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18 May 2017
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Which bike for RTW?
I will make it a short list:
1. BMW F800GS Adventure
2. KTM 990 Adventure
3. BMW R1200GS
4 Triumph Tiger 800 XC
Which would your choice be and what reasons? Anything to take into consideration when making the choice?
Thanks in advance for your input.
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18 May 2017
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Veteran HUBBer
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Australia
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Reason: cost
You don't want something expensive.
Reason2: weight
You want something light to pick up when it falls over. And it will.
So what is the cheapest and lightest of your selected bikes?
You might even chose a second-hand one to reduce cost further.
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Personally I'd chose something smaller. 250- 650.
... Have you looked at your route? Figure in any carnet costs?
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18 May 2017
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyliner
I will make it a short list:
1. BMW F800GS Adventure
2. KTM 990 Adventure
3. BMW R1200GS
4 Triumph Tiger 800 XC
Which would your choice be and what reasons? Anything to take into consideration when making the choice?
Thanks in advance for your input.
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None.......
If you are looking to stay off the main roads and travel light (no camping) and not be in a big rush.
Honda CRF 250 Rally with a few cheap mods
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18 May 2017
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Registered Users
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Location: Esperance, WA
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My order of preference of what you have listed (and why)
- Tiger 800 - plenty of extras; good suspension upgrade and long range tanks available. Love the smooth engine. Spares are easily available through US websites (not cheap, but when there are no dealers...)
- KTM 990 - I'm a decent mechanic and can fix it myself if I have to. Probably will need TLC, but of all the bikes you listed for me the most fun to ride. The most off-road capable and like the 18/21 wheel configuration - better knob tyres available (and cheaper)
- 800GS - Over here on Aus, they are over-priced and the build quality not as good IMO as cheaper Japanese counter parts. If I could get one at a nice price, a definite choice, but the cost of suspension upgrades etc a big drawback for me. Dealer support network is a bit sparse though and not really a bike you can completely maintain yourself.
- 1200GS - I toured with one of the 1st 'electronic suspension' 1200's a few years ago and I was sorely disappointed. I like the earlier boxers much better ((IMO 1150GS ADV would be my weapon of choice). BMW tried to be too fancy with the latest gen boxers. And the boxers tend to be a bit 'soft' for me - I always broke mine on weekend trips (e.g. popped front suspension seals, bearings, brakes etc) and I came to the conclusion I'm too hard on bikes for a boxer to be a real option for me for extended long trips.
But as others have rightfully said - consider something cheap you won't feel much for. It will take a pounding on such a trip. There are several very reliable older bikes that might serve you as well (or better in terms of maintenance) on a RTW / extended trip.
As for smaller - well, there's no substitute for horsepower... 
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18 May 2017
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Squily
Great review on all the bikes.
Horsepower sometimes can be a negative requirement?
Here is a picture of a 74 HP 650cc and an 18 hp 250 cc.
who got to the end of the roads first without coming off
Power no pick the correct bike for the worse condition you could encounter.
At this point I was riding alone you try to pick up 260kg +50kg of gear on the ice its not going to happen.
Had to wait 3 hours at -10c for a truck to pass to help me upright the bike.
Needless to say, I learnt my lesson the hard way
Last edited by Nuff Said; 18 May 2017 at 12:40.
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18 May 2017
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Registered Users
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Join Date: Aug 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyliner
I will make it a short list:
1. BMW F800GS Adventure
2. KTM 990 Adventure
3. BMW R1200GS
4 Triumph Tiger 800 XC
Which would your choice be and what reasons? Anything to take into consideration when making the choice?
Thanks in advance for your input.
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I wonder how have you come up with that list, based maybe on adventure movies on youtube? 
just kidding but seriously, I would choose none of them personally.
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18 May 2017
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Location: Esperance, WA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nuff Said
Horsepower sometimes can be a negative requirement?
Here is a picture of a 74 HP 650cc and an 18 hp 250 cc.
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LOL - yes those type of conditions can be really tricky. I recently did two days in the mud on a loaded >300kg Varadero fitted with Anakee tyres. Never got it higher than idle without dropping it. As you say, picking up that bike when you can't even stand up on the slippery surface by yourself is completely exhausting. But that said, my mate on an CRF1000 Africa Twin with more horsepower, but fitted with knobbies was running rings around me and had no trouble at all.
And as you indicated - a lighter bike is better for those conditions. My wife on her CRF250L had more fun than either of us on those two days.
But for me, its not about 'getting from A to B' or getting there as easy as possible. It is which bike will give me the biggest kick overall. And the list he provided are all my 'type' of rides. But as other people indicated as well- the choice he asked about is not my 1st choice either. Being a Honda man, my 1st choice always gyrate to Africa Twin, Transalp or similar.
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Squily
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18 May 2017
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yes you make some fair points,
But we both have no idea of the riders experience and pass rides with over 60,000 km visiting 26 countries with temperatures hitting 40c and snow and at nearly 16.000 feet up at -10c just on my last ride and I have a Honda CRF 250L in Thailand doing mostly dirt riding. IMO small is better IF you travel light and IF you have no planned route.
opinions are like asshole we all have them.
I can say over the 60.000 km I just completed only about 5% was when I wished I was on a smaller bike.
But IMO it's that 5 % you need to think about
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18 May 2017
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1 bike I would maybe do a long trip on would be a BMW G 650 GS
Very light strong engine 19" front spoke wheel
The last picture is not the way to travel.
Chinese guy, I passed on the motorway in China
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18 May 2017
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Back into the hamster wheel again, in Oslo - Norway. Did a 5 year RTW trip/250 k kms, 2014-2019
Posts: 1,479
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Priorities for a RTW bike as I see it after almost 3 years on the road:
1. Weight
2. Reliability
3. Cost effective/value for money. (Choose a cheaper bike and your travel money can get you further)
In my opinion as almost 3 years into a RTW trip I think a small and lightweight bike is the way to go. Its so much better when the going gets tough such as offroad riding, bad roads in third world countries, its so much easier to navigate through a 10 million city at 40 degrees celcius - so much easier to handle in general. A small bike costs less, maintainance and parts are cheaper and it uses less fuel. If one think thoroughly through it its quite logic! Spend the money you save on further travelling.
A 250-500 ccm bike would be a good option, although there isnt that many to choose from and most requires a good bit of extras and aftermarket stuff. But so do most bikes. In reality most people go on 600-650 thumphers as a compromise (and so do I) but if I knew what I now know I would have choosen something lighter (and more reliable)
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18 May 2017
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Reliability is very hard to judge.
Most people go for the larger bikes because that is what most people see as 'suitable'. The larger bikes are more comfortable and safer at speed, those on smaller bikes simply slow down a little .. and that has advantages of seeing more as you have a little added time to look around and economy improves. Travelling at a lower speed also stresses the bike less so reliability should improve. Simply backing off may get you that small increase in reliability.
Any 3 cyc motor will be very nice compared to 4, 2 or 1 cyc motors .. much smother! So in terms of comfort the tiger wins over the other choices.
Good luck with your choice.
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19 May 2017
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R.I.P.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyliner
I will make it a short list:
1. BMW F800GS Adventure
2. KTM 990 Adventure
3. BMW R1200GS
4 Triumph Tiger 800 XC
Which would your choice be and what reasons? Anything to take into consideration when making the choice?
Thanks in advance for your input.
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The thing "to take into consideration" is YOU. 
You can't expect travelers here to give you accurate feed back when they know NOTHING ABOUT YOU, your plans for travel, budget, type of riding you would like to do, your history of riding.
Off road experienced? Mechanical aptitude? What travel on bikes have you done before? What bike? How LONG do you have to travel?
All the bikes you list are wonderful bikes for road-only travel. Great on good roads; fast comfy, smooth. But ALL are very heavy and very expensive ... and may require a dealer when maintenance is required.
This is why everyone here has voted them down for a true RTW ride. More and more experienced riders have discovered small bikes. 250's mostly. It's simply astounding what they are capable of ... and at very low cost compared to bikes on your list.
I look at it a bit different. If you're riding round the EU or USA only and plan to stay on paved roads, then any of the bikes listed would be OK.
But if exploring the deep Alti-Plano of Peru' or Mongolia or Africa ... then a cheaper, smaller, lighter weight bike would be my choice.
Fill us in about YOU and answer al the questions I've posed. Then you'll get some really helpful ideas.
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19 May 2017
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Spot on Molly.
Quote:
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But we both have no idea of the riders experience and pass rides
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Very importance part to consider what is the best bike?
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19 May 2017
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How long is a piece of string? People have gone RTW on Honda Cubs and full dress BMWs. Neither is right for all circumstances, both approaches have something to commend them. In the end it's a very personal choice and down to what you feel comfortable riding, what sort of riding you plan to do and what your budget is.
For a road based tour any of the bikes you mention will do it, though there are others also road based that would be just as good. If you're planning to do some off road or dirt tracks maybe consider something smaller and lighter. I have reservations about small bikes on long journeys, a matter of comfort and luggage carrying ability, plus the effect both of these may have on engine stress and reliability. Against that the better fuel economy may be a real benefit if you're on a tight budget.
Finally the age of the bike... a budget factor yes, but no engines last forever and you don't know what sort of life it's had before you buy it. Rebuilding a bike in the middle of the Gobi desert may be an adventure but it's not one I'd particularly like to have 
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19 May 2017
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I was going to comment on this one earlier, but I got distracted! As others have said there is no point asking the question without providing some more details.
You can go around the world and never leave the tarmac, if that's what you've got planned then take whatever makes you smile. You can go around the world and avoid the black stuff like the plague, in which case none of the options are good for most mortals.
You might, however, be one of the immortal gods of motorcycling - you might have the skills to flick 250kg of bike through any terrain effortlessly, in which case the advice above does not apply.
You might be a mechanical genius, you might be a mechanical novice or you might even be that strange breed who can't handle anything which involves electrons but can rebuild a carb with your eyes shut. Choose appropriately.
You might be solo, two up, camping, not camping, part of a group...
Without that detail all I can really say is - try KTM 690 \ Husqvarna 701. Nothing comes close on weight and power.
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helps answer the question - Why Go? Inspirational stories by veteran travellers Greg Frazier (5 times RTW), Peter and Kay Forwood (193 countries), Tiffany Coates (Mongolia Mayhem) and Rene Cormier (University of Gravel Roads).
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