my touring baselayer top. Then each evening I wash it out and it's dry for the next morning. In the evenings I wear activewear t-shirts or lightweight Craghoppers Kiwi shirts that wash and dry equally fast. Wear one, wash one… two shirts plus the baselayer can do the whole trip (though I normally take two of each). That leaves just underwear to worry about.
There's lots you can share with the pillion to avoid duplication, especially toothpaste and other toiletries. "You can buy travel-size things or decant the amount you need into smaller pots," says Ali. "Though most hotels have shower gel and shampoo. Decent hotels will have a hairdryer, too."
I always take one adaptor and a four-gang extension lead to charge everything you need from one socket. I have a 3m USB lead for my phone, so even if the only accessible socket is on the far side of the room, it usually reaches so I still have the phone on the bedside table.
"Make sure you have everything you need for the day with you – in your pockets or in an over-the-shoulder handbag," says Ali. "You don't want to be going through the luggage at lunchtime to find your lipstick or something."
And that's all there is to it… Plan, pack, talk, ride, enjoy! Have a great two-up tour
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