Discussion
I have been thinking recently about what bike to get. I will be keeping my Husqvarna (supermoto and off road), but want a proper road bike again, that has things like more than one cylinder, electric start, and a battery. I was hoping for some advice.
Anyway, I am pretty much down to a choice of these,
R1200GS
Yamaha FZ6
V-strom 1000
KTM Adventure 990
I test rode an Adventure 950 today, and it was good, but had pretty poor brakes, and I want to wait and see if the 990 is any better, They were bad enough to put me off the bike.
I also tried a nice nearly new FZ6. It was a pretty goood bike, but I had to keep the revs down (still not run in), and I was disappointed with the pace. I liked the handling, though, although the seat felt a bit low after the KTM. I assume it will be at least as fast as the others once it can be revved, but will have to be worked a bit harder.
I loved a V-strom 650 that I tried, but have not had a chance to ride a 1000 yet. I had 1/2 an hour on an R1200GS last year, and will try for a much longer ride tomorrow.
So, out of these, what are people's thoughts? My last road bike was a Fireblade, which I loved out of town, but which was not great on london, on a wet dark night in heavy traffic. The new bike will be used for just general riding. Some trips up the west end, a bit of a play on weekends, maybe going down to the coast once in a while. I like the thought of the R1200, but it will not be as good in traffic as the others, I expect.
Anyway, I am pretty much down to a choice of these,
R1200GS
Yamaha FZ6
V-strom 1000
KTM Adventure 990
I test rode an Adventure 950 today, and it was good, but had pretty poor brakes, and I want to wait and see if the 990 is any better, They were bad enough to put me off the bike.
I also tried a nice nearly new FZ6. It was a pretty goood bike, but I had to keep the revs down (still not run in), and I was disappointed with the pace. I liked the handling, though, although the seat felt a bit low after the KTM. I assume it will be at least as fast as the others once it can be revved, but will have to be worked a bit harder.
I loved a V-strom 650 that I tried, but have not had a chance to ride a 1000 yet. I had 1/2 an hour on an R1200GS last year, and will try for a much longer ride tomorrow.
So, out of these, what are people's thoughts? My last road bike was a Fireblade, which I loved out of town, but which was not great on london, on a wet dark night in heavy traffic. The new bike will be used for just general riding. Some trips up the west end, a bit of a play on weekends, maybe going down to the coast once in a while. I like the thought of the R1200, but it will not be as good in traffic as the others, I expect.
rsvmilly said:
I rode an FZ6 over the weekend. Fun bike and easy to ride but not all that quick, as you say. Didn't like the fueling - couldn't hold a candle to the fueling of a carbed R6.
And unfaired bikes in this weather are not fun!
It was the FZ6 fazer that I tried. I want at least a half fairing. I think I maybe prefer the riding position of the bigger bikes now (v-strom, r100gs etc.)
If somebody stuck a gun to my head, from that list I'd take the BMW. But somebody really would have to put a gun to my head, because under normal circumstances I wouldn't look twice at any of them, so my opinion isn't going to be of much use to you. The only way for anybody to buy a bike is to ignore the opinions of everybody else, go out, ride them, and make their own informed decision, based on their emotions and on the practical elements of what they actually need the bike for.
If you are planning many miles out of London I would get a bike with a decent fairing. Just got rid of my Speed Triple which was a brilliant day-to-day bike in London but a nightmare on the open roads of North Yorkshire where we now live.
I can't quite see why you would consider the BMW and Yam as two possibilities; to me they are totally different bikes, both good, but good for different things?
L.F.
I can't quite see why you would consider the BMW and Yam as two possibilities; to me they are totally different bikes, both good, but good for different things?
L.F.
lockhart flawse said:
I can't quite see why you would consider the BMW and Yam as two possibilities; to me they are totally different bikes, both good, but good for different things?
L.F.
It was because I had not decided what I would use the bike for. The Fazer would dictate that I just played about in London, the BM would probably encourage me to have the odd adventure.
Anyway, I tried the BM for an hour and a bit today, and absolutely loved it. It really did feel like the hooligan bike that I have been looking for.
I don't quite know why, either. It just felt right, in a way that the others didn't.
I really wish I had preferred a cheaper bike, as 10k+ is a hell of a lot to pay.
Still, it will mean I have the matching set now (car and bike), which is nice.
Now I just have to find one. It is a bit strange with BMWs, as there are virtyally none available privately, and it is very hard to see how much I can get knocked off the price. I think that I will have to just call a few dealers and try to play them off against each other
Thanks for the advice everyone.
I ride an R1200GS and really like it.
It is pretty heavy and quite a high climb onto but, once you climb on to it, it's a great riding position with good mirrors and all round visibility.
I'm not a particularly fast rider so it suits me and it really is comfortable for distances. I did LE/JOG on it last spring.
Not much wind protection for high speed motorway stuff but great otherwise and few problems.
Have done 10k miles in 12 months now and thinking of buying a new one, so must be good.
It is pretty heavy and quite a high climb onto but, once you climb on to it, it's a great riding position with good mirrors and all round visibility.
I'm not a particularly fast rider so it suits me and it really is comfortable for distances. I did LE/JOG on it last spring.
Not much wind protection for high speed motorway stuff but great otherwise and few problems.
Have done 10k miles in 12 months now and thinking of buying a new one, so must be good.
Davel said:
I ride an R1200GS and really like it.
It is pretty heavy and quite a high climb onto but, once you climb on to it, it's a great riding position with good mirrors and all round visibility.
I'm not a particularly fast rider so it suits me and it really is comfortable for distances. I did LE/JOG on it last spring.
Not much wind protection for high speed motorway stuff but great otherwise and few problems.
Have done 10k miles in 12 months now and thinking of buying a new one, so must be good.
I've never ridden one, but that bike really appeals to me too. I like my big twins, can't fit into a crotch rocket any more and don't hoon around like I used to. I also prefer a good heavy bike for comfort and endurance, and maybe for the day some toerag pulls out in front of me and I can rent his car asunder with my solid and heavy steed
Got a Touareg too - oh you said toe rag!
I had a multistrada previous which was a great bike but I just could never get comfortable and the mirrors were useless.
I can't ride with my legs cramped up and so, personally, if you don't mind the looks, the R1200GS is agreat bike. Plenty of used ones for sale too at present as people queue for the new GSA (like me!).
I had a multistrada previous which was a great bike but I just could never get comfortable and the mirrors were useless.
I can't ride with my legs cramped up and so, personally, if you don't mind the looks, the R1200GS is agreat bike. Plenty of used ones for sale too at present as people queue for the new GSA (like me!).
morrisman said:
I've never ridden one, but that bike really appeals to me too. I like my big twins, can't fit into a crotch rocket any more and don't hoon around like I used to. I also prefer a good heavy bike for comfort and endurance, and maybe for the day some toerag pulls out in front of me and I can rent his car asunder with my solid and heavy steed
I understand what you mean about the appeal of the "solidness" of the bike, but they are not as heavy as you might imagine. They are down to 200kg now, whcih is getting pretty respectable (8kg less than a VFR800, for example).
I was quite surprised by how quick it felt. I know that 100bhp is not that much in a bike nowadays, but it just was so accessible. I used to be very happy with high revving engines, but nowadays I tend to ride at lower revs. That means that I need to kick down a couple of gears to get on the power on the smaller engined bikes. For what I want out of a bike now, the pull from 3-4k is much more important.
Which I suppose means that I am old now. Which is why I am buying an old man's bike.
northernboy said:
I understand what you mean about the appeal of the "solidness" of the bike, but they are not as heavy as you might imagine. They are down to 200kg now, whcih is getting pretty respectable (8kg less than a VFR800, for example).
Hmm, I well remember my old Kawa 1300: 720 lbs (320kg) with a wheezy and asthmatic 120 horses
Still, I rode 980 miles from the South of France to the Midlands on that in 16 hours, and felt like I could have done it again straight away. Real comfy touring beast.
Told you my opinion of the V-Strom 1000 in this post: www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=237949&f=74&h=0&hw=v%2Dstrom
As an update, I fitted the Suzuki TRE last weekend and it made a significant difference to my ability to keep the front wheel on the ground!!! It's now much harder
As an update, I fitted the Suzuki TRE last weekend and it made a significant difference to my ability to keep the front wheel on the ground!!! It's now much harder
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