I’ll check my bar diameter as I’ve seen some cheap windshields on Kijiji for 7/8 or 1” bars.
Could be a stupid cheap solution to an expensive problem.
Even a specific windshield from GIVI/Kappa is <150.
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Middle weight bikes
- Thread starter mimico_polak
- Start date
Could be a stupid cheap solution to an expensive problem.
Even a specific windshield from GIVI/Kappa is <150.
Modding bikes to your liking is an age-old motorcycle tradition.
My buddy turns every motorcycle he's owned into a Goldwing. Whether it's a Multi, GSA, Connie, HD, etc, he puts a huge shield on it to get zero wind, coffee cup holder on the handlebars, big bags, cushy, wide saddle with backrest and relocates the pegs and bars so it's the same rider triangle as a Goldwing.
"Why don't you just get a Goldwing?"
"Had one, just want to try something different."
He knows what he likes. And to each their own!
In the end, you're the one that has to ride it.
My buddy turns every motorcycle he's owned into a Goldwing. Whether it's a Multi, GSA, Connie, HD, etc, he puts a huge shield on it to get zero wind, coffee cup holder on the handlebars, big bags, cushy, wide saddle with backrest and relocates the pegs and bars so it's the same rider triangle as a Goldwing.
"Why don't you just get a Goldwing?"
"Had one, just want to try something different."
He knows what he likes. And to each their own!
In the end, you're the one that has to ride it.
I've tried a bunch of different things. A MadStad adjustable bracket mounted on top of some steel angle iron raises the stock screen by probably 8" or 10" and helps a lot, but I still need to lean forward a bit too much to get within the calm air bubble. I've used that setup on a couple of multi-day tours, but it's merely okay at my height. It would work well for someone a few inches shorter, as long as they didn't mind looking through the windscreen. It's just easier to run no windscreen at all for most of the riding I do on that bike, especially when it's really hot out.
I think a lot of ADV bikes with small near-vertical screens far from the rider suffer from the same buffeting issues to some extent. It's fine if you keep the screen low enough to just divert the wind off your chest, but if you want to have your head in still air and keep your upright seating position, you often end up with barn door of a screen and/or those add-on winglet things. A more leaned-forward seating position brings your head closer to the screen and makes air management a lot easier.
Mad Mike
Well-known member
I have a Saddleman ADV on my V. it’s comfortable all day long. The stock seat seems fine too, I never found it uncomfortable.
My Madstadt adjustable screen works well in the cold and rain, I never had buffeting problems with the stock screen.
All the bikes in this category are pretty good, the Vstroms superpowers are dependability and farkleability.
I’m a bit of a numbers guy… if one particular middleweight ADV outsells all its rivals combined, I figure there’s a reason.
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Yup, that's very roughly the same coverage that the 1st gen VStrom fairing provides if you take the windscreen off. Keeps wind off the body, but leaves the helmet in clean air.
How much gravel-road riding do you realistically plan to do?
Every time I end up on a hired ADV or soft-roader-type bike, I find it too high, too soft, too vague. In the case of a BMW F800GS (F700 is the same thing) it was comically so, to the point of easily dragging the centerstand, and that led to me actively disliking the bike. Riding it for 2000 km in Australia did not make me like it. Maybe it works perfectly on dirt or gravel ... online reviews of that bike are all written as if pavement hadn't been invented yet. I was together with a group of fellow sport-oriented track riders, all of us on BMW GSes of varying descriptions (because that's all the hire agency had) and we all had the same complaints about them. Didn't matter what flavour of GS. This was before the latest generation of BMW electronic semi-active suspension, though.
In the case of a F900XR, in "dynamic" suspension mode, it still felt overdamped and undersprung, but it wasn't to the extent of causing ground-clearance issues, it just didn't feel right. The electronics can't change the spring rates. I'd probably buy a F900R instead. (I had a F800R on hire in Italy and didn't mind it. And BSB has a support class for F900R spec bikes, and I've seen them go ... you can race them ...)
Yamaha Tracer 7 a few weeks ago ... I'd call it a "soft-roader" ... rode okay for what it was, but it's still sprung too softly. Lots of nose-dive under braking. Steering was pretty vague. Suspension isn't as sophisticated as the BMW. It also isn't as expensive as the BMW and in the words of the chap running the hire agency ... "Here's the roadside assistance number in case you need it, but it's a Yamaha. It won't break." I would have rather had the mechanically-identical MT07. I suspect I would have disliked the mechanically-identical but even-higher Tenere.
I haven't ridden a V-Strom but suspect I'd prefer the SV650 (and I have ridden one of those, at Shannonville, and liked it). I certainly haven't ridden the new V-Strom 800 but I'd probably lean towards the GSX8R, which is supposed to be really good. I sat on one at the bike show. Riding position is quite upright. Definitely no GSXR.
The Ducati Multistrada is an example of a bike that "looks like" an adventure bike but is actually set up for pavement riding ... everyone I know who has a newer one, loves it (and rides them on pavement). You can still ride on gravel roads if you want to ... but keep the weight in mind with any of these big ADV bikes.
IF you plan to do a lot of riding on gravel roads or dirt then forget everything I've just said. I'm not the person to ask. The one thing I know about riding on loose surfaces is that having the bike weigh less than 200 kg is a much, much better feature than having 200 horsepower ...
Every one of my sport bikes, has been on a gravel road. It's not the optimum but it is not that you can't do it.
Every time I end up on a hired ADV or soft-roader-type bike, I find it too high, too soft, too vague. In the case of a BMW F800GS (F700 is the same thing) it was comically so, to the point of easily dragging the centerstand, and that led to me actively disliking the bike. Riding it for 2000 km in Australia did not make me like it. Maybe it works perfectly on dirt or gravel ... online reviews of that bike are all written as if pavement hadn't been invented yet. I was together with a group of fellow sport-oriented track riders, all of us on BMW GSes of varying descriptions (because that's all the hire agency had) and we all had the same complaints about them. Didn't matter what flavour of GS. This was before the latest generation of BMW electronic semi-active suspension, though.
In the case of a F900XR, in "dynamic" suspension mode, it still felt overdamped and undersprung, but it wasn't to the extent of causing ground-clearance issues, it just didn't feel right. The electronics can't change the spring rates. I'd probably buy a F900R instead. (I had a F800R on hire in Italy and didn't mind it. And BSB has a support class for F900R spec bikes, and I've seen them go ... you can race them ...)
Yamaha Tracer 7 a few weeks ago ... I'd call it a "soft-roader" ... rode okay for what it was, but it's still sprung too softly. Lots of nose-dive under braking. Steering was pretty vague. Suspension isn't as sophisticated as the BMW. It also isn't as expensive as the BMW and in the words of the chap running the hire agency ... "Here's the roadside assistance number in case you need it, but it's a Yamaha. It won't break." I would have rather had the mechanically-identical MT07. I suspect I would have disliked the mechanically-identical but even-higher Tenere.
I haven't ridden a V-Strom but suspect I'd prefer the SV650 (and I have ridden one of those, at Shannonville, and liked it). I certainly haven't ridden the new V-Strom 800 but I'd probably lean towards the GSX8R, which is supposed to be really good. I sat on one at the bike show. Riding position is quite upright. Definitely no GSXR.
The Ducati Multistrada is an example of a bike that "looks like" an adventure bike but is actually set up for pavement riding ... everyone I know who has a newer one, loves it (and rides them on pavement). You can still ride on gravel roads if you want to ... but keep the weight in mind with any of these big ADV bikes.
IF you plan to do a lot of riding on gravel roads or dirt then forget everything I've just said. I'm not the person to ask. The one thing I know about riding on loose surfaces is that having the bike weigh less than 200 kg is a much, much better feature than having 200 horsepower ...
Every one of my sport bikes, has been on a gravel road. It's not the optimum but it is not that you can't do it.
Relax
Well-known member
I agree, and the context was I was replying to your take on the Dorso, which is a cruiser compared to my SXV or your EXC. It may have supermoto styling, but it's still a street bike at heart with normal maintenance intervals, reasonably good reliability, and a comfortable seat. Yes, it has a high seat height, but as you yourself said, there are ways to lower just about every bike. I'm not saying he should get one, just that he doesn't need to rule it out.
Personally, I'm hoping he finds a way to address the wind and seating position to be able to keep the Scrambler.
Not to belabour the point, but according to that logic, *all* bikes are on the table in that case. Just keep modding that Grom, CRF230 or Superlegerra until it meets your needs.
The point is that according to the initial reqs, some bikes make a better base to start off with given comfort, range and seat height. A Dorsuduro IMO is not a good base to start off with.
Relax
Well-known member
Well if we're using extreme examples, then the ONLY bike that should be on the table is a Goldwing?
A Dorso is a far cry from your examples. The only mod necessary (and only because it was on his list) was the seat height. My 821 Hyperstrada was also surprisingly good at touring, as is my 990 SMT.
Then again, who am I to argue? I installed a handlebar conversion kit on my 998 and did some light touring on that too.
I toured on my 999. Stock everything. So that makes two of us.
Hayabusa.
Might have been commented in jest, but you know what? I've ridden a Busa and it's actually not a bad sport-touring bike. Seating position is not as extreme as a superbike and the throttle response is not as twitchy either. It just keeps pulling and pulling when you leave the throttle open. Torque for weeks on end.
If one of mimico's dream bikes is the VFR800, then the Busa has very similar ergos. Just with an engine on methamphetamines...
Same seat height as the Scrambler. 300 kms tank range. Suzuki build quality and maintenance.
Something to think about...
Maybe one of the Busa owners here can chime in.
Mad Mike
Well-known member
I do a fair amount of dirt road travelling. On assumed dirt roads and highways I find middleweight advs much more comfortable than a lightweight dual sport. Yes suspension is softer- but that’s ok when you’re running hours over an ever changing surface of potholes, washboard and hardback.
Things change if you’re going to pound trails, hydro and fire roads - that’s when a sub 200kg dual sport makes a difference. That said, midweight advs are pretty good on those roads too.
jdmsteR
Well-known member
FJ-09/Tracer 900
Nick Ienatsch has some awesome insight into this bike, it's at the top of my list with the VFR a close 2nd
www.cycleworld.com
www.cycleworld.com
Nick Ienatsch has some awesome insight into this bike, it's at the top of my list with the VFR a close 2nd
Riding A Yamaha Tracer 900 GT Across The American West
Nick Ienatsch rides his long-term 2019 Yamaha Tracer 900 GT to Circuit of The Americas MotoGP.
www.cycleworld.com
Long-Term Tracer GT Performance, Part 2
As the time nears to send back Nick’s long-term Yamaha Tracer 900 GT, he has his buddy Mark Schellinger race it to put it to a final, ultimate test.
www.cycleworld.com
don't believe so, no.
Wasn't there a girl here took a Busa up the haul road in Alaska against everyone's advice and got lucky with the weather.
Guy I bought my high miler Vstrom from ( 95k km ) for $3k was sooooo eager to move it to get himself into a Busa which he did the day I paid him.
The Vstrom was immaculate ( he was an English mechanical engineer ) and ran better than the one I had previously with half the mileage.
Put 20k km on the Vstrom and sold it for $3k that fall.
I've had some.
That's why I tell MP to get one every go-round.....lol.
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