Shaft-driven middle-weight adventure bike

The best you could hope for would be either a sleeved down Super Tenere or using the TDM-800 engine (the Mid-Tenere?) and then it would be heavy, underpowered, and ADVers would turn up their noses and sneer.

I'm not so sure. Traded in my TDM900 for a S10 and whilst I have to say the S10 is better in most area's I miss the economy and the availability of using most of the TDM's power without risking my licence or running out of road. Yamaha could have produced an uprated Tdm engined S10, after all the origonal was a 750 and 2up could hit 120mph no problem, but the lure of selling into the American market with cheaper petrol and a more substantial framed client meant 1200cc won out.

shaft drive is heavy.
If really concerned about weight,then you should knock shaft out of the equasion.
You want a light bike with big heavy unessasary parts?

Honda offers the transalp in europe, but they dont actually sell it

I guess they don't import it to the us because no one would buy it. The weight is about the same as the tiger 800xc or f800 gs but it lacks power and suspension compared to those, it actually lacks power compared to the wee.

I still have a soft spot for the BMW R80/GS - if someone made something like that now, it would meet most of your criteria. Skip the flat twin and make it a Vee or parallel twin, add 15-20 hp (the GS only made 50), and there's yer bike.

Kawasaki and Suzuki already have the engines for it, Honda could come up with something pretty easily (I don't count the Transalp since it doesn't make enough power), and Yamaha could update the TDM 900 engine, probably more easily than sleeving down the Super Tenere. I don't know which engine is the lighter, but would guess the TDM.

Why can't today's manufacturers come up with something like the old GS? Is it because today's riders demand so many more bells and whistles than we did back then? About the only thing extra I'd want that the GS didn't have would be ABS, and even then, I'd be happy enough without it if the price and weight were right.

Trevor

Shafts are just that - the shaft! I am not impressed by them. They have hidden (literally) maintenance issues, suffer from back lash, and add weight/hp sapping.


Don't believe the hype!

:eek1 Holy ugly fairing, Batman! No wonder it didn't sell. Too bad. I'm sure the engine was killer.

Not even BMW can come up with something like the venerable old R80. Here's why: the R80 made 50 hp and weighed 410 lbs; the R1200 GS weighs in fairly closely at 450 lbs (non-Adventure) and makes 107 hp. So, that's a 9% increase in weight compared to a 114% change in power. People like GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, man. It is what it is.

Buy a Wee or F650 or TDM or whatever, and mount a chain oiler. Unfortunately, this is the best you can do. Or, buy a mid-weight shaftie from the 80s, and make it an adventurer. But, be aware: the weight advantage may not be as great as you think. A Suzuki GS650 weighs more than my DL1000.

+1

Funny thing is the Super sports bike for the 80's cool dudes the 1100 Katana made about the same HP and weighed slightly more than the Super Tenere.

Well the NC700 is about line ball weight size and Power.

It's amazing that that used to be the Touring bike of choice for the well heeled.

its already been done

I have put 4 chain/sprocket sets onmy V-Strom from the sand and rocks fucking things up. A shaft is the only way to go on a legit adv bike. Some say the 650 Strom isn't a real adv bike. A shaft drive would def help for those30-40 day rides tio Alaska. Howe many people have had to change a chain on a 10,000 mile ride while on a Strom....THOUSANDS! A shaftie...a properly designed and built and balanced shaft...is the way to go for severe duty. Just my opinion and experiences.

I would give my friends right testicle for that bike!

Its good of you to do that.
As a matter of interest, the XLV750, TDM900 and GS1200 (non adv) all weigh about the same.

R80 G/S equipped with a 8.9gal tank filled is 450 lbs (368 lb dry)
unlike later GS, early G/S driveshafts usually last life of bike

best fuel mileage so far is 54 mpg, but low 40's for normal driving.
would not want servo assisted ABS brakes or electronic fuel injection
NO way I'd want any brakes that depends on electronics to work.

G/S in front of Frank Loyd Wright Price Tower yesterday

If you want a turn the key and go solution, perhaps a motorcycle is not the ideal choice.

Adventure rides are more than just making miles. Ask Ted Simon. Ask the boys from Mondo Enduro. They didn't have the Ewan and Charlie support team and camera crews. They rode, they broke down, they fixed it and rode some more. They adventured.

That is a sweet looking classic

not available in the US. I did see one at Barber last year, very nice bike.

maintenance issues, no not really. Will last light years longer than any chain. I'll agree w/ the weight and hp issues, but not that much of a issue, with an adventure touring bike.

The only motorcycle I've ever owned in over 40 years and 19 of the things, that never had one single problem with final drive, was a shaft driven bike. 1982 Honda CX500Turbo.

It's possible I might have changed the fluid it it once, but if I did, I don't remember doing it. Over 10 years, somewhere near 100K and I never once had the tiniest thought about it, let alone futzed with it, "maintained" it, or LOL actually considered it could fail! Unthinkable! :eek1

It was my first shaft driven bike, and I never noticed any issues regarding added weight or performance effecting issues compared to all my chain bikes. For me it was perfection.

Rode around for a little while on a VT500 Ascot, same deal. Shaft drive, no problems, no worries, no nothing other than ride and enjoy.

That's funny: right there!!!!


dW