The Honda XL1000V thread

[Two Plugs]

Finally finalized:

http://varaderoforumcom.h826747.serv...er=asc&start=0

Pics will be add to the story by the end of this week.

Enjoy it!

[Yago]

Hey guys!!!
For me is a great bike, It´s my second one, In this moment has 118.000 kms and zero problems.

The first, only a small problem with the fuel bomb, with 75.000 kms, but a nice bike too.











Pics:


"She" don´t like mud, but....


It´s a great traveller:






funny:





And good to have a short "siesta" on the route:


Comfortable for the passenguer:



Or rolling even if the road is end:



And valid for all season:




...to discover magical places:


A nice bike!!!!!

Santi

my last travels:

http://sdesanti.blogspot.com/
in spanish, sorry ;-)

[varaman]

Nice pics! Nice looking bike as well. I'm really enjoying my '08 Varadero. A wonderfully smooth tourer that does extremely well on the often pot holed and frost heaved Canadian roadways.


Terry

[stevh0]

Ill say this again...

I love the Varadero! Awesome big tourer. It may be abit heavy. But its also very underestimated!

It will go where any GS1200 goes.

Did I mention it looks better too?


Pity about the fuel consumption...

[davidgibson999]

Originally Posted by stevh0

Ill say this again...

I love the Varadero! Awesome big tourer. It may be abit heavy. But its also very underestimated!

It will go where any GS1200 goes.

Did I mention it looks better too?


Pity about the fuel consumption...

I just bought a 2009 varadero and my first fill of petrol returned 42mpg which i thought was pretty good for a brand new bike... My 1200gs did about 45/47mpg

[stevh0]

I prefer the mk1's those are the real monsters that loved to drink fuel

I remember cruising at 160kph at the bike giving me like 11km/l (25mpg)

riding at 110km/h gave me 13km/l

not a big difference.

The newer bikes are obviously better at this.. but the older bikes looked alot tougher!

[crocapo]

I am very satisfaite with consuption on My 2008 Black Varadero.It is about 300 km and that is 7,5-8 liter in city and 420km on road whitch is about 6l full equipment on it.Belive me that is nothing if you compare it with Dl 1000 V Strom whitch My friend haves...

[crocapo]

Hi
Yago,
great pics,Superb bike I like it also very much!!

[tenorjazz]

Would anybody who has owed both bikes care to say what they liked or disliked about each?

Has anybody had any troubles with these bikes?

You read the GSpot forum and you hear about all kinds of problems with the big GS!!

[davidgibson999]

Originally Posted by tenorjazz

Would anybody who has owed both bikes care to say what they liked or disliked about each?

Has anybody had any troubles with these bikes?

You read the GSpot forum and you hear about all kinds of problems with the big GS!!

I have had two R1200GS bikes - covered about 65000 between the two of them. Had a host of problems - final drive oil seal, gearbox oil seal, crankshaft oil seal, snapped alternator belt, failed final drive bearing.
just bought an 09 honda varadero a couple of weeks ago. loving it so far. engine is far superior to that of the GS...

[stevh0]

Originally Posted by davidgibson999

I have had two R1200GS bikes - covered about 65000 between the two of them. Had a host of problems - final drive oil seal, gearbox oil seal, crankshaft oil seal, snapped alternator belt, failed final drive bearing.
just bought an 09 honda varadero a couple of weeks ago. loving it so far. engine is far superior to that of the GS...

I wonder how quick the Vara is in comparison with the 990 KTM.

[crocapo]

Originally Posted by stevh0

I wonder how quick the Vara is in comparison with the 990 KTM.

You can can not compare those two bikes.Vara is more for roads,but ktm is more for off road.But if you ride Your bike in roads more ofen then off road vara is much better bike.It is mor comfortable and better bike then Ktm.Ktm haves lots of problems .Two of my friends have ktm-s one is adv 950 one is 990 adv...they can not sold them no body wont to buy them....

[GB]

There's a comparison thread asking about the Varadero vs. 1200GS.

But since the XL1000V is only available in Canada, but not in the US.. it's pointless.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=478178

[bluesman]

I believe in some part Crocapo is right - you can not compare 990 Adventure and Varadero. But you can compare 990 SMT and Varadero.
Varadero is better long distance paved roads tourer. SMT is much more agile and less comfortable. In my opinion:Varaderos I tried twice - MK1 had exceptionally good "pull" from lower gears, but that was 5 speed older model and bad on fuel. New one did not improve on that "pull", but had better engine response (injected model) and better fuel consumption.

There is nothing bad about that engine, it's very good. I do not agree 1200GS feels stronger at all. I still own Superhawk (engine donor for Varadero) and prefer way it works over Vara version, but I am more into sport twins.
Comparing to KTM990 SMT it felt less responsive but more smooth and torquey engine. Suspension was undoubtedly better on KTM from control point of view but Vara seem to be bit softer and comfortable I felt. But I am not big guy, so not sure what other riders will feel.

As for second statement from Crocapo that people can not sell 950 and 990 - that left me scoffing :) Perhaps it is crappy economy and income to blame rather than old boring stories about problems with KTMs. Send those KTMs you can not sell to Russia - they will fly away at reasonable price. In Belgium 990 costs so much that people do not buy it because of price, not because of anything else. And they rarely on sale and cost fortune to buy second hand.
I anybody can sell me Adv 990 at price of second hand varadero (that'll be around 5-6000 Euro over here) - we can have a deal.

Also I never heard in Belgium supposingly European expression mentioned above in the tread that Vstrom is "poor man Varadero". It's good to like your bike, but reason should prevail over slaggin every other similar bike on market. Every OK bike does some things good and some worse. There is room for everything. I also do not think Vstrom is better than Varadero, they both OK in what they meant for.

[varaman]

Originally Posted by tenorjazz

Would anybody who has owed both bikes care to say what they liked or disliked about each?

Has anybody had any troubles with these bikes?

You read the GSpot forum and you hear about all kinds of problems with the big GS!!

Compared to the many North American armchair critics who claim to have endless knowledge of the Varadero, and love to compare the first generation of it to the BMW 1200 GS, I have actually had experience with both bikes. I have a 2008 Varadero, and during the last two years have spent a large amount of seat time on my father's 1200 GS. Is the Varadero better than the BMW? Nope. Is the BMW better than the Honda? Nope. It all depends what you are looking for. Since owning my Varadero for close to a year, however, I have made a very curious observation: V-Strom, Tiger, and KTM guys and gals love it when they become familiar with it, and some (not all) BMW riders suddenly became experts on everything Varadero. I especially loved last year, knowing that my Varadero was the first delivered to a Canadian, and suddenly hearing from 1200 riders of their experiences with the Varadero. Of course, not them personally, but their numerous friends who just happened to have owned one. Interesting. Other 1200 riders, those secure with their abilities and actually rode their bikes, liked it, especially when they rode mine.

By observations (with about 5000 km. each bike)

The Varadero has a better powertrain. It's smoother and much more responsive. It's power delivery is much smoother than the BMW, but the 1200 has more torque at the bottom.

The 1200 has a superior offroad suspension. Neither bike is nimble, but the 1200 would be my choice for limited offroad work. The suspension of the Varadero is better suited for rough roads and pot holes. The Varadero is less punishing on road trips than the 1200, while the 1200 rebounds better in the rough going.

The braking is superior on the Varadero. One word: awesome. The linked ABS is wonderful. Should be a model for all bikes.

Touring is more suited to the Varadero than the 1200. The Varadero has great wind protection and is lovely to ride at highway speeds. It gobbles up the miles without leaving the rider tired in any way.

The 1200 is more nimble around town. The Varadero is a porker, but like all Hondas, it magically sheds it's weight while underway. The 1200 is lighter, and it makes for a more pleasant bike while threading it's way through traffic. One has to be tall of statue to comfortably rest a Varadero while sitting at traffic lights.

Fuel consumption is better on the 1200. But not by much. Everyone loves to show pictures of the original Varadero and use it as the benchmark. The Varadero received fuel injection a few years ago and the mileage improved greatly. In 2007 the bike was changed again, with updated bodywork and revised fuel management.

The build quality is better on the Honda. It's obviously screwed down with a degree of pride. Not the say the BMW is not, but the Varadero seems to be a little better. And give me chain drive any day of the week.


Anyway, just my observations. The BMW is bike better suited to offroad, while the Varadero is better suited to onroad. Both are too heavy to do what they're marketed as, but both have their strengths and weaknesses.

Since all the "experts" of the Varadero love to show ten year old pictures, I'll post one of my '08:


Terry