Recommend me a tourer?

4T5 · 30 Mar 2016 at 17:00

TallPaul_S said:
However many bikes you have, the number of bikes you need is always +1

Definitely true, I need something to do some long journeys on as well as my Cruiser I like plodding around on then I think Mmm Super moto time just after I've told myself I'm far to old to get a Track bike.

Daftbrown · 30 Mar 2016 at 19:22

Well, here's one vote for the Versys at least

I presume you mean the 650cc?

Mine's taken me to work every day and to Romania and back. A real workhorse with decent power and good riding position. Truly versatile.

I'm looking at the 1000cc version for my next bike (new face-lifted version).

Griffo · 4 Apr 2016 at 10:27

Yeah as much as I love my k1300s it's quite an expensive proposition. I've only ever BMW serviced and had their warranty too though. But I do know the k1200 had more problems than the k1300. Uncertain if the 12 comes in that price range.

These bikes were/are the top of the line bikes. I consider it like an old e39 m5 financially - it might be cheap to buy but it's still one of the most expensive cars to maintain/fix 'properly'.

My sv650 cost 4 grand new, my k1300s cost over 15 grand new.

Dogbreath · 7 Apr 2016 at 21:50

If you like the Versys, maybe also consider the DL1000? This one is a little over budget, but well priced for the age and mileage.

atpbx · 8 Apr 2016 at 03:26

I'd love a K1300 anything, but with doing less than a 1000 miles a year on a bike the past couple of years (my 2014 Tiger has 1100 miles on it) I couldn't quite justify laying out for one.
Be awesome mind.

Daftbrown · 11 Apr 2016 at 14:02

Dogbreath said:
If you like the Versys, maybe also consider the DL1000? This one is a little over budget, but well priced for the age and mileage.

Fair shout.

As with the Versys there are 650s and 1000s in the Vstrom range. I'm not clear on which size OP was looking at.

Luke · 13 Apr 2016 at 00:53

mattcrane said:
Ex-Police/Ambulance/Blood Pan Europeans can be had cheap and have been extremely well looked after maintenance wise.

Why does everyone think this? Emergency services vehicles are run until they break, then get a minimum effort fix then are back on the road. They are some of the worst maintained vehicles I've ever encountered.

mattcrane · 13 Apr 2016 at 06:50

Luke said:
Why does everyone think this? Emergency services vehicles are run until they break, then get a minimum effort fix then are back on the road. They are some of the worst maintained vehicles I've ever encountered.

Errrrr Because its true, the most reliable bike I ever owned was an Ex-Police bike.

I have friends that will only buy Ex-Police bikes, so although you may have had a bad experience with them, (cars maybe different by the way), that is most certainly not true for all of them.

ttaskmaster · 13 Apr 2016 at 10:54

mattcrane said:
Errrrr Because its true, the most reliable bike I ever owned was an Ex-Police bike.

Is that not just a feature of the bike model itself, rather than what the Police did to it, though?

mattcrane said:
I have friends that will only buy Ex-Police bikes, so although you may have had a bad experience with them, (cars maybe different by the way), that is most certainly not true for all of them.

I also find a great many have been seriously overloaded, ridden like mad at very high speed and used to the point of being worn out. Being well-maintained only takes something so far... and they DO maintain them, as all the local bike cops will attest. But that's also why they so often can be had so cheap - As said cops also attest: They're ****ed!!