Thinking of a new used ADV style bike, what are your thoughts? | Page 3 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Thinking of a new used ADV style bike, what are your thoughts?

Everyone I know with a BMW 1200GS has had final drive issues. Mixed bag of electrical issues for people I know with BMWs, plus the services are expensive.

My short list would be in no particular order.
vstrom 1000 (2nd gen)
vstrom 650 (2nd gen)
super tenere
honda african twin
honda vfr1200x
triumph tiger 1200
triumph tiger 800

Of course like your typical urban SUV my bike would not see any dirt and occasional gravel roads (I live in a rural area, occasionally they happen). I'd be buying it to ride as a sport touring.

If I were buying a bike for off and on roading it would be a DZ400 or 650.
 
XwQvE4j.jpg


now that's the second Strom I like the looks of ....remarkable....for the ugly duckling....
 
Bringing my own thread back from the dead.

Search is over, picked up a 2015 Super Tenere ES today. At the end it offered more of what I wanted at the best price. Only real other bike I considered is a current gen R1200GS, couldn't justify the price though.
 
My DL650 V-Strom was supposed to be a touring stopgap while my FZ1 was down. The ADV style long distance comfort and practicality has spoiled me and now I can't go back. While I fell in love with the style of bike, I never fell in love with the bike itself. It's at about 80k km's now, and a recent mechanical failure (see my Colorado ride report) has convinced me to start thinking of a replacement sooner than later.

The criteria is as follows
- Must be near bulletproof, reliability comes above all else
- Something used, under 60-70k km's, ideally under 30k km's
- $10k ideal budget, could stretch for the right bike.
- ABS is a must, traction control would be nice
- Don't care about off road performance
- Must be comfortable for long distance slabbing, fun in the corners
- Ideally comes pre setup with panniers and the usual touring stuff


Ideally, I would just buy the defacto 1200GS, they just don't depreciate though. Not a bad thing, but keeps a reasonable one a good bit out of budget.

Currently on my mind are the following
- 2nd gen V-Strom 1000
- Yamaha Super Tenere
- Yamaha FJ09 (did a demo day on one and don't remember liking it, willing to give it another shot)
- KTM 1190 Adventure, briefly thought about it before a google search for problems brought me back to my senses.
- Ducati Multistrada, same as above

Thoughts, suggestions?
There is only one bike that ticks all you boxes, FJR 1300. I have met lots of riders that have 200,000km with nothing but maintenance. It might seem like you are looking for an ST.

- Must be near bulletproof, reliability comes above all else - Check
- Something used, under 60-70k km's, ideally under 30k km's - Check. lots of garage queens
- $10k ideal budget, could stretch for the right bike. - Check -see prior point
- ABS is a must, traction control would be nice - Check, check.
- Don't care about off road performance - Check
- Must be comfortable for long distance slabbing, fun in the corners - Double check
- Ideally comes pre setup with panniers and the usual touring stuff - Check, ready straight from the factory
 
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There is only one bike that ticks all you boxes, FJR 1300. I have met lots of riders that have 200,000km with nothing but maintenance. It might seem like you are looking for an ST.

- Must be near bulletproof, reliability comes above all else - Check
- Something used, under 60-70k km's, ideally under 30k km's - Check. lots of garage queens
- $10k ideal budget, could stretch for the right bike. - Check -see prior point
- ABS is a must, traction control would be nice - Check, check.
- Don't care about off road performance - Check
- Must be comfortable for long distance slabbing, fun in the corners - Double check
- Ideally comes pre setup with panniers and the usual touring stuff - Check, ready straight from the factory

Nothing wrong with the FJR, just not my style. Tenere it is
 
XwQvE4j.jpg


now that's the second Strom I like the looks of ....remarkable....for the ugly duckling....

Suzuki did a great job giving the V-strom some style. I like the bike, has a great bullet proof track record but never liked the styling before.
 
Bringing my own thread back from the dead.

Search is over, picked up a 2015 Super Tenere ES today. At the end it offered more of what I wanted at the best price. Only real other bike I considered is a current gen R1200GS, couldn't justify the price though.
Congrats! A good riding buddy has a 2015. I've ridden it once and it's a very nice bike. That 1200 twin is a great engine.

Sent from my SM-A500W using Tapatalk
 
Bringing my own thread back from the dead.

Search is over, picked up a 2015 Super Tenere ES today. At the end it offered more of what I wanted at the best price. Only real other bike I considered is a current gen R1200GS, couldn't justify the price though.
Ended my search today, pulled the trigger on a '16 DL650XT.

My first choice was the Super Tenere, I would have gone that way if I didn't keep my FJR.
 
Ill let you know tomorrow, I'm picking her up in Cornwall. I sold my Busa this week, those days are now in my rear view mirror. This is a new dimension, new chapter for me, I have always enjoyed a fist full of power. I struggled with this decision -- do I go big on Tenere/VStrom1000/VFR1200x or try the WEE option and run her hard like a rented mule? I rode a Versys 300 and a CBR500F -- no va. I tried and really liked the KLR, I put away performance expectations and just smelled the roses -- unfortunately most of my riding friends have a bit more spirit than the KLR can bring. So it was down to the F800GS and the Wee. A trip to Madras BMW and a chat with a few owners in their parking lot made my decision a no brainer.

I really want to run the Dalton, I'm hoping this will be adequate for that run next summer.
 
Ill let you know tomorrow, I'm picking her up in Cornwall. I sold my Busa this week, those days are now in my rear view mirror. This is a new dimension, new chapter for me, I have always enjoyed a fist full of power. I struggled with this decision -- do I go big on Tenere/VStrom1000/VFR1200x or try the WEE option and run her hard like a rented mule? I rode a Versys 300 and a CBR500F -- no va. I tried and really liked the KLR, I put away performance expectations and just smelled the roses -- unfortunately most of my riding friends have a bit more spirit than the KLR can bring. So it was down to the F800GS and the Wee. A trip to Madras BMW and a chat with a few owners in their parking lot made my decision a no brainer.

I really want to run the Dalton, I'm hoping this will be adequate for that run next summer.

Congrats! Enjoy the new bike
 
Oh no ...MadMike on Stromtroopers....let the fun begin :D
Congrats....I miss the old mule from time to time but my CBF1000 is just too much fun when I wring her neck hard. Fuel range sucks tho.
You'll love the range on the Strom.
 
Oh no ...MadMike on Stromtroopers....let the fun begin :D
Congrats....I miss the old mule from time to time but my CBF1000 is just too much fun when I wring her neck hard. Fuel range sucks tho.
You'll love the range on the Strom.
Just got her home, chilly 4.5hr ride through the dark and rain from Cornwall to Toronto -- been sitting in front of the fireplace for an hour and I'm still shivering!

My first impression was very good, I'm happy. I rode home with stock Suzuki panniers and top case + 2 seats strapped on the back -- it looked as aerodynamic as a schoolbus. There's no threat of ripping my arms off when twisting the throttle, that's as expected. Brakes were OK but a little squishy/mushy for my liking, that will get some looking into. I'm not tall, the riding position was a bit cramped, possibly because the seat installed on the bike was an OE shortened option -- it was comfortable and I had no *** pain. Element protection is good upstairs, not so good from the knees down - don't think there's a fix for that. I was pleasantly surprised with behavior at speeds above the posted limit, not going to have trouble keeping up with my normal crowd. Used 18l of fuel for 420km, 4.3/100km or 66.5MPG -- better than the 45 I average on my FJR.

Tomorrow will be a better test. I'll try the Saddleman stock height jelly seat, and ditch the panniers. Toronto to Barry's Bay and back on some challenging roads with friends on an ST1300 and FZ1 - we'll see if the Wee gets left behind.
 
Tomorrow will be a better test. I'll try the Saddleman stock height jelly seat, and ditch the panniers. Toronto to Barry's Bay and back on some challenging roads with friends on an ST1300 and FZ1 - we'll see if the Wee gets left behind.
I've never had a problem keeping up with the big bikes on the street and I'm on the 1st gen. The only want is on the exit of a big corner, but the bike shines in the tighter stuff.
 
My next bike would be an adventure bike or sport tourer. I don't really like the height of an adventure bike. Sometimes exploring new roads & you're lost & you need to make a U turn. Hard to do on a heavy tall bike. But I do love the fact that it's utilitarian.
 
Just got her home, chilly 4.5hr ride through the dark and rain from Cornwall to Toronto -- been sitting in front of the fireplace for an hour and I'm still shivering

Hehe deja vu ...I picked up the CBF1000 in mid October in Ottawa and it was about 12 degrees....chilly ride into the wind on the 401 - no rain at least. Got pics yet?

••••

Rocker the CBF1000 is right up your alley as a sport tourer given the low CofG and adjustable seat height.

Indeed the Vstroms are a challenge to short inseams. I lowered the bike, the seat, and got an inch from my boots so could flat foot but still with a full load of fuel, tank bag and top case plus luggage you had to be cautious on cambers. ( 30" inseam )

Still the Mule ( 2010 Wee ) was super on gravel roads - lot of confidence and could be brilliant in the twists when not weighed down.
Unloaded ....it's just over 500 lb and has enough go to have fun and the 450 km range on the tank is very useful. You can really farkle them up to fit your needs and the seating position is very nice.
I find I need risers on all my bikes to be comfortable.
 
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My next bike would be an adventure bike or sport tourer. I don't really like the height of an adventure bike. Sometimes exploring new roads & you're lost & you need to make a U turn. Hard to do on a heavy tall bike. But I do love the fact that it's utilitarian.

You get used to it. You also pay more attention to where you’re putting your feet down too. One thing the taller bikes give you is more knee bend relief usually and that’s a lifesaver on a long trip. Also those taller bikes aren’t as tall when your weight is on them compressing the suspension which is designed to travel through a larger range.
 
My next bike would be an adventure bike or sport tourer. I don't really like the height of an adventure bike. Sometimes exploring new roads & you're lost & you need to make a U turn. Hard to do on a heavy tall bike. But I do love the fact that it's utilitarian.

Have you ridden an adventure bike? It's way easier to U-turn on an ADV bike because it was made for slower speed turns rather than a sport bike, which is made for higher speed, small-input turns. The turning radius on an ADV bike is a lot tighter than a sportbike.
 
That longer suspension is wonderful on roads like The James Bay Road with it's horrid freeze bumps. Depending on your weight a fork brace is useful on some. Most strom owners it's an early addition to prevent any wallowing tho later models may have corrected that.

I found the 2010 Vstrom 650 underbraked compared to the Burgman 650 and especially compared to the CBF.
Because they are real pack mules and have a big tank- weight can get up there but I never felt the brakes were inadequate...just need a little less agressive approach.

You will like being able to point the ADV bike off the pavement and explore with confidence and handle washboard and uneven surfaces easily. Just don't expect off road single track capability....most are too heavy, too little clearance and sometimes too much power for that.
But just having the ability to confidently explore the thousands of gravel roads in Ontario is a treat.
 

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