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You can buy a BMW a lot cheaper privately and buy BMW Insured warranty and breakdown which I 'think' starts at around £350. All done online. Check a bike is eligible before buying it though. As older models aren't always. A 650 Vstrom from £2000 will also serve him well too as you say. Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk |
I'm currently doing South America to USA two up on a KLR. I've also previously used a Vstrom 650 for the same role in Australia. Both will do the job, but for Europe the VStrom is an easy winner - more space and luggage capacity and more power for the generally faster roads. Also because the KLR hasn't been available on Europe for wire a few years of day the VStrom is likely to be easier to get repairs done.
I won't enter the BMW debate Sent from my Moto G (5S) Plus using Tapatalk |
I promise next time I'll reread what's written before posting to correct the horrors that auto-correct has done. That garbage sentence above should say:
"Also because the KLR hasn't been available in Europe for quite a few years the VStrom is likely to be much easier to get repairs and maintenance done". Sent from my Moto G (5S) Plus using Tapatalk |
Cheers everyone for the informative and prompt responses!
I think the main takeaway here is to avoid the KLR and lean towards the V-Strom out of the two I talked about initially, while doing a bit more research on other options such as the Transalp. The fact that the VStrom has a lot of (cheap?) part availability seems like a massive plus in it's favour. Regarding options such as the BMW, I'm trying to get the most value for money and try to keep the costs low as I'll be heading to Europe with a set amount of savings, so everything I don't spend on the initial bike purchase I can spend on the trip itself + repairs and services. I'm planning on putting some serious mileage on this thing so might see a bit of wear and tear, and have hopes of getting off main roads and into the backcountry to do a bit of village hopping. £3,000 would be approaching my absolute maximum if within reason. For a bit more background I'll be travelling over from New Zealand (@RichM hope you had a great time here BTW!) with a lot of family in the UK, so I'm hoping I can use their addresses for the purchase and insurance and the like. |
For 3000 Quid you would probably get a well running 1150 GS, so I personally wouldn't consider the 1200 GS. The old Beemers are reliable and easy to service, no hassle with the chain, lots of space for two, sufficient grunt and good to handle even on dirt roads.
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Stay with the market for chain driven machines??
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There are 61 of them (all models of beemer fitted with the 1150 engine) for sale on UK ebay at present. The road-going models are always better value than the GS version in their asking price, all other things being equal for second hand bikes. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...50&_sacat=9800 (123 DL650s for sale). |
I am assuming you may want to sell the bike at the end of your trip. It's not as easy as it used to be to buy a bike and take off. You can probably buy a bike in London, but it may be difficult to register in your name and insurance to take it out of the country on an overseas driving licence is virtually impossible if you are not a resident. You may find insurance but the cost will be very high, especially with 2 up. Why not go for a purchase and sell back in the EU with a registered company? I've recommended this guy before, because I've known him for several years, he's well known to HU and he's totally legit with an excellent reputation. He'll find what you want in terms of a bike, like a V strom or a TDM or a BMW or whatever, buy it for you within your budget, and register it in your name at his business address in France. It will be prepared and serviced, & he can arrange European Insurance. At the end of your trip , he'll buy it back at an agreed value. Contact Laurent Dozias at Ride -in -Tours, he speaks fluent English.
Motorcycle travel agency in France - Ride in Tours introduction |
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I ride two-up most of the time. The VS was a little short winded two-up with gear and touring. I bought a Triumph 1200 and now have a VS 1000, my second, and love it. I'm also American and I bought my bikes from Americans, tagged them in my home state (no inspection required) and they stay and we're purchased in Germany. Look at a website Knopftours.com in Heidelberg, Germany. He's a great guy and can help you buy a bike and get the green card insurance for the bike. They also have a for sale page on the website. I've ridden most all on Western, Central and Eastern Europe, over 35,000 miles. We camp and cook also on the road so space is at a premium. Eastern Europe still is our favorite. Have fun. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk |
With regards to insurance I've done some poking around other threads and it seems its easy enough to get Green Card insurance from a company in Europe itself (saw ADAC mentioned), and for much cheaper?
Worst case scenario, I have British citizenship also as well as names and local addresses I can register bikes in. Suprised at how cheap some of these used BMWs are as well, but some have raised issues regarding reliability in this thread and to be honest, breaking down as little as possible is a high priority seeing as a lot of the time I'll be in countries with very little english being spoken. EDIT: after a bit of research it looks much harder to get Green Card insurance if you don't have a European drivers license - looks like I may have to post in the paperwork subforum for this one. |
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Have fun, and remember, you can never get too lost. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk |
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Lots of BMW riders in the UK won't use one of these machines without that warranty scheme sold to customers by BMW - to cover the cost of repairing the final drive alone. (was about 20 GBP per month last time I heard talk of this). As an aside, sales staff in the showrooms of all manner of vehicle dealers are paid on the results of selling financial products as much as they are paid to sell the base vehicles. |
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