In a recent high speed wobble incident, my beloved Strom became a total loss. I walked away, thanks to the 'Stich. Now, what do I go to? It's a great time to be a motorcycle enthusiast. I'm torn between a Super Tenere and a Triumph Explorer. The electronics of the Yammy seem to be a cut above, but the power of the Trumpet sounds intoxicating. Plus, triples sound awesome. Like sex on wheels. I need to find some demo rides; I may end up on a Guzzi, who knows? My question is this: where does a 90/10% DL1000 rider go? I like that the Yammy is better in the dirt, but I also like that the Triumph is better on the road. Every time I see a GL1800 or a GSA I think, what a good idea! Conc 14 seems to fall between these two. All I know is it's got to be shaft drive. Otherwise, I'm lost. I've considered the Stelvio NTX, the GSA, HP2, Super Tenere, Explorer,VFR1200, GL1800... I feel a little lost. I'm just looking for a little perspective. Thanks!
Glad to hear your ok. I know you had a boat load of miles on the Vstrom. I would buy another Vstrom. From talking to riders the KTM adventure is great offroad but not as good the vstrom on road. I met a guy who told me his tiger has electrical problems.
when my 04 dl1ooo with givi v35 cases was totaled i picked up a new 5 year old 03 sv1000 with 0 miles. i dont know what the differances are but it feels smoother like the fly wheel is lighter. i miss the fairing and side bags but i put a nice color matched coos case with brake lights on it. i miss the soft long travel suspension but the sv feels so strong ill never reach its limits. i put on the buell lower foot pegs and raised the bars. i also found a color matched hugger. l would like another touring bike but the sv is staying with me.
I love the super ten. I am currently on a DL1000 (2004). They feel very similar to me, the ten carrying the weight a little lower. besides the electronics, I didnt feel there was enough difference for me to upgrade. By the By, I'm considering selling my DL to change to a more dirt oriented thumper. '04 silver and black with a silver frame. madstad, swmotech crashbars and on/off road pegs, 11,000 miles. If you are interested, it would save you about 10,000. That being said, the super ten is the best bike I have ever ridden. I test ride most every year at daytona. So if I had 15,000 bones just laying around, and was in the market, I would not hesitate to get one. Way better than the beemer. Way better than the connie 14. way better than the fjr etc,etc,etc
The question to ask is the Yamaha good enough on the road and is the Triumph good enough in the dirt for you?
I've had a few of those bikes (GL1800, GSA,plus an FJR) They've all seen 2 up seasonal and single track more than highway. Seeing how it has to be a shaft, how about a Ural? I laughed at first, but now I'm having a blast with it.
The answer to that question for me was Triumph Tigerrrr 800. However, I ditched a shaftie Beemer GS for the chain. I prefer chains, but you have a different preference. While the 800 has some things I don't like, it is a splendid bike that will do all that I ask of it.
What does your budget look like and what is available in your area? It would be much easier to get into a Super Ten around here than an Explorer, as the Super Ten has been out for a minute and the Explorer is still pretty fresh. Have you sat on the bikes that you are interested? There is a pretty significant difference (in my opinion) in the riding position on bikes like the GSA, S10, Explorer, and the more sport touring bikes like the VFR, C14, etc. If you haven't, sit on some stuff and see what feels naturally. And finally, maybe let that "je ne c'est quoi" influence you as well. The first bike I bought was an Aprilia Pegaso, not necessarily because it was the best choice (although it worked out awesome) but because it moved me. For me personally, the Explorer doesn't do anything - I would buy a GS/GSA instead. The S10, in black, would be my choice between the two, but that's just me. YMMV.
You're right - lots of great choices. And I would wager every one of them is better than the Vee in almost every category except Value (versus a used Vee) and Reliability (but they're probably pretty close). I have no suggestions because I don't know what floats your boat. But rather than getting hung up on the 90-10 thing, maybe consider what that 10% really is. If it is just fire roads, then you really don't need an adventure bike. You may still want one for the comfy riding position and a suspension that soaks up bumps. But if you're talking graded roads, a bike's dirt capabilities really don't matter. The S10's dirt capabilities won't matter if you don't ride on trails where it would be superior to the competition. My Vee does really well on gravel roads, but not so much better than a more road-oriented bike. The rougher it gets, it probably would differentiate itself more, but since I don't plan on taking my 500+lb bike on anything really rough, that aspect of the Vee doesn't score any points with me. I see a more refined sport tourer in my future and I will still take it on mild dirt roads. Because most of what the Vee does, it will likely do better. And the few things the Vee could do better, probably won't matter with my riding. So look at the areas you really need a bike to shine for your riding and choose accordingly (so long a the bike speaks to you). Or just buy one of the many awesome Adventure bikes out there now and enjoy - your probably can't make a bad decision! Just my $.02. And I hope you're recovering nicely.
Same here even though I massively prefer shaft. Wasn't too big a deal over the last 4k miles in 6 months. Not much, I know, but I still have a demanding job.
I have Max BMW across the street, a Triumph/Ducati dealer two miles away, and Japanese dealers within a matter of minutes. Moto Guzzi isn't too far away, either. Depot Honda is close, but I don't do business with them. History with ownership. She's a moron. Amazingly enough, everything is easily accessible. I have sat on most of the bikes I'm thinking about. The S10, Tiger, VFR, Wing, Conc, others. I have no problem drilling the triple clamp on a Repsol CBR and mounting dirtbike bars and dropped footpegs, so factory ergos mean nothing to me. The S10 felt great, but the lack of a real chance at a demo irks me.I can't necessarily make it to an event to test one. If I can't ride it, I can't drop $12-15K. Part of me just wants to stick it to the Japanese dealers and buy Euro simply because they'll actually let me saddle one up. My budget is strong. I'd like to keep the cost down, but I could afford a decked out GSA if I really wanted it. There was a time when I thought my next bike would be a Tiger 800, but, after riding one, I wan't really blown away. Great bike, just didn't hit the right chords with me. Anyway, just brainstorming. It's getting cold here in NH, anyway. Lots of think time coming up. Thanks for the ideas.
After seeing the debut of the KTM 1190, I think I'm in love. It's like a dirty Multi. Maybe the best bet is to find a cheapish used bike, bide my time, and see how the water boxer and new KTM compare :eek1
But then the New Super Ten and the New V-Strom will be out, then you will have to keep the old bike and.....
Since you mentioned the C14 and GL18, how about an FJR? Don't know if they are shaft or chain, and I'm too lazy to look it up, but it seems to be a pretty respected sport tourer. I looked at one when I went in to look at a S10, and came away more unsure of my priorities. I also came across a Tiger recently. I can't decide if its worth "upgrading" to from my DL650. There is something to be said for a basic, inexpensive, and reliable bike. Sometimes a specialized tool is better than a leatherman. Maybe consider a smaller dual sport for that 10%, and a street bike for the 90%. I've got a DRZ, and keep thinking about a pavement eater for my "primary" bike, instead of my all purpose Wee. I know, I really didn't help you at all, but know you're not alone trying to figure out which features are most important to you. Ryan
