Motorcycle decision(vanity)

http://www.Freerepublic.com ^ | 05/06/2007 | me

[Xenophon450]

Hello FRiends

This is my first and hopefully last thread. I have some questions for you motorcycle enthusiasts and would be forever grateful for polite answers without being called names :D. I was simply wondering what type of motorcycle you would recommend for getting from Kansas to Northern Canada, and if a cruiser would be acceptable to perform that task or would a touring bike be mandatory for such things. Some companies claim cruisers can take you across country but what do they define as "country", a 25 mile Sunday drive?

Anyone have any personal favorite models that get them thousands of miles?

I am saving for a bike ATM and just want to make sure to wisely invest, I have been reading but practical experience trumps all.

[endthematrix]

I’m a n00b riding on a 1979 Honda XL185s

I like them vintage enduros!

[BraveMan]

That KLR shown in the front of bad company’s lineup will get you to the ends of the world in comfort. It can handle anything from a single track trail to a four lane freeway. At just over five grand, it’s also a great value.

The aftermarket support for the KLR650 is phenomenal. Every conceivable option is made by someone, somewhere.

Can you tell I own one? Do I sound like a fan?

[BraveMan]

Any big water crossings involved?

[BraveMan]

bc, you need to lose the wire basket . . .

http://www.dual-star.com/index2/Brand/Kawasaki/For_KLR_650s.htm

[Xenophon450]

Well I’m not that hardcore lol, I assume that’s you fording a river? If so where at, if not then disregard this question :).

[bad company]

bc, you need to lose the wire basket .

Already have

[blackie]

I’ve owned and ridden many types of motorcycles in my almost 60 years of riding. Check out different bikes and purchase one that feels best to you, anything from a 650 to unlimited engine size would work.

I personally ride a Suzuki SV650, I like standard bikes, they are more comfortable for me to ride, especially now that I’ve added after market wider handle bars.

Either the Suzuki V-Strom DL1000 or DL650 would be appropriate for long trips and they are priced right!

http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/VStrom.html

[blackie]

I remember crossing steams so deep the bike would suck up water and stop running, we would get ‘em out of the water, wring the water out of the foam rubber air filters, pull the spark plug (2 stroke singles) turn ‘em upside down and crank the starter until all of the water had been sucked through the carb and forced out of the combustion chamber.

Cleaned the spark plug or installed a fresh one and fired them up and went our way. >:-}

[BraveMan]

I have an old friend who recently parted with his pristine Yamaha XT500 about one week before I took delivery of the KLR. Not having seen him in six months or so, I was surprised and irked that he’d gotten rid of his dirt bike just when I’d gotten mine. Whenever I’d ask him why, he’d just tell me the standard answer - never used, waste of money, no time, etc.

I wasn’t buying it. This guy is not exactly strapped for cash, has plenty of room in the garage, likes his toys and has plenty of free time. So I kept asking him, trying to pry out the REAL reason for the sudden departure of the pristine XT.

Finally, after some beverages and coaxing, he let on. He’d been riding with some neighborhood Hooligans when they came across a partially excavated building foundation, filled with a foot or so of water from recent rains. The three of them had a ball riding around in the excavation, blasting up & down the walls and through the water.

Then he found the DEEP end.

The bike was four feet below the surface, taking about an hour to surface from the mudwater, so the story goes. Mud in every thing; the forks, the crankcase, the battery, the cylinder, the frame tubes, the carb, the handlebar switches, etc. The deeper he dug, the more mud he found.

He never trusted the bike after that.

I don’t think he shared that little piece of information with the new owner . . .

[blackie]

So ~ you use used a little truth serum, eh. :)
Let’s hope the XT didn’t get a bent rod from inhaling all of that water.

I had a ‘79 Yamaha SR500, it was a fun bike, I had Works Performance rear shocks, larger Mikuni and a Super Trap exhaust system.

[rahbert]

My bike is a BMW R1100RT-P

[Xenophon450]

Quite a beaut if I may say so ;D. Did you buy it new? How much did it cost ya?

[Xenophon450]

I have been reading the KLR 650 forums, they look like they truley could take me anywhere, and even off road which imo is a plus, never know what you could encounter up there. I liked this one man’s trip from Seattle to Prudhoe bay Alaska on one. Seems like nothing can stop those things.

[bad company]

The KLR650 is the international harvester of motorcycles. It's not fast for a motorcycle. The handlebars are buzzy above 65mph. As far as handling it is a dirt bike tamed for the street. It's an excellent around town putt putt. Where it truly shines is on unmaintained country roads and mild single track. It's simple, durable and very inexpensive. There is a comparable bike out there. That is the BMW F650. I suggest you look at this one too as you mentioned that you were going cross country. The BMW is a bit more refined. A bit more powerful. It's also a bit more complicated and a bit more expensive though. I chose the KLR because as I'm an experienced street rider but I'm new to the dirt and wanted a bike that could make up for my shortcomings skill wise. Below is what the KLR is made for;

[Old_Mil]

Hello...Well, what you've outlined is a fairly long trip that's going to take place over a number of days, and in a variety of conditions. At least some of the trip, it would seem, will take place on interstates where the cruising speeds will be 70mph+...I'm also assuming that you have some experience riding.

...so let's start with basics:

- 800ccs. This is the bare minimum displacement you're going to want for a trip such as this. Yes, longer trips have been done on smaller bikes. People have ridden 650s around the world. There's what's possible, and what's optimal. 800ccs+ is your best choice.

- Saddlebags. Leather is ok, but not as waterpoof as hard bags.

- A wind shield/screen of some sort.

- A range of 140 miles +. Most bikes can manage this; some (like older sportsters or VRODs) cannot. Anything less than that, and you'll be stopping for gas too often. Also, there are places in the west where longer ranges will make the difference between making it to the next gas station or not.

I'm not sure what your budget is, but I'll make my recommendations based on what I either own or would selected...

In first place...Buell's Ulysses.

This big dual sport is based on the Harley Sportster and is equally comfortable touring the continent, chasing sportbikes in the mountains, and tackling the same forest service roads that made the BMW GS legendary. In my opinion, the finest motorcycle on the market today. BUT it is a tall bike, so if you're under about 5'8" with a 30 inch inseam, it's a no go.

In second place...Ducati's ST3.

This sport touring rig may be one of the best kept secrets in the motorcycle world. Push the starter and the sweet symphony of Desmo power rumbles to life. A fast, comfortable touring bike that handles better than almost any other on the market.

In third place...Yamaha's FJR1300

Technically, it's a superb machine. No BMW can touch it's reliability. But for all its excellent, the Feejer lacks the soul that the Ducati brings to the table. The grin after 400 miles on the Italian tourer is just that much bigger than on the Yamaha.

In fourth place...Victory's Kingpin

Sorry Harley. I like your bikes, and Victory doesn't have the same label appeal parked outside the local watering hole. It's hard to dispute that the Kingpin is a better machine rolling down the highway. Get that VROD motor into a touring rig and we might have a different story...but for now, displacement isn't the answer.

In fifth place...Harley's Road Glide

Harley's best offering for eating big highway miles.

Any list like this is by its very nature subjective. I've ranked the bikes by the particular order I'd want to pick one if I was going to disappear for a few months. There are others that would be pefectly respectable choices - both past and present models...for instance, the Buell S3T, the Honda ST1100, the Kawasaki Concours, Indian's Chief, the Harley Dynas/Softtails, or Ducati's Multistrada.

There are still others that would be capable of such a trip, but I wouldn't recommend due to a lack of parts, a lack of dealers, or both. In this category would fall Aprilia's Caponord and Futura, or anything from BMW or Moto Guzzi.

Best wishes, and if you have any questions feel free to ask.

[rahbert]

It was a CHP bike at one time. I purchased for 9K with
60K miles on it.