Which one!

[davsato]

VARADERO..............
and so i'm told and bit thirsty..........

told by people who were told by people who read a magazine 10 years ago? that little gem is always dragged up by the clueless wallies of MCN. the carbed pre 03 ones were a bit juicy which shouldve come as no surprise considering the bike had a firstorm engine. but post 03 Fi models are as good as any other litre bikes out there. i did 800miles earlier this year and averaged 55/56mpg loaded up.

[JockC]

This all depends on the type of riding and where your going with it. On the road I'd take the Stelvio Guzzi build quality has drastically improved since the takeover and I would put my Breva up agaisnt any beemer. Personally for cross country I'd go lighter new triumph/GS 800 etc. The Honda is a fantastic bike and you know what yer gettin. Rode a wee 650 Vstrom and was very taken with it.
Good luck

[Sleepy]

The time has come to sell the Transalp, it's been a great bike never missed a beat, all round Morocco the Pyrenees and Europe always started first time.
Now i feel i need something with a bit more power, got a budget of £6000 and can't decide what to go for.

Narrowed it down to these three:
BMW GS1200
MOTO GUZZI STELVIO
HONDA VARADERO

BMW:
Ticks all the boxes but is as common as you like, and £6000 for a 5 year old bike seems a lot of money.
STELVIO:
Would be first choice but have worries about reliabilty and bad dealerships, getting spares can be a problem but could get an 08 bike for the money two years newer than the BMW.
VARADERO:
The most like the Transalp, very reliable a bit top heavy and so i'm told and bit thirsty, would be able to get an 09 with a bit of luck.

Can't make my mind up, so any pearls of wisdom from anyone would be appreciated.
Just to make things worse i've booked a test on the Triumph XC800 even though i can't afford one.

None of these bikes would tempt me away from my ten year old 1150GS, 45000 miles it's rock solid, easily maintained, mostly with the tool kit that came with the bike when I bought it new.
Fully loaded with luggage, pillion and or camping gear it returns about 45-50 mpg making 'good progress' Newer isn't necessarily better.

[ADY]

I had a varadero some years ago was and still is one of my favourite bikes.www.onyerbike.net have a nice one.very very comfy bike with anice mix of v twin rumble and whistle.....

[mark1150]

No prizes for guessing which I'd choose, I'm on my 4th BMW, and 3rd Boxer, and they work for me.
The GS does everything that I ask, and IMO is the Swiss army knife of the motorcycling world.
I do like the Honda, and have owned and loved many from the big H over the years, however the one draw back for me in this application is Chain drive, where I could live with a couple of MPG difference between machines and different power outputs, for me I couldn't be bothered with a chain.
But as with all things, to each his own, and I would try before you buy and get some sort of comparison.
Finally there might well be a very good reason why GS's are 'as common as you like'

[davsato]

chain+scotoiler is lighter cheaper and easier to mend than any shaft drive.
dont want to bore you with "on my varadero blah blah..." but my (original)chain is coming up for its second adjustment in 13k miles. i know its coming up because soon she needs her second back tyre since new and thats the only time the chain adjusters get moved.

no idea what the stelvio is like but what the varadero doesnt do well is any off road more serious than greenlaning, the GS has it beat there probably, certainly in the suspension dept. but if i wanted a bike for a bit of regular rough id opt for something a bit smaller than these anyway

[CRAIGREVO]

No prizes for guessing which I'd choose, I'm on my 4th BMW, and 3rd Boxer, and they work for me.
The GS does everything that I ask, and IMO is the Swiss army knife of the motorcycling world.
I do like the Honda, and have owned and loved many from the big H over the years, however the one draw back for me in this application is Chain drive, where I could live with a couple of MPG difference between machines and different power outputs, for me I couldn't be bothered with a chain.
But as with all things, to each his own, and I would try before you buy and get some sort of comparison.
Finally there might well be a very good reason why GS's are 'as common as you like'

Id rather have a chain and scotoiler, than a GS1200 roulette of a final drive to worry about. :unsure:

And there is 2 very good reasons why there are so many GSs on the road, one is called Ewan and the other is called Charlie.