Trading in a Triumph 955i ST Sprint I bought my NT650VY Deauville which is a year 2000 model first registered in July 2001. I bought it in October 2005 with just 3,250 miles recorded by the one previous owner. The first priority was to junk the horrible Macadam tyres and fit Avon Azaros which transformed the handling, quickly followed by the addition of a Kappa topbox, a front fenda extender, and the fairing extensions Honda affectionately calls “knuckle deflectors”. Commuting threw up the need for added wind protection which came in the form of a MRA Vario Touring screen which enables me to ride looking over the screen while benefitting from the weather protection and a total lack of buffeting (although the wind noise is still present). Winter riding was now possible but the addition of Oxford heated grips to keep hands warm made it much more pleasurable.

2006 saw me doing my first ever trip onto mainland Europe by motorbike with a trip to Holland for a meeting with fellow Deauville riders and some gentle touring in the Renesse region – 360 miles each way and a total of 1,000 miles in 5 days. The following year saw me organise a trip to the Republic of Ireland for a group of fellow owners. Seeing others riding with the advantage of GPS lead to the next modification in anticipation of more touring, an ignition wired power socket and a cheap Navigon sat nav unit. I wasn’t to know it then, but due to redundancy and lack of funds my next big trip wouldn’t happen until June 2011 and a week touring France, the Voges and Black Forest. This trip was over 1500 miles in a week including the return trip from Riegel of 695 miles in 11 hours including Le Chunnel crossing.

So here I am now, April 2012 and the bike has 44k miles on the clock. It’s been used in all weathers and in some areas that is starting to show as the engine casings are starting to look a bit rough. The standard exhaust rotted away and has been replaced with a full stainless Motad system. The Azaros have been replaced by Avon Storms which have in turn been replaced by Avon Ultra 2s – yes I like Avon tyres and they suit the Deauville giving good mileage and grip, especially in the wet. There is plenty of storage so I can carry a small air compressor, cargo net, spare bulbs and extra tools under the seat, a first aid kit in one cubby hole while the other has tyre pressure gauge, spare ear plugs, disc lock, stand puck, torch and various sundries. The panniers are useful and all the plastics are standing up well to the mixed use it gets.

And I love riding it. The riding position is all day long comfortable, the handling is predictable and a Cramp Buster ensures that the vibrations don’t kill my right hand. Power is adequate with enough acceleration for the traffic light GP against car drivers. No, it won’t beat sports or new generation naked bikes but then it was never designed to do so. What it will do is 55mpg all day long for as long as you want, at 85 mph (on the continent) giving 210 – 230 miles between fill ups (reserve comes up at around 185 – 190 miles). I’ve already hinted that there is some vibration from the engine but generally it is smooth and willing, pulling well from a low 1800 rpm, picking up through the 4,000 – 6,000rpm sweet spot to run out of puff at 7,500. Yes, 85pmh is a realistic cruising speed but chasing any more than that takes time and once to 100mph it’s a bit pointless trying for much more and will require patience. Taking it easy and riding more “normally” will find your left foot checking for a non-existent 6th gear.

That brings me to the faults – which are well known and documented on the web by myself and fellow Deauville owners. The headlight on pre-2002 model year Deauvilles is poor and benefits from a bulb upgrade. My early bike has Brembo brakes (nice and sharp, the way I like them) as standard while later ones from 2002 onwards have linked Nissin brakes which many riders prefer. The other issue is the fuel pump which suffers from built in obsolescence and typically fails before 40k miles and is best replaced with a Facet transistorised equivalent.

One last comment is on the subject of accommodation. Mostly I ride solo so it is not an issue and I know many that tour 2 up but it is not commodious and 2 larger built folks on board would probably find it cramped and the performance needing the assistance of frequent gear changes to keep it in that 4,000- 6,000 rpm sweet zone.

So on to my scores:-
Long distance touring 8/10 – better if solo and could us a few more bhp
Off road 1/10 – not built for it and too much plastic
Around town 9/10 – it has presence which helps filtering
Additional equipment 7/10 – yes you can personalise it but it’s no BMW GS1200
Reliability 10/10 – use iridium plugs and then change oil and filter every 4,000 miles
Handling 8/10 – rear suspension can get “crashy” on poor surfaces but nice and predictable
Engine 7/10 – lasts forever, needs a few more bhp
Value for money 8/10 – used examples hold their value well if kept tidy

This is the only bike I’ve ever kept for more than 2 years and I currently have no plans to change it (yet) as it does everything I ask it to whenever I need it to. It may not be the only bike you’ll ever want but it is the only bike you’ll ever need. If you want more power and a fuel gauge then buy a 700 Deauville and get the complication of fuel injection and ABS, but I can service mine myself using simple tools and a Haynes manual (once the plastics have been removed) and the carbs only need balancing every 30k miles or so.

Note: the stats accompanying this listing is a mixture of 650 and 700 and the following stats listed are wrong, and for the 650 should read:-
Top speed 115mph
Engine size 647cc
BH power 55bhp
Fuel capacity 19.1 litres
Tank range 225 miles
Dry weight 223 kg (wet 236 kg)

For more info see www.deauvilleuk.org