What bike should I buy? | GTAMotorcycle.com

What bike should I buy?

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revrandy

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I sold my current motorcycle a couple of months ago, V-Strom, as it was boring beyond belief. While I did do some great rides on it, enthusiasm waned with each passing km. So I am looking for a new bike.

Most of my riding will be highways / city streets but I do like to hit some unique roads at times (lost coast, Naciemento - google them etc.). Sport Touring is the best way to describe my riding habits. Problem with some of these bikes is I am only 5'8" with a 30" inseam; many of the bikes I love like a used BMW 1200RT are too big for me, so my choices are limited.

Compliments of the CBP laws, I am in the position of being able to bring in pretty much any motorcycle into Canada both duty and tax free (providing it is allowed on RIV).

No set budget but I would like to bring in something that is a bargain vs. something I can get in Canada for the same price. Not looking on selling it, but want to have the ability to do so in the future and not lose my shirt.

Thoughts that have hit my mind are:

Aprilia Shiver
Ducati Monster 696 or Multistrada 620
Triumph Tiger (but too tall)
Moto Guzzi Norge 1200 (found a sweet deal on a used one)
BMW 650/800 - but they are almost identical price in Canada.

Anything else I should consider? Yamaha FZ8?

Thank you.
 
Ninja 1000...that bike looks like a badass all rounder, and you can get side cases as well.
 
I am the same height/inseam with more or less the same geographic riding interests. I have the BMW R1150RT which is a bit tall for me. I handle it with little to no problem when maneuvering by foot but it did take some getting used to. I can say that I love my bike. She's a bloody porn star!

What about the V-Strom bored you? Ergos are very similar to a sport touring bike and it sits pretty high up too. Did you have the 650 or the 1000?

When I was short-listing my purchase it came down to the R1150RT, the Kawi Concourse (2010 or newer) or the Honda ST1300.
 
street triple R.
I also am not tall and this is a great fit bike, and givi side bags are available for this bike for touring.

As for DL650 being boring, I also have one, and still love it, dose everything I ever ask of it and more. Everything from rocky mountain twisties, blue ridge, countless highway miles, Labrador highway (1000km gravel anyone). Sure its not exactly the fastest bike but it dose everything. So have to ask why you are board, IE what are you looking for the bike to do to keep you entertained. Once you know that then it will be easier to help in choices.

Your bike listing is everything from ADV bikes to naked/standard bikes. And the BMW 650/800 which bikes as there is multiple 650 and 800 models. And all of the bikes listed can do sport touring.
 
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Never thought of the Street Triple R, thanks for the heads up.

As for the V-Strom, I had a 650. When riding it whether on city streets, highways or off the beaten track it was very competent, did what I needed it to do but I felt it lacked passion. I can't think of anything it lacked, other than soul. In a way it was like the science nerd who did everything that was asked of him/her, and did it well but at the end of the day it was still a nerd and never had any party spirit (let alone ever losing its virginity :p ). Make sense?

JZ67, I have sat on the 1150RT's and felt off-balance. It was too much of a stretch to the ground; the balls of my feet had no chance of hitting the pavement, that makes me a bit uncomfortable.
 
revrandy said:
As for the V-Strom, I had a 650. When riding it whether on city streets, highways or off the beaten track it was very competent, did what I needed it to do but I felt it lacked passion. I can't think of anything it lacked, other than soul. In a way it was like the science nerd who did everything that was asked of him/her, and did it well but at the end of the day it was still a nerd and never had any party spirit (let alone ever losing its virginity :p ). Make sense?
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Yes, it makes sense. Rather than trying to figure out your psyche, I think you were simply bored of your V-Strom and now you want some new meat. Not the last time you are going to feel that way about a bike.

You need to distinguish that certain element that turns your crank, then get the bike that has that certain element. For me, it was the 1150RT, regardless of inseam, it had that thing that made me giddy.
 
According to your wish list, there's a Guzzi Norge at Apex in Waterloo for around $8.5K or so.
 
This may seem odd, but the CB-1 is an amazing bike.
It is far from new, and not as powerful as our DL-650s,
but it is passionate, and so are its aficionados.

You can learn about the bike and its friends at http://www.hondacb1.org

I rode one briefly, but it was not the bike for me. Perhaps you will like it.

Good luck in your search. I remain good buddies with my Wee-Strom.
 
FZ1 - I sold my gen 1 FZ1 in October and have not found anything better to replace it with. The FZ1 was the best bike I have owned but had it for four seasons and it had 60 000 k when I sold it. I just wanted a change.

The bikes I have looked at so far are a 2009 Monster 1100, 2010 Aprilia Shiver 750 and a 2011 Moto Guzzi Griso 8V

So after looking at these bikes, I am now going back to what I ahd bit a little more up to date. So I am looking for a 2008 or newer FZ1. It simply offers the best everything. The FZ1 and FZ8 are very similar but you will miss the 40 BHP going with the FZ8.

I do like he look of the Moto Guzzi but I would need another bike as well for touring.

I do however like the BMW R1200R but it is more than I want to spend.
 
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98-01 honda vfr 800 or the newer vfr 1200 :)
 
revrandy said:
Never thought of the Street Triple R, thanks for the heads up.

As for the V-Strom, I had a 650. When riding it whether on city streets, highways or off the beaten track it was very competent, did what I needed it to do but I felt it lacked passion. I can't think of anything it lacked, other than soul. In a way it was like the science nerd who did everything that was asked of him/her, and did it well but at the end of the day it was still a nerd and never had any party spirit (let alone ever losing its virginity :p ). Make sense?

JZ67, I have sat on the 1150RT's and felt off-balance. It was too much of a stretch to the ground; the balls of my feet had no chance of hitting the pavement, that makes me a bit uncomfortable.
Click to expand...

My Sportster was the opposite.
It got too hot, it bottomed out, it didn't particularly handle all that well (thanks in large part to the mini apes the previous owner put on), but man that bike had SOUL. It had more character than most of my friends. Too bad it was a flop in some other areas.

I guess you gotta find that balance between utilitarianism and balls-out joy-ride. Good luck!
 
I've been on a Bandit 1250 for a couple of seasons and it's been a great all around bike. Mine came with the full lower fairing, and the Givi cases. I've removed the top case and mounting frame along with the lower fairings. There's still plenty of storage with the side cases and enough wind protection (I don't notice any difference without the bottom fairings) to long sport touring trips. Yank the side bags off and it's a great around town commuter and Sunday morning hooligan bike. The most amazing thing about the Bandit is the value. I don't think there's a better all around even at much higher price points.
 
Ducati Multistrada 1200
Picture-2011-Ducati-Multistrada-1200-white-side.jpg


Should not leave you bored at all, and give you a sportier version of the V-strom, with much better styling and power through the roof.
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