Middleweight adventure bike advice..

[waynecoluk]

So my circumstances are going to change, probably in the New Year with regards to work. (finances)
I currently have a BMW GSA 1200 TE on a 16 plate and I'm going to change it for something worth probably half that.
So my current thinking at the moment is Yamaha Tracer 700 as the MT range get cracking reviews and the engine is meant to be a peach.
Also I could look at the Suzuki V-Strom 650 or the Kawasaki Versys 650. Then there is the potential to get an older bike like a Tiger 800 or something similar.
I'm currently offshore so can't ride anything yet but when I get home I am going to test ride as many as possible.
I don't go offroad so it's all tarmac. I had the old Versys and didn't get on with it but the new one seems to have rectified all the things I hated about my old one, as in bad vibrations, poor comfort, low power etc and it looks good with a good tank range. The Tracer only has a 17 litre tank but very light. The V Strom looks like a competent all rounder but don't know enough about it.

What are your experiences with these bikes?
Would you go for a nearly new bike or an older slighty bigger bike with lowish miles?

When I get home I'll try and ride them all and tell you what my initial thoughts are on them all before I decide.

Cheers
Wayne

[daveuprite]

OK this is going to be a tad contentious on an ADV forum, but for me the key part of your post is when you say "I don't go offroad so it's all tarmac".

Well I would say in that case buy a proper road bike then. Why do you need a pretend off-roader of the Tiger/V-Strom type if you never plan to go off road? These bikes that look like they go off-road but do it rather badly are also poor road bikes - they do neither thing very well. If you know for sure that you will never attempt any dirt you had may as well buy a dedicated tarmac bike with proper road tyres that handles well on the road and can do good mileages at whatever speed you prefer.

Loads to choose from obviously, from pure sports bikes, to sports tourers, to nakeds, to long-distance tourers. £5 or £6k gives you heaps of choice. Personally I'd go for a performance street bike that handles really well but can still tick off loads of miles with a bit of luggage on board (Aprilia Tuono, KTM Superduke, FZ1, Speed Triple etc etc) but of course a good sports tourer would give more protection, carry more, have a longer range and more comfort at the expense of some flickability. No Versys/Tiger can compete with any of these bikes on tarmac. Perhaps you could be left with enough cash for a proper off-road bike like an older WRF or KTM for some genuine dirt work if you fancied it.

Clearly if you needed a compromise bike that can tackle a bit of gravel while covering road miles at a gentle pace then a V-Strom type of thing would be fine, but when you don't need to compromise because "it's all tarmac" then just go for the best bike for the territory...

[Oop North John]

I went from a 1100GS to a V-Strom 650. Cracking bike that even if it's half the cost of a new 1200GS, was better in some ways than the GS. Not the same overtaking grunt two up in the Alps as the 1200, but enough power and comfort most of the time. And better fuel consumption.

I've got a XSR700 now, and the engine is almost as involving as the 650 V-Stroms which is a compliment. The main reason for me not liking the Tracer is the overly complicated "hand guards" / indicators which don't do either job really well, IMO.

Not ridden the Versys 650, but it looks better in my opinion, where I hated the looks of the older ones.

[Redmurty]

get something you like

get something that's comfortable that you will then ride more and don't give a fat rats arse what category someone else has put the style of bike in

most of all enjoy, the adventure is what YOU do not the bike stuck in a garage

cheers Spud

[waynecoluk]

I already have a naked bike, a triumph street triple which I use for fun. This is also going but will be replaced by another naked bike as I want a change.
The main point of me wanting an adventure styled bike is purely for comfort as I tour a couple of times a year and potentially getting from a to b.
I did think of selling both and just getting one do it all bike but I genuinely don't think there is such a thing hence the 2 bikes. (Id have more if finances allowed..)

[anthony29040]

what about a second hand gs 800.good tank range loads of power and torque easy get 60mpg,you can get all the toys and with the right seat on very comfortable.will sit on the motorway at 80mph all day long,just done Ullapool to Manchester 425 miles in one hit this sunday and could have done more if I had to.just my opinion hope this helps

cheers tony.

[roberteagle6]

Hi, I road tested 1200 GSs, Triumph 1200 and 800 and 950, Ducati Multi 1200, Yamaha 1200 and Suzi 1000 V-Strom.

I loved the Multi - but way too fast (I can't resist the temptation to use the power available). The GS and Triumph 1200 were great but heavy and still fast especially the triumph. I eventually bought the V-Strom 1000 - the engine is a peach of a V-Twin and you can rip it without reaching silly speeds, the suspension is budget but the ride is really involving and having to concentrate for me increases the pleasure, and it is flickable on entertaining twisties.

The panniers have been described as too small, my experience (without top box) is that you can squash sufficient soft kit into them for an extended trip and use a grip on the top for tents, chairs and more bulky items. The small panniers look good and present no probs at all for filtering, I have them on all the time, I think the bike profile looks better and they are very convenient for doing a Liddles shop for example. Second hand prices are an absolute bargain, it is a Suzi so the finish is not BMW standard but then neither is the price and in my opinion the ride is so much more entertaining. I love V-Twins and this is an excellent example - 15000mls and no probs - some did have fueling problems and a couple of recalls, but as far as I am aware Suzuki sorted it under warranty.

Have fun checking them all out !

[waynecoluk]

I test rode the V Strom 1000 a couple of years ago when the new one came out and was very impressed. Comfortable with loads of low down torque. It's relatively light aswell so handled well from what I can remember.The only reason I bought the Versys 1000 was the deals they were offering at the time.
I didn't realise the V-Strom 1000 would be in my budget but if I can find one that is it would defo be an option.
Cheers

[waynecoluk]

So after my original email on this topic I've ridden all 3 middle weight adventure bikes in this class and here's my opinions on them.

Firstly I rode the Versys 650 and liked it. I used to have a Versys a few years ago before they updated and didn't get on with it, but this felt far better. The vibrations aren't as bad, the seat felt comfier, there is a gear indicator as standard and the engine power has increased by over 10% and you can definitely feel a kick at 8K rpm which I never noticed before. It still handles really well and feels considerably lighter than its 219kg wet weight. The suspension is another area they were meant to sort and they feel pretty good. Certainly no complaints on a 30 minute test ride.

Next was the V-Strom which I was looking forward to riding as I thought I'd like it. However after riding the Versys it just felt of more of the same but not as light or flickable. Plus the weather protection on the Strom wasn't as good as the Versys. I preferred the dash clocks on the Strom but tbh that was about it. I was quite disappointed.

Lastly the Tracer 700. I'd heard good things about this so was looking forward to the ride. Firstly it looks great. Far better than the Strom and better than the Versys. When I got on it and the dealer was showing me the controls I was disappointed to not see a range counter which is quite handy on a tourer. It was the only one of the three that didn't have one. When I took it out the size of the thing surprised me. It is meant to be physically smaller than the other 2 and you can feel it. Plus it is 20kgs lighter than either the Kwaka or Suzuki. The next thing was the engine, it felt considerably quicker and more urgent than the other 2, really surprised me actually that a little thing like this with "just" 75bhp was so quick. The main downside for me was the suspension, it just felt to hard for anything other than silky smooth surfaces.

In an ideal world I would have wanted the engine from the tracer in the Versys chassis and the Strom clocks/switchgear.
As I will be using the bike for touring more than anything I wanted something which was comfortable and felt quite substantial after the BMW GSA.
In the end I opted for the Versys. It does everything well. If it was my only bike I would have opted for the Tracer as its a bit more exciting.
Plus Kawasaki offered me a great deal. I got the Tourer kit free which includes Panniers and inner bags, grip wind deflectors and a bigger screen. When I got back from the Tracer test ride and went back to Kawasaki they also threw in heated grips and a 12v socket so I got a good deal.

One thing I would like to say is all three dealers were excellent in the Norwich area. Tinklers Yamaha, CJ Balls Hnda and Suzuki and Seastar Kawasaki and Ducati. They all let me go out on the bikes (taking into account I was also trying their super nakeds aswell and ended up buying a Z900) fuelled the bikes up and said take your time.
When I rang the local Triumph dealer they wanted £10 per bike to take out and I would have to replace the fuel that I used, which grated me a little tbh.
Cheers
Wayne

[Boggs]

Great to see you back on the Versys,the Mk3 is a great wee bike.