New Bike Journey.... Trip one: Which Bike??! HELP

Fellow inmates… I need your help!! Your valued feedback has helped me in the past. I’m looking to hear from you all who have lived with these bikes, now that the honeymoon is over. I don’t need a magazine article to tell me how they felt about a bike for the day they had it… I want real ownership experience! So here we go…
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I’ve been out of the adventure bike market for about 5 years now (after getting into sandrails and the dunes) and now that I have moved to SoCal I really want to get back into riding more. The weather here has played a large role in that as well as the fact that I can just hop on the bike any given weekend and lose myself in a short ride or a weekend exploration.

With the sandrail it’s really a process to get out to use it; getting the RV and trailer, loading up for the trip, getting food and fuel, driving out, and all of the work driving back and unloading and getting cleaned up. I have really enjoyed it though and I’m sure I will miss it. I even went so far as to build myself a new sandrail this year hoping that it would draw my attention for a couple more years because I have so much invested in it.. but as with all things, no dice. Anyone in the market for a nice sandrail ?! Anyhow, I digress.
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I am looking at a couple of bikes and I have read a lot about them here on the site but am still torn. The bikes I am focused on are (in order of current preference):<o></o>
· Yamaha Super Tenere – Don’t know why but this bike just seems to speak to me.<o></o>
· Triumph Tiger 800XC – Really like the bike but I’m concerned it will not handle my touring wants.<o></o>
· BMW 1200GS – I don’t think I need to explain why this is on the list lol<o></o>
· KTM 990 Adventure – Love the bike, hate the maintenance and may not be comfortable enough?<o></o>
· BMW 800GS – Love the idea of offroad potential… don’t know if I will really USE that offroad potential.
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So a little about me, I’m 34, 6’-1” tall, 190lbs. I like long walks on the… oh wait, sorry… moving on! I have ridden a bit of everything from a Husky TE610 (loved that bike) to a Vstrom 1000. I’ve had a ZZR1200, Hayabusa, Multistrada 1000S, CRF 450R, KTM 625 SXC, KTM 690 supermoto, Yamaha XS650, the list goes on. Currently I ride an ’81 Goldwing that I turned café.
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Long and short basically is that I want to ride more often which leans me towards a good touring adventure bike but I also want to do offroad. I am not afraid of a heavy bike at all but have never really ridden one offroad. I’ve taken the Vstrom on some rough gravel two-up and that was fine but nothing like what I see you all doing on the bike ADV bikes. With the distances here in the SW-USA I really need to be honest about my riding habits, what will make me the most happy? I’m guessing I would lean more towards comfy all day touring with a bit of a handlful when it gets rough offroad instead of great offroad but brutal on the highway on my way to and from the trails.
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So… Let’s hear it! I can’t find any direct comparison between the Tenere and the Tiger 800XC (not that there should be as I know they are not direct competitors) but these are the ones that make me warm and tingly inside. Can the Tiger tour two-up comfortably with good protection? Can the Tenere really go offroad as well as I’m hearing (with bashplate! lol)?
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Last consideration is value. There are many more BMW 1200GS’s and KTM 990 ADV’s out there in the previously loved market than S10’s and Tiger 800’s… this may play a role in my decision as my toy fund is in the same state as most everyone else’s these days.
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I know I need to test ride them all and I’d love to, but only BMW will let me here locally which I plan on doing this weekend.
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Thanks in advance for all of your feedback!<o></o>

If your not sure if you will use the off road potential of the F800 GS, the same may be true for the T800XC. I have the T800 Roadie and love it.

Possibly, but from everything I have read the 800 XC tiger is already less offload worthy than the f800 GS, no first hand experience here though mind you. I suppose everything is relative but that seems to be the consensus. Also, with the Tiger it is clear that it is better on road than the BMW which is the trade off that concerns me with the BMW, off road potential with LESS on road touring ability.

I also don't know how well the Tiger will tour two up and if its off road ability vs the larger bikes is worth giving up their improved touring dynamics.

Good thing to consider though, thanks

Please post pictures of your cafe'ed Goldwing...

NFE

I'd love to, I'm a technophobe though and do not have a picture hosting site so I can't post pics... Sorry

If you really want them, PM me an email and I'll be more than happy to send you some pics

Dude, look up photobucket, picasa, Flickr, smugmug, etc

You look like you are agonizing over on-paper specs. screw that, go test ride bikes.

Other than that, based on your diatribe, I would give the super tenere a hard look. if you really are torn between the super ten and something else, chances are you don't really want either one.

Two up? Sounds like you need a full size adventure bike with tubeless tires.

You have some nice bikes in the list of your thread. A good set of tires, and your off to the world of fun, so don't mix things up to much with units that you want. It's nice to hear that you don't fear big bikes, and I wish I could say to same for me, but if you can ride, "And it sounds like you can," then this really opens the doors to picking many units that will work for you

I picked 16 bikes on my list, then I picked 2 of the 16 that fit my wish list the best. I added up all the pors and cons of each of them, then I went to the shop and bought both of them. One for hyw and dry gravel roads, and the other was for the bush and the odd hyw. Ha Ha. One bike is fun, but two bikes are twice as much fun.

From Jeathrow Bowdean

A full sized adventure bike is pretty much everything from a DL650 and up. Most of the 1200s are actually "oversized".

Anyways. The Tiger 800 is great for road trips. Did a few long weekend rides on my Tiger 800 (road version) last year and really liked it. Not that much comfort difference coming from a R1200GS, actually the Tiger was a bit better as I had a much better windshield (Palmer on the Tiger vs. OEM GSA screen on the GS). Both do one up and two easily, the Tiger is a bit more playful and fun, the GS a bit more powerful and planted. Rode the Tenere a bit but not much - great bike, though I didn't like it as much as the Tiger or GS. Personal preference ...

If mostly road is in your future, look at the MultiStrada 1200 as well. At least it's lightweight, fun, powerful - it would just be lethal for me. Too much power. Too much craziness.

Similar bike list to mine. Need a tour/commuter/ two up and some off road bike. Lets us know what you get. The s10 is my perfect bike but almost don't want to spend that much. But it's almost same price has ktm 990 new and the debate being the ktm will need more routine maintenance then the s10. But one is a road bike and one is a off road bike.

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Looks like I just need to bribe the local dealers here to let me test ride all of them before I really throw down the $$$.

Shouldn't have to bribe - call the USA offices of manufacturers to locate a demo if need be. FWIW, you can also call them to locate a particular model, that's how I found my ABS wee back in 2010 when they were rare as hen's teeth. Sure, a dealer can find them, but you're much better off if you find out which dealer has it on the lot and then you go there and buy from them.

Oh Cool!! Thanks for the info, I will definitely do that.

BTW, a couple pics of my Goldwing for those who asked . Links are the best I can do for now... they are supposed to work for non-dropbox folks too... Let me know if they don't :huh

https://www.dropbox.com/s/aq8s101ykkr7tqf/IMG_0358.JPG

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rgfgbhiltxvz6kl/IMG_0360.JPG

https://www.dropbox.com/s/58cftd98vpjau5z/IMG_0359.JPG

https://www.dropbox.com/s/beq3e52wfh2v0gq/IMG_0361.JPG

Nice bike!

Thanks ph0rk!!

One of these days I'll figure this picture hosting / posting thing out

Enjoyed seeing the photos of the Goldwing... Is it a bit loud?

NFE

Uh... that would be 'a bit' of an understatement

No really, it's not too bad. Nice lumpy idle and sounds amazing at 8K rpm!!! There is a wierd resonance at about 2500 - 3100 rpm that is really loud inside the helmet but it goes away and I usually wear ear plugs anyway so it's a non issue. Other than that, she just purrs

Wow I really like your goldwing

Thanks!