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So after my wonderful trip to the Smoky Mountains and my buddy's purchase of a Tiger 800 XCA, I've been seriously considering trading my not so reliable sportbike-turned-naked-tourer in for a full fledged adventure/ST bike. The wife and I made the trip over to both National Powersports and Freedom Cycle to check out the offerings, and I've been doing a lot of research to see what people think of each of the adventure-y/sport touring bikes.
I think what I've decided from my brief research is that I'd prefer something road oriented, but something that can do a bit of offroading comfortably too. I want to be able to ride up to the Adirondacks, explore and not have to turn around if we encounter an unimproved C6 road. A budget is not firm, but probably no more than $15,000 if I do pull the trigger.
The bikes I've looked at and various thoughts:
The vanilla offerings:
- Kawasaki Versys 1000 - I loved the engine in my Z1000, and given that this is just a bored out Z1000 engine, I'm sure I'd love it. Comes with a lot of stuff off the showroom floor, but I'd need to load it up with about $1500 more in toys to get it where I want it. So let's say $14500. Only downsides is it's a bit heavy at 550lb, and is a sport-tourer primarily.
- Yamaha FJ-09 - Seemed well loaded, powerful and light, pretty much a direct competitor to the Versys. Again, a sport-tourer, I don't know how it'd do on nasty dirt roads. I've read that it's buzzy and not as smooth as other bikes. Also read that it's awesome, so who knows.
- V-Strom 650/1000 - The bread and butter sport-tourer/adventure bike. Everyone and their mother has one. My mom had the DL650 and although it was a decently comfortable ride, I kind of want something more powerful. Only problem is the V-Strom 1000 shares the same 20 year old engine my bike has, but doesn't gain much in the power/weight ratio. It seemed heavy for its purpose.
- Super10 - Don't know much about this bike still, I've read more negative things about it than anything, i.e. that it was a let down. Seems expensive.
- Africa Twin - Again, don't know much about it, but its not even out yet. Seems like a decent in-the-middle bike that'll need $2000 above sale price to round it out.
The "exotics":
- Tiger 800 XC/XR - Ticks a lot of the boxes, comes with lots of toys standard that some of the more expensive ones don't come with. Has just enough extra power to make it stand out above the middleweight adv bikes. Only problem is my buddy already bought one...it sounds silly but I want something different so we can swap rides on occasion.
- Multistrada - Checks off a lot of the touring oriented boxes, but is again sport-touring oriented. It's also very expensive.
- 1190 Aventure - I have an unnatural drawing to this bike. Beautiful, plenty of power, starts relatively inexpensive although will probably take an extra $2000 to get it where I want it. Seems like the perfect compromise between sport-touring and adv. Only thing holding me back is reliability...I've never owned a KTM, to me they're "exotic" in that I don't know what to expect for quirkiness. Many people are happy with them from what I've seen.
Thoughts/experiences/comments?
Last edited by SRTie4k; 04-21-16 at 08:50 AM.
2023 KTM 890 Adventure R
1290 Super Adventure. It should be on your list. If you are planning to stick more road oriented, this is the brutal sex fest your pastor warned you about.
2021 KTM Duke 890 R
2016 BMW S1000XR
1982 Honda CB750F Super Sport
I like my hyperstrada 821 for this duty. It's a middleweight on steroids. Can be ridden supermoto style, backing in to every tight corner, or sporttouring, and it even hadles offroad quite well compared to the behemoths in the ADV category.
It's not for everyone. Fairly aggressive bike for what it is.
C6? What's that?
Cliff's Cycles KTM
NETRA enduro B-vet
Close your eyes, look deep in your soul, step outside yourself and let your mind go.
Class 6 or unmaintained road.
2023 KTM 890 Adventure R
The 2014 Vstrom 1000 supposedly is miles ahead of the old 1000, while still feeling small like the 650. I'm leaning towards replacing my FZ6 with a DL650 for more long-distance comfort.
From the Versys/Vstrom comparisons I've read, the Versys is more towards the sport side, while the Vstrom is more towards the touring side.
The FJ9 looks neat, but I've noticed in some pics that there's not much room between the riders pegs and the passenger's pegs, especially if you add luggage behind the passengers pegs. If you do 2-up, that would get annoying.
Yamaha just debuted their new FZ7-based tourer Yamaha MT- 7 Tracer debuts
Are you buying new (seems so?) or used?
The Dl650A is around $10,000, the DL1000 Adventure $14,000, and the BMW R1200 GSA starts at $18,695 and can run well over $20,000.
By contrast, the Yamaha Super Tenere' is selling used for less than $10K. And Burnham's Tiger 1050 is $5,400, with bags.
Last edited by Garandman; 04-21-16 at 08:51 AM.
Budget is probably going to be capped at $15,000. I'm not dead set on buying new if I can find what I want used. Edited the original post to reflect.
2023 KTM 890 Adventure R
For that budget, I'd go Honda.
If I was getting a DL (either 650 or 1k), I'd go used. You could get one already setup with all the goodies for $5k.
Just rode my Wee into work today. It just does everything so "good enough". With the Russel Day Long, Caribou Cases, Givi Windscreen and PR4's, she's quite good at sport touring.
2021 KTM Duke 890 R
2016 BMW S1000XR
1982 Honda CB750F Super Sport
Cliff's Cycles KTM
NETRA enduro B-vet
Close your eyes, look deep in your soul, step outside yourself and let your mind go.
2021 KTM Duke 890 R
2016 BMW S1000XR
1982 Honda CB750F Super Sport
Bear in mind I wouldn't be aiming for class 6 roads in particular. Those are really the fringe case scenario. I'm basically trying to shift from where I am now, i.e. dirt roads in general are sketchy on my current bike, to something that will handle road and dirt roads competently, and the unimproved stuff is the sketchy stuff (although it'll still do it with enough bravery/stupidity).
Essentially something that feels at home on tarmac, dirt and gravel without going full bore dirt bike.
2023 KTM 890 Adventure R
Any of those bikes will do just fine.
I'd still say Honda AT.
2021 KTM Duke 890 R
2016 BMW S1000XR
1982 Honda CB750F Super Sport
The at looks like a pretty well rounded package on paper. Ask Colin how he likes his in about 15yrs when he finally buys one.
Bam!!
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Cliff's Cycles KTM
NETRA enduro B-vet
Close your eyes, look deep in your soul, step outside yourself and let your mind go.
I've been pretty quiet lately, I took an easy shot.
Cliff's Cycles KTM
NETRA enduro B-vet
Close your eyes, look deep in your soul, step outside yourself and let your mind go.
If you are also looking at middleweights below $15,000, you should probably look at the BMW F800GS's. They are pretty well sorted-out now.
I've seen Class 6 roads you could ride a Gold Wing down, and ones that are sporty on a WR250R. Ya never know. In NH I like to set the GPS to "shortest route" and it will often take you on dirt roads.
Our sales staff refers to the phenomenon as "Non supportive buy cycle."
Last edited by Garandman; 04-21-16 at 09:44 AM.
If my Tiger were totalled today I'd be looking at another one. Great all around bikes. Plenty of fun and power to be had when you want to wick it up. They're more than capable of corner speeds that are in arrest me territory and with those tires on you can have stability on the dirt roads as well.
The only other bike I would potentially consider as a replacement is the Africa Twin. The rest are all just meh to me.
2012 Tiger 800 XC
What about the BMW S1000XR? I guess for the price you can get a Multi though.
Dad's Dream: Earn enough money to live the life that his wife and kids do.
My ears are burning.
Anyone have experience with KTMs in particular?
2023 KTM 890 Adventure R