Help Choosing a New Bike

[jwal90]

Hey everyone, new to the forums and this seems to be the most active one for UK riders so thought I'd give it a go and ask for a bit of advice.

 

I'm currently riding an 02' FJR1300 which is a superb bike and recently got me and the girlfriend round Scotland for a 2 week trip without any issues. I love the bike, it's powerful, it's comfortable and with panniers and a top box there's loads of space for all our gear.

 

The one problem I have with it is that, at 300kg loaded with a pannier, it is an absolute tank. Perfect for long trips but for B-Road blasts, which is what I spend most of my time doing, there are much better bikes out there.

 

That's got me thinking I might either trade it in for something I'm going to find far more usable. Or keep the FJR for the odd long road trip and get something smaller for the type of riding I do 90% of the time. 

 

I went to my local Yamaha dealership today and took out the MT-09 and what a machine that is. Compared to the FJR it's a feather, the power is far more usable and taking on the local twisties had me feeling like I was flying. I very nearly signed up for a new one at £9,100 but I thought I'd take some time to have a think as this is far more than I wanted to spend. 

 

My question for you guys is this:

 

Do you thinking that the ride of the MT-09 (or any more modern naked sports) is that much better than older, similar, models or did I just fall in love because the bike is so much more different to what I'm used to riding? To put it another way, would I get the same thrills from riding an older Street Triple or CB1000R as I would from the MT? The problem I have is that you can test ride all the brand new bikes but not older ones so I don't have any frame of reference.

[Stu]

Hi @jwal90 and welcome to the forum 

 

I had an FJR for 8 years until June last year and while you are right its a bit of a barge I got used to it and could make it moved rather swiftly through the twisties 

 

Funny enough my mate had an MT09 and no matter what he did he couldn't shake me off and vice versa when I was leading 

 

I think the different bike has got the heart racing and made it more fun 

 

One thing I will say that made a huge difference to my FJR was raising the front tyre pressure up from 36 to 40 psi it made it less of a pig to ride especially at lower speeds 

 

As for getting the same thrill its really hard to say as I sold the FJR when I bought my R1200RT with the intention of buying another smaller lighter bike for having fun on to run along side the RT for the longer trips with the missus. I have had more fun on the RT than I should be having! so much so I haven't bought a second bike. The RT is just so well balanced and rides so well I don't feel I want a second bike at the moment. The RT is no where near as quick as the FJR but I also wanted to slow down a bit too which the RT hasn't helped with as I still get to those silly speeds just not as quick  

 

What I am trying to say is that you just don't know how you are going to feel on a bike until you start to put some miles on them and the only real way is to try and find test rides of all bikes 

[jwal90]

Hey @Stu thanks for the response, much appreciated. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I love the FJR1300 but it's just a whole process to get it out on the road. I have it stored in my garage and I find myself choosing not to go for a ride because it's such a hassle getting it out 

 

I will certainly try upping the tyre pressure though, thanks for the tip.

 

Yeah a few people have suggested similar bikes like the Tracer 900 etc as a sort of compromise but I don't really want a bike that does everything average and don't have a BMW budget! I think I'm going to take out a CB1000R and street/speed triple to see how they compare.

[Stu]

@jwal90 you have the BMW budget just not a brand spanker! and neither do I  

 

Mine is a 2016 model and was just a tad under 5 years old when I picked it up I went to a BM dealer and got an approved used one and the price difference between that and private was well there was no price difference but the 2 year warranty made it a no brainer 

 

It sound's to me as if you're not really enjoying the FJR as if you was you would be getting it out no matter what! I must say while the FJR was a good bike and I could ride it well I never really got on with the bike 

[Steve_M]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

Hi @jwal90 and welcome to the forum 

 

I had an FJR for 8 years until June last year and while you are right its a bit of a barge I got used to it and could make it moved rather swiftly through the twisties 

 

Funny enough my mate had an MT09 and no matter what he did he couldn't shake me off and vice versa when I was leading 

 

I think the different bike has got the heart racing and made it more fun 

 

One thing I will say that made a huge difference to my FJR was raising the front tyre pressure up from 36 to 40 psi it made it less of a pig to ride especially at lower speeds 

 

As for getting the same thrill its really hard to say as I sold the FJR when I bought my R1200RT with the intention of buying another smaller lighter bike for having fun on to run along side the RT for the longer trips with the missus. I have had more fun on the RT than I should be having! so much so I haven't bought a second bike. The RT is just so well balanced and rides so well I don't feel I want a second bike at the moment. The RT is no where near as quick as the FJR but I also wanted to slow down a bit too which the RT hasn't helped with as I still get to those silly speeds just not as quick  

 

What I am trying to say is that you just don't know how you are going to feel on a bike until you start to put some miles on them and the only real way is to try and find test rides of all bikes 

I’ve ridden dozens of different bikes (I used to help out a local bike dealer by leading test ride days). I would suggest you try a few others. 

 

I had an FJR for three years and it really was superb for long tours and could be hustled along - i even did a day at Cadwell Park on it. However, it never inspired me nor really gave me much confidence  ‘cos it was so slow to turn into bends. It also scraped pegs too readily when two up. I tried a BMW R1200RS as a replacement option (among others). A superb bike and may well have been the choice but then tried the BMW R1200GS which I bought because I preferred the riding position. As Stu said about his Beemer, I’m having more fun that you would expect on such a big bike. I’ve done Motogymkhana on it and will be doing a day at Cadwell Park later this year. It’s a world removed from the FJR. In a good way.

 

[jwal90]

I do like the idea of BMW bike to match the car but with a budget of £6k max I don't think I'm going to find much. 

 

I think I've narrowed it down to a few models - the Yam MT-09, Triumph Street/Speed Triple and Honda CB1000R. Luckily I've got dealerships all within a 30m radius. 

 

The Yam seems to be the best bang for buck and the only one I have ridden. Power is aggressive and seems pretty comfortable for the 2 hours I was riding. 

From what I can find online, Triumph seems better built and power is more linear and not as aggressive as the MT. Suspension and brakes are better. Higher cost, I would have to get an older model to fit my budget. I did take a Street Triple out in 2016 and really enjoyed it. 

 

No experience of the CB1000R. I like the looks good and reliable Honda build. From what I've heard, it's nothing special and doesn't really excite those who review it. 

 

Anyone here got any experience of any these?

[Stu]

Thats typical of Honda! they just seem to do everything and do it right people don't say they are bland for nothing  

 

For me I think it would be the trumpet 

[MikeHorton]

I loved my tracer 900gt great engine and super comfy on  long rides. I only chopped it in cos of a lot of summer 2 up touring its weight capacity  wasn't great and the rear suspension was so so, I rode it all weather's and it was brilliant. I've ow got the Africa twin adventure sports as I wanted one bike to do the lot commute, and 1 up and 2 up touring. It is different but does the lot with no short comings and makes me smile. 

Based on that I'd keep the old steed for 2 up touring and buy an mt09 for fun. I don't think it will fulfill your 2 up needs the mt09/tracer is good value for money for what you get 

[Grumpy Old Git]

Get yourself a Rocket III - Definitively a 'tank'

[Steve_M]

34 minutes ago, jwal90 said:

I do like the idea of BMW bike to match the car but with a budget of £6k max I don't think I'm going to find much. 

 

I think I've narrowed it down to a few models - the Yam MT-09, Triumph Street/Speed Triple and Honda CB1000R. Luckily I've got dealerships all within a 30m radius. 

 

The Yam seems to be the best bang for buck and the only one I have ridden. Power is aggressive and seems pretty comfortable for the 2 hours I was riding. 

From what I can find online, Triumph seems better built and power is more linear and not as aggressive as the MT. Suspension and brakes are better. Higher cost, I would have to get an older model to fit my budget. I did take a Street Triple out in 2016 and really enjoyed it. 

 

No experience of the CB1000R. I like the looks good and reliable Honda build. From what I've heard, it's nothing special and doesn't really excite those who review it. 

 

Anyone here got any experience of any these?

A good friend of mine has the Honda (but, then, he would as all his bikes have been Honda ). He rates it highly, has toured on it, used it for local riding, and has done track days on it.

 

I’ve ridden one for around 20 miles while leading a test group - it was a typical Honda. It does what it says on the tin, being quick, with a manageable throttle delivery, comfortable, and handled well as far as I could tell. 

[bonio]

I'd say take your time and go ride as many bikes as you can. It took me 2 years to find a bike to replace my GS, and when I started I'd never have imagined I'd have ended up with an MV.

[MikeHorton]

I must say I like the look of the suzuki gsxs1000gt suzuki seem to have upper their game with that one lovely looking sports tourer and goes like the clappers too if put that on your list for a test ride. 

On the test ride thing my local Honda dealer was quite good re test rides on used bikes they had a gs1250 which I was able to rest ride too. See lots of dealers and test as many as you can 

[stikflote]

Try the Street triple rs or the speed triple i own a street triple ,and have ridden

a MT09 a mates but the triumph edges it for me ,

buts it s down to you  take your time and look at all of them 

   

 

 

 

 

[geofferz]

An older bike will ride just fine, especially an older mt09 vs a new one as I don't believe much has been tweaked between releases chassis wise. Old vs new is up to you, pros and cons to both. Test the new one and see if you like it, and a Street triple too. 

[bil_trilton]

Not sure if this counts as digging up an old thread.. But my street triple was my favourite bike I've ever owned. Tempted to go for another one. You can't go wrong! 

[bazza950]

On 24/01/2022 at 20:19, MikeHorton said:

I loved my tracer 900gt great engine and super comfy on  long rides. I only chopped it in cos of a lot of summer 2 up touring its weight capacity  wasn't great and the rear suspension was so so, I rode it all weather's and it was brilliant. I've ow got the Africa twin adventure sports as I wanted one bike to do the lot commute, and 1 up and 2 up touring. It is different but does the lot with no short comings and makes me smile. 

Based on that I'd keep the old steed for 2 up touring and buy an mt09 for fun. I don't think it will fulfill your 2 up needs the mt09/tracer is good value for money for what you get 

Mike i would welome yor advice.I sold a VFR1200x crosstourer DCT after spending a grand on uprating the suspension - and found it too daunting on starting,rolling about and stopping as 290 kilos takes a bit of holding up - and  you aint got a solution if your foot slips! Looking at a medium tourer it seems the Tracer 900 GT has similar faults -suspension, seat and jerky power .Am I being a prat to even think about a repeat performance or not?

bazza

[S-Westerly]

What about the new Honda NT 1100 touring bike although I believe its a pretty hefty beast too? Visordown had an interesting  head to head with the Yamaha 900 GT and the Honda NT1100 which might be worth looking at.

[MikeHorton]

2 hours ago, bazza950 said:

Mike i would welome yor advice.I sold a VFR1200x crosstourer DCT after spending a grand on uprating the suspension - and found it too daunting on starting,rolling about and stopping as 290 kilos takes a bit of holding up - and  you aint got a solution if your foot slips! Looking at a medium tourer it seems the Tracer 900 GT has similar faults -suspension, seat and jerky power .Am I being a prat to even think about a repeat performance or not?

bazza

Bazza I understand where it coming from. I u derstand there are improvements on the tracer 9gt, better suspension and it can take more weight, better panniers size wise, that cp3 engine is amazing. The nt1100 doesn't seem to have the same adjustable suspension as on the africa twin. Although heavy I've had no issues with the AT it truly does it all. Best way is to get some test rides for sure

[bazza950]

2 hours ago, S-Westerly said:

What about the new Honda NT 1100 touring bike although I believe its a pretty hefty beast too? Visordown had an interesting  head to head with the Yamaha 900 GT and the Honda NT1100 which might be worth looking at.

Yes the long awaited Af twin engine in a touring chassis -but its so boring i cant even be bothered to go and view one.A Deauville with bigger motor?

[S-Westerly]

Don't know if it's boring as I've never ridden one and would never describe a bike as boring unless I had. If you want excitement get a Ducati.

[RAYK47]

How about the now Suzuki GT. Meant to very sporty but also comfortable. Not within your budget but a payment plan and the sale of your bike might work out OK. 

 

I have a street triple and it's great. Not suitable for 2 up though. 

[Steve_M]

4 hours ago, bazza950 said:

Mike i would welome yor advice.I sold a VFR1200x crosstourer DCT after spending a grand on uprating the suspension - and found it too daunting on starting,rolling about and stopping as 290 kilos takes a bit of holding up - and  you aint got a solution if your foot slips! Looking at a medium tourer it seems the Tracer 900 GT has similar faults -suspension, seat and jerky power .Am I being a prat to even think about a repeat performance or not?

bazza

I’ve ridden a few Crosstourers, both DCT and manual. I agree with all you said, and when I was looking to buy I dismissed them for much the same reasons you give for selling yours.
 

I bought an FJR… Poor decision.  Smoother power, lower seat, but still heavy riding at low speeds.

 

You’ll see I ride a BMW R1200GS. Still a heavy bike to push around, but all that weight disappears once on the move. A mate who’s 5’ 6” sat on it and said it was ok for him to ride (he subsequently bought a R1250RT). 

I would advise just getting out there and trying some. 
 

 

[MikeHorton]

2 hours ago, bazza950 said:

Yes the long awaited Af twin engine in a touring chassis -but its so boring i cant even be bothered to go and view one.A Deauville with bigger motor?

Horses for courses but coming from the triple to the AT its different, super flexible and quick enough. I'd say get as many test rides as you can. The ones you sometimes don't rate surprise you and vice versa. As said the new gsx1000gt seems a good bike. I looked at all the information on each bike some I discounted as the low payload once you put a pillion and panniers on it left minimal weight for luggage on some options. Everyone moans about the tech on the AT but I found it easy enough to get used to. Most stuff doesn't need adjusting on the move. I have the manual es version suspension amazing and I thought I'd miss a quick shifter but the gearbox and clutch is spot on.