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How good is Cali 1400 Touring for the passenger?

TweeZ4

Tuned and Synch'ed
Joined
Jun 1, 2017
Messages
39
Location
Moscow, Russia
I'm looking at Cali 1400 touring as at a long distance tourer for two up riding.
Don't have one yet, but I love the style and feel (had Eldorado test drive)

Please share your passenger's opinions and impressions:
How comfortable is Cali for the passenger during long trips? How is it compared to other bikes?
 
My wife was beat up pretty bad in an auto crash many years ago.
The steel pins holding her together bothers her to this day.

I had a 1400 Custom & she could ride that for a couple of hours & be okay.
Weirdly the Victory Cross Tour bike with a passenger backrest built onto the trunk she can only manage an hour or so.

The pics I've seen on the ElDorado shows a small pad for the passenger so you might want to check out seat & back rest options or think along the lines of the Tour model with trunk.
 
The pics I've seen on the ElDorado shows a small pad for the passenger so you might want to check out seat & back rest options or think along the lines of the Tour model with trunk.
Not available, but I'm working on making one. ;)
 
I have a 2014 California Custom, and my wife HATES the passenger seat. I know that the touring seat is a little different, and I would like to try one of those to see if she likes it any better.
 
I have a California Custom with a Touring seat and I add a backrest when my rides with me. She loves the Touring seat and the backrest. We usually go for 250 miles and she has no problems.
 
My wife has been a passenger on my 2013 Touring for 25,000km. After 100,000km on a 1200GS, she found the stock rear suspension jarring. I upgraded the rear shocks. The stock Touring seat gave us both a sore butt. We tried Airhawks (big improvement) but moved to a Corbin seat, which is excellent. I have the 60 litre top case, which has a back pad, and that works fine. The airflow for the pillion seems better than it was on the GS - quieter. I added passenger footboards, which are preferred over the stock foot pegs. Handling, stability, braking and cornering two up are all very good. The bike is nowhere near as reactive to a pillion or luggage as the GS was.

Stephen
 
My wife has been a passenger on my 2013 Touring for 25,000km. After 100,000km on a 1200GS, she found the stock rear suspension jarring. I upgraded the rear shocks. The stock Touring seat gave us both a sore butt. We tried Airhawks (big improvement) but moved to a Corbin seat, which is excellent. I have the 60 litre top case, which has a back pad, and that works fine. The airflow for the pillion seems better than it was on the GS - quieter. I added passenger footboards, which are preferred over the stock foot pegs. Handling, stability, braking and cornering two up are all very good. The bike is nowhere near as reactive to a pillion or luggage as the GS was.

Stephen
Many thanks for your very detailed comment!
P.S. AFAIK, 1200GS is , probably, the most comfortable long distance bike ever. Is it?
 
I originally bought my California so my fiancee and I could go on long trips, Oddly she feels more comfortable of my Triumph Bonneville T120. She says her ass gets numb after an hour or so on the Guzzi.
 
I can't compare many other bikes with the GS, but it was a very capable machine. The suspension travel in real terms was nearly double the 1400, and I think we only bottomed out half a dozen times in 100,000km. And that was usually two up, with full luggage, including some pretty interesting unsealed roads. (I had upgraded the rear spring for two up, and had the damper serviced and its valving upgraded by a pro). The bike was a 'magic carpet' under most riding conditions, and very stable in tricky situations. I much prefer the 1400 however. It is so much lower, and doesn't feel like it is about to topple over. The 1400 is enjoyable to ride at lower speeds...you don't have to be going fast to have a great ride. Pushing harder (two up) on the stock suspension soon had the bike wallowing. When I upgraded the rear shocks, I specified a spring to suit two up and full luggage. The back end is now beautifully controlled. There is no bottoming out or wallowing. I upgraded the front end with Todd's Matris spring kit, and that has also worked well. Beyond this, I installed the full GT-Rx fuelling package, which is brilliant, and then the full GT-Rx exhaust system, which I love. I hated the stock "blocked vacuum cleaner " exhaust system, while Elizabeth hated the noisy "Sport Lafranconi pipes." Todd's system, now installed, while "righteous" at idle, quietens right down at cruise. Elizabeth says the system is good at cruise, but still too noisy powering up and down the mountains. I say they are glorious, but you asked on behalf of your passenger. Corbin seats need a few thousand km to break in. The first impression will be that they are hard and unyielding, but we both love it now. It is far superior to the stock Touring seat which used to give us the "burn" within an hour and a half of riding.


Stephen
 
My passenger doesn't complain and we've done some 400 mile days, have the top case with the pad. She sat on all the competition when we were looking in 2014 and like the Guzzi best in the show room.
 
I can't compare many other bikes with the GS, but it was a very capable machine. The suspension travel in real terms was nearly double the 1400, and I think we only bottomed out half a dozen times in 100,000km. And that was usually two up, with full luggage, including some pretty interesting unsealed roads. (I had upgraded the rear spring for two up, and had the damper serviced and its valving upgraded by a pro). The bike was a 'magic carpet' under most riding conditions, and very stable in tricky situations. I much prefer the 1400 however. It is so much lower, and doesn't feel like it is about to topple over. The 1400 is enjoyable to ride at lower speeds...you don't have to be going fast to have a great ride. Pushing harder (two up) on the stock suspension soon had the bike wallowing. When I upgraded the rear shocks, I specified a spring to suit two up and full luggage. The back end is now beautifully controlled. There is no bottoming out or wallowing. I upgraded the front end with Todd's Matris spring kit, and that has also worked well. Beyond this, I installed the full GT-Rx fuelling package, which is brilliant, and then the full GT-Rx exhaust system, which I love. I hated the stock "blocked vacuum cleaner " exhaust system, while Elizabeth hated the noisy "Sport Lafranconi pipes." Todd's system, now installed, while "righteous" at idle, quietens right down at cruise. Elizabeth says the system is good at cruise, but still too noisy powering up and down the mountains. I say they are glorious, but you asked on behalf of your passenger. Corbin seats need a few thousand km to break in. The first impression will be that they are hard and unyielding, but we both love it now. It is far superior to the stock Touring seat which used to give us the "burn" within an hour and a half of riding.


Stephen
Stephen, well said, and I could not agree more. Your mods parallel what the Pillion Princess and I have done to ours. And yes the Corbin does need some time to "break in". That said, The Pillion Princess loves the Corbin with the 60L case and backrest. 4-500 mile days are just not an issue anymore.
Kirk
 
I have a Cali Custom outfitted with the hepco becker backrest and rack and the touring model windshield, seat, and bags. My wife has done at least 4 multi week 8 hour day rides with the seat and suspension setup with zero complaints.

If I remember correctly, I set the pre-load on the rear shocks for 2 up according to manual. So just remember the touring rear shocks are different models than the custom. I dont think the custom has the remote reservoir and preload adjust...but someone else can clarify.

(dont let her read this) but I can also confirm that we aren't chiseled and fit folks either, so our pristine physical condition isn't compensating for lack of comfort :D

Cheers, Joe

Heres a pic of our normal touring setup..camping gear and all....

IMG 0245
 
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