requesting some bike decision help

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soslow
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requesting some bike decision help

Post by soslow » Thu Dec 27, 2018 7:28 am

so, what does the guy with 6 bikes need? a seventh. seriously though.

One of the classes I teach requires me to use my own machine but as some of you are aware, I do not have any friendly, go around cones, make u-turns, show folks what to do rides.

Jim, Rick, Jeff, Sam (and anyone else i have left out inadvertently) -- I see your moon bikes and i think that might be the way. I am stuck between the adv and the naked. I would like to carry gear somewhere other than on my back so panniers are nice but if I am 'dropping down' from sportbikes, I want the thing to have a bit of hooligan in it. This will be my first non-sportbike and am honestly having a hard time not getting a gsxr750(or gasp vrf?) probably getting rid of the zx7 (or more likely putting it into long term storage) for this so am looking for a 3-6k ride I can beat/commute/teach on.

here is the question-- I have a hard time getting away from the strom 650, gs800, sv650/1000 (oh yeah), tuono. is the big motor necessary for the adv bike? I like the simi off road trips you guys are doing and i just dont think my mv would pull it off.

thanks boys, you rock the party.

JeffStrom
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Re: requesting some bike decision help

Post by JeffStrom » Thu Dec 27, 2018 9:02 am

The 650 VStrom is a great bike for a lot of things. Commuting to work, maintained gravel roads, etc... but not long highway runs and true off road. the weaknesses are power on the highway (it starts to really suck gas above 90) and ground clearance for bad roads. Before they changed the front end design in 14 or 15 it has a fair amount of buffet at highway speeds for my height. I've done a bunch of stuff to minimize that and now it is tolerable but not gone. I love the Street Triple, all around great bike but I wouldn't take it off road.

For the big vs. Medium bike question, clearly I don't think it is necessary to go to a liter+ class bike, but obviously there would be some advantages on the paved segments. Are you gonna camp off the bike and how much gear do you need?
Jeff - Street Triple 675R / GSX-R600 / F850GSA

JeffStrom
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Re: requesting some bike decision help

Post by JeffStrom » Fri Dec 28, 2018 9:05 am

By the way, you are welcome to take the Strom for a spin any time.

Another weakness I'll add, the Abs on mine cannot be easily deactivated on the road, but you can always pull the fuse. There is a mod that lets you disable just the rear, but I haven't tried it.
Jeff - Street Triple 675R / GSX-R600 / F850GSA

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dufremle
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Re: requesting some bike decision help

Post by dufremle » Fri Dec 28, 2018 1:06 pm

I like the bigger GSA for the commuting/highway capabilities. The size and weight will hurt in some off-road situations, specifically sand and mud. I think you need to decide what you want the bike to do before deciding. If you want to do some heavy off-road riding then you might want something like a KLR. If you want to do highway cruising with some occasional off-road riding then the bigger bike might be better. The new GS 800 might be a decent compromise between the two, but definitely ride one before buying.
Jim

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Tooner
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Re: requesting some bike decision help

Post by Tooner » Sat Dec 29, 2018 6:37 am

I don't have a dual sport, but I have been tempted to purchase one. I grew up on a Honda CT110 Trail and a Honda XL500s. The 110 had a high and low range with 4 speed automatic clutch. In high range I could do 60-63 mph open throttle and in low range first gear it could climb a cliff at 3 mph. The 500 was fun as hell, but with that power I suffered more blood loss. My point, I am somewhat in this dual sport hunt also. It seems that something like the KLR 650 would make sense for me.
Shane
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SputnikSam
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Re: requesting some bike decision help

Post by SputnikSam » Sat Dec 29, 2018 12:04 pm

-Sam

2019 Suzuki GSXR 750
2017 Yamaha WR250R
2009 Subaru WRX
2013 Kawasaki KLR 650 (sold)
2014 Triumph Daytona 675R (RIP)
2013 Triumph Street Triple R (sold)

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fixxervi6
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Re: requesting some bike decision help

Post by fixxervi6 » Sat Dec 29, 2018 10:22 pm

soslow wrote:so, what does the guy with 6 bikes need? a seventh. seriously though.

One of the classes I teach requires me to use my own machine but as some of you are aware, I do not have any friendly, go around cones, make u-turns, show folks what to do rides.

Jim, Rick, Jeff, Sam (and anyone else i have left out inadvertently) -- I see your moon bikes and i think that might be the way. I am stuck between the adv and the naked. I would like to carry gear somewhere other than on my back so panniers are nice but if I am 'dropping down' from sportbikes, I want the thing to have a bit of hooligan in it. This will be my first non-sportbike and am honestly having a hard time not getting a gsxr750(or gasp vrf?) probably getting rid of the zx7 (or more likely putting it into long term storage) for this so am looking for a 3-6k ride I can beat/commute/teach on.

here is the question-- I have a hard time getting away from the strom 650, gs800, sv650/1000 (oh yeah), tuono. is the big motor necessary for the adv bike? I like the simi off road trips you guys are doing and i just dont think my mv would pull it off.

thanks boys, you rock the party.
I don't think the GS would be a go around cones and u-turns friendly bike, I think of an XR250 for stuff like that, and when you do drop it (which WILL happen some day) the GS-1200 while not as bad as it appears, is not fun to pick up.
soslow wrote: is the big motor necessary for the adv bike
I don't think that's a yes or no answer. Are you going to load it down with 600lbs of gear and try to ride across country? If so, the big motor helps, a LOT. That being said, there are a TON of people that have done world tours on the KLR650.

If I had good dual sporting around DFW, the only bike I'd have right now is the KLR650 (or similar grade). Cheap, good on gas, capable on the highway, capable off road, cheap insurance, plentiful parts and easy to work on.

If I lived someplace where I could go a few miles down the road and be in the rough, 250 hands down, it will run circles around the GS and the KLR in the dirt and sand.

Why I decided to go with ONLY the GS1200 Adventure:
[*]By the time you add all the bells and perks you WANT to the GS, you are out more money than what you get standard on the GSA
[*]The range the GSA allows me on a single fill up lets me put down a lot more miles in a given amount of time - gas stops, even fast ones suck down crazy time, stopping for a 2 minute piss and stretch if you need it is still faster than a gas stop + piss and stretch
[*]Long range - I've done long rides on sport bikes and long rides on the GS, no comparison. The long ride I did on the GS would have beat me up on a KLR too
[*]The GS is a hulking beast but don't let that fool you, the damn thing will run. With proper tires on it, it could lead fast intermediates all day long.
[*]It's Sexy AF
[*]Cargo capacity - it's awesome. Cargo capacity on a bike is nice, very nice.
[*]It's more capable off road than nay sayers will give it credit for, it's no KX125 but in the right hands it goes places. Jim did old ore on his, and his off road skills (like mine) suck and the bike got the job done. That road is no joke, even in a jeep I was like "oh shit" a few times, and that's about as off road as I want to get, any rougher than that it's going to be KX or 4 wheels.
[*]The realization that I have more "smile memories" on trips and exploring than wheelies and triple digit hoonagin runs. Don't get me wrong, I already miss the sounds and the feel of the rocket in my crotch but still, the best memories have come from the trips I've done - by far. Except the sand. Fuck sand.
[*]The fact is there is no dual sporting around here that is worth a damn, it killed me to sell that KLR, it was setup just right and it did it's job like a dozer. I think I felt worse about selling that thing than I did the ape.
[*]The sport bike scene in DFW is split between dead and squid, all of the good roads going to shit and population growth has really pushed nails into it.
[*]The track day scene isn't fairing much better, ECR "some day" for the past several years, TWS is gone (my all time favorite) MSRH is too far for how good it is imo, heartland park is off the list as well as the one in Alabama, cresson's surface has degraded quite a bit since I started, and track day politics smell bad.
[*]The adjustments you can do on the GS compared to bikes like the tiger - way more user friendly and useful, having the electronics on the GS has saved my ass a few times, that 1200 packs unreal torque at any rpm, even idle.

I think for a lot of people the GS is the wrong bike and something like a KLR (or equivalent) will get the job done easier, and way way cheaper. I bought the GS with trips and camping in mind, and it turned out I enjoy it more than I thought I would for general riding.

If I could turn back the clock to when we had a solid group of 10 or so fast riders, with good roads all over the place, an over abundance of track days to choose from I'd still have my RSV4.

When the wife and kids can go, it'll be RAM/Jeep when they can't, GS1200. I just got back from Big Bend, clear sky's and 70's every day, I saw lots of bikes.
K1600

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fixxervi6
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Re: requesting some bike decision help

Post by fixxervi6 » Sat Dec 29, 2018 10:23 pm

and I just got back from big bend, and I'm super tired, so my words may be squishy
K1600