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

[the shoe]

Thanks ph0rk!!

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

[No False Enthusiasm]

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

NFE

[the shoe]

Originally Posted by No False Enthusiasm

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

[Mk5mike]

Wow I really like your goldwing

[the shoe]

Originally Posted by Mk5mike

Wow I really like your goldwing

Thanks!

[Jeathrow Bowdean]

Now that is the Gold Wing for the ADV picture frame I must say. I would give it 3 thumbs up if I had 3 of them. A picture of you rolling down the back roads into the sun set would get you a front row seat in the picture profile I bet. Ha Ha

From Jeathrow Bowdean in Western Canada

[Animo]

Originally Posted by the shoe

[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]
· Yamaha Super Tenere – Don’t know why but this bike just seems to speak to me.

There is your answer. It’s a big bang for the buck. It goes almost anywhere. Extremely comfortable. Low maintenance costs. Not everybody has one (yet)

[the shoe]

Originally Posted by Jeathrow Bowdean

Now that is the Gold Wing for the ADV picture frame I must say. I would give it 3 thumbs up if I had 3 of them. A picture of you rolling down the back roads into the sun set would get you a front row seat in the picture profile I bet. Ha Ha

From Jeathrow Bowdean in Western Canada

Thanks for the kind words!

[strider.deano]

Hey Shoe,

As of 2011 I had more than 100k miles on an ST1300 and found myself wanting to ride past the "pavement ends" signs. The ST1300 is really simple and cheap to maintain. Cost me less than $300 a year for dealer service. So what bike would give us the ability to roll through those signs with confidence? My pillion wasn't down with a bunch of hard core dirt .... anything I added to the stable had to be comfortable and capable of 200-400 mile days two up yet light enough to rip with the guys. Well I just said.....

Go out and ride them....

I was able to ride all of the bikes on your list except the 990.

· Yamaha Super Tenere – Don’t know why but this bike just seems to speak to me.

I borrowed a buddies and did about 60 road and 20 dirt miles. It felt a bit heavy, kinda like the St....but to big for me on the dirt.

· BMW 1200GS – I don’t think I need to explain why this is on the list lol

I really wanted to like this bike but the motor was just to buzzy. My hands would go numb after 20 miles! The cost of ownership just too high. It's a real good two up machine and fantastic at basic forest service roads and slabbing two up. But it just wasn't fun flipping around by myself. It also cost about 5k more than I wanted to spend.

· KTM 990 Adventure – Love the bike, hate the maintenance and may not be comfortable enough?

I've not ridden this bike, but I have spent some long weekends riding with some very skilled riders on this bike. It is probably the best two up dirt bike of the group. But the maintenance seemed quite high and costly.

· BMW 800GS – Love the idea of offroad potential… don’t know if I will really USE that offroad potential.

The few hundred miles I've spent on this bike were somewhat less than enjoyable. The first time I rode this bike it felt out of place on the road. Maybe it was the tires or the seat or ergos....it just didn't work for me as a road bike. I've got no dirt time, but the road miles were filled with buzzy highways, poor weather protection and sore ass......crappy seat!

The 800XC has performed very well on all but the narrowest of single tracks and it's way more comfortable for me than either of the GS's. I added the Jesse Bags, Rox Risers, HT crash bars and the Triumph bash plate and touring screen. The pillion seat is not as good as the ST1300 but we've put in some long days. This bike has been a great compromise between the comfort of the big bikes and the fun of the mid-sized 800's.

Well enough rambling, the best thing you can do is ride as many of these bikes as you can before you decide. Then go with it. Unless you have unlimited time and money, the bike you choose will always a compromise.

[the shoe]

Thanks for the info Deano!

[Kawidad]

I had a similar dilemma, except the two up part. I bought the Tiger 800 road model. The only thing that detracts from it being a brilliant road bike is a couple of niggles.

Food for thought: The transmission ratios are all wrong. First gear is too high, the rest of the gears are too close and 6th gear is too low. At the big speeds of the southwestern deserts, you're running the bike at 6 grand (RPMs) with redline around 10k. The motor will do it, but it's just kind of annoying and your MPG will suffer. The engine is brilliant, but is saddled with poorly thought out transmission ratios. However, it shifts buttery smooth and if geared down, the ratios would work well off road.

Also, running in the desert; the engine transmits a lot of heat onto your legs. Some people are more sensitive to it than others, but again, it can get annoying.

The factory seat is too soft. The foam squishes down too fast and gets uncomfortable on long trips. Also, the factory windshield is not the greatest. But, these are really just niggles and nothing fatal.

I like my bike, but thought I throw this information at you. You might also consider the 1050 Tiger. Another brilliant bike with some niggles, but definitely a better 2 up road bike.

[the shoe]

Originally Posted by Kawidad

I had a similar dilemma, except the two up part. I bought the Tiger 800 road model. The only thing that detracts from it being a brilliant road bike is a couple of niggles.

Food for thought: The transmission ratios are all wrong. First gear is too high, the rest of the gears are too close and 6th gear is too low. At the big speeds of the southwestern deserts, you're running the bike at 6 grand (RPMs) with redline around 10k. The motor will do it, but it's just kind of annoying and your MPG will suffer. The engine is brilliant, but is saddled with poorly thought out transmission ratios. However, it shifts buttery smooth and if geared down, the ratios would work well off road.

Also, running in the desert; the engine transmits a lot of heat onto your legs. Some people are more sensitive to it than others, but again, it can get annoying.

The factory seat is too soft. The foam squishes down too fast and gets uncomfortable on long trips. Also, the factory windshield is not the greatest. But, these are really just niggles and nothing fatal.

I like my bike, but thought I throw this information at you. You might also consider the 1050 Tiger. Another brilliant bike with some niggles, but definitely a better 2 up road bike.

Thanks Kawidad. I appreciate the feedback on the 800 Tiger!

[cug]

Originally Posted by Kawidad

The transmission ratios are all wrong. First gear is too high, the rest of the gears are too close and 6th gear is too low.

100% agreed. I can live with it, but it annoyed me in the beginning. Got used it though.

Originally Posted by Kawidad

Also, running in the desert; the engine transmits a lot of heat onto your legs. Some people are more sensitive to it than others, but again, it can get annoying.

I'm squarely in the "don't have a problem with it" category. I wear ATGATT, therefore I"m a bit more protected from heat, also don't like mesh gear too much as it dehydrates me too fast. Therefore, not an issue for me (all of my riding is in the West).

Originally Posted by Kawidad

The factory seat is too soft. The foam squishes down too fast and gets uncomfortable on long trips. Also, the factory windshield is not the greatest. But, these are really just niggles and nothing fatal.

Both correct. Still need to address the seat, but I guess that either a sheepskin or an Airhawk would be sufficient. I might go custom seat, although I doubt it. I don't keep bikes long enough for this to make sense.

Windshield can easily be replaced with a Palmer or Madstad, both seem to give more or less perfectly smooth airflow. I have a Palmer and it certainly works for me. The Madstad is more protective though. Depends which end of the touring spectrum you are one or the other might make more sense.

[the shoe]

Uh Oh.......





I just saw the first couple of videos for the new KTM Adventure 1190 .
I may very well have to add that to the list .

[keystiger]

The gearing ratio on the Tiger maybe an easy fix with a different sprocket set.
I don't own an 800 so can't say 100% However, I do own a 955i Tiger, and it has never let me down, never skipped a beat and after 5 years is the only bike in my stable, and you'll have to pry it from my cold dead hand.

And prior to that I owned a Triumph Sprint. a '98. It had over 100,000 miles on it when I bought it as a "basket case" it needed a "spray clutch" which on that year required cracking the cases to repair. That motor internal was the cleanest I have EVER seen on any bike much less one with 100,000 miles.

I have owned 28 bikes in my life. (I own 1 and 1 only now because it does everything I need well, every time I ride it) Triumphs engineering is amazing. Get the Tiger, HELL the "non dirt worthy" (which is B.S.) 955 version is tried and tested 'round the world by a fellow member on this very site....check it out
http://www.poorcirculation.blogspot.com