Downsizing

XT1200

Lads Some advise please. I am currently riding a 211 Super Tenere XT1200Z. It has 44k km on the clock. 99% of my riding is 2 up. I am looking at downsizing due to age and health. I am looking at maybe 1000cc max but capable of at least 350 km range and as light as is practicable. The make is not really an issue. As I say Weight and Range are. I was thinking along the lines of an F850GSA but I understand that these are no longer available new and the secondhands available seem to command top dollar.. Any advise welcome,

Bluefoam

Have a look at the new Stelvio 1000... Sounds ideal for you.

IrishGrimReaper

If you are thinking of the F850 then I think you should consider the 1200/1250GS as well.

I have a 1200 GSA and my friend has the normal GS and the normal GS feels very light I'd say it may even feel lighter than the 850 because of the weight being held low down.

galwaytt

A friend of mine just passed the rubicon of 70 and downsized his ST1300 to a CB1000F. It's a very nice, nimble bike and has all the power anyone would need: without huge mass.

It's fitted with OE matching panniers, top box etc and I think it's a great choice - being a Honda it'll be bulletproof as well.

goblin59

due to the weight being lowdown, my R1200gs feels almost as light as my 800cc F650gs twin.

Also if you drop it, it doesn't go flat (Just get well made / Designed engine bars)

Very nimble bike and very smooth!

XT1200

t the minute I am looking at the NT1100 Honda. Seems to have a reasonable range and is a good few kg lighter than the Tenere. My problem is I cannot get a trade in price from a Honda dealer. I have visited my local (Lee Honda) last week and have rang 3 times since and still no price. Similar story from AMI in Gorey.

Hotblack Desiato

I thought this was going to be more of a philosophical rather than practical discussion 😊

Back in the day due to stupid licence laws most of us started on much smaller bikes than we should have, and worked our way up as finances / insurance allowed. To admit that one has had enough in the CC battle never seemed an option.

But really how many of us need litre sportsbikes? I have an SV1000S currently and it's nice apart from its incredible thirst for petrol, but really do I need it? It lives in 50 and 60 km/h zones. I've never fully opened the throttle for more than a whole second. I had a Triumph 955 before that and it was a rare occasion when I could fully open the throttle on that too, it was usually up a steep hill in a high gear to appreciate the torque. If I only ever open the throttle 2/3rds on an SV1000, shoudn't I have really bought an SV650? after all the volumetric capacity is the same.

It is said that it is more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow. And currently I am forced to ride a fast bike slow. Plus, I'm getting older and my riding style in my 20s isn't the same as in my 50s... that's probably a good thing...

galwaytt

...indeed. I've never had a modern, comtemporary sports bike.

But my young lad bought a CBR650R recently and it's a work of art.

Why anyone needs more than something like that escapes me: I don't know where you'd use.

That said my GW is 1833cc and it very much likes going slowly, and I concur.

Banzai600

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121354008#Comment_121354008

ive had a couple of 1200 Super Tens - theyre a great bike, but top heavy when pushing or moving tight spaces, the only gripe, but i understand where you're coming from, i probably done close to 80k miles on both. years ago i went through the floods here, over the knee water high on roads and a couple of hurricanes we got hit it - a proper get you through armageddon bike.

the used bike prices are crazy, ppl selling bikes with plenty of miles and a few yrs old are looking to get their money back because new prices have shot up - so id be shopping carefully. if you're buying new, id be shrude when making an offer on a new bike, i wouldnt be paying full asking at this time of year to anyone. Re the used market both private and dealers have inflated the market.ppl say its "demand" but im not conviced. Bikes ive sold yrs ago are going for same or even more money...i do find it amusing.

Ive had the DCT NT11OO for a few days, its like a road version of the africa twin, very stable two up, great engine. Wont light the world on fire but for what it does, plenty of torque. It sits lower than the AT, and two up on wet roads, its comfy for both, great chassis and feel. i currently have a dct honda and its an incredible system, regardless what ppl say about the auto gearbox. D mode is bland, so S mode is more peppy. Have a look at the x-adv 750 or Forza 750 scooter DCT - both are great two-up. The x-adv is kinda tall but they have tapered the seat on the newer model.

if you like the twin engines, id be probably staying that way if i were you. The new suzuki vstron 800 RE road version is getting great reviews, but the suspension could leave you wanting if going two up - but 700e appx for a decent rear shock will sort that, but you may want more torque.

i wouldnt get too hung up on 350km range, that means you're into 1000cc plus at this point, as a smaller bike that delivers good mpg, may not have the chassis you need or torque to pull 2 ppl along lodaed up - its all relative.

id be interested to see what route you go.

Cienciano

No one "needs" a litre sports bike. But they're still cool flagship bikes, so I can understand why people want them. Personally I reckon 800 is the size I wouldn't bother going over unless some amazing deal turned up. Even moving the smaller bike around the garden is handier.

XT1200

@Banzai600 Thank you for your views. I love the XT. Brilliant reliable motorcycle. Looks like I'm going down the road of the NT1100. I'm not going for the DCT, I'll stick with manual.