Going from Harley to Adventure bike! GS1200A, Triumph Explore or Super Tenere?? Help
 

I have a Harley St. Glide now, love the bike, but I am going through midlife crisis and want to do some Adventure biking. Have being riding for 30 years...
At first I was going to buy a GS 1200 ADV next few weeks, but now I have heard so much how this bike is so heavy for offloading etc, and other issues that I am thinking about Yamaha Tenere or Triumph Adventure. Love the looks of GSA most.
Could you guys give me some input, specially the guys that have the GSA!
Would you buy another or would you consider Yamaha and Triumph.
Thanks in advance!!

PS: Selling a 09 St. Glide... anyone?> :)

You own a Hardly Ridable... I think your mid life crisis started earlier than you think ;)

Anyway, jokes aside, the big Beemer is ridiculously heavy, over complicated and unreliable.. No matter what the weekend warriors like to say about their £10,000 investments. It's not the ideal adventure bike that the marketing has done so well to push. The big Yamaha looks like a huge lump of metal too. :funmeterno:

Out of all the bikes you mentioned, I'd go for the Triumph. Only due to the fact that it's the smallest and lightest out of the bunch. That's the most important thing when overlanding.... (Plus, the Triumph is by far the best looking imo)

Anyone who thinks you need a 1200cc bike for go Adventure biking needs their head examining.

Still, you should go and test ride them, sit on them and check them out for yourself.

Opinions are like A-holes..... Everyone's got one :innocent:

It all depents on what kind of riding you will do and what bike you realy like.

Peter and Kay Forwood are riding around the world on a Harley. ( [http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/forwood/ ) and Sjaak Lucassen has been riding around the world on a Yamaha R1 ( http://www.sjaaklucassen.nl/ )

My uncle has been riding his Harley Lowrider in Zimbabwe on all kind of roads (and I have had much fun riding his Harley in South Africa http://jkrijt.home.xs4all.nl/trips/lesotho/index.shtml )

Why not keep the Harley, just make some modifications for heavy duty riding and go for it.

If you really want another bike, try out as may bikes as you can and don't go for other peoples opinion but find out for yourself. Like Ted wrote "Opinions are like A-holes..... Everyone's got one".

Rent different bikes for a few days, try bikes at dealers, ride friends bikes until you know what you want.

Good Luck

I'm with this guy...........Keep the Harley :mchappy:
Perhaps if Tourated had one he'd have less trouble with the ladies, well, maybe not !!!
:oops2:

My trouble with the ladies is just that I don't have enough time to fit them all in......

:smartass:

This is a perfectly good reason to get the GSA. If you aren't going RTW, don't kid yourself or worry about how you'll jury rig a replacement ring-piece antenna in Waziristan, get the bike you like the look of. Go ride it where you ride and enjoy it.

If you are going RTW you need to decide which bits and what they'll be like. The Harley that you own will do 90% of the world and gives you the most cash left over for petrol. Ted Simon rode a Triumph road bike in 1973 and more of the world is paved that it was then.

If you plan to get away from the road, then you need a true off road bike, not just one that will make it through. From your location this is going to be a 250 MX type bike or maybe a KLR or a BMW F650. First task here is IMHO to go for a day out on the Harley. You have to ride 300 miles without going over 45 mph, sitting on a piece of hardboard. If it sends you nuts you are heading for a tough decision, there isn't a bike in existence that will do serious off road and be fun at highway pace.

Enjoy whatever you do, but don't spend too much time and money chasing impossible technology. Go have the adventure, don't go shopping for the stuff people say you should have.

I have a Triumph Bonneville currently sporting M&S tyres and covered in slime from a part paved lane I found. Your Harley would get to the same places in dry weather.

Andy

Hi Moulin,

Biggest is not always best.When you are on the road, the looks of the bike vanish. In a third world country, you will always be a novelty, regardless what you ride. Practicability takes over, look for something reliable, reasonably priced,long range and easy to ride and lift. My Suzuki V Strom 650 full fills all these points. Spend the money you save, on fuel, grog and other enjoyments.
There are plenty.Wish you luck.

Cheers
RM

Just a suggestion, take a look at the BMW F800GS. The 800cc bimmer is a great bike too, less expensive and a lot easier to off road riding. Rusty suggestion is also a great option, the V-Storm is a really great travel bike too.

I'd go for a 650 DLV-strom too....Cheap, very reliable, comfortable, economical, well balanced etc..

The F800 requires a back up truck full of spare parts and a Starfleet trained auto electrician to keep it running. :innocent:

Can't go smaller...
 

Hey guys, thanks for the feedback so far. But I don't think I can or want to be in smaller than 1200cc. I am used to the power of HD 1550cc and I love it, specially the torque. I used to have a Virago 750cc, so done with that. Another thing is that I love to travel and I want something that will be confortable, good wind protection and yet I could do some light offroad stuff.
2 years ago I did a solo trip to the Route 66 on my St.Glide. It was awesome, and I even took some short sidetrips and visit the Grand Canyon, Mohabi Desert, Death Valley and Meteor Crator and that was a few times were I had to change routes due to condition of the roads, and while in the Death Valley, I wanted really bad to go to the top of the mountains but I could not do it on St.Glide. St.Glide suspension sucks. It is great for the smooth road, but it has a Air shock that needed to be pumped every so often, and those side bags cost $900 US dollars each if you brake them, ( I did once ) No the kind of bike that you want to lay it down if you loose balance on the gravel!
I am planning to test drive the GSA tomorrow and hopefully the Tenere later in the week. Will see.
Cheers!!

I'd get the Tenere in your shoes; no bugs, Japanese reliability, much less $$$ than the BMW or Triumph - what's not to like? I've got the 660 and it's ace.

If you are bold enough you could also look for the the Ducati Multistrada 1200 or the Moto Guzzi Stelvio. I personally love how the Stelvio looks but, I really don´t know if I will choose her to a RTW trip.
http://www.musthavemotorcycles.com/i...-ntx-large.jpg
BTW, Suzuki is selling again brand new 1000cc V-Storms, the bike have about 100 hp (110hp in the BMW 1200GSA) and costs a lot less than the BMW.

I have been riding two Electra Glides (Standard and Ultra Classic) from 1999 to 2011, on the roads of Europe, Middle East, Russia, Caucasus and Kazakhstan.
I sold the Ultra Classic last October to purchase the Super Ténéré XT1200Z, which is the bike that will take me to northern Iraq in 4 months from now.
I made wonderful trips on the Harleys, but I'd hardly get back to it after 3 months of jap riding.

Anyway, if you wanna go RTW, I'd consider an old but reliable Honda Africa Twin 750, if you are disposed to change your mind about riding at least 1200 cc.

Go with the GSA if that's what you like best. I'm a new GSA owner (2011 1200GSA). I traded up from a F650GS twin because highway travel was unbearable on the F650 at times. The GSA's big gas tank and windshield block wind, cold, rain and bugs. I can practically light a cigarette while riding its so effective. The seat is very comfortable and it's a pleasure to ride. Mine is my daily commuter. I haven't driven a car in almost 3 months. It's no dirt bike, but I don't pretend it is one. I take it on rough dirt trails and forest roads at least once a week after work. It's a bear to pick up when dropped, but I just try my best not to drop it. The Tenere looks promising too, but add up the panniers, and crash protection and your at the same price as a 1200GS. I will almost guarantee that after your GSA test ride, you will buy one. It took just one test ride of my buddy's and I was at the dealer 2 weeks later trading in my F650. I've ridden part of the Great Western Trail here in AZ and am planning a Continental Divide Trail ride this summer.

I've got a 2011 Guzzi 1200 NTX Stelvio. Love it to bits. Would even RTW it. Whatever you do - at least check it out. You might be in for a surprise :)

I really like the Guzzi, but what worries me about a RTW trip with one of those bikes is the lack of replacement parts. Even today in Brazil, Guzzi has no official representatives, so replacement parts for those bikes are only available through ebay.
While I lived in the U.S. I had the chance to ride a few times in a Moto Guzzi Centauro and because of this I'm big fan of the brand, but unfortunately here in Brazil Guzzis are a luxury that you can not afford unfortunately.

If you don't mind me asking, where are you going to test ride the Tenere in Nashville? I have a buddy who is wanting one as well, and we are about 90 miles north of you.

You might want to give the smaller bikes a demo ride first. My 650 Suzuki V-Strom will outperform my Road King as well as my friend's Screamin Eagle Electra Glide with the 110c.i. engine. If you are truly wanting to do adventure riding I'm thinking you will be a little disappointed with the bigger bikes you are looking at, especially if you plan on doing very much off road riding. They are heavy and tall, and I'm told not a lot of fun to pick up when dropped. Imagine sinking your Glide to the pipes in the mud and pushing it out, it would almost be the same if your adventure tourer was loaded. I rode the V-Strom in a lot of places I probably shouldn't have, and it's not a lot of fun to push out of the mud either. I rode it to Alaska in 09 and wished I had something lighter and with more ground clearance when I got there. BUT, if you are just wanting something to do the occasional gravel or dry dirt road on then you will be fine with the big bikes. I would go with what you find the most comfortable to tour on.

ho hum, the usual comments from the usual suspects...actually the GS1200s work just fine, although the GSA is admittedly a big bike and certainly not the best for anything off-road.

And I would appreciate someone showing me the "ideal adventure bike" because I don't think it exists.

It's the bike that just got you to where you need to go that you've owned long enough to fully understand in case tomorrow doesn't go quite as well. Badges etc. have no practical purpose on this machine, it could be anything from a Ural to a Ducati. It won't be for sale, so perhaps the question really needs to be "Where can you buy the closest to ideal adventure bike?" ??

Andy

Moulin,

Based on your description of what you have been riding, the adventure rides that you plan on going on and that you don't want to go any smaller than a 1200, either the BMW, Yamaha, or Triumph bikes will be perfectly fine.

Once you have chosen to go with a heavy weight bike (instead of say the ~+/-750cc middle weights), any relative weight differences between the models is minor in comparison, especialy when fully loaded with gear and gas. They are all big bikes and will feel as such. They offer great riding advantages on the road and disadvantages off road. Coming from a HD you are used to a bigger bike and the transition will be easy for you and you'll quickly learn which off road conditions are fine on the bike (gravel) and where it gets to be a bear (sand).

Pick whichever one you like the best and happy riding.

Hey Ted,

LOL, I'm not going to lend you my canoe this summer if you so vehemently insist on retaining the role of the resident anti-BMW crusader on this site.:)

The OP already said he can't do anything smaller than a heavyweight (1200) so I doubt he'll look at the middleweights.

Oh, and by the way, I can't imagine that actual real data would in anyway sway your biases, but I had the pleasure of riding my DL (1000) again in West Africa this winter. Certainly based on my experiences with my DL and my F800, once a person rides enough miles on these bikes (and most other modern bikes), the maintenance required and reliability are all pretty similiar.

In fact, I've had a lot more issues with my DL but there are quirks on every bike, doesn't mean I wouldn't recommend that bike or the F800. We all have our preferences and biases, but in reality these are mostly just our opinions based on what we like, and a lot less about facts. There is plently of room in the world for people to like different things so we shouldn't be so dismissive of other peoples preferences. Some people even choose to live in the UK!;)

1200cc adventure bikes can be an ideal choice for some people. I think it's better to keep an R or K BMW for the asphalt miles and buy something like a 250cc for off-roading but I can understand the thinking behind buying a big BMW. They can handle bad road surfaces, handle better than a Harley, look cool in some circles and you can "customize" them. All the custom parts are in a catalog but nonetheless they will be custom.. lol.
Anyways, I would buy a Stelvio NTX if I were you. They are the coolest looking thing from that bunch. Or a Triumph Tiger Explorer.

I test ride both the BMW GSA 1200 and the 1200 Tenere and must say that for me the BMW ws way better on every aspect. I didn't like the position on the Tenere, which is like sitting on a chair...

Have to agree with Ted...74,000km half way around the world on a F800GS!...biggest lemon ever!! Stay away from this bike unless you like dealing with morons at BMW and enjoy been broken down in the middle of nowhere...continuously!! oh and don't forget wasting money you could have spend on travelling!...Swapped it half way for a 2010 XT660 Z Tenere..what an awesome out of the box adventure bike...albeit with a few mods!

bierhaha oops. I better start behaving myself.. :oops2:

I just have to say how I see it though.... People are welcome to ignore what I say. While they are sailing down that long river called "Da' Nile" :smartass:



Just seen this video pop up on my FB news feed. Thought it 'perhaps' relevant..

50,000miles f800gs engine destroyed - YouTube

F800GS Piston slapping ? - YouTube

The OP is not looking for a cheap alternative, is also convinced that 1200cc's is necessary to match the HD 1550cc which is probably equivalent to about 750 in the real world but great for towing (trucks). 900 dollars for replacement panniers is probably a lot cheaper than the BM, triumph or Yamaha original equipment. If you looking for good wind protection I don't think any of them are much good out of the box although there maybe some aftermarket options. Overbalancing is much more likely on a tall adventure bike than it would be on a HD.

IMO you should stick with what you've got because your expectations will not be met by any of the bikes you mention. If you're looking for a change then buy the one you like the look of, they'll all serve you well.

Moulin,
It would be good to hear your impressions from your test rides; here in the UK it didn't used to be easy to test a Yam 1200 tenere because the dealers didn't have them on the shop floor - the idea seemed to be that a customer would buy it "blind" without a test ride:confused1:
It should be easier now that there are a few second hand ones in the dealers.

p s
I agree with the underlying theme of some of the earlier posts - someday a thread will stay away from :offtopic: for more than a day or two, but I am not holding my breath when BMW are in the subject line of the thread :(

In a similar spot as you, and will be watching this thread for insights.

I've ridden my Harley touring motorcycles tens of thousands of miles (numerous 500+ mile days and a few 1000 mile + days) including a 12,000 mile trip last fall, and don't think there is a more comfortable highway bike; the loping of the motor at low rpms on the highway and the relaxing ergonomics are pleasurable.

But for an upcomming trip from Key West to Prudhoe Bay, I'm going to need a more off-road bike for the last 300 miles of the Haul Road, but still handle the 5,500 miles of pavement, and am looking for used. So, I've test rode a GSA, and found it buzzy at highway speeds. This suprised me, as many people ride these many miles, but I'd have gone numb. How do people do it?!

Next, I'm going to try a V-Strom 1000, and if that doesn't work, maybe a Yamaha s10, but that's still new.

So, don't have much to contribute to your questions, except that you're not alone. Please continue to post your findings as you research Adv-tour bikes.

boatpuller, if you have any questions about the trip send me a Private Message. I rode a V-Strom 650 to AK in 09 and camped the entire trip. Like you I still enjoy my Harley for touring, but I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised at the comfort of the Strom.

boatpuller,
I'm surprised as well; I've hired a HD (I think it was the soft tail model - it was certainly purple) in the States, just for a "test ride" for a few hours, and my memory is the throbbing between my legs not to mention the build up of heat around that region - but I was wearing shorts for the 1/2 day ride, in a heat wave with a T shirt and shades for upper body protection; I just want to throw that bit in for the H&S freaks out there.

I can't understand how the vibes of the flat twin GS could be any greater than a V twin Harley.
I've owned/ridden a few twins and I love that type of engine but especially the V twin low down torque. Never thought of any of them as buzzy though.

Worth testing a different GSA to see if it was just the bars or some other factor??

I am in a similar situation to Moulin.

My 1150 GSA with all the trimmings has been written off by the insurance company and I now have a small cheque from them to compensate.

We are going RTW 2-up next year and we are camping so I am tempted with another GSA - but it is so heavy.

Anything suitable for 12 months away from home two up do you think?

Super Tenere
 

I traded my KLR for a Super Tenere last July, got 13,000 miles on the Tenere now. I was 2 weeks from getting a GS when Yamaha made it available in the U.S. Price, dual swing-arm strength, low maintenance, dealer network and Japanese reliability made the S10 my clear choice. I hope to cover a few hundred thousand more miles of mountain roads, trails and daily commutes on it. Ride one, thats all it will take.

Thanks for the useful, real world experience of the S10.

I don't make a habit of quoting motorcycle magazines and their reporting, but there was an interesting article in a UK bike mag back in Nov 11.
It concerned the Nick Sanders' super tenere that did 3 return trips of the Pan-American; this amounted to 51,000 miles in about 4 months.
But the interesting bit was the strip down of the engine and the photos and description of the mechanics. Servicing for the 51K miles is described as 2-3 oil changes and nothing else, not even the air filter was changed.

The most serious issues found with this bike were a couple of weeping seals, specifically for one of the fork legs and in the final drive which incurred some kind of damage (vaguely attributed to a strap).
All of the engine internals are described as showing wear consistent with a bike of about 10K miles maximum and many are "just run in" or "as new".
Apart from the seals, everything is original, even the spark plugs.

I hope your S10 gives just as good service in your travels!!

May I suggest taking the 3-day BMW intro off-road motor course before buying the big GSA. I did and it didn't take long to realize that the bike is way to heavy to go to a lot of places the smaller ones could get to. I also am making the transition from Harley to adv.bike. Good luck & hope to see you on the road.

Deal done, Goodbye Harley- Hello BMW GSA :)
 

That sounds like a well motivated decision.
I wish you lots of fun riding your BMW GSA.

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This is a great forum for tech info on all the GS bikes. Opinions vary on the 1200, but the majority seem to think the build quality is nowhere near as good as the earlier bikes.
I wouldn`t fancy taking any of the biggies you mention on anything other than firm tracks. If you travel solo I reckon a 650 or 660 would do you better. They happily chug along at 70mph all day fully loaded. The XT660Z is a great bike.