Hey all, I'm stuck. I am not sure what is the best bike for me and hoping you all have some insight. I am currently most interested in either a triumph sprint or a suzuki v-strom 650 (though I have also considered the honda nc700 and the bmw 800gs). I'm a fairly new rider. My first bike was a 250 ninja for about 5 months that I rode everywhere and LOVED it. The difference between then and now is that I no longer live in the wet tropics, I live in continental europe. I want to be able to comfortably take my wife on trips of 2000km+ over a few weeks time and need luggage capacity to do that. I do not plan to take it offroad, ever. I also want a bike that is fun to ride by myself from time to time and am hoping to get something that will fit both functions. My biggest concern with the V-strom is that it won't be comfortable for the passenger with all of the luggage fully packed up. Anyone have experience with this? My concern with the Sprint is that it is just a tad bit too powerful for me just yet. Maybe not such a concern with the 2nd passenger? Thanks for your help !
Where you now live, are there any laws restricting the maximum power of the bike you can buy? Are you considering both new and used? Do you have a budget? For two up comfort you might want to consider a V-Strom 1000 or GS.
The Vstrom 650 is one of the few middleweight bikes with ample room for a passenger. They are inherently top-heavy, and a passenger and luggage will add to that, so suggest you put on a couple thousand miles solo in all conditions to get used to it before embarking on any lengthy two-up trips.
I'd reccommend you take some time and go with your wife to several different shops to check out all the different kinds of rides and then make a list of the top bikes that you both like and feel comfortable on. Riding 2 up with luggage for long distances is all about enjoyment and comfort for the both of you.
is the Sprint a GT or an ST? I believe the GT has a beefier subframe so it could handle the weight of a passenger and luggage better. Also Triumph offers some fantastic luggage for the GT. I think your passenger would be very uncomfortable on the NC700X or the F800GS. The DL650 is a good two up bike (for a 650). If you and your passenger are on the small side, it should do just fine. You can always change the seat for more comfort. So for me, I would prefer the Sprint GT, then the DL650. If the Sprint is an ST, I would prefer the DL650, then the Sprint. Don't worry about the power of the Sprint. Just be careful with it until you get a feel for it. Good Luck!
I did lots of two-up stuff with my VStrom 650 no problem at all. A friend had one that him and his wife put close to 200,000kms on, all over North America. As a newer rider, the 650 will be much easier bike to live with than the 1000 or the GS. Also if you prefer riding smaller, less-travelled roads, the 650 will work better. The bigger bikes really need the open space to stretch their legs. So it depends on what kind of riding you want to do.
I had a Sprint ST for four years and recently sold it with 33k miles. Its a superb bike with a bullet proof engine and can devour long distances in comfort while also providing excitement on a sunday blast. The ST subframe is not a problem for carrying passengers and or luggage, however purely from a comfort point of view for the pillion passenger the seat and seating position on the GT is far better. if you are buying a Sprint for solo an ST for pillion work a GT, and dont worry about the power, it has the most unbeleivably linear torquey engine and is happy to be ridden easy or hard. Ride both and you will find the Wee Strom gutless beyond belief.
I'm in the german alps. I'm trying to stay between 8-10k euros all in (luggage & racks included). I dont think there are any laws here about power - there are plenty of ridiculously powerful bikes for sale here.
I love my NC700X to bits, but I wouldn't imagine a passenger would be at all comfy on that seat...:eek1 The VStrom650 seat looked very plush, from what I could see, anyway.
Thanks, yeah I can choose between the ST and the GT now actually. Two are for sale used, the ST is 7500 and the GT is 10000... hmmm...
I will try and avoid the freeways as much as possible, just because the backroads are so beautiful around here. They can get quite tight/curvy, so this is good advice. Not making my decision easier!! =D Do you remember what luggage setup you/ your friend had on the 650? I'm curious if its possible to have all 3+ bags and a comfortable passenger...
Update: Also considering a Honda CBF1000. There is a nicely priced one for sale - but its a 2.5 hour drive from here... not sure if i should take the time to test it or not.
When looking at bikes unfortunately a lot of it comes down to insurance costs, insuring "the wrong type" of big 1000cc can be ridiculous expensive if you live in a big city and you are fairly young. BMW usually have really good rates their insurance, you could take a look at the F800ST or GT. They are really nice nimble and comfortable bikes. They are also superb all-rounders - good in town, on the high-way, two up, fun in the mountains etc etc.
A GS 1200:huh !! I needed something more upright as my back is starting to get stiff. A CBF 1000 ,Hans has absolutely no character, sure it will do the job but the boredom will get to you quickly.
The CBF1000 when released was tested very positive by all the mags. no. It's not the new panigale. But if you ever come across one just swing your leg over and everything just 'feels' right. The engine really isn't that powerfull (98 hp), it's just an old skool chassis (at least the old version, the new one has an updated chassis) but really it's more than the sum of it's parts. If you're looking for a reasonable cheap bike to run, semi decent 2up (I guess you're SO shouldn't be too big) and very capable of doing day tours, weekend tours or just travel the f*ck you want to go. That CBF1000 should do very well. A few years ago a dutch mag dit a 30 000 mile test with a 1000. (like they do with each bike) was one of the cheapest bikes to run. Not really because of fuel consumption (Expect 45 mpg?) but there just literally won't break anything down.
Yep, you're right! I test drove one today and almost immediately, it just clicked for me. Everything was just nice and smooth. The power was there if I wanted it and its plenty for me. The price tag was nice as well, this is going for 6k euro all in with luggage racks & luggage included only 7k kilometers on it. I am pretty much sold, but going to take the wife over next week to ride with both of us on to make sure before I pull the trigger. I also test drove the V strom and the Sprint. The V-strom was great, though it was a bit high for my 5'10" frame. I was on my toes at the stop light... =/ The sprint was ridiculously powerful. It was so much fun, I knew there was a good chance I would kill myself riding that thing. Plus I had no idea how far forward the stance was on it. It might have a cushy back seat, but there is not way that thing is a tourer. It started to wear on my arms after only 20 minutes on the bike (or maybe it was just the adrenaline? haha). It would be a great bike for taking on daytrips, but I cant see spending days on end on it.
They were giant hand-made things that looked like garbage cans. They were the biggest things I have ever seen bolted to the sides of a bike. I also ran a home made set-up. I had some used Givi brackets that I bolted cheap aluminum tool boxes ( about the size of briefcases, but about 10'' thick) Worked well, and almost waterproof. They weren't removable, but I had vinyl bags that fit inside, that were also, almost waterproof.
