MCN adventure bike test...

[raggydan]

So Yamaha have missed the target with the Super Tenere,coming fourth in the test behind
the KTM,BM and the Multistrada.
13.5 grand is way too much, If they could pitch it at around 9-10 grand then I think they would have
serious contender.If I was spending that amount of dough then it would have to be the proven BM.
Shame really, I was expecting alot of this bike when it was first rumoured to be
in production.
Oh well I'll have to wait for Aprilias new machine to make an appearance,having owned Aprilias
before I would have no hesitation in going Italian again.

[dogpuf]

There's no way I would buy another BM or any of these new overpriced bikes

Ridiculous rip off prices

[Hutchie]

Join the club, that Super Tenere had me seriously interested, till I saw the price, the shaft drive and the weight.

They are all going too electronical and high tech for me.

My old xt600 (not the old one I have now, an old Tenere) , got me back from Hackney to Aylesbury once, with a Holed Piston (oh yes it was a helluva ride, a noisy scary ride, but the bike was fine when I put a new piston in it)

Now they barely (wee included) will run unless you talk to them nicely and service them using a laboratory.

Stuff that. Weestrom is as techy as I want to go, too much plumbing.

In my world (inside my head of course) an adventure bike properly surely needs to be fixable while out having an adventure. Also needs to be able to have the gearing changed for different conditions etc., and needs to have no need for electronical gubbins.

They are all too dear now. Look at the price of 2nd hand bikes from the early 80's etc. it's mental, they were crap then, they are crap now, but folk are paying 3 to 4 times the original price of the bike, to relive something that was great when young, but a bit mental when you have kids etc.
(still, anybody got a 350lc for sale, hehehe)

[Quoman]

had a GS for a year, bought it as an "approved " used machine from a dealer in croydon....ish. got bike home and found this after a pdi:
petrol tank bolts were hanging out, not loose,hanging out
tyre pressures were feckin useless
no oil in the sight glass
r/h heated grip u/s
after a year of clonkie (BMW standard) gearchanging I found out the hard way why. the drive shaft shattered at 105mph on the a2 coming back from Belgium this totalled the swing arm. 2nd parts replaced at around £300
then found the most common of faults with the machine, no not the pump controller, the dreaded bevel box!!!!
and at £900 you can poke it!
loved the bike......would never have another one,BMW Bloody Money Wasted (but they do hold their price)

[raggydan]

I've come from supersports v twin 1000's straight to the wee so out and out performance is not what I'm interested in anymore so the duke is not for me.I breifly owned an 1150 gs (3 months) and couldn't get on with it,underpowered,uncomfortable seat and horrendous buffeting but handled well so I have been tempted by the latest 12gs, finally its got the power it needs.But...just when I thought it was the BM for me they start to get lots of reliability problems and the 800 is no better.
Like I said in my earlier post I'm looking forward to Aprilias offering,if they can come up with an improved caponord then that would be worth looking at.I never understood why that bike never caught on.
I like my wee strom, don't get me wrong but it is rough around the edges and could do with a bit more oomph,a few more ponies but for a go anywhere do anything low cost bike then I don't think you can beat it.Now if Mr Suzuki can overhaul the strom, bring it up to date and perhaps throw an 800/850 in there then I think they will  be onto a winner even more so than they have been.

[minkyhead]

had the 1150   and the 1200  BMW     ...the 1150 was OK       ..the 1200  was the most unreliable bag of  shite I've ever owned   bar  none    ...BMW have   blown it  with  me    I would never touch another and id never recomend one to anyone      .....
      suffice to  say   the varadero     and two vee stroms  have popped up  over   70.000  miles on halfords oil  ..
the two black birds  before  over  100.000 miles       ....zero  problems    
  I wouldn't  trust the gs to get me to the shop for a pint of  milk ..
the strada and tenere  as I've priviosly  stated  have lost the plot on  price     ..that's why I've got the cb1300
   if  Suzuki   pop up with a    new v strom  around  8.5  k   ill  be there like a rat up a drainpipe    

I would still not  discount getting another strom  or varadero      
       
By minkyhead at 2008-11-18


By minkyhead at 2008-11-18


By minkyhead at 2008-11-18

[raggydan]

that's interesting minky, I've always had a soft spot for the Vara.I rode a firestorm a couple of times and loved the engine,same as in the vara but obviously detuned.Another bike that got clobbered by the bike journos but loved by many ordinary riders.The first ones were very juicy apparantly but the latest injection models cured that so I've read.
Oh and I don't think its ugly!
Can we expect to see a 1200 v4 Vara from Honda in the not too distant future?

[minkyhead]

that's interesting minky, I've always had a soft spot for the Vara.I rode a firestorm a couple of times and loved the engine,same as in the vara but obviously detuned.Another bike that got clobbered by the bike journos but loved by many ordinary riders.The first ones were very juicy apparantly but the latest injection models cured that so I've read.
Oh and I don't think its ugly!
Can we expect to see a 1200 v4 Vara from Honda in the not too distant future?

yeh  I  spose    at around  13500   judging by the vfr    ..  the varas   a big  bus     not as nimble as the strom   but  a mile muncher   and moves  pretty dam well     ...  the injection  is  if anything  better than the strom on juice    
     I'm running out of  options    ..like most of  us      

honestly  I'm  running  round on the cb    ...trying to slow meself  down    ..  getting old I guess    I  don't want any faster than these bikes will do      ...  

[steve1962]

In the current economic climate , that price is going to put many off , even those who have the cash to splash .

I concur with some comments about BMW build quality and reliability on newer models  as well , even though I ride one , albeit a 98 plate .
I had an 1150 GS - good bike , but hard to keep the rust  n rot away  - also had a 1200 RT  - the best bike I've had in terms of ease of use and mpg [ I easily saw over 300 miles to a tankful ] - that is one useful touring machine , but again build quality is not what it should be  - check out the ukgs forum and see the 800 GS section where there are complaints about the chains on some bikes [ over 40 ] which snapped on low mileage examples which weren't being ridden recklessly .

My current 1100 RT is built better than both of these , and I frequently ride with an 1150 RT  rider , and my bike 12 year old bike  is put together better than his [ 04 plate ] - he piles the miles on  , but for build quality and too much reliance on electronics would not buy a new beemer , nor any other bike loaded with it .

I'm not saying the V Strom is perfect either on the build quality front , but the basic principle of the thing is spot on and the engine is bullet proof which is why they are popular - you get a lot of bike for your money - I';ve no doubt that one day I'll own one .

Steve

[raggydan]

The wee storm was a no brainer for me really, I wanted to try the "adventure" bike style but not break the bank and end up with a bike I dint like and lose alot of money on it when I sold it on,the strom fitted the bill exactly and hasn't dissapointed.
As for BM's, you are dead right with the older bikes build quality,I owned an K1100lt for 3 years which I used for couriering day in day out 10/11 hours day in the saddle,never washed it for weeks at a time put nearly 80000 miles on it and when I sold it still looked good and I only lost 300 quid on it.Superb bike,overlooked and underated but a true comfortable mile muncher.

[raggydan]

had the 1150   and the 1200  BMW     ...the 1150 was OK       ..the 1200  was the most unreliable bag of  shite I've ever owned   bar  none    ...BMW have   blown it  with  me    I would never touch another and id never recomend one to anyone      .....
      suffice to  say   the varadero     and two vee stroms  have popped up  over   70.000  miles on halfords oil  ..
the two black birds  before  over  100.000 miles       ....zero  problems    
  I wouldn't  trust the gs to get me to the shop for a pint of  milk ..
the strada and tenere  as I've priviosly  stated  have lost the plot on  price     ..that's why I've got the cb1300
   if  Suzuki   pop up with a    new v strom  around  8.5  k   ill  be there like a rat up a drainpipe    

I would still not  discount getting another strom  or varadero      
       
By minkyhead at 2008-11-18


By minkyhead at 2008-11-18



By minkyhead at 2008-11-18

that's the same as my 1150 gs, blue and white definately the best colour.I really wanted to get on with that bike
and I was so dissapointed when I didn't.