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16 Jun 2010
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Veteran HUBBer
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Estonia
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With that price tag you can aquire a decent R1100GS or even R1150GS. But probably you'll get better conditioned late R1100GS (1998-1999 year models, which will last a lifetime if you service them good).
For 2-up, big telelever-fronted boxer series are the best you can get in that price range IMO, unrivalled comfort and handling when loaded 2-up, especially if you intend to do bad roads time to time (Eastern Europe, the best Europe for GS  ).
Then again you can get a V-Strom 1000 cheaper, but have to make a lot of costly modifications (stronger springed $$$ aftermarket rear suspension and you need A LOT better springs for the front, strong crashbars to protect all that fragile plastic, better bashplate for the exposed oil cooler, etc for a starter) to make it handle under load and to prepare it for the abuse.
Best try different bikes (besides GS and Strom, also consider Triumph Tiger 955i, Varadero that fit that price range) on a long test drive and choose the one you and your g/f feel the best on the long distance.
Happy testing!
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18 Jun 2010
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Veteran HUBBer
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Norwich,Ontario,Canada
Posts: 1,070
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Margus
With that price tag you can aquire a decent R1100GS or even R1150GS. But probably you'll get better conditioned late R1100GS (1998-1999 year models, which will last a lifetime if you service them good
Happy testing!
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A lot of good advice in these replies but I just had to bring up this quote-- after I stopped laughing.
Sure they will last a lifetime- just like any other bike - that is if you dont ride very much or are counting a lifetime in dog's years and consider servicing them right as in replacing every broken bit each time it happens.
Reminds one of the story of the aged limberjack who claimed that he used the same axe for his entire 60 year carreer chopping trees"Yep , used the same axe all them years, only changed the handle five times and put two new heads on"
Regardless of what make of bike- they are all machines and they all will wear out.This side of the Atlantic any BMW with more than 1000 00km is virtually considered used up, dealerswill not want them as trades. If a GS1100 falls over the plastic front turn signals are trash
Just buy whatever you like and can afford, ride it and see what you find out and go from there.
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18 Jun 2010
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Veteran HUBBer
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Wirral, England.
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I think everyones forgetting that the lad is 24 and said he wants to keep some street cred...
A BMW is not street cred until you're in you're at least in your 50's !  Especially an old GS.
Either are most of the bikes suggested here. I did my first trip at 23 on an Africa Twin.. I couldnt wait to get home and sell it so I could buy a blade !
Now, im the other way round.
__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.
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18 Jun 2010
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Registered Users
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: SW France
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I really shouldn't get sucked into these "which bike is best threads" but on this occassion we seem to be getting way off what the original poster was asking about.
He said he was looking for a cheaper alternative to a 1200GSA with street cred for mostly road but a little bit of backroads stuff 2 up. I assume he was talking about a new bike and expecting it to do what he needs straight out of the showroom.
Street cred is hard to pin down as it usually depends on who's looking and where you are. In my opinion a fully kitted Airhead GS would have more street cred than anything if you're in a campsite in Botswana amongst a group of overland travellers. The 1200GS has street cred from Tescos to Timbuktu almost independant of the onlooker as a result of LWR/LWD publicity. There aren't many other bikes out there with anywhere near the same status but I still think that the KTM adventure is the next best (but hardly any cheaper).
If it were me I'd go for a 2 year old GSA. There are plenty of low mileage ones out there and they are probably a better bet than a new one as some of the teething troubles will have been fixed.
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Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
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