Bike dilemma

[Gassoon]

  Martin has a hat? Where's my hat?

[Fat Rat]

[UK_Vstrom650]

 

[MartinW]

"Work Experience Stasi" - 

[Freddyfruitbat]

Fully loaded 650 for the Wales trip including the wife and I

Stone me - have you got 4 panniers on there!?

[user650]

Yes just the 4, I had the tank bag for my stuff 

[Bk]

Fully loaded 650 for the Wales trip including the wife and I, never missed a beat, handling can get twitchy at full lick but nothing it doesn't tell you, well in advance is going to happen.

Wales trip? Looks like an emigration move.less stuff crossing the channel.  .would surely do my job thanks. Haven’t seen the panniers at the front before. Are they strapped to the crash bars or do you get purpose made racks for the front?   Thanks. Bk.

[user650]

I used some old givi racks I got off fleabay cheap cut off the fitting arms and then clipped them on as in this video. 

[Bk]

Brilliant idea. Thank you and so simple.  .

[Jonbroad]

I recently swapped my blackbird for a new 650xt. Don't regret it for a moment. Less power of course, but lower weight and  easy riding style more then make up for it. I got side swiped a couple of months back and was given an NC750x while my XT was repaired. Hated every moment on it.

[Muddy]

I'm also looking for my next bike and have been for about 5 years to fair. Having lurked on this forum over those years I got close to buying a couple of Glees, but couldn't bear to part with my trusty TDM 900. Now I've solved the problem by selling both bikes and making myself bikeless.

I've narrowed the field down to either a Honda CB500X, NC750X, Glee or MT07 Tracer. I'm lean, so don't really need anything bigger. Haven't ridden either the CBX or the Glee, so I'm going purely on the hundreds of positive comments on both of those bikes. Took an NC750X out earlier this year and it was fine--and maybe fine is fine as I enter my dotage. It handled well and the power was adequate, though I'd miss the motorway overtake power of the TDM. What attracts me to it is it's reliability, ease of maintenance (less plastic bits, easy valve check, etc.), and the frunk, looks handy. The MT07 Tracer would be the worthy replacement to the TDM except for the poor quality of it's parts. Nothing about it felt robust. I can't see it lasting anywhere near as long as my TDM did--and I'm not Mr spit and polish to be honest. Brilliant bike to ride though, pulls really well, handles great, is economical and just felt so light and easy to manoeuvre, shame about the cheapness of the package. The CB500X, well with it's amazing frugality and the tank range, it's lightness, what's not to like. I think it looks the best of the bunch as well. But will I miss that top end roll-on?
At this stage it's the CB500X or the Glee for me. Did I mention this is a damn good forum, always a big plus.

[wurzel]

Hi Muddy, I was looking at the cb500x today, bumped into a chap on one, he had been everywhere on it, looked and felt like a really nice old school type of bike that would last forever.   

[Joe Rocket]

Lots of pondering there. I'm not very Honda so can't comment. Yam MT07, well you might find the 900 Tracer a better bike after the TDM.

Ah, a Glee....... You must test ride one! It's a do-all bike without having to excell at anything specific......other than fuel consumption.

The only thing you hit right on the spot though was this forum........... 

[Brockett]

Test ride on the type of road you use most or like the best. If you like to go places then a good bit of fast A road or motorway to see how it goes and feels when 'pressing on'. Then some B road twisties and then a potter around town. Will you need to carry stuff? need top / side boxes What's available. How's the ridding position? can you change the bars, add hot grips, where to put a sat/nav. Do you want a screen?  want to lower the footrests or lower / raise the whole bike with altered suspension.  Alternative exhaust or is the one fitted OK.  Stand and look at the bike ... is it you.   

[Muddy]

Lots of pondering there. I'm not very Honda so can't comment. Yam MT07, well you might find the 900 Tracer a better bike after the TDM.

I took a 900 Tracer out for a test ride soon after they hit the shops. It shifted, that's for sure. Took it up to just under a ton in next to no time and right there's the problem. It's not sedate, even sat at 80 mph it nags at you to get a move on. Whereas the TDM, with it's long legs would simply stride away all day effortlessly in a most relaxing fashion, without the slightest hind of vibration. The Tracer just felt busy through the seat and fidgety at those speeds, which doesn't bode well for the sort of long distance tours I do. It's more sports bike than tourer really. I guess I'm a 2 pot kind of bloke