LOL - maybe it's just me showing my age, but I don't consider a motorcycle first made in 1996 to be "very old"...

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Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

17 years is old for me

Well i guess i celebrated too soon there... there are problems with the ER-5n, the guy who sold it to my uncle said its running perfect but there are some mechanical issues now and it didn't get throu the testing therefore can't drive on the road unless i make some investments, my uncle said then he doesn't want the bike so yup...i don't have a bike still

I will contact some sellers and try to drive some bikes this weekend.
I got a 660 Tenere from 1991 for 1400€ in mind and somehow the BMW F650GS Dakar is stuck in my head even tho i didn't want to buy a BMW
A 2000er Dakar in Snowwhite with quiet alot of addings (grip heaters, Touratek aluminium cases, protection etc. für about 3000€. Very expensive but probably worth it...

Too bad about the ER-5n.
I'm not a fan of the 650 Dakar but many here on HUBB have had good ... and bad luck with them.

I do know they have a "colorful" history regards reliability. Very mixed. But IMO... if well looked after and with a few key spare parts carried on board, you can do well on this bike if it's not too worn out.

They ride nice on road when in good condition. Not great off road but certainly OK for mild off road travel. Watch closely water pump and for blown head gasket. Also, fuel pump and some electrical issues too. Basic engine is good and if looked after could go to 100K miles for traveling.

Be sure to look out for bad wheel bearings. F650 is notorious for having bearings fail very early ... for no good reason. (tip: use Japanese bearings)

One big negative is possible front fork failure. This has been discussed in detail on various Dakar and F650 forums for YEARS. Many documented examples of F650 Showa forks snapping, riders injured in some cases. So keep an eye out there. (NOTE: most are OK, not in danger of breaking)

My guess, with an older F650/Dakar with many km done, most problems will have already presented and been fixed at this late date, after 10 or 15 years with bike on the road.

For me, if buying 650 class dual sport bike in Germany, I'd consider a very late model XT600. These were made until 2003, so should be some good used examples for sale.

XT is a simple bike: Carb, no fuel injection, almost NO electronics. No
ABS. Strong and reliable bike. With good maintenance, reliable as a hammer.
Tons of good info here on HUBB about the XT600 Yamaha. SEARCH.

And one big thing:at least 30 kg. lighter weight than a F650 Dakar.

Off road, weight is your enemy. I rode the F650 Dakar in Moab, Utah ... in soft conditions was a bit scary. Too heavy to lift alone.

The XT is about the same weight as my Suzuki DR650, similar attributes.

I somehow focused on getting ABS on the bike as a first bike.
I've found a F650 GS (no Dakar) for 2500€ with quiet nice addings (cases, grip heaters etc.) with 57.000km done from 2003.
Should be fine then?!

I just searched for travel bikes with ABS under 3000€ and the BMWs are the only one who showed up.

Maybe i should say goodbye to ABS but idk man, in case of a accident i just don't want to say "IF I HAD ABS", atleast for the first bike. But maybe my thinking about this is wrong.

I like ABS but ride two bikes without it ... and rode 40 years on bikes with NO ABS.

Some riders depend TOO MUCH on ABS and skip proper training and real practice ... which is the MOST important element. PRACTICE.

2500 EURO for 2003 with 57K km does not sound like a great deal to me. Many many things would have to renewed before a long ride. I covered some in above post. If seller has done things like: New steering head bearings, all new wheel bearings, new swing arm bearings. All very important for a bike of that age and km. If not done recently, then you really should do all before long ride.

I would continue to SHOP and wait for a better deal. Be willing to travel far to get your bike. In Summer, prices can be high and inventories low. Be patient, wait until October. Have cash on hand, be ready to jump on a good deal.

I really thought the BMW is more solid.
Makes it harder to find a proper Bike for me I never expected it to be that difficult. Tomorrow i will testride a BMW anyways, got the appointment already.

Maybe i will rent a Versys for a Weekend aswell.

The old Honda Dominator (the one with the pink logo on it) is somehow so ugly that its cool again I could totally imagine riding one of those

Here's the thing: The BMW is a much nicer looking bike, better switches, dash, clocks, controls. Better fit and finish, nicer paint. A much nicer looking bike overall. A Yamaha XT600 would seem "crude" by comparison.

But "beauty is only skin deep" !

The reality is BMW F650's tend to have more problems than XT600 (or similar) does not usually have. The BMW's may look beautiful (they are!) but not always so reliable once out in the real world riding rough roads or off road, fully loaded up with gear. Some BMW fans would have you believe BMW's never wear out. They do!

Good luck with test ride!

I somehow couldn't sleep so im up again looking for bikes

What do you guys think about a Aprilia Pegaso 650 from 1993 with 15.000km,
never heard Aprilia as reccomendation. It's only 1450€.

Also for 1600€ there is a Honda SLR 650 from 1996 with this cool naked bike look (round headlights), never saw that one before Is it something maybe? (german)

And once again, i am looking for a ride to "learn" the driving on. It doesn't neccessarly have to be a bike where i can ride around the world with, i will buy a Honda CRF 250 or Kawasaki X-300 for that. I just need something for now, to get experience and all, something around 600ccm.

edit: this is every motorcycle i could imagine under 2500€ right now. Many Bikes, what is good, what is trash?
https://www.mobile.de/park/list?id=2...ontent=desktop

The Aprillia Pegaso is almost the same bike as the BMW F650, I think they share a frame, engine and many other parts, a friend who has owned both said there is not much between them but Aprillia branded service parts are more expensive and ones from a BMW supplier are the same but cheaper.
The Honda SLR 650 is a Brazillian built bike and none the worse for it, perfectly capable but as with everything it comes down to how it has been used and maintained.
Apart from many of the Chinese built models there are few modern bikes which are trash, however much you are paying it all comes down to how it has been used and maintained, the cheaper and older you go the greater potential for problems. Look out for fewer owners, service history, receipts for work done, even something like the state of the sellers home and garage can give some indication about how it will of been treated, nicely looked after home usually means nicely looked after bike.

Yeah but sadly hard to tell for me if its in a good shape or not since i have 0 experience regarding to that.

I contacted the owner of this Transalp. The description says that it got HU/TÜV until 2018 so i don't have to worry about that, let me try to translate it.

I hope you'll understand that, i had to google translate the Motorcycle parts
Seems like a fairly good deal!

Most of your translation makes sense and the Transalp is a good solid bike with a low seat height, favoured by shorter people but fine with taller ones. If it has been well looked after it should be good for another 100,000km and a worthy machine.

Can i add grip heaters if i really want them later on or should I buy one with heaters now?

It is easy to fit heated grips on any bike. I have fitted them on various bikes over the years. Well, my mechanic did

If you cross Kazakhstan and Mongolia in winter time, you should also consider heated jacket and gloves. For that, you will need a bigger bike than a 250, as it would drain the battery. (And consider ground clearance especially for Mongolia!).

These days, I travel with a very light bike (XT250), but on my 1st big trip, in South America, I had a BMW, and I was very happy to have the heated gear and heated grips.

Don't agonise about "which bike". There is no perfect bike, no right or wrong way of travelling, only your way! It is always a big compromise. Buy what you like, and deal with the consequences:

1 – small 250: you cannot go fast ,so big pain in Europe and Western countries. You cannot use much heated gear but perfect on hard trails, so you can ride pretty much anywhere. Simple to maintain and easy to repair;

2 - a bigger 650: is heavy and will be hell in some trails/roads. More electronic so more “fragile” and harder to repair or find parts. But you will have more comfort.

Most people start with choice number 2. And over the years some decide to downshift.

By the way, when I lived in Brazil, I had an ER-6n. It is a lovely bike and I took it in many very bad trails… it was fun, although it would have been easier without the sleek road tyres!

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Maria

www.franglais-riders.com

Yeah i am on that Point now. There is no perfect bike even tho the Kawasaki Versys X-300 comes pretty close to perfect for my specific Needs, but we already found that out on page 1 or 2

For now I will start with a 600er travel enduro like the one i mentioned, the transalp and maybe an older africa twin or KLR 650 as prefered option.

I start to test bikes this weekend so we will see what suits me good
My trip starts in 2019, so for the next 2 years i will mainly do weekend trips and maybe a few weeks in scandinavia OR west europe (Spain/Portugal/France) so the heavier bikes are okay. If i start my trip i will downshift to a 250ccm or the Versys 300 (because in 2 years you can get it used and without any major weak points, or atleast they are known then).

I hope that the Situation in central asia is a bit better in 2019 so i can drive throu Iran so i can skip the sibirian winter in Russia, Kazahkstan and Mongolia but i will decide that in 2019