Thinking of trading my V-Strom 650XT for the new Himalayan 450 – need your thoughts!

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FreeAgent said:
The key points i agree with "hate being a BMW owner in Canada". Planned obsolescence is part of BMW engineering and the likes philosophy.
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If planned obsolescence was really part of the BMW engineering philosophy, whoever designed the funuro 650cc/F650GS single/G650GS single that they made for a quarter century was surely fired, and then re-hired just so they could fire him again to get out of paying him severance.

Fortnine just did a video on it the off-road specific version yesterday that you should watch:


These things are bullet proof. Both of my 14 years old G650GS (650cc singles) have tens of thousands of km on them. They still look as good as new minus one or two scuffs and a hot brunette's even hotter shoe melting on part of the pipe.

Will a 14 year old Royal Enfield still look brand? Based on how my Interceptor 650 looked at 4 years old? Probably not. I bet a Japanese bike would though.
 
adri said:
If planned obsolescence was really part of the BMW engineering philosophy, whoever designed the funuro 650cc/F650GS single/G650GS single that they made for a quarter century was surely fired, and then re-hired just so they could fire him again to get out of paying him severance.

Fortnine just did a video on it the off-road specific version yesterday that you should watch:


These things are bullet proof. Both of my 14 years old G650GS (650cc singles) have tens of thousands of km on them. They still look as good as new minus one or two scuffs and a hot brunette's even hotter shoe melting on part of the pipe.

Will a 14 year old Royal Enfield still look brand? Based on how my Interceptor 650 looked at 4 years old? Probably not. I bet a Japanese bike would though.
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There was a YT video last month about a BMW engineer who was a whistleblower on BMW practice (may be he was that engineer. Hopefully he does not end up as the Boeing engineer in the parking lot! I cant find the video anymore. However there is this one :
which shed some light on this practice.
My first hand experience with BMW is with their cars and i never own a BMW motorcycle. But i would assume the corporate policy of planned obsolescence would have trickle down to their motorcycle line.
I follow this Irish dude who is doing his SouthAmerica trip and he met another rider on a BMW 1300 GS (brand new) with some suspension issue. See the details here:
My current position is that, European manufacturers have mastered the engineering piece the same way as the Japanese did but corporate policies for profitability reasons has turned them into what they are now.
 
adri said:
These things are bullet proof. Both of my 14 years old G650GS (650cc singles) have tens of thousands of km on them. They still look as good as new minus one or two scuffs and a hot brunette's even hotter shoe melting on part of the pipe.

Will a 14 year old Royal Enfield still look brand? Based on how my Interceptor 650 looked at 4 years old? Probably not. I bet a Japanese bike would though.
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@adri: I love ya buddy but you've got to lighten up. RE's are built to a price, just like the new Triumph 400s and numerous other small and mid-displacement motorcycles from all over the world. What will the new BMW 450 cost and how many will they sell ? You own or have owned Vespas, Guzzis, even a Sportster (shame on you) and none of those companies sell a million bikes a year. Does RE have some problems - of course and I've shared them here on GTA and other places. RE North America is a joke, but I can get anything I want from Hitchcocks in England or direct from India in less than a week and the parts don't cost an arm and a leg. Plus, you can fix most anything with a hammer and a big stick - these are third world machines. The new generation bikes have only existed since 2017, what will they look like in 14 years ? Time will tell. Now tell us more about the hot brunette ???
 
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TK4 said:
@adri: I love ya buddy but you've got to lighten up. RE's are built to a price, just like the new Triumph 400s and numerous other small and mid-displacement motorcycles from all over the world. What will the new BMW 450 cost and how many will they sell ? You own or have owned Vespas, Guzzis, even a Sportster (shame on you) and none of those companies sell a million bikes a year. Does RE have some problems - of course and I've shared them here on GTA and other places. RE North America is a joke, but I can get anything I want from Hitchcocks in England or direct from India in less than a week and the parts don't cost an arm and a leg. Plus, you can fix most anything with a hammer and a big stick - these are third world machines. The new generation bikes have only existed since 2017, what will they look like in 14 years ? Time will tell. Now tell us more about the hot brunette ???
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As long as people are aware.

Thing is, and I say this with a Triumph Speed 400 in my garage, people get that the Speed 400 is a budget bike built to a price point with budget components, and no one's saying they're on par with the average Japanese street bike. Whereas many RE fanboys and their dealers will try to push that false narrative.

It's like when I warn people the Sportster is an absolute POS even when I owned and loved my Sportster. There are so many people who drink the Kool Aid and say the sportster is God's gift to motorcycling.

Sure, you can spend good money after bad and have a lot of fun on both bikes, but we need more voices being honest about the strengths and the weaknesses clear to help protect riders from advertisingdollar-induced disappointment.
 
adri said:
As long as people are aware.

Thing is, and I say this with a Triumph Speed 400 in my garage, people get that the Speed 400 is a budget bike built to a price point with budget components, and no one's saying they're on par with the average Japanese street bike. Whereas many RE fanboys and their dealers will try to push that false narrative.

It's like when I warn people the Sportster is an absolute POS even when I owned and loved my Sportster. There are so many people who drink the Kool Aid and say the sportster is God's gift to motorcycling.

Sure, you can spend good money after bad and have a lot of fun on both bikes, but we need more voices being honest about the strengths and the weaknesses clear to help protect riders from advertisingdollar-induced disappointment.
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You forgot the brunette story ?
 
FreeAgent said:
Anyone has any experience with either Lone Rider - Rackless 70L Adv or the MoskoMoto Reckless 80 L? I currently have hard pannier on the Vstrom but i want to get a soft luggage for my next bike. Black Friday deals ongoing.
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I used the R80 on our trip across the country on the (TCAT) Trans-Canada Adventure Trail this summer. There's about two months worth of travel supplies in here, clothes, tent, camping equipment, tools and spares:

IMG_0133-X2.jpg


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  • Great mass centralization solution. Bags are as close to the bike as possible. We rode through some pretty tight sections of the TCAT and my wife's BC35s scraped by a lot of brush and bushes because they're mounted so far out. Never had a problem with the R80s.
  • When negotiating twisty sections which required moving the bike quickly left and right underneath you, you never felt like you had huge outriggers on either side. Bike is very nimble as a result and won't loose footing even in the slippery stuff.
  • Very durable. Had a couple of offs on the rocks and the holsters survived with no damage.
  • Very well thought-out design with all the various straps holding the bags tight to the bike, minimal movement or flapping around even on the rockiest sections of the trails
  • Molle panels on the top of the holsters and the beavertail allow you to easily add lots of additional storage and accessories. Great system.

All in all, great solution. I like it a lot.

I'm a big Mosko fan. Also have a R40 that I originally got for my enduro, but it can also be repurposed to fit my ADV bike for day trips:

20250418_180348-X2.jpg
 
Lightcycle said:
I used the R80 on our trip across the country on the (TCAT) Trans-Canada Adventure Trail this summer. There's about two months worth of travel supplies in here, clothes, tent, camping equipment, tools and spares:

IMG_0133-X2.jpg


20250820_133728-X2.jpg


20250827_182938-X2.jpg


  • Great mass centralization solution. Bags are as close to the bike as possible. We rode through some pretty tight sections of the TCAT and my wife's BC35s scraped by a lot of brush and bushes because they're mounted so far out. Never had a problem with the R80s.
  • When negotiating twisty sections which required moving the bike quickly left and right underneath you, you never felt like you had huge outriggers on either side. Bike is very nimble as a result and won't loose footing even in the slippery stuff.
  • Very durable. Had a couple of offs on the rocks and the holsters survived with no damage.
  • Very well thought-out design with all the various straps holding the bags tight to the bike, minimal movement or flapping around even on the rockiest sections of the trails
  • Molle panels on the top of the holsters and the beavertail allow you to easily add lots of additional storage and accessories. Great system.

All in all, great solution. I like it a lot.

I'm a big Mosko fan. Also have a R40 that I originally got for my enduro, but it can also be repurposed to fit my ADV bike for day trips:

20250418_180348-X2.jpg
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Thx. this is great feedback! Nice bikes by the way!
 
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