Advice for beginner...please
 

Hi All,

Just found this forum which is making great reading. I'm completely new to biking and haven't even completed my test yet! That hasn't stopped me trying to decide on a first bike. One option in my local bike shop is a new Aprilia Pegaso 650 trail which is going cheap (£1500 off rrp) but I can't find anything on this site about this bike. Anyone got any expericence - good or bad?

many thanks

Rob

The Pegaso is supposed to be OK from what I know, but what do you want th ebike for, and where do you want to go??

I got a Cagiva Elefant 750 LE just after doing my DAS because it was cheap and looked like a PD bike! Strangely enough I did run into a lot of problems outside of europe getting hold of parts. To be fair I have problems in europe too!

Whatever your first bike is you will love it, get something that you want rather than what you think you should have. Otherwise you might end up on a BMW!!

That happened to me, used my head and not my heart :( and now after four years it has finally developed a fault on the way back from teh diesel bike rally in Germany.. speedo stopped working ( probably cable )

These diesel bikes could solve lots of problema for long distance riders, everything from 200mpg singles to V twins that cruise at 80mph at 120mpg.

diesel bike! which one, you haven't managed to get hold of the DLR have you??

Aprilia uses the xt660r engine and gears but different injection.
it's italian so it's a bike for people with a heart :thumbup1:

and a multimeter:D

If you're interested my R1200GS is up for sale - fully kitted for long haul rides. Got abs, heated grips, touratech panniers, tank and tail bags, stuff sacks, gps etc.

Could be yours for £6500?

The DLR is a myth, only 22 were ordered and have ever been built as a test exercise to see if it could be viable. That is it. For real bikes visit
DieselBike.net The Original Diesel Motorcycle website.

Incidentally 9hp will allow you to cruise at 50-60mph on the flat at 180mpg at that speed (following the diesel) my 1985 R80RT does 57+mpg (at the same engine revs, 3500rpm)

hope that helps.

I have reason to believe that the DLR might become a viable production bike. I am not sure what information is in the public domain at the moment, but will let the overlanding community know in March 2008! Incremental developments on the engine are continuing , whilst the power is still considerably less than the 650 single petrol equivalent the torque gap is minimal. Should shut up now, careless torque costs lives and all that!

Thanks for the info guys. Nomadic1 - much as I would love a 1200GS I can't afford one. Probaly too big as well - I'm vertically challenged at 5'5".

I mainly want the bike for weekend camping trips and day to day commuting. Not intending on any RTW trips for the time being.

Hi Mooster,


:welcome: seems to be appropriate!

Your original question was about the Pegaso and no one seems to be discussing it with you, up to now anyway.

I haven't owned one I have to say, so there is no expertise on my part about the bike - I have talked with a few owners, the way you do when out and about, and they all seemed to like the Pegaso.
It used to have a Rotax engine, like the 650GS BMW, and I reckon that engine is a good one and very reliable (it goes well on my wife's bike!), especially in it's later versions with fuel injection - recent models are being fitted with the Yam 660cc engine I learnt a short time ago from another thread in here. You may want to look closely at that new bike and see how new it really is - some Aprilia models have not sold well and you can get, say, a two year old one very cheap because it has been in the crate that long. Nothing wrong with that as such, but it is worth being aware of why a bargain price may be offered.

As for the price, it is a good time of year, say over the next month or so, to be haggling over the price of bikes; it will be a buyers market now that the new registration number has been issued in the UK and it slows down anyway, heading into winter.
If YOU like the bike then don't worry too much what anyone else thinks on the subject but it is interesting to glean information and opinion (which I guess is why some of us read these posts!).

For Aprilia in general, you can do a search on keywords, such as "aprilia", in here (search facility on the left of your screen) and you will find lots more postings that may interest you.

Hope this is of some assistance,

Oh yes, I suggest you have a read of the Kawasaki KLE threads; tremendous enthusiasm in there for a very simple, reliable and very good value bike that may not be around much longer in the 500cc form.

The other thing about the Pegaso is many of the parts are compatible with the equivalent model BMW F650 (those one that have the Rotax engine that is) and here's the kicker... mostly the BMW sourced parts are cheaper! In NZ, the mirrors are exactly the same but NZ$30 less from BMW.

Regards

Nigel in NZ

Walkabout & Nigel,

Thanks for this - sounds like the peggaso could be a good choice. Just need to pass my test now...I have the theory part tomorrow morning so fingers crossed.

Ah, you'll fly through that!! (but good luck!).

Here's a thread to read:-

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ish-over-29182

See if you can get the A owner to tell you more about them.

Cheers,

Good choice
 

Mooster, i think you have picked a good first bike, i am a relative newbie and bought a XT660R and find it excelent for my needs. The pegaso has the same engine. I recently toured Iceland on mine and found it the perfect bike for the job, not too heavy, dual purpose, plenty of power fully loaded.

Passed the theory:thumbup1:

Start my practical course tomorrow - test next Wednesday...cool

No worries. How about a factory lowered 650GS then? My missus is selling hers too (we're emmigrating) and that also has abs, heated grips, luggage etc?

She's 5'2 so should be perfect for you?

£3,500 and its yours.

Also note, that BMW are offering reduced insurance - meaning that you can get fully comp for £120 and unlimited mileage as well as including full european break down cover.

Cant be bad when my 1st insurance quote was £1200+!

Nomadic - interesting - can you tell me anymore about the bike (age, mileage) and where are you based?

Cheers
Rob

Oohhh, be careful now... once you enter the hallowed portals of Bikedom you become one of us! You enter a world of cold/damp/lust(of bikes you don't yet have)/stress(of the motorist-dodging variety), and financial hardship(see Lust). But you also enter a world of friendship/fun/, and on this site at least an appreciation of chasing the horizon.
As for the Pegaso, for a first bike it seems ideal, as if you don't like it after a while you can change it without too much of a financial hit. Just get some miles under your belt to decide this - all hail roads,trails,tracks and byways!:mchappy:

Sure no worries. Im based in Sheffield.

F650GS
The bike was bought for my wife by me back in February of this year from a fellow traveller. It has 16k on the clock, is MOT'd and Taxed to May 08. The bike is factory lowered, meaning that straight out the door its got specially lowered shocks and smaller travel forks (not dropped through the clamps like other 'lowered' bikes) so that geometry is not affected. It also has the added bonus of the optional BMW 'low' seat, knocking a further couple of inches off the overall height.

The bike is standard except for the following:-
Puig touring screen (very similar to the 650GS dakar version)
Autocom
Kenwood radio for bike to bike intercomms
FAMSA tank bag
Vario panniers + rack (with locks key coded to ignition)
ABS + heated grips
Hand guards

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o...Picture065.jpg

R1200GS


The bike is an 04 R1200GS in rock red/silver side panels. The bike itself is totally standard, bought from Rainbow BMW in Nov of last year as a approved used motorcycle. It came complete with 1 year warranty and european breakdown cover (which can be transferred to you). It is taxed until Nov and MOT'd until Apr 08.

The bike is totally standard, except for the following additions:-
touratech zega panniers + rack
touratech gps mount
touratech 2610 anti-shake cradle
autocom
garmin 2610 sat nav
kenwood radio for bike to bike intercomms
FAMSA tank bag
touratech tail bag


Never dropped, crashed, or 'mistakenly dropped on the garage floor'. Its got 35k on the clock, full bmw service history, and I think am the 3rd owner. Got full paper work, spare set of keys, data tag and bmw alarm.

Absolutely great runner, and has never failed on me.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o...Picture090.jpg

forgot to mention, if it helps, email me at xing_yi_fist at hotmail dot com, I dont get opportunity to check this site as often as i'd like.

:thumbup1: