Yep - I have read where some say there is no difference, but I definitely noticed a difference - the Chinese ones were nowhere near as good as the German ones - hence my continuing quest to find a suitable replacement. I always found that Metzler tyres squared off very quickly. A tyre with a simila...

My ears are different to each other due to years of playing rugby. I use a medical grade putty silicone and hardener eg Otoform - available on the Internet. I use a grape sized amount of silicone, add the hardener and kneed until it’s a uniform colour. Then I shape it into a cone, press gently into ...

How far is your commute? Winter in Norway = big fairing :D Long trips in a short time frame would mean the singles were out for me. There’s a big step up in power from a Transalp to a 1090R - do you ride fast? What sort of off-road - muddy single track or dry stoney trails? The 1090 is twitchy. The ...

Hydration is a big one indeed, we got a couple of camel backs for a trip to the states a few years ago and it was a revelation after 30 years :o frequent, small sips keep you alert. As for training- a lot of training schools focus on road craft rather than the actual factors involved riding a motorc...

You say you’d like a GS but they’re out of your budget. How about a post 1998 1100 (later gearbox). You can pick up a good one in the UK for around £2.5-3K. They are very reliable (I know I did 170K miles on mine) and very comfortable for long distance 2 up riding (just upgrade the rear shock if it ...

Great to see your travels continuing. You must have some big mileage on that 800?

That is looking good. Seems to be that most bikes like this are around (over) the 200kg mark. With a similar price to the Ténéré, I guess a lot of people will go for the world wide dealer network.
With those stats though I’d be tempted. It says the engine has known reliability - who makes them?

IMHO Forma Adventure boots don’t offer any more protection than a road boot, they are very comfortable to walk in but the soles are just too flexible - wear mine everyday on the road, totally waterproof. I will be looking at the Terra boots for an upcoming long trip. Sidi Adventures lost their water...

Wow, that is a lot of bike for the money.
How many miles? Not that it matters as these bike can do lots.
Is it post stator design change?
Just further info people might want
GLWTS - looks like a bargain to me.

Africa will always have a special place in my heart 8-) ...something about the place regardless which bit just graps you....sitting under a Baobab or palm tree or just sitting in a dust bowl is all fine by me....the kids faces and excitement makes me so humble.. Great write, thanks for the heads up...