Please God, someone help me.
 

Its doin me ead in. BMW 1200 Adventure or KTM 990 Adventure? Am losin me hair, and can't sleep over this one. I want a bike that will see me travel UK to Oz comfortably, but also, when I get back, something that will keep a smile on my face. Am edging towards the KTM at the moment.

Being a vet of various overland trips, common sense says, BMW650, Yam 600 or KTM 640, but I don't have any common sense. As I say, I want a bike for general fun days out, once I get home. What do I go for? I'm attracted to the high performance of the KTM. What do you think? Go on then, give it to me straight.

If there's no common sense then create one - blast them out both on longer testdrive at your local KTM and BMW dealers and pick the one your heart really wants, a good compromise between "living in dreams" and common sense. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/wink.gif

Cheers La

mrdexplorer
OK then, put us all out of our misery and let us know what did you got in the end?

Wish I was in such an "annoying" situation...

Tell us what you got in the end!

Why do people choose Landys over Toyotas when overlanding through Africa? It is afterall far more inferior! Because it fits the scenery, because somehow it is supposed to be there, without it it would be missing.

KTM enduro or adventure bikes, sort of the same thing in my opinion... Nostalgia set aside, and unless you plan to do A LOT of offroading, a Bimmer is, in my opinion, a far more "practical" choice. You will sit much more comfortably, have longer service intervals, feel less vibrations from the engine, etc. The GS650F Dakar is an excellent offroader, and a capable cruiser, the 1200 adventurer is the other way round. If I had the cash and were to do an RTW, the 1200 bimmer would be at the very top of my list with the number two on the list far far behind. But, if I were to purchase a new motorcycle anytime soon, I would most likely purchase the BMW 650Dakar (I love it).

This bike
http://www.bmw.no/mc/images/portrait..._adventure.jpg
is the comfy version of this
http://www.bmw.no/mc/images/portrait...tt_r-serie.jpg

Now, it must be said though, the Paris-Dakar rally or the Camel Trophy Landy Nostalgia just isn't enough to win me over. And, although I'd want to venture into the desert and the like, I'd likely spend 98% of the time on tarmac, gravel roads, and the odd trail every now and then. In other words, I'd rather have a bike suited for what I'll do most, but still capable of doing some of the obscure stuff once in a while.

Now, this is coming from a guy who this summer will be riding a classic Vespa from Cape Town to Nairobi. I guess rational thought has very little to do with it.

Buy the KTM!

http://www.ktm.com/EN/images/990adv-s.jpg

http://www.ktm.com/EN/images/990advorange-klein.jpg



[This message has been edited by Wheelie (edited 07 April 2006).]

KTM because its a total laugh, has soul a 21 inch front wheel and you dont skin your shins everytime you put your foot down sliding through corners.

Read the moderator Wheelie once again more carefully !

I would choose GS, if I have enough height and weight !

If you are after common sense, have a look at

http://www.adventure-motorcycling.com/trip/

and see what people are using for RTW and more importantly view their feedback... But be careful, you might end up taking a .... Honda... hahaahaha

hate to be a boring old fart and to be honest Im a gret abeliever in buying stuff cos it looks nice, BUT.

Ive got an 1150gs adv, ive onwed airhead GSs I spent a few hours on 950 adventures and if I was planning an overland trip I wouldn´t take either. Im not the worlds best rider, but I,m not the worst either. They are just to heavy, you run the risk or not enjoying the journey. Same applies to the 1200 series, they are lighter but not enough.

My 2p worth and i dont mean to be a wet blanket, but think about it.

boring bob

I'm with Bob. The twins will be faster and marginally more comfortable on the road however a big single will still hold a steady 75mph on road BUT when you get off-road (which, let's face it, is much more fun)then the single will trounce the bigger bikes in every respect.

But I bet you'll get the 950 KTM!

F650GS Dakar
 

I have just finished riding my 2005 F650 27000 miles, two up and heavily loaded. We probably travelled 5000 of those miles on gravel (ripio) roads and it was good. You could make lots of modifications to make this bike better but it does alright in stock configuration.

That said if would have been nice to have the KTM suspension at times.

Cheers Geoff

KTM Oil Changes?
 

I was reading last month's issue of Cycle Canada where a gentleman wrote in to ask why KTM asked him to bring his bike not only to a KTM dealer but rather an authorised LC8 (950 Adventure) dealer for routine maintenance while under warranty.

Apparently routine maintenance is very complicated and KTM only wanted specially trained mechanics doing the work. For example the oil change requires that two filter screens be cleaned and the lubrication system needs to be purged of air before startup otherwise the oil pump may starve and lead to eventual engine damage.

Considering how simple maintenance on the BM is (you could do it in a campground in an hour :thumbup: ) I would go for the BMW! Just my opinion...

Yes I found the BMW service schedule and support excellent. I would project the force down the sat phone and poof the mechanic with all the BMW special tools and computer interogation equipment was there.

Which bike
 

Re. BWW service and parts availability.
It all depends on where you are and what parts you need .This January in Mexico my R1100GS needed a rear tire and I headed for Mexico City . Found the modern dealership of Munchen Motors in the Santa Fe commercial node (SW corner of city, route to Toluca) and they had a tire in stock and pointed out that my rear brake pads were about used up, then replaced them too as I waited . Excellent. Weeks later my throtle cable broke and with a temporary fix I rode 2000km till I got to Puebla where the official BMW dealer, big modern outfit, but no throttle cable in stock.Three of the new C2s on the floor though. Rode home with the $1.50-fix cable , replacing it seems to be a major project with all the stuff that needs to be torn off and returned.

If you are not cramped on time, parts accessibility should not be a big issue with a reliable bike. Parts can be shipped with a currier to just about any place on the face of the earth, or atleast to the closest metropol where you break down. Worst case, you have to ship your bike some distance to receive parts and have your bike fixed. It will be more expensive ofcourse, but then again, you might think it is worth the risk it to be able to ride your favourite bike. In case of bimmer lovers, I guess those are not appart of the most cost councious of travellers (they all ride japs). If you're a bimmer owner, with time to spare in your itinerary, then I wouldn't worry too much about the odd part that could fail. If reliability and ease of repair is a top priority, then I'm not even sure that a KTM should make the list.

On my next trip I will be bringing parts for about 1200 Euros, pluss tons of tools. This because I will be riding a highly unreliable bike, in Africa, with no time to spare WHEN I brake down. The bike I chose delivers very little bang for buck in terms of performance, handling, reliability, convenience, comfort, or any other valued attribute. Then being practical had very little to do with my choice...

If one is a KTM fetishist, then I'd say go for it. You'd be grinning just knowing that you were riding one, regardless of the bikes physical attributes.

I wouldn´t buy any of both.
GSA, way too heavy, too much of computers very little to fix myself, also very new to worldwide BMW dealers.
KTM too rough, hi-maintenance, rare to find parts or service in some countries.

As gbarnard (Geoff & Nina) wrote, they did their trip on a 650 but he forgot to mention it was a Dakar, (two up) and he is an old motocross expert and always mentioned his Dakar has been the best choice over many other bikes.

I would recommend to check and plan what kind of trip you plan to do.
In the end you can do it on anything with 2 wheels and an engine, the difference will be the compromise you must make trading some comforts vs. others.

I switched from a dual purpose bike to a real on-road one when I checked my statistics and I realised I was doing between 1 and 2% off road on my GSA1150.

Sometimes I do my choices more based upon emotion than facts, that is nice but not always the best.

Good luck in your selection, let us know.:smile3:

What would you recommend then?

BMW vs KTM
 

Hi Lipton,

It's a hard decision you have to ask yourself what sort of riding you are going to be doing. I have a 1100gs and love the bike it's a very smooth bike. I just came back from a 1500km trip over easter and it was well equiped to hold all the gear, half of the journey was on some pretty rough dirt roads where I was able to cruise at upto 120km/hr. You can really clock up some km's on the bm.

My friend was riding a vstrom 650 they are a very good bike for on and off road. I like the bm better because it's a lot better off road and just as good on road. The stroms handle bars are too narrow for rough conditions, you get a bit of axle tramp on rough surfaces it can't hold as much gear and the screen interfers with your vision at low speeds on rough terrain. It bottoms out really easy, the exaust and heat exchanger is exposed. But the stroms prob has better pick up than the bm on the road and is a lot lighter, plus you get more out of the tank. bm got 300km till reserve and the strom got close to 400km.

The KTM on the other hand is a top notch off road bike and at a good price. In Australia they are 20k on road where the 1200gs adventure is 28k on road. If your back ground is dirt bikes then you would prob like the ktm a lot more, you can really take it down some rough dirt tracks and it holds a far bit of gear. It has better suspension travel, more ground clearance and is lighter. It has no problem lifting the wheel in 3 gear and on the road it's pretty good but you have to be taller to ride the KTM. But not as good as a BM on road.

The reason I like BM the most is that you can just sit on the bike for hundreds of km's no matter what the road surface. It has little comforts like heated hand grips dual seat, the pillion is nice and comfortable on the back. On long highway stints if you have a throttle lock, you can lock it in and rest your legs on the heads. They are simple to maintain, spare parts are everywhere! KTM is alittle more limited and just as expensive. The single side swing arm on the BM is good for changing tires. The BM does not have a chain, which in my opion is a masive plus especially off road is dirty conditions.

Well that's my two bobs worth.

Good luck

Ben

Cool, thanks for the info guys!

Re. BWW service and parts availability.
 

That sounds very inventive 1000km on a temp fix, I just replace my accelerator cable on my r1100gs and it's not an easy task very fidlely. My bike has the single cable that runs via the left throttle body.

Yeah I find the same thing with the dealerships, every time I go in to get a part they have to order it. But there is some other parts distrubitors around my area they stock just everything I need. But with the BM especially older models like the r1100gs everything is accessible and pretty simple. That's what I like about them quite easy to fix. You can do a top end rebuild without removing the engine.

Keep it simple, cheap and light.
 

I think the majority of people here are missing the boat on this subject. Your doing a RTW trip! Its not what you are riding but what you are seeing. I think a guy would enjoy a RTW trip alot more if he didn't have to worry about a $20,000 bike parked out front of his guest house in the middle of Cairo. Here in Canada you can buy a used KLR for about $3500 and add another $500 in parts and gear and your ready to go. They are reliable... just ask the numerous people who have experience in RTW trips. If it does break down or gets stolen oh well...deal with it! Thats part of the adventure. My KLR looks like crap because I want it to. I dont want to look wealthy when I'm in a third world country. No fancy bright clothing, no fancy expensive gear. You're just asking for trouble. Buy an Enfield and tour India!

Undercover luggage
 

I have a friend who has travelled for years all over the world, in some very dodgy places. He always used a pack strapped to his bike, and had the pack inside an old rice sack, with holes cut into it so the staps came out. That way, it just looked like an old sack when he laid it down with the straps out of sight. Blending in is a great idea.

Regards

Nigel in NZ

Hi all,

I don't know why people are giving a bad reputation to the KLR in terms of reliability. If you take care of your KLR it will last!!!

One important thing you need to do for this is having your engine clean after a while: Put your bike on a small boat. Then have a stupid driver tip the small boat over in an Amazone river in Brasil without asking him. This allow you to live at the same time the wonderfull feeling of asking to yourself where is my bike now and searching for it with your feet underwater while all your gear is going down the river. Don't forget to attach the bike to the small boat cause you may cry for a while. Get the bike out of the water and take some rest. Sleep by the side of the river alone and wakeup the next day with a crocodile at 300meters from your tent.

Then go back to the closest small town. Remove the oil drain plug: 2.5 liters of water will go out and after that 2.5 liters of oil will go out. Clear water does not work as well for cleaning as the brown/sandy water from Amazonia. Remove the spark plug, fill your most of your engine with Diesel and push the starter button to shake everything inside in order to clean the engine. Look at the water coming out by the sparkplug hole, it is very pleasant. Repeat the process 2 times. You can now go back on the road with a freshly clean engine!!!

Since the "cleaning", the KLR is still running strong after more then 11000km and the bike have now 67000km.

I learned from this experience that KLR are also submarine proof !!! :)
Why so many people are saying the KLRs are bad?

Patrick

1200 GSA vs KTM adventure
 

hey mrdexplorer,

check "owner's forum new 1200 GSA " under BMW Forum,
hope you will have some more driving impression than only mine ...

Good choice

Norbert

Correct choice will be understood on the road !
 

I don't know how tall and weigh are you but if you are tall enough (over 170 cms) and have enough wight (more than 65 kgs) you can go for 1200 GS. Anyhow F650 is simpler, lighter and will cover your needs.
Don't forget that 1200 GS will spend much more gas than 650.
Personally I definitely go for BMW.

Totally Awesome Story!!! I couldn't stop laughing! Good Times!

Lovely story !!!!!!1
 

Pat did you really survive through all this ??
Brave man !

god ,someone help me
 

zoots! Pat on atrip,
What a nightmare.! Glad to see you dealt with it with a sense of homour. Such a scenario is why I , a non swimmer, am very averse to transporting a bike in such flimsy canoe like vessels. An y ferry better have some seaworthiness before I'll trust it.
As to my 1100GS throttle cable , it got me home still going good after 6000km, pretty good for a bicycle brake cable with the barrel end in the twist grip clamped to the bare BMW inner cable, the lot taped to the fork stanchion to let the cable pull. The Clymer shop manual shows how to change it - the whole bloody two injector bodies and cables plus choke cable have to be disassembled, then put back with new cable and rebalanced ! It is due for a dealer inspection anyway , so I'll change all the oils and check valves then let the shop have the fun.

able assemblies hav

Hi Georges (Alias Flying Gringo)!

I know you like to ride fast and look only at the white strip in the middle of the road. But hey, if this is your kind of trip! I never understood why you took about a month and a half to ride from USA to Ushuaia and then spend 3 months in Montevideo. Hope it was for a girl.

Are you back home or in Uruguay again?

See you one day!
Patrick

Making contact
 

mrdexploer

Hi, have just joined the site and am planning what sounds like a similar trip to yourself. I'm emigrating to New Zealand and am planning to travel overland from the UK via Middle East, India, SE Asia and Aus.

Am looking at getting an 1200 Adv myself and seeing as i live just up the road from yourself in Lymm, I was woundering if you'd like to meet up some time for a general chat.

cheers, John

Hi Red Bull!

This is the real story! I skipped the some parts: Like the native people showing the snakes in the river to the girl I was travelling with while she was in the water before they took her out!

It's the natives who went to catch all my gears down the rider. Otherwise I would have lost everything. I only lost a pair of gloves in the end. I had to really insist to give them some money for their help. I was really surprised to see my ALU box floatting. I was not expecting that. It gave me a smile for a moment.

Taking the bike out of the water was challenging too. When you get closer the coast, it's like "quicksand". You wait 30sec. and your bike sink into the sand at about half wheel. You have no time to loose.

After getting everything out of the water, the engine of the small boat did not work anymore. We waited for a while until another came in our way. It was at the end of the day. The native driving the new boat said I have business to finish right now but after that, let me sleep 2 hours and we will go back to the closest city by night??? During the day we were making slalom between the trees out of the water to make our way and this guy wanted to go back with a small hand flashflight and opening it every 30 sec to see what would be in front of us. This guy was crazy!!! At least he accepted to wait until the next day. But he told me to leave all my gears and bike by the river for the night and we would go sleep in another village a few km away. For no reason I wanted to leave my bike by a river alone so I decided that I would camp there.

Sleeping alone in the jungle by a river was a very interessting experience: All the bugs want to gets inside your tent all night. You hear strange animal noise from the jungle and also hear the water moving like if there are animals fighting all night close to you. And when you see the crocodile at 300meters from your tent the next day, you don't plan another night there!

The next day on the way back, the native was telling me that there are snakes, piranha, crocodile and anaconda in the river. That's great news!!! Back to an hotel, I had not much joy when I opened the engine valve cover and saw rust on my cam chain :( But hey it seems the diesel cleaing made the job!

I liked this adventure but It is a very expensive story for me. Whenever you put your bike in a small boat, make sure everything important is waterproof. My camera, cd player, passport, book, etc... did not enjoy this trip. Put a plug on your exhaust pipe and block the airfilter box. If your bike does not go for too long underwater it may save some damage. There was not much to do in my case.

Also if you can, ask information to the people around about your destination before going. It was impossible to get where I wanted to go because near the end there was not enough water. So it was lost from the beginning and the guy just robbed me!!! This happened during my second day in Brasil. I wished I was speaking portuguese at that moment.

Have safe boat-motorcycle trip!!!

Patrick

Go low zoot!
 

Lipton-

I'd give the Suzuiki V-Strom 650 some consideration. While much lower zoot than the beamers and KTM, it fits the bill: A bike worthy of world touring but still fun to ride around when you get back home. And the price is right of course too.

I have had both a KLR and V-Strom. The KLR, while more dirt worthy, was tiring at highway speeds.

IMHO... although your heart may be saying take the KTM or the big BMW, I agree with these guys who are saying get a smaller, lighter bike. If you're bumbling down a potholed dirt road in the middle of nowhere at 50 KPH and dump the bike, a 650 is a hell of a lot easier to pick up by yourself...