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Casting out for opinions from the hive mind.
I have a Triumph Street Triple RS at the moment, I love it but, it's a bit too capable to ride hard on the road.
So I think I want something else in the garage (the STR isn't going anywhere it's a bit of a dream bike and as I say it's perfect for me on track)
Desirable traits;
Garage appeal, if it doesn't make me smile every time I see it in the garage it's not going to be the bike for me,
Fun and rewarding close to national speed limit,
Not be too small, I'm 185cm/6'1"
Short list so far,
Triumph Bobber - love the look of these
Ducati scrambler 1100
Triumph Scrambler
Triumph speed twin
Yamaha T7
BMW 1250GS/ducati multistrada/triumph tiger
BMW R9/T
What have I missed
I've got a Speed twin 1200 and my pal has an R9T. They are very similar in some ways (big twin engine for one). My Speedy is great, plenty fast enough for me and handles pretty well too. Excellent fuel consumption if that matters. The ride is a bit harsh, but I'm a lightweight and I suspect it would be a lot better if you are a bit chunkier. I changed the shocks and put lighter oil in the forks which helped. Good for pillions, too. I've had it 3 years now and keep thinking I should change it, but I don't really know what for. The R9T is a bit more 'Raw' - air cooled motor etc. Nice though, the new ones look fantastic, but £17K?
I forgot to say that I quite fancy a Fantic Caballero 700 - Yamaha engine, lightweight, look fantastic. However, Fantic are technically bankrupt and I'm not sure of the build quality.
Svartpilen 801's are heavily reduced at the minute (image posting is not working for me at the moment)
HUSQVARNA-MOTORCYCLES.COM Yamaha T7
Ah the one that people always get stuck in mud somewhere on the TET and is too heavy to self recover (probably not) 🙂
I suppose it would be fun if you’ve the fun off road dirt stuff close to hand, but IMHO its the sort of thing you’ve not got to be worried about getting a bit bashed up if your riding in the places it’s designed for.
I’m a heretic thou and ride one of these
But catching it with your head isn’t recommended, always use someone else’s 🙂
I've got a Speed twin 1200 and my pal has an R9T. They are very similar in some ways (big twin engine for one). My Speedy is great, plenty fast enough for me and handles pretty well too. Excellent fuel consumption if that matters. The ride is a bit harsh, but I'm a lightweight and I suspect it would be a lot better if you are a bit chunkier. I changed the shocks and put lighter oil in the forks which helped. Good for pillions, too. I've had it 3 years now and keep thinking I should change it, but I don't really know what for. The R9T is a bit more 'Raw' - air cooled motor etc. Nice though, the new ones look fantastic, but £17K?
thanks, I’m definitely no lightweight. Will be getting a test ride on one I think
Svartpilen 801's are heavily reduced at the minute (image posting is not working for me at the moment)
I like these, someone was hustling one on a track day I was at last year, just not sure it’s different enough from the street triple
If a Triumph Bobber appeals, then why not go all the way and just get a Sportster?
Pro's
Character, if what you want is nothing like a sports bike, then it's nothing like a sports bike.
Con's
Heavy
Under powered
Noisy
Stock suspension is awful
The ergonomics really aren't great, stock saddles aren't comfortable, the foot pegs are 3ft wide, the air filter is where your knee wants to be.
Hand made with union labor, about 50lb of unnecessarily complex bolts (both metric and imperial), bracketry, and zip ties.
But you can customize / improve / ruin them to your hearts content with a whole world of parts. If you don't like something there's probably a part somewhere that will fix it.
Speed Twin is going to be too small for you, it’s a very compact bike. I’m 5’9 and found the 900 too cramped for me. The 1200 has more room but not enough for anyone over 6’. Scrambler would be more suitable, if you can get along with the weird position the high pipes put your right leg in. I found it awkward to reach the rear brake.
Had an S2R1000 Ducati Monster in the past, but modern Ducati styling just doesn’t do it for me. Did go to have a look at the Scrambler before buying the Triumph, but it was very plasticky. Plus they’ve got rid of all the features that made a Ducati a Ducati. Yes, they’ll be easier to live with than the old ones, but for me they’ve lost their character.
V85TT. Or a V7
Who the hell would want to be associated with a Harley these days? I mean if you have one already then fair enough but going out and buying anything from the US right now would be a no no for me, especially something from the MAGA heartlands (and yes I know most of them are now built in Thailand but the point is still the same).
Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello?
Edit Ha - got beat to the Guzzi, but still the V100 is more sportys
Good friend of mine has a R9t - one of the early ones with the USD forks that’s sits alongside his S1000rr, KTM adventure and a garage full of track bikes. The R9t is by far my favourite.
Deus Sydney had one in a few years ago that I was equally jizzing over.
I have first dibs on his R9t but I don’t think he’s ever going to sell it.
Another friend has a T7 that has come from a ZX10 and has been absolutely loving it for a few years now.
A slightly different bike that has caught my eye recently is a Honda Transalp - dealers are struggling a bit to shift them and are adding crash bars, can and decal kits. They now look more like a smaller Africatwin.
then there’s Chinese stuff like the Kove800?……..
I like the look of the ktm390 adventure. Light, manageable, could do some offroading, can rag it at legal speeds....
I was going to chime in for the KTM390 too, although personally I'm torn between the Supermoto and the Adventure 🙁
I'm a street rider at heart, but after a recent foray on greenlanes, I'd love a second bike that could be a dual-sport type thing.
Let's face it, the Adventure model is a lot more practical, but the SMC-R looks to be soooo much fun!
As RNP suggested above, the Transalp is a great bike. I've had mine for a while now and can't really fault it. Only ridden on the road so far but planning on getting it out on some green lanes in the summer for a play.
I was looking at a second bike just for something different and occasional use and the BMW R12GS caught my eye. I'd love to get one but they're a bit pricey for me as a second bike.
I had a Ducati scrambler. Looked nice but left me feeling a bit meh as it was too well put together/muted.
Bear 650 or Interceptor?
Who the hell would want to be associated with a Harley these days? I mean if you have one already then fair enough but going out and buying anything from the US right now would be a no no for me, especially something from the MAGA heartlands (and yes I know most of them are now built in Thailand but the point is still the same).
Do you apply the same prejudice to people who drive a Ford Focus?
MAGA heartland? The Democrats win in Milwaukee with about the same level of certainty as the Catholics get elected Pope.
Also, Ford Focus? I thought that was built in Saarlouis??
Just to say, there will not be a Hardly Capable in my garage before hell freezes over, I have ridden a sportster before an hated it.
Moto Guzzis have never excited me I'm afraid so they fail the garage appeal test.
Garage appeal, if it doesn't make me smile every time I see it in the garage it's not going to be the bike for me,
Kind of hard for us all to guess what bikes get you excited though innit.
Maybe do that, then come back and lay them out and we can all wazz on your motorbike chips 😉👍
Go old school? Laverda Jota, original triumph or a kwaker z of some flavour?
Hardly Capable
it's Hardly Dangerous, at least get your insults right 😉
Saarlouis??
I feel like I'm missing a joke?
I keep looking at Multistradas. They really appeal right now. But I utterly adored my two KTMs. The 950sm was bonkers: so capable, handled like a 100hp Kona Stinky, was incredibly accessible with pretty much no vices except a slight weave >140mph perhaps, it really wasn't designed for that though, made me giggle all the time.
The 1290 Super Adventure was astonishingly good. You'd forgive its Kryton-humped-a-skateboard looks after one ride. Very little was faster than it, it was draped in tech that was all properly integrated and useful, the handling was sublime. The dealer however was loathsome. Every niggle could be traced back to the dealer's incompetence. The worst being the coolant leak that went on for 18 months, that I traced back to a loose radiator cap - after multiple services and troubleshooting visits, one of which supposedly involved the replacement of the coolant! Bike was solidly built, just needed nobody in the UK to touch it after delivery.
Did KTM sort out their finances? I recall them circling the plughole a while back.
What are you hoping to use a 2nd bike for ? trips to bike hangouts / camping / international touring ?
I've got a 1200GSA and love it - it's not as quick as my pals on their KTM GTs/Multistrada/XR etc - but it ticks the box for me taking big days out around Scotland
Do you apply the same prejudice to people who drive a Ford Focus?
I think its fairly reasonable not to want to be associated with Americana right now. As I said, if I had one already then fair enough but just like Tesla, I wouldn't be buying one despite being in the market for both a new EV and a big pointless bike.
then there’s Chinese stuff like the Kove800?……..
I think the jury’s still out on whether they’ve sorted the Cheesy camshaft and I suppose you’ve got to be brave on depreciation.
I suppose the biggest issue is that they don’t have a desirable name (yet).