When we were younger, the wife and i went on some "trips"..a couple hundred miles one way on my Honda Shadow and 1200 Sportster.
The Diavel isn't any bigger. It's a decent two up weekender for young people.
It's a fun solo traveler.
I get together with old friends every year 437 miles away.
As you get older you realize size and comfort matters.
If you like two-upping get a better bike.

 

"a better bike" wash your mouth out fred!

look, it is not a gold wing, nor is it a road king, it's a diavel, even the strada is still a diavel, just with some carrying capacity, not much i'm guessing but it's a bike, not a station wagon, it's going to be a compromise anyway, no surfboards for example....

accept the fact that you have a cool bike that does go fast, does stop and does handle properly, it doesn't carry much, so pack less, or take the car, probably more enjoyable than being seen on a honda or a harley anyway, and i bet it's faster.

 

I read on here that the DP rack only carries about 5kg. Just check before you buy. That pretty much leaves you with ventura and hecker alurack??? Spelling???? As your only 2 off the shelf options.

 

Thanks toughnut, I'll look into it!!

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Sho' nuff MR, but tell the misses after 400 miles.
She's the one the that needs to be happy...I guess if you know how to pack and don't mind lookin' like the Beverly Hill Billies, the Diavel could work out.
I've been up and down the East coast several times with the wife.
I wouldn't consider riding the Diavel.
One of these days as I get old I might actually trailer it but presently I'm not ready to become a "trailer queen"....I gotta ride!

Hey Nudge!
Get a full size Sport Tourer!

 

Alas I don't think iv got quite as much coin as most folk on here. Pretty much sliced up my soul and sold it a piece at a time to get me one of these baby's and it was well worth it! Nothing left in me for a second bike though and I wouldn't dream of trading in The Duke for anything else.

That leaves me with trying to get just one more bag in the bike (not the tank blergh) and the missus.

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horses for courses i guess, i've dome the trip from brissie to the super bikes at phillip island twice, about 7,000 kays return trip, i had jocks stuffed in every pocket and t-shirts and socks wrapped in plastic zip tied to anything and everything, by the time i got home i had a souvenir t shirt and dirty jeans on, everything else was in the bin somewhere on the way. one trip was on a GSXR-750, the other was my RC-30 and there's no enjoying the alpine roads with luggage or a backpack!

 

Where was the missus?
I'll never where a back pack tho'.......looks too much like a parachute.

I gotta say there is nuthin' like hard luggage.
Once while in New Hampshire me and the guys rode in to Maine to get some lobsters for dinner.
We packed 'em in ice in our friend Denny's Electra Glide hard bags.
Surf 'n Turf for dinner!

Do that on a Ducati!

 

I was incorrect Nudge. It was the hepco and Becker system.

toughnut,

you can get the hepco & becker stuff locally at sgmotorshop in bangkok.

i have the top case and rack and it was not cheap at 28000 baht.

http://www.sgmotorsh...r/bag-2/journey

one thing to keep in mind is that it is only rated to hold 5kg

 

Where there's a will, there' a way Nudge.

When travelling who cares about looks.
It all comes off when you get to where you're going.

 

Nice one toughnut, thanks for digging for me! I wonder if that weight limit is just a their recommendation for a nice stable ride or whether it's actually all their system can hold?

I'll find out what the ducati rack weight limit is and come back. If it's more ill prob get that then just bungee or ratchet strap a bog standard bag on the back.

Fred good point... It's more the fact I am quite short and can't be dealing with peering over the tank bag to see the dials - that and I have heard horror stories of chaps leaning on the bag in front of them.... And drifting off...

I tell myself they just weren't riding fast enough, but with the missus on the back... Hmmmmm

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I posted this on Diavel.com forum:
I have a Strada, with three bits o'kit to supplement the awful panniers. Love each:
Tankbag: Firstgear Monza. It looks like it was designed to go with the lines of the bike. Rain cover, clear top w/small front zippered pouch, no logos. Word of warning: magnetic holders can pick up small bits of metal that will scratch your tank, so keep them clean, or carefully remove the bag.
Tail bag: Tourmaster CRIII Nylon Sissybar Bag; 15Hx21Wx12D
It slips over the backrest, either on the pillion seat, or if carrying passenger, on the real luggage rack that I built to bolt to the Ducati overpriced DP joke of a "luggage rack," which is really strong (5Kg? what? lawyers...I can pick the bike up by it), but so small as to be suitable only as the frame on which to bolt a larger board. I sized mine for the base of the bag I had, and covered it with Rustoleum hammered-finish dark-grey, nearly matching the titanium finish, and it has proven very durable. I added a brake light bar to it, and put aluminum tape under, so the shiny, slightly upswept underside reflects my bright LED Rizoma signals, so it looks to a driver behind as if I have two on each side. Two Clearwater Darlas @2000+ lumens each light me up up front: visibility is survival!! Money very well spent, there.
For more space I have a FlyRacing Illuminator hi-viz backpack, which is awesome: roomy, rugged, well-designed, with a helmet expansion and more. It is spacious enough to stow my size 13 boots, and straps to the tail bag, regardless of its placement on pillion or rack.
These items have seen me thru several months and about 12,000 miles of rain-, hail-, and wind-lashed desert and mountain touring, and a graceless dumping or 2, and are as good as new. Hope this helps.

 

SM, pictures please, and don't be stingy so up close and far away.

I disagree w/the OP, I found the Strada panniers to accommodate a good amount of 'stuff'. I rode from Portland to Seattle for a 1 week conference and was able to use my backpack and both panniers to hold all my clothes/toiletries/business stuff AND come home with all my clothes plus swag (cups, shirts, & another backpack). However, it was just me.

The trips my wife and I do are short, either a quick jaunt to town or a cruise to the ocean/mountain (roughly the same cruising distance from home) so the Strada works. Anything longer and I would've gone for a HD. Then again, anything longer and my wife would be in the car or airplane

I agree that the OEM luggage rack, with its 5Kg/10lb. limit and small platform, is more over-priced than it should be.

 

I pull out the big gun for the long haul. This will keep most women comfortable (no way to say for sure or for how long).
Tires last forever and is surprisingly nimble (sorta).
Oh ya and they are really cheap as there are tons of the big beasts around.
I have often wondered if I could tow my Diavel with it to get to the good roads.

 

Yup!
me and the wife been up and down the East Coast on my tourer...full size ol' man's sport tourer ST1300.....best of touring world imo

Two Up is relative to how far your significant other is willing to sit.

Diavel..........get a better two upper tourer.

thought about getting a big cruiser tourer....but i'm not old enough yet...........

 

I do most of my km's two up on the Diavel. Have done quite a few 3-4 day trips. Missus reckons this is the best bike we have owned for travelling, mind you I have only had St's before. Currently travel with a 45ltr pack on and aluminium plate bolted to DP rear rack. It says max 5kg but had an engineer look at it and he said it was good for 20kg. Upgraded bolts to hi tensile to be sure. Can still scrape pegs fully loaded so dont notice too much difference. Am looking at getting some soft panniers and making a frame to bolt on with a smaller tail pack, just to get the COG lower. Have travelled on some pretty rough roads, bloody NSW govt doesn't like to spend too much on them, and have had no issues. Looks a bit Hillbilly when were not on it, but I'm not ready for a cruiser yet!

 

as long as the missus is happy..what more needs to be said if it works?

 

Yeah, just wait till she plops on that new MG for next cruise, ask her how better comfy she feels then?
Never know Bud...she'll feel so good, might even get some nooky that night? :~)

 

Long distance Two Uppin on a Diavel???????????? Need to gas up every hour???????Riding position?????Substandard storage capability???????
No matter how I cut the pie.....The trip from hell IMO, versus a Gold Wing. or Greyhound Bus.
Be safe.

Anyone done this? I have a strada, was thinking of fitting the ducati luggage rack but it looks piddly! Anyone got it? Reckon you can fit a tent or tail bag on it? Not a fan of the tank bag and you can't fit a Chihuahua in the panniers, let alone any sort of luggage...

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...The trip from hell IMO, versus a Gold Wing. or Greyhound Bus.
Be safe.

Part of my 2-up bike search was the Goldwing F6B as it has the performance side a little more than the RV side. A lot of cruiser comfort for just a tad over Ducati's price tag.