Any bikers here???

[Green Knight]

Thanks for the advice Ecoman. Both bikes look great.

After thinking about it some more - my problem is i love the look, style of the cruiser bikes like the 650 Dragstar but in reality - for now - i need 1 bike that covers all bases like an adventure touring bike that can handle some off-road paths.

So i need a bike that can perform well on road and ok off-road. Something like the BMW they used on Long Way Round series but not as heavy.

Something like a Suzuki V-Strom 650 ABS or BMW F SERIES F650 GS?

In an ideal world i'll own 2-3 bikes to cover all bases - in time

Anyone any advice / experience of a good touring bike?

Much appreciated.

 

[Green Knight]

Thanks Hibrion,

My chin just dropped when i looked at the 1200 sportster - wow what a stunner!

Its a hard decision what to buy - get a decent touring bike that can do on & off-road or get a beauty queen but be limited in how i use it.

 

[Dave-the-rave]

Second hand 650 GS's are selling stupid cheap. You can get one with less than 20 000 miles for under 2 grand.

 

[Ecoman]

Green Knight, I would seriously look at the Honda Transalp or the slightly bigger Africa Twin. The engines are bomb proof, they handle like they are on rails and they eat the miles with ease. My Transalp, albeit an old 94 model was a phenomenal bike. I took that all over Europe and into the Balkan states. I've rode it along green lanes, unpaved roads, motorways, you name it and it never once let me down. Only big expense I paid out for was a clutch (£40) and I treated it to 2 new wheels built with stainless rims and spokes as the old alloy wheels were looking past their best.

Either that or see if you can find an old BMW R80GS Amazing bikes but hard to come by as they are well sought after.

Vstrom 650s are OK too but never been overly enamoured with them. They can suffer with electrical issues and they tend to eat chains with the low down grunt. Also not to kind on cranks on higher mileage models.

BMW F650....what can I say?! Oh dear (apologies to anyone who has one) but IMHO they are terrible! Seriously, I would take a long test ride on one first before you make up your mind but mind to take in dual carriageways, twisties and B roads to make a balanced opinion . How BMW could ever put their name to this heap of junk I will never know! I would rather ride a hobby horse!

 

[Hibrion]

Sounds like the BMW will be perfect for you, don't worry about weight, you'll be fine.

 

[Andy BB]

Africa Twins are ridiculously priced nowadays, as they are attracting collector/classic status. Honda Transalp 600/650/700 are nice, reliable bikes at reasonable prices. For cruisers, the Suzuki Intruder 800 range are nice as well, but my favourite of the mid-range cruisers is the Kawasaki Drifter 800.

Don't believe all you see in the biking mags - you don't need a 1000+cc bike to tour on - any of the above cruisers are more than adequate, unless you absolutely must cruise at 120mph on the autobahn! In my youth, regularly cruised the UK and Europe on an MZ 250 loaded with camping gear, with all of 21bhp

 

[lavrentyuk]

I still do, though to be fair its a 300 cc MZ these days, for when the BMW isn't working. It took me a long time to realise that the MZ is also more fun.

 

[Andy BB]

I must admit to a loving MZs! Such a brilliant design - why on earth does anyone sell a bike with a naked chain?

Only problem I had with my first MZ - 250TS - was that it would sometimes decide not to start. On one occasion it even defied the technological expertise of the Lampkin brothers for over an hour! Actually there was a simple solution - a Pirahna ignition system - cost £60 and turned the MZ into a first kick starter. Still have 3 MZs - a 250, a 301 ETZ and a 301 Turkish-built MZ (Kanuni), although the earlier MZs are still buried in the ivy somewhere in the garden

 

[Ecoman]

MZ are ace! If you want a bike that will give you a big grin and that sounds like a bean tin full of robot wasps then this is the bike for you! Cheap as chips to fix too. I've had loads of these things for hacking around on. I even went touring round Scotland on one when I was still living in Lincolnshire. Never missed a beat!

As Andy says, you don't need a huge bike to go touring on. I used to ride around Britain on a CG125. Used to take me a lot longer but it was a good giggle. I was once talking to a couple of Germans that I bumped into at a services and was surprised to hear they were touring the UK on Honda Silverwing Scooters. After showing me around their bikes I had to try it for myself. It all made sense, huge fairing that protected the body and legs from the elements, an automatic gearbox so a lazy ride, Loads of built in storage with cubby boxes everywhere and a great big armchair to sit in. We had one come into the breakers as a trade in and I nicked it for a long weekend. I loaded my gear on and set off, what an amazing experience and I almost parted with my pennies until I realised that I would have to sell my BMW to get it. That was never going to happen! That taught me never to knock it till I've tried it!

 

[Green Knight]

Think its going to boil down to the Honda XL650(£2k) Honda XL700 Transalp(£3-5k) or BMW R80GS (if i see any for sale)

With the Honda XL650 i get all the functionality but maybe miss out as its sluggish due to an old engine spec.

The 2008 version XL700 looks perfect but double the price so need to weigh up its worth the extra.

I'm having lots of fun on my 125cc for touring so no rush, plus i need to pass my test first - at least now i know what's suitable out there and what price range.

Thanks for all the advice guys. One step closer to my dream adventure.

 

[Ecoman]

Green Knight, don't be put off with modern sports bike magazine reviews of the older Transalps. Yes its sluggish compared to a modern bike of the same size but the 600 and 650s are a formidable machine and reliable to boot. If you want speed then start looking for a rice rocket.

Long and short of it is never trust a review by someone who hasn't owned one. One of the things I have learnt is always ask a bike breaker his/her opinion on a particular bike. They generally know the weak point of every motorcycle and what can be expected to be wrong with one. For example:

Yamaha SR125 or GS125 not running and low compression - 90% chance its a knackered head and they are like hens teeth. Probably caused by lack of oil changes or low oil (small sump)
YamahaXJ900 - bottom left hand corner of fuel tank is prone to rotting out as water can collect there and no way of escaping.
Suzuki LS600 - prone to crank wear and stripping starter gear. Also have weak heads.
Honda CBR600 91-98 - exhausts rot behind the fairing as no way to clean off the crud as you can't get your hand in there.
Kawasaki 4 pot 750-1100 (usually GPZ, ZRX and GTR) - prone to number 3 pot seizing or throwing a rod.

 

[Dave-the-rave]

BMW F650....what can I say?! Oh dear (apologies to anyone who has one) but IMHO they are terrible! Seriously, I would take a long test ride on one first before you make up your mind but mind to take in dual carriageways, twisties and B roads to make a balanced opinion . How BMW could ever put their name to this heap of junk I will never know! I would rather ride a hobby horse!

Any chance you could elaborate? I know someone who's thinking of buying one.

 

[Ecoman]

Any chance you could elaborate? I know someone who's thinking of buying one.

First off its built by Aprillia in Italy and not by BMW themselves. It runs a Rotax single which is grossly underpowered with clunky gear changes. On a dual carriageway it is screaming its doodads off at 60mph, 70mph is obtainable but the engine is being raped at that speed. The bike is really top heavy which is great for slow manoeuvrings but throw it into a corner at speed and you soon know about it. The build quality leaves a lot to be desired. The suspension wallows and is spongy. The electrics are typical Itallian (anyone who rides a Ducati or a modern Moto Guzzi can vouch for this). The fuel economy is poor (probably because it has to get thrashed to get anywhere). The plastics are brittle and the screen is useless. The headlamp might as well be a candle in goldfish bowl for all the good it does. They are cheap for a reason!

The F700GS and F800GS models are supposed to be far superior but I have not ridden them yet so I can't comment


I say all the above comments as a BMW fan. I don't have a biased opinion and I can only comment on my own personal experiences. I looked at buying one and had my eye on an F650 Funduro (older model). I rode it home from work and got my missus to take me back so I could collect the van and take it back to work in that. There was no way I was going to put myself through that experience again with that bike. Ironically, it was a mint, low mileage, BMW serviced bike with a stack of history. It was truly awful. The next few I rode were not much better.

 

[Dave-the-rave]

Thanks for your experience of it. I'll pass it on.

 

[Ecoman]

Your welcome Dave, of course these are my own personal opinions and as we know we are all cut from a different cloth. Your mate might love it and think its the best bike he has ever ridden.

I'm off to look at a BMW K100LT tomorrow. Been offered it very cheap and its supposedly in a "very tidy" condition with long T&T. We will see.

 

[markie*mark0]

just a short clip of my other bike

[video=youtube_share;ypYazhiMnLU]http://youtu.be/ypYazhiMnLU[/video]

 

[Andy BB]

Your welcome Dave, of course these are my own personal opinions and as we know we are all cut from a different cloth. Your mate might love it and think its the best bike he has ever ridden.

I'm off to look at a BMW K100LT tomorrow. Been offered it very cheap and its supposedly in a "very tidy" condition with long T&T. We will see.

I had a couple of K1100LTs - lovely bike for touring, ultra-reliable apart from the left-hand heated grip that failed on both of mine, with one of the best fairings ever made. Never had the K100LT (main reason being the K1100LT was supposed to fix the problems on the earlier version, and the 1100s are pretty cheap now anyway). Not for nothing did they have a long-running winning streak at the Iron-Butt 1000 in the US (1000+ miles in 24 hours)

Hve seriously thought about getting another as a sidecar tug!

 

[Ecoman]

Well I went to see it and it turns out its a K100 alright but it has an aftermarket Sprint ST fairing on it. It looks to be a cross between an RS and an RT. RT riding position and bars and flip up screen but sleeker like an RS. Not original by a long shot but well worth the £1100 my mate is asking for it. Only fault I found was the RHS fairing lower has been painted with a rattle can and colour matched by Stevie Wonder and the tick over is a bit low. Apart from that its in really tidy condition and runs sweet. Handles good too but didn't take it for a long run as it was raining heavy and I had no waterproofs.

I'm not going to buy it because I'm a fussy sod and was really wanting an all original bike, but it will be a great bike for someone. If anyone wants me to send them photos then I will sort some out for you.