Switching to a twin from a 4

Is 90hp enough for off road tho?
 
ur graph only starts at 3k :D I'd rather have the Honda torque curve ;)



torquetest.jpg
 
I currently have a Bandit 600 with a full set of Givi luggage, which is the predecessor to your bike. It is a great bike and does everything flawlessly, but does lack in the personality department, just like you say. I've looked at the MG myself and it has a lot of appeal for touring, as long as you don't mind slowing down a little compared to the Suzuki. The MG V7II has a 22L fuel tank which will go a looooong way between fill-ups. You can get a full set of Givi luggage or Hepko-Becker luggage for it which again, combined with the huge fuel tank makes it a very competent tourer. Maybe add a bar mounted windscreen that you could easily remove and you have yourself a really nice tourer. The shaft drive is the big draw for me. I had shaft drive on my Virago and it's the only thing I miss about that bike! I don't understand why most street bikes don't have one. Not having to lube a chain constantly on a long trip is sooo nice!

The down side to the MG is the hp and the 5 speed gearbox. Not having a 6th cog on a long trip can get tiresome if you're traveling on the highway. As long as you're traveling at 100km/h or less it's not an issue, but if you're traveling at 110-120km/h it gets really buzzy. If you're traveling backroads and following the squiggly lines on the map it would be an excellent bike. The MG has 50hp if I remember correctly. Your 650 has roughly 80hp. If you don't mind the drop in power it'll be a great swap.

Everything I've read about the MG says as long as you accept it for what it is it's a ton of fun! The motor is always described as being "full of character". Apparently if you blip the throttle it really shimmies side to side but smooths out nicely once you're riding. I've read that a lot of guys love MV's for long distance touring and claim the motor and shaft drive to be bullet proof. The only real fly in the ointment is the dealer network, or rather lack there of in Ontario. Only a few dealerships. If you live near one great. If not, check with your local repair shop if they are comfortable working on them if you can't do the work yourself.
 
The 2016 MG V7 now offers a 6th gear and abs and traction control, but the TC is a bonus from the abs system and not really needed on a 48 HP motor. The 6th gear and the abs would motivate me to get it instead of the MY 2015.

The MG V7 was high on my list when moving from an FZ1 (140 HP) but could not get my head around the HP drop to 48 and ended with a BMW F800r ( 87 hp with abs) 30 000 km later I am not missing the hp drop as the F800r has outstanding bottom and mid-range when we tend to spend most of our time.

The new Bonneville looks appealing too, but the MG is still on my list when I start doing less touring in the future.
 
BigEvilDoer said:
my next bike will likely be a Ducati Diavel or KTM Superduke - both twins...
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Was looking at those exact two models as well. I need to test ride both before I jump ship tho.. People worry me when they talk about vibrations knocking **** off their bike.. (just **** I've read from owners online..)
 
chickenstrips said:
Hi guys,

Decided on the V7, the insurance quotes I got on the Bonny were significantly higher that on the V7 and my current bike.

Thanks!
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Any details on the gsx? Year, mileage, colour and trade value? My wife wants a new bike and she likes the gsx in black.

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Iceman said:
Any details on the gsx? Year, mileage, colour and trade value? My wife wants a new bike and she likes the gsx in black.

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Careful brother, once she goes black...?

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Joe Bass said:
Careful brother, once she goes black...?

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Too late. Her ninja 250 is black, her xr100 and cr125 both had black plastics went we bought them. It's a trend, funny thing is she doesn't like black. But she likes the gsx650 in black with a red/silver stripe. Go figure. Finding her next bike has been a nightmare for me.

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If you do a lot of touring, you will certainly notice the lack of wind protection. It will take its toll after a while. There must be windscreen options though to get you better suited for touring.
 
STARSHIP said:
The 2016 MG V7 now offers a 6th gear and abs and traction control, but the TC is a bonus from the abs system and not really needed on a 48 HP motor. The 6th gear and the abs would motivate me to get it instead of the MY 2015.
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You are correct sir! I missed that upgrade for the '16. Well, that should smooth it out on the highway nicely making it an even better all rounder and touring bike. As for the lack of wind protection, that might not be a bad thing. Unless you're riding a Goldwing, there is always a certain amount of buffeting/turbulence caused by the stock windscreen or even aftermarket windscreens. Depending on your height etc, sometimes this can be a minor annoyance to utterly horrible. It can also be very loud. I know certain bikes I've rode with very good wind protection had extremely loud wind noise even with my full face helmet and custom ear plugs. I've always noticed that when riding a naked style bike, you are getting the wind, but it's smooth air and can be more comfortable and quiet compared to some windscreens. Back in the day, none of the bikes had wind protection and everyone rode them all over the place. It might get tiring on a 600+km day, but up to that point it would have to be a pretty blustery day to make you tired, IMO.
 
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