Touring Motorbike

KwackerJack

I am looking to sell my current bike and buy a used touring bike as I wish to tour some of Europe next years with a mate. Doubt will will see much off road but who knows!!

I have a list below and attached are pictures of bikes I quiet like.

Can anyone recommend a bike.

BMW R1200GS
BMW 1200RT
Triumph Tiger
Honda XL1000V Varadero
Honda VFR
Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom

Kawasaki Versys 650
Kawasaki ZZR 1200 / 1400

(Pictures are property of their respective owners)

Del2005

None of them bikes are for going any further off road than a gravel path.

My advice would be to buy a bike you'll enjoy for the 50 weeks you aren't touring as any bike will make it around Europe. Get a touring bike and struggle in the mountains or get a normal bike and have a little discomfort on the motorway but have fun in the mountains.

AgileMyth

If the likes of a GS or a Varadero is struggling in the mountains, you're riding it wrong.

serious3

or buy an old africa twin and have fun all year round!

Pugzilla

R6

KwackerJack

Pugzilla wrote: »

R6

Not quite the touring bike ha....currently have a 02 Tl1000R and as nice as it is I wouldn't fancy doing big mileage per day on it!

rat_race

Have a Tiger 800, can vouch for it...2-up too, no issue. Can carry a lot.

Don't have much experience with other touring bikes. Have spent a few hours here and there on GS 1200s too, which I also liked.

Pierced Off

I tour on a CBR1100 Blackbird. Whip off the luggage and you can have great fun in the twisties, fully loaded, two up, and she'll cruise at well above the legal limit without putting a strain on the engine. Just make sure you find it comfortable first, Goodlad knows all about that.

DiscoStu

I did 4000km from Dublin to Bilbao and back during the summer on my R1200GSA and it never missed a beat. It is very comfortable, has loads of storage, loads of weather protection, will take any road you throw at it and the fuel tank, that fuel tank. Dublin to Calais on a single tank fully loaded with 2 weeks worth of gear.

The trip was London and Paris potholes and stop go, high speed French motorways, winding Basque roads and tight alpine climbs and hairpins around the Urkiola mountains south of Guernica and it didn't struggle once.

It's an expensive pig of a bike that costs a fortune to service but it really can do pretty much anything you need it to.

galwaytt

DL1000GT or DL650GT would be good value

Cienciano

If I was touring, I'd go with a 1200GS adventure rather than a standard GS. Tank range is great, but realistically you're going to stop before you run out. Unless you're going to do over 500km without stopping. But handy having the big capacity.
But the main reason is the protection. Tank gives you great protection, it's almost like a fairing and the screen is way better.

KwackerJack

Cienciano wrote: »

If I was touring, I'd go with a 1200GS adventure rather than a standard GS. Tank range is great, but realistically you're going to stop before you run out. Unless you're going to do over 500km without stopping. But handy having the big capacity.
But the main reason is the protection. Tank gives you great protection, it's almost like a fairing and the screen is way better.

Are the BMW'S as expensive to maintain as everyone raves about?

How expensive is expensive?

listermint

Yes they are, very much so. If you want to keep the trade in value or anything like that they will require dealer stamps.

Dealer are painful

KwackerJack

listermint wrote: »

Yes they are, very much so. If you want to keep the trade in value or anything like that they will require dealer stamps.

Dealer are painful

Yes thats the issue. I've always maintained my own cars and bike bar the latest car which is main dealer (Porsche)

When touring if anything happens I may not be near a BMW dealership where as if it were a Pan etc I could go anywhere or fix it myself

galwaytt

KwackerJack wrote: »

Are the BMW'S as expensive to maintain as everyone raves about?

How expensive is expensive?

Let me put this way: the last guy I met who had one said he would never own one out of warranty.....

KwackerJack

galwaytt wrote: »

Let me put this way: the last guy I met who had one said he would never own one out of warranty.....

So lets delete the BMW's off the list

I forgot to add the Yamaha FJR1300 another contender and a bit of Competition for the Pan

Quebec Delta Mike

Like others have said, you can tour almost anything, if you are prepared for shortcomings of one sort or another. But you will find that most seasoned owners have had various experiences, and therefore have a story to tell about what hey say is their ideal "all rounder". My story...

Back in the 70s....loved my CB400F to bits, throwovers, huge tank bag,and a top box...took it all over Ireland, and used it every day to commute. Fantastic first "big" bike, well...it had 4 cylinders...

Late 70s, a CB750F, big mistake, handled like a truck, crap brakes in the wet, drank petrol, seat like a plank...

My first Kawasaki, a Z650, one of the best bikes ever built,fast agile, frugal, very light (compared to the 750 Honda), again kitted as per 400F, went everywhere, lots of fun...miss that beauty...

I'll skip up to the 2010's, through a few BMWs, RT, GS, GSA, (all great, but I felt they were a bit "fragile", and upkeep costs huge, if using a BM dealer) then on to my second GL1800 (I'm in my 50s after all...). All of my bikes were great at the time, but always searching for something a bit.....better....but all were used most days....could commute, tour, scratch (that's a relative term, that is!)....so my advice...get yourself some test rides on bikes you have wished you had...beg or borrow....but enjoy the search...:)

QDM.

Cienciano

KwackerJack wrote: »

Are the BMW'S as expensive to maintain as everyone raves about?

How expensive is expensive?

No more expensive than anything else, unless you go to an official dealer which I didn't do. People make a big deal about having the book stamped by the dealer, I sold my 2 and it wasn't an issue. Same as selling any other bike, bonus if it's stamped, if it's not as long as it's looked after. It's not worth the price for the extra couple of hundred quid you'll get for the bike

Personally, if I was getting a touring bike now, I'd get touring bike, I'd get something like this

CJhaughey

I do think that a big tourer should have shaft drive, when you put lots of weight and torque through a chain they don't last as long.
You don't really want to be checking and adjusting a chain on a tour, oilers work but are a little messy.
BMW have the right idea but not executed as well as they could be made to.
Yamaha and Kawasaki do the usual Japanese improvements on an original design and get it right.
FJR's are pretty bulletproof if the shock linkage is checked and greased.

hondavfr

I did a tour around northern Italy,Austria and southern Germany 2 up on my VFR1200 without any issues. I do agree that a shaft driven bike is nicer but i found that most bikers were on adventure bikes like the GS and similar. On the tight hairpins when your stuck in traffic an adventure bike will maybe handle the tighter turns better.

KwackerJack

hondavfr wrote: »

I did a tour around northern Italy,Austria and southern Germany 2 up on my VFR1200 without any issues. I do agree that a shaft driven bike is nicer but i found that most bikers were on adventure bikes like the GS and similar. On the tight hairpins when your stuck in traffic an adventure bike will maybe handle the tighter turns better.

I really like the look of The GS1200 and it does seem to be the bike for traffic v the likes of a Pan etc but it's the reliability and cost issue that put me off!!

listermint

DL1000 it is so!

galwaytt

CJhaughey wrote: »

I do think that a big tourer should have shaft drive, when you put lots of weight and torque through a chain they don't last as long.
You don't really want to be checking and adjusting a chain on a tour, oilers work but are a little messy.
BMW have the right idea but not executed as well as they could be made to.
Yamaha and Kawasaki do the usual Japanese improvements on an original design and get it right.
FJR's are pretty bulletproof if the shock linkage is checked and greased.

Most chain wear, and thus adjustment is required as a result of lack of lube/maintenance.

One alternative is belt: some F800's and Harleys are belt driven and it's a good compromise. Pity is not more popular

colm_c

KwackerJack wrote: »

I really like the look of The GS1200 and it does seem to be the bike for traffic v the likes of a Pan etc but it's the reliability and cost issue that put me off!!

I've had my GS for the last 9 years (from 1 year old), all it's needed are tires and regular servicing, I've put 36k miles on it in that time including a few trips around Europe. I also commute with it almost every day.

I've used both dealers and independents for servicing, neither are that expensive for a standard service, it starts to get expensive if you need major work outside servicing (clutches, bearings etc.).

The big things if you are buying one:
- documented service history
- having someone to take a look over it, there's some known weak spots which can be expensive to fix.
- rust, mostly superficial around the header pipes and exposed bolts but annoying
- if the primary aim is touring try to get OEM panniers included, they are expensive to buy on their own, and the non-OEM ones don't seem to look as good.

KTR1C

Opinions on the 2006 Yamaha FJR1300 ??

I've seen a nice one for sale locally, right colour, price and condition.