when traveling, i found that my biggest expenditure was fuel. so i'd say go with the 800 as it would be better on fuel.
the money you save on go juice can then be spent elsewhere. like biscuits.

I've got a 1200, a "2010" so DOHC it's great just a bit slow and under powered..

I did a 12,000 mile trip on a Honda XL175 trail bike on knobblies. It was reliable, easy to pick up when I dropped it, and easy on the wallet to insure and fuel. I met some serious characters who loved the idea of what I was doing who'd have ignored me if I was on anything bigger and approaching being a 'proper' touring bike. You can have fun and see stuff on anything. Even a small un.

Is the correct answer

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Ok, I'll bite...why do you care what these "serious characters" think, or if they would have ignored you? Frankly a strange criterion for choosing a bike.

Not as strange as you might think.

Something different is interesting. People tend to want to interact with interesting things.

When I see a brand new bike all loaded up with touratech crap with a rider with super expensive, never broken in riding gear, I tend not to give it much attention. Your brain is programmed to ignore what you class as mundane.

Someone on a 'different' and interesting bike would have me saying hi and asking questions.

It's happened to me loads of times when travelling. If you stick out, people tend to open up to you and lots of great occasions usually follow..

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Ok, but this is a straw man argument--apparently the only choices are to ride a post bike or a brand new big bike?

Actually plenty of people with 1200s dont ride brand new bikes or with brand new riding gear. I get plenty of questions about my 1200 GSA, yesterday another rider started asking questions at a stop light.

But honestly I don't travel, or ride, so that I can meet people who ask about my bike.

Not to direct this point in anyone's direction, but I too feel like this sometimes! I've a 2010 F800GS, and I get people coming over to chat from all walks of life. Most are just interested in travel and, I get the impression, secretly wishing they were doing something similar rather than going A to B in their metal box. Four years ago, my bike was brand new. In ten more, it will be older. Me or the bike won't have changed at all, so surely all permutations are 'acceptable'. I like meeting people; in my limited experience, the bike (any bike) is a great starting point for that conversation.

Yep I'll go along with that Ted!

Dare to be different, its about your experience and what can be given and gained culturally in conversation along the way. Seriously who gives a rat's what the over accessorised think? Just like Mama told you, wear clean undies, a smile, use your manners and show some respect and all will be good, regardless of your ride or accessories for that matter.

I bought a HP2 Enduro a while back simply because it blew me away, I'd not even seen one before early 2012 (often kept in the dark and impulsive) It was a great ride and conversation starter as are all bikes collectable and those found where least expected. Like jocklandjohn doing a 12,000 mile trip on a knobby shod XL175 (used to have one) Awesome! I very much regret selling the HP2 however there were circumstances, my mental state of imbalance mostly. So an R1150 GS followed, did everything I asked of it but in short, yawn and it got offloaded.

A KTM 950 Adventure S was the next quoit cushion. After doing 20,000 odd K's through some gruelling off road tracks I have to say, what a capable bike with awesome handling, heaps of grunt, off road capability and there's that really sweet quad cam V2 engine, which I might add induces involuntary but sometimes severe bouts of leading elbow!

The KTM 950 Super Enduro similar to the one pictured below will get a long hard looking at as the next ride, because it and I don't quite fit the norm mold ;-)
Sorry to spoil the view with the Touratech boxes Ted

Attached Thumbnails

 

The SE is a great bike. An endure bike on steroids! As a long distance bike though, the seat was designed as a Chinese torture device and the fuel tank is of very small capacity.

Funny how bikes like the SE and HP2 get discontinued. They are both limited range, solo rider, dirt oriented monsters which really only finds a market in Aus and SA. Too small a market I guess. The ADV S would be more suitable if anything more than a short romp.

Ai here we are discussing KTMs on a BMW thread

The thread says choose between 800 - 1200. I'd imagine it's mental conditioning that one would automatically think BMW, on the other hand it may well be Sandro's not quite perfect command of English leaving BMW out of the heading ? ;-)

The seat on the 950 Adv S was light years better than any BMW seat I've ever owned! The HP2 seat was defiantly in if not the leader in the torture board category! Cant imagine the SE seat would differ that much from the Adv S? Limited range yep, tank replacement would be mandatory, quite a list of mods for long range / term touring would have to be done at some expense too but I'm up for it and the KTM 950 Super Enduro has me interested / intrigued and motivated.

2MotoKiwis are having a good run on a KTM 950 SE 2 up despite the oxygen thief they bought it from!

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ntarctic-65500

Your 'bite' is the answer. We're talking.

However in providing it you give the impression that you don't give a toss about meeting people when you travel. To which I'll quickly add - I think is almost certainly not an accurate impression.

But I did not say that was the sole criterion for purchasing the bike. It's just one advantage that my choice revealed for me, that I had not considered. Might be different for you.

When I travel I want to meet people. Both the people who live in that place from whom I can learn things, and also people, like me, who travel through.

It's easy to make yourself isolated from those enriching experiences is all I'm saying. And sometimes the things you never considered become advantages of sorts.