What bike did you like more than you thought you would?

[Unleaded]

I created a thread about it a month or so ago, but after 500 miles of ownership, I can say with certainty it's the VFR1200 for me. Never interested in it. Wasn't attracted to a thing about it until recently, when low prices made it worth a shot. Still too early to say for sure, but this thing could easily rank among my favorite bikes I've ever owned or ridden. Gotten to the point I really like the looks, even, though I'll still change the exhaust at some point. Just a brilliant all-around bike.

[eatpasta]

I hated the 1150GS. I bought it because a fellow ADVer was trying to sell it and I had the money. At first, I really hated it. I stalled it a bunch of times trying to test ride it. It handled funny, it's tall and butt ugly....
but then something started to happen - I started to ride it. I had 4 other bikes but I just rode this thing all the time. In the canyons on the weekends, on trips with my wife, in the dirt, on the highway.....

In the last few years my wife and I have done over 60k on this bike and have literally spent months traveling around the country.
I would have never imagined that I would spend a month in Mexico, and actually rode some of the Baja 1000 course on this bike. It's ugly, nearly indestructible, and can do dammed near anything if you have the balls.
I love this bike.

[dieselpete]

Two bikes, F650GS I was looking for a DR650, and a "friend" had a spare GS... This bike did everything the DR did, only better. I must explain, I'm 80/20, and not into extreme off-road. Then I made a big mistake... Another "friend" had a R1200GS... A few weeks later I had one, as the only way to describe the ride was "I didn't meet God the other day, but I did ride his motorcycle".

[Speedo66]

Two bikes actually.

An '00 Suzuki SV650 Naked turned out to be way more than the sum of the parts or the spec sheet would indicate. Great engine, great light, flickable handling. Loved that bike, but sold it to my son in exchange for a new '03 SV1000 Naked. While the 1000 had a great, more powerful engine, the amazing handling and lightness was gone.

The other bike is my Kawasaki W650, basically a shameless clone of a 60's Bonneville. I've had classic Triumphs, and this bike gives you everything you liked about them, with none of the downsides, i.e., oil leaks, electric gremlins, and poor starting. It has the magic e button, plus a kick starter for those times you feel like it. Did I mention how pretty they are?

If you've never ridden a classic Triumph, you owe it to yourself to take a ride on one of these to see what the fuss was all about.

I've ridden the new Triumphs, and in my opinion, the Kaw is a closer copy of the old ones, with more of what made them so desirable.

[eatpasta]

Originally Posted by dieselpete

Two bikes, F650GS I was looking for a DR650, and a "friend" had a spare GS... This bike did everything the DR did, only better. I must explain, I'm 80/20, and not into extreme off-road. Then I made a big mistake... Another "friend" had a R1200GS... A few weeks later I had one, as the only way to describe the ride was "I didn't meet God the other day, but I did ride his motorcycle".

you know what's weird about the GS, at least for me is that it never impressed me but to this day is still continues to surprise me.

[Randy]

Originally Posted by eatpasta

... but then something started to happen - I started to ride it. I had 4 other bikes but I just rode this thing all the time. In the canyons on the weekends, on trips with my wife, in the dirt, on the highway.....
It's ugly, nearly indestructible, and can do dammed near anything if you have the balls.
I love this bike.

Yep, I do love my R1150GS. Even though I have other bikes, the GS pretty much left the others to collect dust. I have others that I enjoy for shorter local solo rides, but if I'm going somewhere or wanting to do some two-up, the GS is my go to bike. I kinda like the butt ugly nature of it too. Just quirky enough to be sorta cool and ugly enough to not worry about polishing it. I just ride it and let the bugs add up...

[mac inger]

I know im gonna catch flak for this ,..but after a few thousand dollars of farkling, i like her a lot :P
Daily driver.

[Mobiker]

Originally Posted by Steve G.

In 1991 I wanted to get rid of my 3 yr old Ducati in the worst way. It had been a mechanical night mare, a dealership system imploding in Canada, a gigantic money pit. I decided to go from a red, sexy, Italian model, to a wide assed, ugly German housewife, as bikes go. I rode home on my new R100GS, with it's weird switchgear that I had to pull over twice to figure out.
After 2 weeks, I understood. The thing works. 23 years, 130,000kms, and countless attempts by other companies to duplicate, this thing is WAY more bike than I originally thought it was.

In '91 I bought a 1988 R100GS to ride to Alaska in '92. I had a Sportster I loved, but it just wasn't the right bike to ride to AK and I got a good deal on the GS, so I thought I'd ride it to AK and back and then sell it.

Something happened on the Alaska trip. Many other bikes have come and gone. I still have the GS. I would buy a new one if they still made them.

[eatpasta]

Originally Posted by Randy

Yep, I do love my R1150GS. Even though I have other bikes, the GS pretty much left the others to collect dust. I have others that I enjoy for shorter local solo rides, but if I'm going somewhere or wanting to do some two-up, the GS is my go to bike. I kinda like the butt ugly nature of it too. Just quirky enough to be sorta cool and ugly enough to not worry about polishing it. I just ride it and let the bugs add up...

yeah people certainly LOOK at the bike differently, as if "what in the hell is that thing...."

it's ugly like a pickup truck

[Unleaded]

Originally Posted by mac inger

I know im gonna catch flak for this ,..but after a few thousand dollars of farkling, i like her a lot :P
Daily driver.

You'll never get flak from me, brother. Those are just solid, honest motorcycles, and in this day and age, even with a bunch of farkles, they make all kinds of economic sense too. I could see myself having one as an only bike one day.

[Guano11]

Loved it when I bought it used in '93, but as a dual sport guy, I never thought I'd still love it after 20yrs!
I've ridden the ST1300 and the BMW K1600GT. Both great bikes, but not worth the $10,000 - $20,000 price differential. Comfy tourer, practical commuter, and a competent burner on those sportbike training days.

"Plastic Fantastic" turned out to be waaay more motorcycle than I bargained for!

[It'sNotTheBike]

I expected to like the 690 a lot. It's known to be an exceptional bike in the
dual sport motorcycle world. But I was not prepared for just how good the
bike really is.


It has exceeded my expectations and continues to do so every time I ride it.


The 690 has a broader range of use than any bike I know of, and though it
is not an enduro race bike or a canyon-carving street bike, it can venture into
both those realms and give a good account of itself. I have other bikes, but when
I just want to go riding and I am not sure exactly what the ride will involve or
where I will go, the 690 is the clear choice. If you want you can modify the bike
so it has an even broader range of capabilities, and then you can have a bike
which will take you around the world on back roads or trails, or around a race track
on supermoto wheels.


One caution : don't ride one unless you are ready and able to buy one.


.

[truck6driver]

Well it was a bike that was only to be an in between bike and I ride it more than either of my other 2 bikes. I don't see me getting rid of her anytime soon. Fun little bike thats a hoot to ride in the twisties.

My 1983 Honda Ascot FT500
Goes almost anywhere.

[MariusD]

Honda CRF230F.

My buddy got one in street trim, with street tires, and my reaction was, wtf?! Why would you buy this POS....?

Then he told me to take it for a spin and it actually put a smile on my face. It was so nimble but at the same time smooth on our terrible streets, smoother than my m50! I said DANG, this is perfect for around town, get's around 70mpg, and is fine for everything other than highway. I was not expecting that. He runs around the city on it all the time and loves it. And now I understand why

[adcolor]

I bought from a friend who had bough it from an old man that lived up the street from his parents. Had ~9700 miles on it. A great hunk of mechanical crap until I took it apart and put it back together.

Then it was great. You had to RIDE that bike to extract every bit of power it didn't have. Sounds bad, but it was a way better motorcycle than the bike that replaced it (98 Kawi 1300 full Vetter/Samsonite dresser). That Kawi did every mechanical and measurable performance thing better.

But I still preferred my Hog. Front tire (Metzler Lazer 33) and a set of brake pads each change (~8000 miles). Put a ventilated front rotor on it, braided brake line, soft Vezrah pads. And loved the smell of brake pads on a Sunday morning. Only took one hand to stop then.

Sparks a flying from the floor boards -- especially effective during night rides.