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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
I demo'd the Hyperstrada. All respect to Paul, but that thing is neither a sport tourer or an adventure toy. It is huge fun. It is fast. And it does handle great. And the sounds are glorious! But it is much more like a big-boy, triple digit supermoto for the road than any of those. Would not want to tour on that seat. Aftermarket touring gear support is not that good.
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
Quote:
Originally Posted by
SRTie4k
Anyone have experience with KTMs in particular?
I lust for an 1190.
1190 "Adventure S" is a 19/17 wheel'ed adventure styled sport tourer with computer controlled suspension, all the latest computer bits (TC, ABS, yadda yadda) and a shitload of power. (Something like 140 crank.) Ergonomics are nice and comfortable, although the bike is tall and somewhat top heavy.
1190 ADV-R is an overgrown dirt-bike wannabee. One of the few on this list that could actually be class 6 road worthy. But it is tall and heavy and expensive as sin.
Known issues include enormous amounts of heat off that super-bike engine on your thighs and butt. MY16 bikes have a "fix" that is a dinky little bit of plastic. Aftermarket has (arguably better) fixes for earlier machines. Also the air box is somewhat infamous for leaking dust and dirt into the intakes. Recommended fix is an aftermarket air cleaner with a gasket around the cover and possibly adding a pre-filter as well. Accessories and parts are not cheap. Many reports of long lead times with parts. Dealer network is not as comprehensive as asian brands. Reliability is widely considered at least as good as the rest. Components are top notch; hard to do better. Their road bikes do not sell well extraordinarily here in New England. My local guy claims he barely moves them; he is mostly a dirt shop.
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
Quote:
Originally Posted by
SRTie4k
Anyone have experience with KTMs in particular?
I have a 990adventure.
It's kind of quirky, but it does anything I think I'd ever need for a street bike.
I have actually ridden it on c6 roads (that's what he's talking about, right Colin?), and it did fine, although I need stiffer fork springs to do it again, and really rip it up.
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
The 1190 Adventure is just so tempting. 140HP v-twin, 500lb adventure bike? Yes please.
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
I just picked up a 2016 Adventure-S in January and just absolutely love this bike!
✅ Long Distance Comfort
✅ V-twin = Great Torque
✅ Optional Luggage
✅ Sporty Handling
✅ Upright Riding Position
✅ Tall Ride Height
✅ Surprisingly Nimble
✅ Fast!
✅ Wicked Fast!
✅ Holy Shit!
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/o...pslbquhzhk.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/o...psyol78aaj.jpg
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
You got my color.
Do you mind telling me how much you paid and what accessories you got with it?
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
I'll put in another vote for a Tiger 800 (I'd recommend XCx).
Given what you say about mostly riding on the road, I'd stay away from the Africa Twin. Keep in mind it's the most dirt-oriented of any of these bikes; it reportedly matches the KTM 1190 Adventure R (the 21"/18" wheel version) in the dirt, and the compromise for the more serious offroad performance is that apparently it's not as comfortable on pavement as any of these other bikes will be. Also, getting one won't be easy for a while yet -- lots of people have put down deposits, myself included, and the earthquake last week in Japan shut down the factory where ATs are being made. I wouldn't be surprised if even those of us who've had money down for months end up not getting bikes.
I can tell you from 87,000 miles of experience that the Tiger is absolutely awesome on the road, and it does really well when the pavement ends too. The 21" front wheel doesn't give up anything in the handling department, but it does make the bike roll over shitty New England roads smoother. And it tracks a lot better in the dirt and gravel than the 19" front on many of these other bikes does.
Another option, of course, would be to find a well-kept older Tiger 800 XC for under $10k and put a little money into accessories.
--mark
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Chippertheripper
Some of those are glorified goat paths. Not anything you'd be happy riding anything but a long travel adv bike with good knobs and skid plates, and a 21" front wheel.
A giant dirtbike, if you will.
Class VI means unmaintained by the municipality thru it's highway dept budget, many of them are maintained by landowners or by the municipality thru other dept. budgets , not all CLass VI roads are goat paths
typical Class VI road
https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...18&oe=57A7F373
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RandyO
Class VI means unmaintained by the municipality thru it's highway dept budget, many of them are maintained by landowners or by the municipality thru other dept. budgets , not all CLass VI roads are goat paths
typical Class VI road
https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...18&oe=57A7F373
That ^ is NOT what I had pictured. You could drive a caddy down that.
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Chippertheripper
That ^ is NOT what I had pictured. You could drive a caddy down that.
Yeah, but what you're willing to take a bike like these on is far different from the rest of us........
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Trajiks9
I just picked up a 2016 Adventure-S in January and just absolutely love this bike!
✅ Holy Shit!
My exact words after riding the KTM last weekend.
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
In my experience, more NH class 6 roads are like Chip is thinking of then what Randy shows. Maybe it's complicated by the fact that most of us are busy paddling our 500+ lbs monsters through the muddy ruts to stop in the slop and take a photo. The roads we (chip, mark) hit in western NH were rockier and drier than what I'm used to on this side of the state. Nearly everything here seems to be heavily rutted from kids with 4x4's and ATVs, unless maintained by a landowner. An innocent looking mud hole can easily swallow a bike whole. (Right Mark?!)
The muddy, rutted crap is not my idea of fun. Especially on a big bike. When I see that crap with the 'strom I turn around. Hell, I usually turn the DRZ around with that crap.
But then with these roads no two are alike. The term is probably very relative.
I recently saw a guy shoot Stark Pond loop @ Clough OHV area on a 990 ADV.
I would probably not do that myself on an 1190-S, maybe on an -R.
I sure as hell wouldn't do it on my V-Strom.
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
Quote:
Originally Posted by
nhbubba
In my experience, more NH class 6 roads are like Chip is thinking of then what Randy shows. Maybe it's complicated by the fact that most of us are busy paddling our 500+ lbs monsters through the muddy ruts to stop in the slop and take a photo. The roads we (chip, mark) hit in western NH were rockier and drier than what I'm used to on this side of the state. Nearly everything here seems to be heavily rutted from kids with 4x4's and ATVs, unless maintained by a landowner. An innocent looking mud hole can easily swallow a bike whole. (Right Mark?!)
The muddy, rutted crap is not my idea of fun. Especially on a big bike. When I see that crap with the 'strom I turn around. Hell, I usually turn the DRZ around with that crap.
But then with these roads no two are alike. The term is probably very relative.
I recently saw a guy shoot Stark Pond loop @ Clough OHV area on a 990 ADV.
I would probably not do that myself on an 1190-S, maybe on an -R.
I sure as hell wouldn't do it on my V-Strom.
Hell, that mudhole would have swallowed a Jeep too!
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
The C6 roads around this area are what chip is thinking of too. You can tell they were roads at one time or another, but they're gnarly as hell now. Last one I took my Jeep on I bottomed out several times due to ruts, that's not to mention the 3 foot rock ledge we had to climb over. Another one I smacked my diff off a boulder in the middle of the "road", a road that also happened to be an active stream bed.
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
Quote:
Originally Posted by
e30addict
Yeah, but what you're willing to take a bike like these on is far different from the rest of us........
I believe you were with me the last time I rode on such terrain with the big girl...
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Chippertheripper
I believe you were with me the last time I rode on such terrain with the big girl...
Yup. That's the reason why I have two dirty toys sitting next to my Tiger right now :D
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
Quote:
Originally Posted by
e30addict
Hell, that mudhole would have swallowed a Jeep too!
http://i64.tinypic.com/9rho51.jpg
A jeep could have gotten through there...
Tiger 800 XCx is the perfect New England bike. Rip it up on pavement, hit a C6, go touring. Only limitation is the rider.
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sveesix
Tiger 800 XCx is the perfect New England bike. Rip it up on pavement, hit a C6, go touring. Only limitation is the rider.
Id say the same thing about the 990. The rider, and the stock fork springs.
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sveesix
Tiger 800 XCx ... hit a C6 ...
Until you ding the subframe. :flame:
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
Quote:
Originally Posted by
nhbubba
I demo'd the Hyperstrada. All respect to Paul, but that thing is neither a sport tourer or an adventure toy. It is huge fun. It is fast. And it does handle great. And the sounds are glorious! But it is much more like a big-boy, triple digit supermoto for the road than any of those. Would not want to tour on that seat. Aftermarket touring gear support is not that good.
Every ass is different. The seat looks almost identical to the KTM pictured above. Also, a test ride on the street doesn't give much away about this bike. It can haul the mail in the dirt too!
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
Quote:
Originally Posted by
nhbubba
Until you ding the subframe. :flame:
That is the weakest point of the Tiger line.
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sveesix
http://i64.tinypic.com/9rho51.jpg
A jeep could have gotten through there...
Tiger 800 XCx is the perfect New England bike. Rip it up on pavement, hit a C6, go touring. Only limitation is the rider.
That's not the mud hole Colin was talking about. Think more football field 3+ feet deep at points.
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sveesix
That is the weakest point of the Tiger line.
Yes.
That and the wonky handling. The high cost. The non-adjustable suspension. The sparse dealer network. The euro price point on parts and accessories. And the dropped valves on the Explorers.
But yeah, that.
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
Quote:
Originally Posted by
nhbubba
Yes.
That and the wonky handling. The high cost. The non-adjustable suspension. The sparse dealer network. The euro price point on parts and accessories. And the dropped valves on the Explorers.
But yeah, that.
I think I might be the only person here who doesn't think their own bike is the perfect AT bike. :spit:
Vstrom650 owners: Yeah, it's decent enough. Not great.
Everyone else: MINE IS THE BEST!
lulz
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Re: Thoughts on adventure/ST bikes
I'm not too concerned about dealer network being in Keene. There are literally no dealers of any kind within a 45 min drive.