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Which Bike? Comments and Questions on what is the best bike for YOU, for YOUR trip. Note that we believe that ANY bike will do, so please remember that it's all down to PERSONAL OPINION. Technical Questions for all brands go in their own forum.
Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
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Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 4 Oct 2007
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Interesting comments and all very valid, I already own a couple of singles, a Yamaha DT 230 which is amazing capable both off road and on road, the 120 Kg weight makes it a real joy to ride when the going gets tough, it is perfect for trips where there is a lot of un sealed rough roads where there is a lot to see in a short distance. My KTM 640 LC4 SM is better on trips where the distances are greater, the 150 kg weight makes me think twice about venturing into the really rough terrain. I guess I am looking for a smaller and lighter KTM 990 Adventure or BMW 1200 GS, something that can comfortably cover bigger distances yet still be light enough to encourage some serious off road adventures. The Transalp, KLE, Bonneville etc are all very old tech, meaning heavy and a bit on the slow side. Surely with modern designs and advances in manufacturing methods a 160 – 170 kg twin cylinder adventure bike is entirely feasible. I have a number of specialised bikes from my 230 cc trial bike to a 1000 cc sports bike but what I want is a midsized adventure bike that combines the best qualities of all of these, light weight, comfort (it’s a personal thing but “Oldbmw” has it right, the ability to take your time and enjoy the whole days riding without having to stop for fuel often) and some performance that will make you smile want you are in the mood to go a bit quicker.

There are always lots of rumours about bikes like this but they never materialise.
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Old 4 Oct 2007
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Hi KiwiBruce,

"A lightweight KTM 990" - that will be the 690 single then.

The linked thread deals in rumours, but it prefers those which have some substance; for KTM, it is much more than rumour - the KTM financial planning up to 2009 is in there and the Adventure version of the 690 will be here next year, from memory.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...n-suzuki-28587

My comment; If I owned as many singles as you now have, I would definitely want some variety, like a twin!

So many choices!
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Old 4 Oct 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walkabout View Post
Hi KiwiBruce,

"A lightweight KTM 990" - that will be the 690 single then.
No, it will be a HP2 :-)

HP2 175 kg / 77 kw / 115 Nm
KTM 990 199 kg / 72kw / 95 Nm
KTM 640 158 kg / 40 kw /55 Nm
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Old 4 Oct 2007
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Nice suggestion, how far will the HP2 go on a tank of fuel, is it just less or just more than the distance you can cycle in a day
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Old 4 Oct 2007
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Originally Posted by KiwiBruce View Post
Nice suggestion, how far will the HP2 go on a tank of fuel, is it just less or just more than the distance you can cycle in a day
Well it goes a bit further then I can cycle in a day :-)
Standard tank is around 200 km, HPN tank about 400 km..
If you drive carefully you can add 20%, but it's not easy to drive slow on a HP2.
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Old 4 Oct 2007
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KTM models

138- 148 Kg for the new(ish) 690 in various trim.
So the Adv version should be a light weight and still be pulling 60+ BHP.

KTM Present new LC4 models in Paris - Detail - News - KTM.com - Ready to Race

I looked at the BMW HP2 SM in a dealer a couple of weeks ago; their asking price was £12500 (and they had a straight face!).
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Old 5 Oct 2007
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The HP2 SM is a very cool bike but it's nowhere near as cool as being able to keeping a straight face asking a modest inheritance form one, poor old granny would turn over in her grave is she knew. It's outrageous don't you know
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Old 21 Jul 2008
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Originally Posted by AliBaba View Post
Well it goes a bit further then I can cycle in a day :-)
Standard tank is around 200 km, HPN tank about 400 km..
If you drive carefully you can add 20%, but it's not easy to drive slow on a HP2.

We all go for bike decision. How about a thread fuel consumption friendly bikes !
The problem with boxer twins are fuel consuption and weight issue.
Othervise HP2 should be in somewhere else IMHO.
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Old 21 Jul 2008
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Originally Posted by Samy View Post
We all go for bike decision. How about a thread fuel consumption friendly bikes !
The problem with boxer twins are fuel consuption and weight issue.
Othervise HP2 should be in somewhere else IMHO.
For me range is more important then mileage, but of course to get god range your mileage can’t be too bad.

When I drive my boxer with singles I typically get 16,7 km/l, when I drive alone I typically get 15,5 km/l.
That gives me a range of at least 650 km, range is barely an issue.

Last edited by AliBaba; 21 Jul 2008 at 16:16.
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Old 30 Dec 2007
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What I want too - where is it?

Quote:
Originally Posted by KiwiBruce View Post
Interesting comments and all very valid, I already own a couple of singles, a Yamaha DT 230 which is amazing capable both off road and on road, the 120 Kg weight makes it a real joy to ride when the going gets tough, it is perfect for trips where there is a lot of un sealed rough roads where there is a lot to see in a short distance. My KTM 640 LC4 SM is better on trips where the distances are greater, the 150 kg weight makes me think twice about venturing into the really rough terrain. I guess I am looking for a smaller and lighter KTM 990 Adventure or BMW 1200 GS, something that can comfortably cover bigger distances yet still be light enough to encourage some serious off road adventures. The Transalp, KLE, Bonneville etc are all very old tech, meaning heavy and a bit on the slow side. Surely with modern designs and advances in manufacturing methods a 160 – 170 kg twin cylinder adventure bike is entirely feasible. I have a number of specialised bikes from my 230 cc trial bike to a 1000 cc sports bike but what I want is a midsized adventure bike that combines the best qualities of all of these, light weight, comfort (it’s a personal thing but “Oldbmw” has it right, the ability to take your time and enjoy the whole days riding without having to stop for fuel often) and some performance that will make you smile want you are in the mood to go a bit quicker.

There are always lots of rumours about bikes like this but they never materialise.
Well that's the answer then! Just re-read this post, and I am in the same boat - a few very different bikes for different purposes.
Some with spokes, some with solid wheels.

"A bit on the slow side" - this is always a conundrum for me; if I am hooking on at much above 80 MPH then I am in some danger of being picked up for speeding (even when cars are passing me at faster speeds!) - that is a likelyhood in the UK nowadays.
So at what speed do I want to put in the miles on the tarmac? - the F650GS single can hold 80 MPH all day long and still return 70 MPG with 200 miles covered before refueling. 200 miles from about 16 litres.
So could my "old technology" Yam 900cc Diversion inline 4 cyl shaft drive, but the fuel economy was not as good and it cruised at around 85 MPH without significant wind blast (the F650 has some of the latter above, say, 75 MPH). About 200 miles using about 20 litres of fuel.

Horses for courses.
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