You're right. Test rode the push-rod GS today and it felt like a WW2 despatch bike. Sluggish, slightly vibey though I could live with it, very turbulent, not as planted on the road and I kept sliding forward on the seat. Afterwards I went somewhere else and tested a Triumph Explorer. That was the best answer yet to the new GS. Very comfortable, extremely easy to ride - didn't feel cumbersome at all, positively lithe, better in fact than the latest GS and very easy in traffic, handled very well with an excellent chassis and suspension. But although it has a smidge more power than the GS it just didn't feel like it. It was fast, tractable with easy loping power but it didn't have the instantaneous laugh-out-loud punch of the BMW. Its no good. I'm stuffed now. I've tasted Champagne and now all else is ditchwater. I need a new generation 1200GS. Anyone need a kidney? One carefulish owner..
Hmmm.. Test rode a KTM 1190 Adventure today. That's thrown a spanner in the works. That could knock the GS out of the running. Didn't quite have the really low down grunt of the GS but rev it up a little and it leaves the Beemer for dead. Bags more mid and top-end that keeps going to the limiter. Hooligan inducing and a hell of a lot of fun. Very light - hard to believe riding it that there's a 1200cc engine down there. You can fling it around like a 750. Superb handling. The BM would devour vast distances with easy blasts of torque but there's more to motorcycles than armchair pointing and squirting. I can't help thinking that when you get to where you're going and take the luggage off you're going to have a lot more fun on the KTM. There was a fair bit of buffetting which was annoying but I can go back and have another go with a taller screen. A little vibey in the middle but much less so than the 990 I rode and nothing I couldn't live with. Otherwise extremely comfortable. Rode it for 2 hours and I'm confident I could have gone all day. They offered a pretty good deal too... A 2014 ex-demo with 2800 miles on the clock, comes with Akro can, crash bars and ally sump guard (which is really good for keeping the crap off). £10699. I'd never get a 14 plate GS with that spec and mileage for the same money. How have I managed to double the budget in under a month? I'm going to sleep on it...
Tried a Honda Crosstourer yesterday as well, just in case. Hadn't given the Jap bikes much thought. The Tenere is too bland, the V-Strom a little underpowered and too difficult to keep clean And the Versys doesn't push any buttons at all. The Honda slipped under the radar. Sounded interesting on paper. Big smooth 1200 V4, down-tuned for extra grunt with Honda reliability and build quality. I knew it would be heavy and the least off-road capable of the bunch but it had to be worth a look. Sadly, I wasn't overly impressed. It's all a bit too, well... Honda-ry. Big, smooth and gentlemanly but not inspiring. Very heavy at a standstill and the weight high up as well. You wouldn't need to go far off vertical to reach the point of no return. Those short of leg touching down to find a hollow under foot could be in trouble. On the move that largely evaporates and its easy enough to flick around in traffic but still somewhat ponderous. Like a full dress tourer without the protection, which is kind of the wrong way round. The seat was very comfy but the bars were too high for me, my forearms were feeling heavy after an hour and there was some buffeting though it was the least severe of all the adventure bikes I've ridden, apart from the GS, and the screen was not on its highest setting and there is a taller screen available. The biggest disappointment was the engine. Reading reviews I'd been expecting gargantuan bottom end grunt and tractability at the expense of the VFR's rabid top end, which is exactly the combination required for this sort of bike. But that wasn't really there. If it had 93 lb/ft of torque it was well hidden. It pulled strongly, but not from its bootstraps. It didn't like going below 2500 rpm and it hadn't the instant, catapulting velocity of the GS off the throttle, nor the gravely character of the Triumph Explorer and the power delivery is almost too linear - dare I say it, monotonous. At no point in the rev range does it change tone, flare its nostrils and take off the way the KTM does. It just Hondas its way to the redline and back again with a polite, warbling if not unpleasing thrum in a rather emotionless way. Its far from slow. Certainly fast enough to lose you your license but without the afterglow of wide grin and goosebumps to make it worth the trouble. And above 80 mph there was a slight but distinct hint of a weave. I had the KTM up to 135 mph in a moderate crosswind and it was perfectly stable if a little light on the front. I only bottled it when I went past a gateway and got broadsided by a great blast of wind. It was still pulling like a train. The Crosstourer would make a great fuss-free, dependable, distance commuter. Its solid, comfortable, easy to ride and would no doubt be long-lived and reliable and if that's what you're looking for there are some very good value second hand buys to be had. You could get a lot of bike for your money with one of these but its not my holiday blaster. I've made my mind up. I'm going to buy a KTM 1190 Adventure and sod the expense. I shall sit tight and wait for the sell-ons and trade-ins to start showing when the 15 plate bikes come out. Then get the kettle on Scotland because that'll be the shake-down run.
Truth is I'm not a big fan of in-line fours. The Versys has never had any off-road pretensions and the out-going model is not a thing of beauty to my eyes. The new one is vastly improved but its still strictly a roadster. I think if I was going for that engine I'd have it full fat in Z1000SX form. It really is a pity there is no Ducati adventure bike. The Multi is no more an off-roader than the Versys, the cost is prohibitive and the electronic complexity and servicing costs put me off for what I want to do with it. What would be good is an adventure bike with an 1100 Evo engine... That might work.
Still test-riding. Tried a new Multistrada at Moto-Rapido yesterday but it wasn't for me. Disappointed, I went home via 3X motorcycles for a nose round. Took out a 1050 Tiger Sport, just to say I had, but was deeply underwhelmed. What on earth have Triumph done to that fabulous engine? They've turned the Speed Triple into a TDM 850. Its a polite commuter. The surprise of the day came when the guys put a new 800 Tiger XRx in front of me and said go on, tell us what you think. I wasn't expecting much after the 1050 but it was a good offer at 4 o'clock on a Saturday so I gave it a go. It took me a few miles to ride it like it should be ridden and rev it instead of sulking at the lack of torque down low. When the penny dropped it was a revelation. spin it up and its a joy, one of the most fun bikes I've ridden in a very long time. Its deceptively quick, with a lively mid-range starting usefully early at about 4.5K and another very pleasing zip from 8K to the limiter. I reckon its nippier than the 1050 and it handles like a Street Triple but with comfort, weather protection and legroom that will accommodate people over 5 feet tall. It feels weightless with the responses of a housefly. It seems to changes direction telepathically. Nothing upsets it. Its like its uncrashable. You can slide around the seat and heel it over like a sportsbike or throw it down into turns with the handlebars like a motocrosser. It doesn't care. It just follows your thoughts around bends and floats across any surface, boisterous, elastic, light as a feather and eager to please. What a laugh. A brilliant little bike. It hasn't yet tempted me away from a KTM 1190 but as an object lesson in the value of poise over power it's definitely got me thinking. And I found it complemented the Streetfighter perfectly. The bikes are so different they do not compete for your favour. There are no comparisons to be drawn and so you don't attempt to draw any. Jumping from one to the other brings out the best in each. I had a whale of a time tearing round the lanes on the lithe little Tiger. Then when I got on the SF to go home it felt like a muscular, wildly exhilarating bulldog of a bike. A cracking pairing. Whether I'd want to ride the Tiger to the south of France or Italy, I'm not sure, though I reckon it would leave a lot of sports bikes for dead round the hairpins of the Stelvio Pass. I'll probably still get the KTM but I might have started eyeing up bike number three. If anyone is even half tempted by a Triumph Tiger I urge you to try one. Its a little British gem.
I suppose you're riding them without tank bags and panniers and just wondered would that be important to you in terms of handling etc. Heavier, maybe a pillion, that's when the low down torque would help I reckon.
Yes I have thought about that. I'll be riding solo and travelling as light as possible but still that will mean hard panniers and a tank bag but probably not a top box as I don't like the way they tend to ride, especially when solo. Both Triumph and KTM produce high quality, neatly attached hard luggage that is a lot cheaper than Touratech. I'm less convinced by Ducati's luggage so to a Multi a further grand must be added for Touratech or Trax. I'm half interested in the KTM SMT. I fancy it might have the same agility and fun-factor of the Tiger with a bit more punch, but luggage is problematic. The zip-up KTM panniers are a waste of time and Touratech don't make any hard luggage for that bike. Givi do and Trax boxes can be adapted to fit but both involve bolt-on scaffolding. Carrying extra weight was on my mind when I was riding the 800 Tiger. Reviews and opinion on adventure forums are pretty positive about its load carrying abilities but I've got to admit its the extra 35 lb of torque and that high spec suspension that keeps drawing me back to the 1190.
Less powerful bikes are often very confidence inspiring to ride hard and fast. It's simply a case of being able to use more of the available power without fear of being spat off, and being able to push the chassis designed for less power. When you ride a hugely powerful bike, it tests and pushes your riding skill to the limit, and you will not feel as comfortable as much of the time as if you were a smaller cc bike.
Have you considered a Moto Guzzi Stelvio? Had one for a couple of years and took it round Europe last year. Great bike(but eat your porridge as it weighs a ton). Second hand ones are cheap as chips and they are fairly reliable. Just to confuse you further, went round New Zealand on a Vstrom 650 last year, two up, and found it to be a great little bike. There is an updated one that comes in new at £7000 which isn't bad looking.
I did think about a Stelvio but the weight put me off a little after riding the Crosstourer which is also lumpy. Too late now though, I've just bought a KTM 990 SMT. '60 plate, clean as a whistle, 7K miles, £6500. Mid way between the Triumph Tiger 800 and the KTM 1190 in performance but 4 grand cheaper than a comparable 1190. Rode it today and liked it. Appreciably livelier than the 990 Adventure and with better brakes. Also very comfortable. Perfect ergonomics for me and I'm pretty confident it'll be good for all day riding. Not as smooth as the Triumph, admittedly, but every bit as chuckable and with a good bit of extra zip. Not that this is what I want it for, but it would make a perfect town bike. Low speed handling is a joy. Its got a steering lock like a trials bike. Ideal when loaded up. (I've found out since yesterday that there are more luggage options than I thought). Fuelling was pretty good but I know all 990s benefit from a remap. I'l stick some better cans on it, get a custom map and fit a taller screen. I know the tank range isn't the best, though reading up on it this generally improves with remapping, but its a simple, comfortable great handling bike that's fun to ride and which I can afford to buy with getting sleepless nights over how much I've spent. And that means I can afford a set of Rukka textiles which will probably last longer than the bike. I fancy a bit of a UK spring tour is coming up.
Indeed it has. Even though I have no plans myself, I was rather hoping the extensive list of tests would have been topped off with the new Yamaha Tracer which seems to be getting very good reviews in the press - but it's "real-world" opinions like those here which are more interesting. Perhaps Gimlet can go back and annoy one of the dealers by asking to try the Tracer to compare with the newly acquired KTM, and the Tiger 800?
We think along the same lines. I did consider a Tracer test. Saw one in the flesh at the weekend and they're a much larger bike than I expected and quite roomy. My only reservation is that when you poke and prod you can see where they've kept the price down. It looks great, I've no doubt the engineering will be spot on but I wonder what it will look like after two years of all weather touring. (It won't be easy to clean). Performance wise it'll be in a similar sort of bracket as the SMT, though more refined, but at £8300 costs midway between an SMT or S/H Tiger and the 1190 Adventure. The finish on current Triumphs I think is exemplary and though the KTMs have rust-prone fasteners I've seen enough of various models to be satisfied that with proper maintenance they can stick the pace of touring and all year riding. I felt the finish was too much of an unknown quantity to risk a punt on a new Tracer. If its not good and they're a fair weather toy only, depreciation will be steep. That's the trouble with new models. The price is too close to the 10K starting price of a good S/H 1190 not to stump up the extra for the proven and more capable bigger bike, but too far above the similarly performing SMT and Tiger which have also proved their toughness to take a gamble purely for the pleasure of having a new bike. I'd rather wait and see how they they look as S/H buys after a couple of years use. With that in mind I declined a test ride in case it undid all my good thinking. I've tried to buy with my head (for a change) and my head says let someone else go first with the Yam. Maybe when the SMT has got its feet under the table I'll go and have a demo purely for research purposes. In fact, that's not a bad idea. I'm quite enjoying bike testing and when I've put a few miles on the SMT I'll have something to compare it to.
How very true! As well as resulting in occasional unwise purchases, a test ride can shatter dreams too. There are one or two "classic bikes" which are perhaps best not ridden if you want to retain a rose-tinted view of them.
Well I've got it home and had a ride on it. I think I've made a good choice. Its actually better than I remembered from the test ride. Its really pretty lively if you give it enough gas. I think its going to work wonders for my wheelie skills. (Started practising already.) Very comfortable. Lovely natural riding position for me. I'll check the suspension settings tomorrow and set them to the stiffer sport settings in the manual, but otherwise the handling is impressive. It came fitted with Metzeler M3 Sportecs which I think are the wrong tyre altogether for this sort of bike. I got them well warmed up today (eventually) but until they're up to temp they're pretty horrible. I'll give it a good ragging to get a bit of money's worth out of them then I'm going to put on a set of Z8s. I was very impressed with those when I had them on my Speed Triple. The steering is really quick and responsive. It doesn't need quickening any more with an aggressive tyre profile. I reckon the Z8 should suit it well and I know they are superb in the wet. Brakes are excellent, perfectly matched to the engine and chassis (unlike the 990 Adventure which I thought was under-braked), I like the gearbox which is smooth and precise, the respectably rapid midrange and the general simplicity of the thing. Usual adventure bike issue with wind noise but its not unbearable and there are lots of not very expensive options available including modifying the existing screen. There are vibes but only through the pegs which I don't mind. Bars are vibe free. When I've topped up the funds a bit I'll put some Akros on it and get it remapped which I know will improve it all round. I get the impression that this may be a little like a two wheeled Landrover Discovery. Basically dependable and long-lived, does the job brilliantly but needs owner input. Water will get in where it shouldn't and bits will need screwing back on from time to time. I can live with that. Its different, plenty lively enough to be a real laugh but still a daft, light-hearted sort of bike. If all goes well I think its going to compliment the Streetfighter very well.
KTM tool kit (and there's probably some bits missing). You even get a KTM bottle opener. Ducati please take note. Must mention Fins Motorcycles of Redhill, Surrey where I bought it. Having a good look round the bike this morning and they've made a very thorough job of prepping it and they were a pleasure to do business with.
