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Which new bike would you choose?
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A theoretical question.
You have 8 grand of your employer's money to buy a new bike with. It
will be used all year round and business journies won't be any further
than 170 miles to start, with a few calls within a 50 mile range of each
other, then 170 miles home again. Luggage is not a necessity but would
be useful for carrying a laptop/samples and some clothing for the odd
night out. Full-on sportsbikes such as R1s and Gixer Thous are not
acceptable to the employer and the employee doesn't want one anyway.
What would you choose?
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Moto Guzzi Griso
Honda VFR800
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R1200GS with all the extra's :-)
(you may need to blag a few more quid though)
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Got mine yesterday, what a brilliant bike, handles, goes & looks kind
of cool......
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F800S is in budget with a load of optional extras. Even comes with a short
arse seat for the hypothetical dwarf.
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In no particular order:
Sprint ST, CBF1000, Fazer 1000. ZZR1400 is probably a bit out of price
range.
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Ask Bear what his hypothetical (1) friend decided on last year.
(1) It was you wasn't it?
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RSV1000R 06
Z1000
Hayabusa 06
Aprilia Tuono
Nearly New ZZR1400?
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V-Strom GT
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Habana Cust...
Oh. Wrong OP.
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Not for you, shorty. Lozzo's not any sort of giant, either.
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is it really taller than an R1150GS or a CCM R30 (both of which I
found no problem to ride)?
Lessee:
R1150GS 840 / 860mm
R30 865mm
V-Strom 1000[1] GT 840mm
So, I don't think I'd have any problems. Don't think I'll be buying
one, mind.
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If you got on with an R1150GS no doubt you'd find the DL1000 no big
deal. First thing I'd do if it were mine though, would be to put a
Russell Day-Long saddle[2] on it, which would make it impossible to
flatfoot unless you've got long legs. I find any stock saddle to
be excruciating after about two hours.
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[1] the 650s are for chicks.
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How much for the matching snow-poles?
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Not a bad choice for what he wants to do, otherwise.
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BMW R1150GS obviously. R1200GS seems to have had accountants added
to it, so the quality is much lower. The two I had never had any
issues. However, that depends if you can purchase a used bike with
that money.
Rode my R1150GS from Barnet to Warwick and back for just over
a year, all year round, with zero problems except for that
last day in 2002... but then again the bike design saved my leg.
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For that kind of money? I'd look at a Fazer Thou, or if you (the
hypothetical you, that is) want to save a few bob for this
hypothetical employer a new Bandit 1250. That's assuming you want the
option of using panniers etc; otherwise, how about a new Speed Triple,
and see Pip's eyes turn British Racing Green? Oh, I forgot, it's all
in theory, isn't it...
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ZZR1400, no argument.
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Are they under 8 grand?
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Are they hideously ugly?
The new watercooled faired Bandit got good reviews. Well under budget
though.
Ducati ST4S. 996 engine and Brembo/Ohlins/Marchesini with good fairing
and panniers.
Sprint is the only other thing that really come to mind within budget,
unless you consider Honda and BMW.
If it's regular high work miles then hyperspeed probably isn't a great
idea anyway.
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CBF1000 with extras - panniers, screen, heated grips etc
Guzzi Norge 1200T
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Mere details.
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It's part of Lozzo's original question & a restriction though, isn't
it? And at ukp8995, it's rather a bit over.
Have you had a go on one or even sat on one yet?
I thought it would be the dog's bollocks and performance wise it
obviously is, but when I sat on the one at the NEC, I knew pretty
straight away that it didn't 'fit' me and would be uncomfortable for me
for any lengthy journey.
I'm not sure how much on it is adjustable though.
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SuperDuke. The new ones have a bigger tank and there's room to nail a
tailpack on. Rucksack for the lappie and you're having a ball instead of
working.
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