Which Bike?

[dvormak]

Please do not misunderstand me: I mean which bike for long way travelling...
According to the riding characteristics, road mastering (on and off-road), maintenance expenses, reliability, loading capacity, changes and accessories...etc...
From what I have read from the internet and other forums, there are 2 models that are dominant: Kawasaki KLR650 (the one from 1989 to 2006/7, the new model from 2008 is a little bit tender) and BMW R1200GSA (and also it’s prior model R1150GSA),



normally, both of them are in a different price category, and also engine capacity, but they are somehow dominant in the category of motorcycles for long travelling (also popular as Trumpers)
My personal opinion, although I managed to get a Kawasaki KLR650, but the softer version- Tengai, which according to my present needs and characteristics, is perfect, I somehow have an eye for the V-Strom...



Just to be clear, as I have mentioned before, the BMW R1200GSA is still my Dream Bike" ... totally un destroyable machines !



What do you think?

[docsherlock]

Interestingly I have been researching this extensively, looking particularly at owner comments, warranty recalls, broad functionality and cost.

I have come to the conclusion that the bikes that would be right for me are either the Yamaha XTZ660 Tenere or the DL650 V-strom.

The reliability hassles with the KLR put me off it, and also the fact that is has a carb - although initially biased against FI as all the long-distance travel I have done before has been on carbed bikes, I am now firmly in the FI camp.

The GS is too big and heavy and also has a bad rap for reliability.

The only reason I don't own an XTZ660 already is due to the availability in the country where I will buy the bike.

S

[electric_monk]

"the BMW R1200GSA is still my Dream Bike" ... totally un destroyable machines !"

[ozhanu]

instead of klr650 i would consider suzuki dr650 or yamaha xt600, and instead of bmw gs1200 i would pick up v-strom.

just for you attention, bmw's are not 'not destroyable. it has been proven that, they can really cause big big trouble in the middle of nowwhere.

actually, there is no undestroyable machine. everybike has problems.. the point that you have to consider is, reliability and easy maintaince. if we take this 2 these in to account then any 400-650 cc range with carbs is easy to fix, and yamaha xt600 - suzuki dr650 is reliable.

i own a v-strom 650. they are really really reliable bikes, however not easy to fix because of the black electricak boxes.

dont look the shape, look overall..

hope this helps

[steved1969]

If I was looking for a bike to do a long trip on I would narrow it down to 3 depending on how much 'go anywhere' ability I wanted:

Yamaha XT660Z Tenere

BMW F800GS

Suzuki DL650 VStrom

The Tenere and BMW for their excellent fuel economy would be top of my list, especially if I wanted more off road ability (favouring the Tenere in that respect), the one thing that would make me think twice (especially about the BMW) would be that they are still quite new bikes. I know that the F650GS for example (very similar to the F800) has had three factory recalls and it isn't even a year old yet. The VStrom I just think would make an excellent bike for mainly road based travel, although the fact a previous poster says they are hard to work on would make me think twice now.

My existing bike (Honda Trans Alp 650) has a reputation for being bullet proof, but I don't rate it's fuel economy at all, and even little things like changing the spark plugs is a pain due to the layout of the engine.

[electric_monk]

Dvormax

One of the things you will need to factor into the equation is where you intend to go and for how long.
If you are going to be travelling through countries which require a carnet this may add a serious financial constraint on your choice of bike unless money is no problem to you.(we don't need to know that here). Some countries may require 3 or 4 times the bikes value to be covered in the carnet.
Do a search of the site for further Carnet info.
If this does have an effect on your choices then you may have to consider an older/cheaper bike, and in this case the R80/R100 GS starts to come to the fore.
They have many advantages over newer bikes in that they are simple to repair and maintain and any problems they have have been uncovered through millions of miles of rider experience. There is an absolute mountain of info on them on this and other websites.
I bought one a couple of years ago after 85k on an Africa Twin and 30k miles on a Varadero and I wouldn't consider anything else for a bike trip.

Chris Scotts Adventure Motorcycle Handbook is a worthy companion for anyone considering such a trip

steve

[DougieB]

I am trying to get home on an 1150 GS. It's is a good road bike, but poor off road (too heavy). It would be fine for long tours, where you accept going slow off-road. I am no off-road racer who can make any machine 'do' off-road, so for me I would avoid off-road on this bike.

Also, I have a problem with the complexity of the bike. OK, so you can always learn the bike. But it a more conventional bike is easier to fix outside of the BMW domain, and easier to get help for. I am also finding BMW dealers to be only interested in replacing parts, and not interesting in troubleshooting/repairs. This makes it expensive.

I think KTM and BMW are both niche machines. This makes them expensive, and a problem in non-dealer countries. I would accept the KTM being niche, because it excels off-road. So if you love off-road, you put up with the uniqueness and difficulty fixing the bike.

The BMW is an average bike, which (to me) excels at nothing much. For this reason I don't find it worth putting up with the niche-ness of the brand. I find no difference riding the 1150 GS compared to the AT (or DL). I would happily ride any of them across Europe/USA, as I'm not brand loyal and prefer to ride than look at the bike.

However, for riding long tours outside of Europe/USA I would take a Japanese (or conventional) bike. Simply to avoid being stranded waiting for a 300 euro part which I then have to somehow get fitted. While this can happen on any bike, it seems to mostly happen with BMW parts.

At the dealer I'm currently waiting for my bike to fixed, they have an R100 GS. It is much simpler, and the fastners (bolts) appear to be of the conventional type (allan) rather than those funny star shaped things the 1150 GS has (and no 3rd world mechanic has). I would happily swap the 1150 for the 100.

For the reasons above I would not touch a 1200 GS. I also find the 1150 GS gets too much attention, it is too dominating. Such a big statement. But maybe that's what you want.

This is just my opinion, having had my first long ride on a GS.

[BMWbiggles]

Hi
Got to defend the R1100/1150gs. They are big and heavy off road and do take a bit of getting use to but once your use to it the're great. TKC80s work well on them off road. On the road they are very comfortable and have a great range with a 31ltr tank.

Mechanically if you do away with the fuel injection and fit carbs the're easy to run, and they will do well over 100,000miles. The fuel injection doesn't go wrong but scares people.

I've always found it easy to get parts and never had to wait more than a couple of days for anything. Bmw dealers are not my thing so I use a growing number of smaller garages that do BMWs all over the world.

I'm off to Africa again in 12 days and leaving the XR and XT here.

Try one you might be surprised.

Pete

[mollydog]

Originally Posted by electric_monk

"the BMW R1200GSA is still my Dream Bike" ... totally un destroyable machines !"

No machine is "un destroyable" but if you are lucky and get a good BMW ... then maybe you'll be OK. Many have done well with them. But as time goes on, it's clear the Vstrom's reputation gets only stronger. More bike for less money.

I owned two .... put 60K miles on them. If you need a medium sized twin and will not do serious off road riding then the DL650 is a fine travel bike.
For more off road I would look at the KLR, DR650, XR650L Honda or XT660. All good, reliable bikes that make good traveler with some changes and additions.


A few of falls here will destroy any big heavy bike .... even the mighty GS.

After five falls I had to ride the yellow pig the rest of the way to pavement .... my friend rode my Vstrom .... no problems.

[strikingviking]

Budgeting for a motorcycle is always a big decision that requires careful thought. New versus used? There is a reason that the most popular bikes for extensive world riding are the KLR 650 (especially the new one) and the BMW 1200 but more useful, the 650 models. Eight years ago, I rode a KLR through South America and consider the bike sufficient for light duty, and for the price, surely one of the best values on the market.

But you do get what you pay for with BMW, like life-saving ABS brakes, a reliable EFI and a stronger though heavier frame. When riding a 650 Dakar across Siberia , the Gobi Desert, Borneo and Africa, I sheared a few sub-frame bolts with little damage to anything else. My KLR would have crumpled at the beginning of that 52,000 mile journey. Also, although I never rode one for any distance, those old Honda Africa Twins are real tempting...

In South America, until reaching Argentina, Kawasaki parts were scarce. But except for India, BMW was no problem anywhere else in the world as many police departments in developing countries ride donated BMWs. Still, sometimes when you break something, the only option is to do what locals do, visit a qualified machinist. Several times after crashes, I just removed the good part from the undamaged side and had it duplicated.

Makes and models are important but not journey-stoppers--Remember, the adventure begins when things stop going as planned. As Pete and Kay Forwood prove from over a decade of roaming the planet on an old Harley Shovelhead, with sufficient determination, you can ride anything, anywhere.