maxheadwound
Member
a bit of wd40 hehe
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- Thread starter Flo_Evans
- Start date
a bit of wd40 hehe
Man if I had £15k+ to drop on a S1000XR it seems like it would be the perfect bike for me and I would buy one in an instant.
Unfortunately I am stuck trying to figure out what is the sub £4k equivalent and unfortunately I don't think it exists lol guess the VFR750 will continue in use for a while longer!
Unfortunately I am stuck trying to figure out what is the sub £4k equivalent and unfortunately I don't think it exists lol guess the VFR750 will continue in use for a while longer!
Well I think at the sub £10k price points I'd look at either the Multistrada 1200 or the KTM 990 SMT as the closest thing to the XR (upright, still sporty handling, plenty of power, comfort, touring capability).
Under £5k there's the original Multistrada but I think that looks awful (no offence to anyone) or maybe possibly the Tiger 1050 at a push.
And looking at the real low end of the scale (sub £2k) maybe a Fazer 1000?
Not sure if there's something else I'm not thinking of but the whole "Adventure Sport" thing that the XR and Multistrada dominates is a fairly new concept I guess.
Fallout-NL
Member
Buell Ulysses. They can be had for between 3.5 and 6 or 7k (if you find a really clean/new one) which is incredible value. Lighter than the competition, lots of power where you need it, pretty good wind protection, an excellent seat and top notch suspension. (Though I already heard Doug say they're a bit hard to come by in the UK)
This link should work now: http://www.pdf-archive.com/2016/04/29/buell-cwreprint/
So also, no
, well, not really. Both the Multistrada and the Ulysses were introduced in '04 and '05 respectively and I think the Uly will actually handle off road a bit better than the old Multi.And as for the old Multi, I have to say, it took me nearly a decade, but I came around on the styling. I quite like it now actually. And since most people do still hate its looks, they can be had for next to nothing.
If you can find them (and don't mind Buell being dead), then they are probably the best adventure/sport/touring bike under £5k...
BMW Throttles all nicely balanced now. Idle was way off but I didn't have to adjust the cables, so that points me to the alternator belt as the primary suspect for the little noise at speed. I'll get around to that sometime I'm sure...
BMW Throttles all nicely balanced now. Idle was way off but I didn't have to adjust the cables, so that points me to the alternator belt as the primary suspect for the little noise at speed. I'll get around to that sometime I'm sure...
opticalmace
Member
Ah, the art of posting on GAF mid-ride while stopping for dinner.
It's always amusing watching people stare at you and your bike when you arrive. My fiancée (wife in a week) is just getting used to it. Also, I swear the servers treat you better if you're in gear.
It's always amusing watching people stare at you and your bike when you arrive. My fiancée (wife in a week) is just getting used to it. Also, I swear the servers treat you better if you're in gear.
QualityPixel
Banned
The moment when you see your old bike on the local classifieds and wonder why they are getting rid of it, lol.
It's because you rolled up in armor and they're scared because they know you will win in a fight.
It's because you rolled up in armor and they're scared because they know you will win in a fight.
BriareosGAF
Member
Aye, I attended a ballet in my gear this weekend (Oxford and sweater underneath).
richardhawk
Member
Went to Joshua tree with my girlfriend this weekend.
Pretty nice weather considering it should be in the upper 90's about now.
maxheadwound
Member
Some feedback about the S1000XR and the S1000R I test rode over the weekend.
The XR is a big old bike and its the first bike that I have ridden from BMW that does nothing for me. Very weird. Also it had the buzz. Confirmed and the dealers all know about it. I thought its going to be the same type of ride as a GS but its not. Its missing the boxer engine soul. Still the bike is quick and it does sound awesome on the overrun. But my money is safe.
I then hopped on the S1000R.... wow what a big difference. The bike is solid on the road. It sounds awesome with the stock pipe and the riding position is spot on for me. Even with the small fairing it does a great job to keep most of the wind blast off you. I am 5'11 and both feet was flat on the ground. I did tell the guy the bike would be perfect if it only could smell like gun powder as it goes like a bullet. No buzz and its a smooth revving engine that pulls hard in any gear. The quickshifter is super.
My bike is serviced and my money is safe as my bike is still spot on.
The XR is a big old bike and its the first bike that I have ridden from BMW that does nothing for me. Very weird. Also it had the buzz. Confirmed and the dealers all know about it. I thought its going to be the same type of ride as a GS but its not. Its missing the boxer engine soul. Still the bike is quick and it does sound awesome on the overrun. But my money is safe.
I then hopped on the S1000R.... wow what a big difference. The bike is solid on the road. It sounds awesome with the stock pipe and the riding position is spot on for me. Even with the small fairing it does a great job to keep most of the wind blast off you. I am 5'11 and both feet was flat on the ground. I did tell the guy the bike would be perfect if it only could smell like gun powder as it goes like a bullet. No buzz and its a smooth revving engine that pulls hard in any gear. The quickshifter is super.
My bike is serviced and my money is safe as my bike is still spot on.
maxheadwound
Member
I tried all the riding modes and its a bit less in road But still on long trips that the bike is built for you dont want that. Also the eat is very flat so we have to slide off to get you one foot down. Where the GS seat is more rounded and easier to get you foot down. Still very comfortable when you get going. Traffic and a bike like that would drive me nuts
maxheadwound
Member
You must do yourself a favor and go and ride the S1000r.... just for the hell of it.
Diagnosis for the Triple is in, another electrical issue with an expensive part
They offered me a price which amounted to about £100 less than what I was selling it for minus the cost of repair + an MOT, so I'll just be doing that. Still leaves me with a nice budget for a new ride so I think I'll be doing some test rides this weekend. No, I won't be buying another Triumph
They offered me a price which amounted to about £100 less than what I was selling it for minus the cost of repair + an MOT, so I'll just be doing that. Still leaves me with a nice budget for a new ride so I think I'll be doing some test rides this weekend. No, I won't be buying another Triumph
until next time when I'll end up buying a Thruxton
DrGonzo615
Banned
Anybody have any experience will Bell helmets? Im in the market for a new lid to replace my Shoei X-11 and have been eyeing the Bell Star for a bit. Anybody ever made the transition from Shoei? Hows the shape of the helmet by comparison?
Fallout-NL
Member
richardhawk
Member
Had a bell RS1 for around 3 years. I really loved the helmet but since I have a giant head it never really fit right. XL was too small and XXL was a little too big. I got bigger cheek pads to kind of fix it but it never sat felt right.
richardhawk
Member
Speaking of helmets.
Happy early birthday to me. As much as I love my simpson bandit riding 700+ miles with it to Utah in a couple of weeks isn't gonna be very easy. I know a dual sport helmet is probably not much better but at least I can take the peak off when I'm not in the dirt.
Happy early birthday to me. As much as I love my simpson bandit riding 700+ miles with it to Utah in a couple of weeks isn't gonna be very easy. I know a dual sport helmet is probably not much better but at least I can take the peak off when I'm not in the dirt.
maxheadwound
Member
I have a shoei head so I am stuck with them.... hope you get one that fits like a glove
blackprophesy
Member
I agree. I had a go on it a little while back and it's a fantastic machine. Surprised how tame/easy it was to ride in traffic considering how much of an animal it can be. At 5'7" I was very comfortable on it.
DrGonzo615
Banned
Yeah I do too but the price of the Shoei's is killing me.
maxheadwound
Member
Here in the UK its recomended law to change your helmet every 5 years. So I look at it as a good buy for 5 years. Also the older models will have much cheaper prices
Fallout-NL
Member
Fiberglass lids should last longer than 5 right (provided you don't drop it)?
So um, I'm going to admit that I've never ridden a supersport before. I've sat on them, I've stared at them, but I've never ridden them. Well, that changed this past weekend. My school's motorcycle club did what we call a parking lot day, where we set up cones (tennis balls in our case) and practice different maneuvers like slaloms, figure 8s, etc. My buddy just bought a CBR600RR so we swapped bikes for a little bit and got to see everything different between them. My impressions, coming from my ZRX were as follows:
-First thing I noticed was the weight difference. Coming from my ~550lb ZRX to his ~415lb CBR, I felt like I was on a toothpick. I could rock the bike back and forth with no effort and reversing was a breeze. This bike is even lighter than my GS500 was, I believe and it's very noticeable.
-From there I noticed the body position. I'm 5'9" and around 160lbs. Very average build and it still felt cramped. I said reversing was a breeze, but it really limits how much you can look around when you're hunched over the clipons like you are. And when moving, it felt intuitive and fitting with the windshield but my back isn't meant to bend like that for more than 15 minutes at a time.
-Once I was moving, I got a feel for the engine. We were in a big parking lot, so I had plenty of room to open it up and I did. What I noticed first about the engine was how gutless it was compared to the ZRX motor. On paper, the CBR has more horsepower but a bit less torque (about 25 ft-lbs, I think) and you can really feel that difference. The ZRX pulls consistently from 2k RPMs but the CBR is really high strung. I had it up above 8k for a chunk and it felt like it was pulling harder, but still not that much. I imagine the power really plays a part once you're hitting triple digits, where the ZRX starts to mellow out.
Overall, I enjoyed the opportunity to ride a supersport, but it also convinced me I don't want one for anything other than a weekend ride. It just didn't seem comfortable (in posture and in engine temperament) for street riding.
On the other hand, I rode my other friend's dualsport, although I forget what it was, and that pretty much drove home that I want something for offroad riding. I took that thing around the fields and hills next to the parking lot and it was so much fun.
-First thing I noticed was the weight difference. Coming from my ~550lb ZRX to his ~415lb CBR, I felt like I was on a toothpick. I could rock the bike back and forth with no effort and reversing was a breeze. This bike is even lighter than my GS500 was, I believe and it's very noticeable.
-From there I noticed the body position. I'm 5'9" and around 160lbs. Very average build and it still felt cramped. I said reversing was a breeze, but it really limits how much you can look around when you're hunched over the clipons like you are. And when moving, it felt intuitive and fitting with the windshield but my back isn't meant to bend like that for more than 15 minutes at a time.
-Once I was moving, I got a feel for the engine. We were in a big parking lot, so I had plenty of room to open it up and I did. What I noticed first about the engine was how gutless it was compared to the ZRX motor. On paper, the CBR has more horsepower but a bit less torque (about 25 ft-lbs, I think) and you can really feel that difference. The ZRX pulls consistently from 2k RPMs but the CBR is really high strung. I had it up above 8k for a chunk and it felt like it was pulling harder, but still not that much. I imagine the power really plays a part once you're hitting triple digits, where the ZRX starts to mellow out.
Overall, I enjoyed the opportunity to ride a supersport, but it also convinced me I don't want one for anything other than a weekend ride. It just didn't seem comfortable (in posture and in engine temperament) for street riding.
On the other hand, I rode my other friend's dualsport, although I forget what it was, and that pretty much drove home that I want something for offroad riding. I took that thing around the fields and hills next to the parking lot and it was so much fun.
ZRX as in ZRX1200? I don't think you can really find a fair way to compare two engines, one with twice the displacement of the other
ZRX as in ZRX1200? I don't think you can really find a fair way to compare two engines, one with twice the displacement of the other
I have an 1100, and actually, it's easier to compare the two than you think. The ZRX engine is based on an old 90s design and according to my research produces around 95hp and 65lb-ft of torque, weighing in at 540lbs wet. The CBR600 uses a much newer engine design, producing about 95hp at the crank with 45lb-ft of torque, on a bike weighing 415lbs wet. Doing some math on those figures, you can get some pretty comparable numbers:
ZRX:
HP/weight: 0.176 hp/lb
Torque/weight: 0.12 lb-ft/lb
CBR:
HP/weight: 0.229 hp/lb
Torque/weight: 0.108 lb-ft/lb
But yeah, as I said, the ZRX's torque just feels better.
Fallout-NL
Member
No replacement for displacement.
thesoapster
Member
They're well thought of. That said the Bell Star had a really weird fit on me - I couldn't wear it. I'm a measured large size, but even the medium size Star failed the roll test...too loose. I'd try one and see, though...again...well thought of.
maxheadwound
Member
How easily you can compare them does not make the comparison fair. That's the point
OK, but peak power figures tells very little. The two torque curves don't even cross once and the ZXR has basically twice the torque of the CBR across most of the rev range. And this is mostly due to the sheer difference of displacement
OK, Triumph is gone, money is in my account. Time to start looking at what's next.
Spring is truly here in the UK and it's warm out (for this country). Been out and about on the BMW and it's great being able to just throw on the kevlar jeans and leather jacket again instead of gearing up in the thermals.
Yep, it's that easy, at least over here. Just show your license, sign the insurance excess agreement in case you drop it (usually something ridiculous like £700) and off you go.
Spring is truly here in the UK and it's warm out (for this country). Been out and about on the BMW and it's great being able to just throw on the kevlar jeans and leather jacket again instead of gearing up in the thermals.
Yep, it's that easy, at least over here. Just show your license, sign the insurance excess agreement in case you drop it (usually something ridiculous like £700) and off you go.
Fallout-NL
Member
Man, end of an era.
I'm really eager to see what's next for you, Doug.
I'm really eager to see what's next for you, Doug.
How easily you can compare them does not make the comparison fair. That's the point
OK, but peak power figures tells very little. The two torque curves don't even cross once and the ZXR has basically twice the torque of the CBR across most of the rev range. And this is mostly due to the sheer difference of displacement
I was just comparing the two for shits and gigs. I know they're two separate classes and two different engines. I was just noting what I felt hopping from my ZRX to the CBR.
It's going to either be a Monster, or something completely different. I'm leaning towards "completely different" at the moment
Triumph had just taken delivery of all their new Thruxtons when I went in, they had about 10 in the shop waiting for their new owners. That bike is bloody beautiful
Fallout-NL
Member
Definitely, so maybe Triumph isn't out after all?
Poindexter
Member
The dealer's here have never made me sign anything nor show my license endorsement. I'm always a bit surprised
DrGonzo615
Banned
That is some total bullshit.
Holy shit, I tought they were going to just retouch the bodyworks a bit. Instead, they put it under Yamaha MT treatment. Now we got an half dozen of variants, one uglier than the other :/
The scramblerified concepts are still the best
QualityPixel
Banned
This is both hilarious and awesome. Do this to a 650cc and you've got a bike.
The above is 50cc, not even a 125cc like the Grom. Honda did make a 650cc Scrambler (cafè racer actually) concept based on the recent CB650 platform, the CB4
Not in the same league as the scramblerified Grom.
maxheadwound
Member
I dont understand what there story is with this... needing to put money down to test ride a bike. Its like they think they are the muts nuts.
Glad the T is gone... now you can have a nice look around. What about a visit to the KTM dealer, or the yamaha mt10 dealer. They say the MT-09 is a really nice bike
YAMAHA XSR900
KTM 690 DUKE
APRILIA TUONO V4 1100
DUCATI MONSTER 1200
DUCATI MONSTER 821
YAMAHA MT-09
KAWASAKI Z1000
BMW K1200R