LC4 / LC8 or 650GS
 

Hi There,

I'm about to convert from Superbikes, to super long rides.... And I'm wondering which bike to go for??

Right now I'm leaning towards the KTM LC4 Adventurer (I'm after something that can go anywhere, 2-up, but be loads of fun when the missus jumps off!!).

Anyone know what's happenning with the LC8 version??

Also, of course, I've heard the usual romours of BMW's being get-on, ride for a million miles, get off - no bother bikes: But fun???

Thanks for the help!

Mike

1st, sorry of the other blank post.

Ive read about people taking the F650 on long trips but I dont know how they do it. I had a F650ST and it buzzed my butt to the point of numbness in an hour. It was quite nimble, but in my opinion it lacked guts. If you have been riding sportbikes you will not be happy.

Regards,

John

QUOTE]Originally posted by pikey7:
Hi There,

I'm about to convert from Superbikes, to super long rides....
Also, of course, I've heard the usual romours of BMW's being get-on, ride for a million miles, get off - no bother bikes: But fun???

Thanks for the help!

Mike[/QUOTE]

know a few people with gs dakars (www.gsclubuk.com), most do longish distances with no bother (some two up with luggage) and are pretty capeable offroad. plus you can spend a fortune buying goodies such as huge tanks, bashplates etc. had a 400 lc4, great bike lots of fun and quite a few places can tune em for more go. reliable too. the bikes as much fun as you make it....

Hi Mike

What ever trail type bike you choose will handle very different from your sports bike, as you would expect. You are not comparing like for like.

I ride a ZZR 600 75 miles each day to work and enjoy it and have no problems swapping to tour on either my 650 Dakar or my r100gs.

Ok the old BMW is heavy etc but I was riding between 6 to 8 hours a day in morrocco fully loaded on and off the piste. The dakar is a nice compramise, not great off road but does the job and is comfortable to ride and lighter than the GS and fuel economy is great.

If you want to keep your girlfriend happy, get her to go for a ride on the back of the KTM before you buy it. The KTM adventurer is going to be terrible two up for touring, they are uncomfortable on long distances one up. It is much better suited for off road riding than the Dakar and are great fun.

The new KTM is getting great reviews but again not sure how you'd get on touring two up. The extra power would be really handy though.

I have ridden my Dakar on a 2500 mile trip and had no problems at all. It is also not bad two up but may struggle a little fully loaded.I would never call it gutless though, have not ridden the old F650 so can't compare.

The downside with the Dakar is the add ons as they are expensive, larger fuel tanks etc.

I would think about what the majority of your riding will be. If you are planning to go touring with a pillion I would go for a bigger CC bike. Something like the GS1150 or an old R100GS, R80GS.

I have found the R100 GS a great tool for touring two up and although heavy will go off road.I used mine in the Sahara and found it more than capable.

The best test is to try out the bikes and see which you find most comfortable to ride with and without your girlfriend.

Hope this is of some help, if you have any more questions let me know.

Julio

Agree with the above. I worked as a mechanic and could have made a fortune out of riders wanting their off-roader's seats made more comfortable.
Still, some riders get on well with them, and BMW do tend to make bikes with people who actually ride them in mind. Having said that, the 650GS has computerised fuel injection which means it's impossible for you to service. Perhaps you are not thinking of crossing the Sahara, though? ( Of course, even a mechanic is not going anywhere if he holes a piston and didn't pack a spare...)
If you can - test ride them all! Again, BMW play fair ( at least in Britain ) with no quibble 3 hour test rides.....

Hi

For what ýts worth i have spent most of my biking life on sports or superbikes the most recent being my Aprilia Mille R which i used for tracks days etc. then i decided i wanted to ride to Ýndýa/Nepal and bought a KTM Aventure R (both of which are a bit of a pain in the 'R')!!

Actually i found the transition extremely easy and very rewarding, just been through eastern europe and now currently in central turkey heading for Iran.

The KTM is not the most confortble of the overlanders, though nor is a Mille R for that matter, but i think it is probably the best and in a way closest to a 'sports bike' in this category because of its quality of components and state of tune.

Ýn relation to two up work, although i am travelling mainly alone my wife did meet me in Ýstanbul and we have just completed about 2000ks in about three weeks and she found it to be ok but yes i would also reccomend a two up test ride.

Good luck on your choice!

Will