Wing or Dakar
 

RTW past travelers. Planning my 1st trip - May 2017. I will be solo. My youngest will be out of High School :D ! The rough idea route includes GB, Spain, Norway, Turkey, China, Japan then back to Colorado. Camping mostly.
I have TWO bikes I love, I know, and I enjoy.

For you seasoned travelers of such an adventure -- '06 Wing or '03 Dakar?

DonnyZ

Hi,

I ride a GoldWing now and have had a F650GS in the past.
I have done a lot of trips with both but for the tour you want, I think the Dakar is the most suitable, assuming that both bike are in good condition.

On asphalt and good dirtroads, a Wing is fine but if the roads get realy bad, a GS is lighter and easier to ride.
It is comfortable enough for long trips.
I have been to the NorthCape and back (8000 km) on my F650GS without a single problem.

Wing or Dakar
 

Jan thanks for the thoughts - Riding through Yellowstone National park today on the GoldWing was great and my mind often went to the road conditions I would encounter on my RTW trip. A few storms :rain::stormy:and road construction detours today made me wish I was on the Dakar, but this ride is a two up pleasure/comfort trip.

It looks like you've left out some countries along the way? I'm sure you could do this on the Wing, but I'd have to join the previous poster in recommending the Dakar.

I'm sure there will be many places along the way which are accessible on the Dakar but not on the Wing, so why limit yourself?

For that kind of trip, however, most bikes need at least a little prep, so be sure to look at that issue.

No detours
 

I have not done china or japan. But I have toured every country in Europe two up on my goldwing. You will not always get detours. The road just turns to mud and maybe loose stone. I have experienced this extensively in Europe and this past week in Romania. If you are concerned about damaging your bike on such surfaces or tumbling then perhaps your other bike may be a better option. Turkey has magnificent roads but I have experienced 15 km of broken surfaces.
I have managed bad roads but have been doing it for years. Please message me if I can be any help. John