tired of my wee, what's my next bike?

[TAMPAJIM]

I have owned both the BMW f650GS twin and the Tiger 800 Roadie,

The Triumph is far superior in my book if most of your riding is on the pavement. Turbine smooth, much better response and very broad power band. Only thing you need is a windshield from Madstad and luggage to make it a great touring bike. Downsides are that the engine has a whine and there is a bit of a heat problem in warm weather.

The Beemer is a good bike but always seems to be working too hard after 65 mph (buzzy) and doesn't feel as stable at speed as the Tiger. Also the BMW seat feels like a vinyl covered 2x6 after half an hour so there goes another $500 in addition to a decent windshield.

I traded the T800 for the Explorer. Very powerful, very good on the highway but heavy when not rolling. I love it but kind of miss the ligher T800

[richtidebruin]

Curious why there is not much talk about the Super Ten in this conversation? Yes its a bit more than a 2012 DL650, but I would think it's also a lot more bike. There have been accusations of it being a bit less "adventuresome" than some of its competitors, but given 100% road use intended -- I'd think it would be in the mix. I tried the T800 roadie (the only XC the dealer had was being delivered at the time), and thought it was OK, but the riding position just didn't feel as good to me as the KTM. Just like everyone says, the engine is very nice no matter lugging or reving.... The Super Ten is on my radar for my next bike, due to the reliability and better on-road manners, along with the KTM 1190, or I'll just stick with the 990 if I can't make my mind up.

[Nookie]

I've got my wee for reliability and buell uly xt for fun. But, I think I'm taking one final trip down to Mexico this spring on the wee and when I get back I'm going to start looking at the tenere to replace it. I just want something with a more grunt and I think the dealership network and reliability is there with the yami.

[brooklyn slim]

Originally Posted by richtidebruin

Curious why there is not much talk about the Super Ten in this conversation? Yes its a bit more than a 2012 DL650, but I would think it's also a lot more bike. There have been accusations of it being a bit less "adventuresome" than some of its competitors, but given 100% road use intended -- I'd think it would be in the mix. I tried the T800 roadie (the only XC the dealer had was being delivered at the time), and thought it was OK, but the riding position just didn't feel as good to me as the KTM. Just like everyone says, the engine is very nice no matter lugging or reving.... The Super Ten is on my radar for my next bike, due to the reliability and better on-road manners, along with the KTM 1190, or I'll just stick with the 990 if I can't make my mind up.

Don't know much about the Yam. I'm assuming that reliability will be good, but what's the ride like? Parallel twin=narrow, which is good. How much do you feel the weight of the bike? How much of a chore to toss it around? Torquey motor, or do you have get it spinning?

Checked out the pix of the Yamaha panniers, which look nice. Anyone have any experience with 'em?

[twinrider]

Originally Posted by brooklyn slim

Don't know much about the Yam. I'm assuming that reliability will be good, but what's the ride like? Parallel twin=narrow, which is good. How much do you feel the weight of the bike? How much of a chore to toss it around? Torquey motor, or do you have get it spinning?

Checked out the pix of the Yamaha panniers, which look nice. Anyone have any experience with 'em?

Very low CoG so it feels like a far lighter bike lifting it off the sidestand and riding at low speeds, and very nimble in the twisties. Loads of torque from the get-go. The Yamaha panniers have a pretty good rep. The biggest knock against them is that they are a bit small for two-up camping, and that if you crash hard the nylon mount on the back can break.

[LoneTraveler]

I'd vote for the Super Ténéré too. Still thinking of buying one myself, since it's an incredibly well-sorted package right out of the box. If you're not doing crazy technical off-roading, this should work very well as an adventure tourer and commuter with a bare minimum of upgrades, if any.

[blacktiger]

Originally Posted by brooklyn slim

what will I not like about an 800 Tiger roadie,

You may not like :-
1, the handlebars which are quite straight and twist the wrist.
2, the screen is a bit small if you're a bit big.
3, the suspension could do with a bit tuning as it can be a bit bouncy if your going for it.
That's it really.

You considered the Stelvio. You may not like the hammering vibration through the bars. Vibration White Finger is a real possibility.

As always on this sort of thread you get plenty of people saying that you NEED a 1200cc monster. Well you don't. Those of us who can remember the 70s & 80s got by perfectly well with "powerful" 750s with 65bhp.

As some have suggested, get test rides on all the bikes you're considering. I think you'll like the Triumph. I always say that once you've been "tripled" you won't look back.

[ph0rk]

Assuming the OP hasn't moved on anything yet, he or she posted:

Originally Posted by brooklyn slim

Another angle: I ride a 2006 Wee. I like the bike for my purposes - just about 100% road, commuting and medium trips (100-300 miles) and rare longer ones.


I'm looking to sit upright and not feel cramped (6'1") and I don't want a behemoth. Reliable and with great handling. Comfortable.

I didn't see anything about dirt in there, or round the world dreaming. That's okay - is this thread in beasts mostly because thats where stroms get talked about? You'd likely get an entirely different set of responses in road warriors, some may even be better suited to your wants and needs.

For myself, I am probably moving from a wee strom to something like a R1200R, a moto guzzi griso, a CB1100, etc. I don't need off road in the slightest and these can handle gravel just fine. They don't get mentioned much in this corner of advrider, though.

If a 90 degree knee bend is what you're after, you might have to go for a tall adventure bike, but if a sharper angle is okay, there are plenty of non-beasts out there that fit the bill.

[Domromer]

I never got the whole boring bike thing. All my bikes have been as exciting as I care to ride them.

[brooklyn slim]

Originally Posted by ph0rk

Assuming the OP hasn't moved on anything yet, he or she posted:



I didn't see anything about dirt in there, or round the world dreaming. That's okay - is this thread in beasts mostly because thats where stroms get talked about? You'd likely get an entirely different set of responses in road warriors, some may even be better suited to your wants and needs.

For myself, I am probably moving from a wee strom to something like a R1200R, a moto guzzi griso, a CB1100, etc. I don't need off road in the slightest and these can handle gravel just fine. They don't get mentioned much in this corner of advrider, though.

If a 90 degree knee bend is what you're after, you might have to go for a tall adventure bike, but if a sharper angle is okay, there are plenty of non-beasts out there that fit the bill.

Bingo. I've always ridden street bikes until I got the Strom, which I bought for the riding position, among other reasons. Until I swap out my knees for an artificial pair, I'm just more comfortable on a taller bike. This raises the COG issues, though, so I'm looking for a happy medium of comfort for a tall guy and well-balanced handling.

So, I'm looking in "Beasts" for ergonomics, not b/c I ride off-road.

[twinrider]

Ergonomics and great performance on bumpy backroads is all the reason I need to ride a beast.

[Pecha72]

Originally Posted by Domromer

I never got the whole boring bike thing. All my bikes have been as exciting as I care to ride them.

Me neither. And in Wee-stroms case, of which many people seem to complain, that it's "boring", for me they could not be more wrong, as it's a very versatile bike compared to many others, and the engine is a gem. Maybe the looks aren't to everyone's liking, but poser bikers care about that. New model seems to even look alright for most people, the older was uglier. Oh yeah, you seldom get to wait on the roadside for a tow truck, and you don't get to meet very many mechanics on your trips, cause it just keeps on going. Maybe that's "boring", but I can live with that...

[scottalot]

If the Wee is boring you. Could always jump up to the Vee for some more power :) Both Great bikes in my opinion. I chose the Vee for my first strom expierence. If I had to do it all over again I would most likely shoot for the Wee. Why? I'm not on the interstate to often, my wife hardly ever rides along, and I like trying new things :)

[vtwin]

Try a Ulysses, relatively cheap and cheap to run. It does have it's faults though. Get the newest you can find, especially the rare 2010's. Way better suspension than the Vstrom. I had a boring DL650, but it wasn't boring in a heavy crosswind!

[brooklyn slim]

As usual, the collective wisdom and (mostly) thoughtful opinions around this place amaze me.

Thinking more that the Stelvio and Tenere are more bike than I need (though that realization doesn't do much to diminish their allure) - 15 large, 600 lbs and 1.2 liters to mostly commute and take 200-300 mile trips makes me think of the douches who use their Land Rovers primarily to make Whole Foods runs.

Looks like the Tiger 800 roadie makes the most sense, although, cheap bastard that I am, I can't help but think how many farkles and cheeseburgers the $2500 difference between the Triumph and the new DL650 would buy.

But then I'd be back to where I started....

Sigh. Why wasn't I born rich and decisive instead of brilliant, dashing and heroically hung?