Best Bike for Me #420

[UtahFox]

Originally Posted by Myfuture_yourdebt

It sounds like since you're planning on selling the Tiger, you just WANT a new bike to replace it. How about you take the sale profit and use that to save up for your longer trips and/or farkle the WR to your hearts desire (touring seat, big gas tank, GPS, etc.)? Or better yet in my opinion, keep the Tiger! I'd be afraid that if you sold the Tiger and ended up buying another single-cylinder dual sport, you'd realize how similar your WR and that other bike are. They'd both be more similar than different even if your new bike was a modern big bore thumper like a Husky Terra, 690R Enduro, etc. You may gain some comfort and will definitely gain some power with anything bigger and/or Euro. That'll be about it...but if it breaks down badly and you need a dealership, good luck with Euro service departments (particular BMW).

The Tiger is a totally different bike than your WR...if you plan accordingly you can have great rides that will bring out the best in both bikes and minimize the times you find you and your chosen steed out of place. If you get another bike similar enough to your WR, you may end up realizing that you could take either bike on any of your rides and that it's kind of pointless (expensive) to have both bikes. Sure the bigger dual sport thumper will be better on the highway and maybe more comfortable than your WR, but it will be worse on the tighter stuff. The opposite is true of your WR...so in the end both bikes are have some disadvantages that you can't avoid at times but are more or less the same bike relatively speaking. At least a bigger dual sport would make up for it's offroad disadvantages by being much more comfortable and road worthy than any smaller dual sport.

If I were you and had to sell the Tiger but didn't want a different multi-cylinder dual sport, I'd get a dedicated but soulful and fun street bike (990 SMT, Street Triple, Hypermotard, etc.). The thing about your WR250R and Tiger is that between the two you can pretty much tackle ANY offroad adventure...of course you could do it ALL on your WR but the Tiger obviously shines at high-speed, long-distance, and comfort with great offroad ability for a such a street capable bike which is why I'd keep it along with the WR. Also the new Tigers seem to be spiting their European origins by proving to be reliable, durable, and easy to maintain machines for a modern multi-cylinder bike.

You speak wisely here. I think part of selling the Tiger is simply the fun of getting a new bike and setting it up. Part of it is getting a little money back out that I can apply to whatever adventure I go on. I do definitely need a dual sport, I mean, Moab is 4 hours from here with mix of freeway and highway and my bike is my daily driver as well (not actually driving it much these days ). Didn't mention that in my OP but I can't just trailer/truck a bike down there for the weekend, I have to drive it, so a street bike is out.

Last Summer I did the American Supercamp over in Fort Collins. It was fun riding a small bike that I was pushing into corners, and kind of bending it to my will. It was definitely more active & physical than riding the Tiger. The Tiger experience is more like I'm a jockey on a quarter horse, and just not applicable to riding a trail - for me - at my skill level.

Another reason that I decided to go with a smaller bike is that trip report where some guy went around the Darien Gap via island hopping on the Caribbean side. I've been dreaming of round the world trips long before I started motorcycling, and have always thought that way around would be a lot of fun. But looking at them getting the bike (DR650?) on and off these little boats kinda sealed the deal for me, and that's when the first thought of selling the Tiger entered my mind.

I appreciate the thoughful responses, but I'm still probably a few weeks from having to make a decision. I'd really love to hear from someone who has owned one of the BMW G650X bikes and how they handle in the desert VS the WR. Or whether a bike like a Husaberg 570 or a Husqvarna TE-310 would be up for some serious miles like a Long Way Down.

[UtahFox]

Originally Posted by SportsGuy

Oh, is that why he rides to CO so much...? ��

Yes I was thinking of that too when using 420

[Myfuture_yourdebt]

Now that I've thought about it more, it seems something like a KTM 690R Enduro is different enough from your WR that it'd have a clear spot in your stable. Double to triple the horsepower of your WR with just a little extra weight...definitely makes it better on the street I'd think at least as far as the power goes (since I've read that the WR handles the street very well beyond the lackluster power and is also very comfortable, cruising easily at 75 MPH even with a passenger with that nice 6th gear, I can't assume the 690R would be much better beyond the power advantage). I imagine though all that power makes the 690R a little much on some of the tighter trails and I've heard that the WR also feels lighter than it is so it'd still be your tougher trail dual sport whereas the 690R would be more of your long-distance dual sport/ADV bike. I've also read that the 690R has a poor turning radius even with steering stops adjusted out to the max, so that'd hurt it on the tight trails. I think something like a TE-311 or a Husaberg 570 would be too similar to your WR as far as offroad ability go (withholding "speedability") and aren't suited for long distance trips. They are more or less race bikes and from what I've read are not happy at all or comfortable on the street and long distances especially compared to your WR.

That being said, I wouldn't try a Long Way Round trip on any of these European bike and most definitely not any Husaberg or TE, but that's just me. Many people have massive component failure on whatever bike they take on continent crossing trips which means finding the nearest dealer to see if the bike can be saved. When on these longer trips especially out of country, your chance of finding a nearby dealer and decent mechanic to repair your Euro bike (and in relatively timely manner) seems much, much less likely than doing the same with a Jap bike. And what about parts availability much less their cost? Also, if you can't save your cheaper-than-dirt Jap bike, oh well you're out a few thousand dollars. But I'd have a much harder time abandoning a pricier bike like a KTM or a Husky especially if it was new when you got it. This repairability aspect is not even taking into consideration the can of worms that is Euro bike reliability. You should research that yourself and come to your own conclusions.