Next bike....

[Phil1]

The time for me has come to start thinking about a new bike before long. I've had an SV650 for about 10 years now nearly since passing my test and probably done about 8000 miles on it in that time.

 

I know...it's not a huge mileage but I've probably done more this year so far than I've done in the last 5 years so I'm certainly getting much more into it than I was when I first passed. 

 

It's a superb bike and I still love it to bits, but it's just far too damned uncomfortable. I want something I can ride for 200 miles in a day and not feel like I've been steamrollered.

 

I'm 37, reasonably fit and active and about 6'2" with 34" inseam. This I believe is essentially why it's so uncomfortable for me, I'm just too tall for it. My legs are bent at a ridiculous angle, I'm probably fairly high up/tall so I'm having to reach further down to tha bars which puts a lot of pressure on my back and wrists. I get home and my knees hurt, my back hurts and it can take 10-15 mins for my right wrist to stop tingling, left isn't too bad as I can give it a rest every now and again. My backside hurts enormously even though I'm fairly slim, again probably because of the wierd angle I'm having to sit at, plus not having much "natural" cushioning. 

 

So.... I'm looking for something bigger, and much more comfortable. Half the reason I don't use the bike is because I know I'm going to be uncomfortable before I even set off. 

 

Each and every time I look at bikes, I'm stuck between a couple of options but I kind of know already what I would like.

 

The primary choice being either a slightly older air cooled R1200 GS, or a newer water cooled R1250 GS.

 

The secondary choice is a Street triple. 

 

My main concern with a GS is the size and weight of it. It'll be a big learning curve over an SV650. 

 

What I want to know is what experiences people have of living with a larger bike like a GS and what can I expect going up a large jump like that? 

 

The secondary choice of a street triple is almost down to me being apprehensive about a bigger bike such as a GS.

 

Engine wise, I probably don't need such a big engine and a smaller GS would suit in some ways, but I do like the idea of having a bigger, lazier engine for cruising and you seem to get much more options on the bigger bikes such as riding modes, cruise control etc. 

 

Anyone else ever moved from a relatively small bike, up to a larger one?

Edited May 24 by Phil1

[S-Westerly]

You'll be fine. I went from not riding anything for over 20 years to a Ducati Multistrada 950. In just over 5 years I did close to 25000 miles including Europe trips. GS for you won't be a problem. 

[Fiddlesticks]

I think you're going for the right sort of thing. By all accounts, the GS is a good option because it carries its weight low, but anything in that style would be a more comfortable fit. My Tiger Explorer 1200 is a big old lump, but once you get it going it's fine. Wide bars make it easy to hustle around.

Even if you don't want to test ride, most showrooms will be happy to let you take the weight of the bike and have a sit on for size.

Have fun shopping

[Nick the wanderer]

The only thing I know after watching some reviews of those GS's is the later models are much more refined and a better bike than the earlier one's. 

So the 1250 is much better than the 1200. And the latest 1300 even better than that.(If you can afford it)

You'll soon get used to it and wonder why you didn't change earlier.

[Fish]

I wouldn't recommend the 765 for no other reason than you'll feel cramped on that too , coming from an SV. 

 

GS/Multistrada would be my guess. The Tigers are all top heavy, which might not be an issue as you say your fit.

 

Just my 2p worth

[Phil1]

Looking on Cycleergo, this would be the difference.... it's quite markedly different 

 

[daveinlim]

Suzuki gsxs1000f or the newer gsxs1000gt 

[bonio]

Here's my experience of riding the R1200GS (the later, water-cooled version).

I'd been riding for just 3 years, on a CB500 with forty something bhp. I'm 5' 7" and can bench press 30kg on a good day. If it wasn't too big for me, it isn't for you.

The bike is a complete blast; it's a great bike, super-comfortable for all-day riding, it eats motorways effortlessly, loves twisty roads, and will even off road when your sat nav tells you the quickest way to the YHA is over a mile of muddy track. It's once of the best all-round bikes out there. 

A couple of small negatives:

• wide bars mean it's harder to filter: fine on a motorway, but I used to get stuck in London traffic, while the scooter boys were whisking around me
• lots of torque (which is nice) mean it revs low, and you don't get the wild hooligan feel of a inline four nearing the red line.

... but nothing there to put someone off.

[RideWithStyles]

well at least you didn't

Edited May 26 by RideWithStyles

[S-Westerly]

Test ride a variety of bikes, then buy the one YOU like the best. Other folks opinion really doesn't mean a thing as it reflects their personal choice which will be different to yours. For instance I won't buy a Beemer for a number of reasons all personal and probably illogical, I find Africa Twins and most other ADV bikes too tall, I do like V twins but my local Ducati dealer pissed me off and do you see where I'm going here?

[Gerontious]

The main thing to bear in mind with a BMW is that they can be excruciatingly expensive if they go wrong. normal servicing is relatively cheap. but a fault can cost. a lot.

If you were to go nearly new then if it has.. or you can add the extended warranty then its well worth it for peace of mind. Ideal would be an approved used from a BMW dealership. though this is always going to be an expensive purchase. When they made the change from dry to wet clutch - that was by far the best thing they ever did. ask anyone who needed a clutch replacing on the earlier bikes and they will give you chapter and verse on how painful it was to the wallet.

In my early days I was a firm fan of Triumphs, but as has been noted they are.. and always have been top heavy. so they take some adjusting to. more care needed especially at a standstill as the 'point of no return' of a bike going over is not much. compared to a Boxer twin. This was one of the main reasons I switched from Triumph to BMW back in the 90s. as well as it being such a great fit. Im 6'7 in my boots. I dd make some changes to improve the fit. higher seat. handlebar risers. lower footpegs. not much.

In 2018 I made the switch again to Honda as they had a bike that seemed on paper to be a great fit for my height. and its turned out to be. It was also quite strange, very different, weird. - and that suits me too.

Buying a bike thats a good fit is paramount to me. other things come very much secondary to that. And there are quite a few that would fit the bill now that this style of bike is so common. What they now call adventure bikes, but to me are and always will be 'monster trailies'.

 

I would start by working out a budget. and then narrow down the field by looking at the various models across the various makes. which bikes appeal based purely on looks and paper specs. Then start visiting dealerships etc - maybe try for test rides. even if you are going for a bike thats 5 years old. the latest model will at least give you an idea of what to expect. if you nail down a bike thats at the top of your short list. then do some research on the ups and downs of ownership before you commit.

[Joe85]

S1000XR.

[Phil1]

1 hour ago, Joe85 said:

S1000XR.

I've looked at them too, and while it's supposed to be an absolute peach of an engine, the bike itself just doesn't seem to have the presence of the GS looks wise. I'm not saying BMW have ever been at the forefront of design, but they certainly stand out from the crowd. 

 

Another problem is that there are far fewer of them about. 

Edited May 25 by Phil1

[bonio]

The XR is amazing bike, too. The engine is more punchy than the GS, a bit more exciting to ride. But the bike has legendary problems with bar vibes. Some are fine, some are so bad, the riders give up on them and buy something smoother like a Harley. 

[Yorky]

52 minutes ago, bonio said:

. Some are fine, some are so bad, the riders give up on them and buy something smoother like a Harley. 

[Steve_M]

On 25/05/2024 at 07:02, Gerontious said:

The main thing to bear in mind with a BMW is that they can be excruciatingly expensive if they go wrong. normal servicing is relatively cheap. but a fault can cost. a lot.

Not half.

 

i’ve just coughed up £1700 to have the front suspension replaced and the left side switch gear replaced (to fix the cruise control after two years of living without it). 
 

However. It’s still probably the best bike I’ve owned for the type of riding I do. 

[bonio]

5 hours ago, Steve_M said:

However. It’s still probably the best bike I’ve owned for the type of riding I do. 

That's the rub. It's hard to find anything to replace it. This is how I ended up with an MV - not really a cost-saving move. 

[Phil1]

The expense part I can kind of deal with in some ways. 

 

It's a toy at the end of the day and I don't require it day to day for transport. The servicing and repairs I'll do myself, I appreciate this will not keep any service history going, but I do keep all the receipts for all the work I carry out so it generally doesn't make much difference when it comes to selling on/part ex etc. 

[Capt Sisko]

I had a similar experience with a F800GT I once had. Put on a raised bars & seat, lowered footpegs and several other small changes. In the end I decided that good as it was, it was also fundamentally just physically too small for me. I went down the big tourer route with an R1250RT. That whilst being a lot bigger & heavier also had half as much power again, but it suited my riding style and putting lowered footpegs on asides, ergonomically speaking everything else is standard and very comfortable.

Edited May 31 by Capt Sisko

[Phil1]

1 hour ago, Capt Sisko said:

I had a similar experience with a F800GT I once had. Put on a raised bars & seat, lowered footpegs and several other small changes. In the end I decided that good as it was, it was also fundamentally just physically too small for me. I went down the big tourer route with an R1250RT. That whilst being a lot bigger & heavier also had half as much power again, but it suited my riding style and putting lowered footpegs on, ergonomically speaking everything else is standard and very comfortable.

The power side of it is fairly irrelevant in some ways, in my opinion you can either go as slow or as fast as you want or need to. I don't believe in something having too much power unless the handling isn't set up properly for it (TL1000s for instance). 

 

The weight I guess is probably only an issue when having to shove it round or slow manoeuvring. 

[Stu]

6 hours ago, Phil1 said:

I don't believe in something having too much power unless the handling isn't set up properly for it (TL1000s for instance). 

 I can relate to this

 

Had the TL1000s for 8 years! they can be made to handle OK but they are hard work! 

 

Anyway back to your original question 

 

10 years and 8000 miles in that 10 years? and you're thinking of a GS? The GS isn't a cheap bike and at that sort of mileage would be an expensive ornament I hope you're planning on riding more  

 

Saying that since I have had the R1200RT I can't keep off it! I picked it up less than 3 years ago with 14k on the clock its not got 31k

 

The GS is a fantastic bike and yes they can be expensive to repair but like anything you just hope and pray it behaves  

[Capt Sisko]

18 hours ago, Phil1 said:

The power side of it is fairly irrelevant in some ways, in my opinion you can either go as slow or as fast as you want or need to. I don't believe in something having too much power unless the handling isn't set up properly for it (TL1000s for instance). 

 

The weight I guess is probably only an issue when having to shove it round or slow manoeuvring. 

For me it's also not the outright power, but what I particularly like is the torque. The thing produces more torque at 2000rpm than most sports bikes do at 8000rpm. That low & mid range punch does it for me more than outright power.

Edited May 31 by Capt Sisko
typo

[Phil1]

9 hours ago, Stu said:

 I can relate to this

 

Had the TL1000s for 8 years! they can be made to handle OK but they are hard work! 

 

Anyway back to your original question 

 

10 years and 8000 miles in that 10 years? and you're thinking of a GS? The GS isn't a cheap bike and at that sort of mileage would be an expensive ornament I hope you're planning on riding more  

 

Saying that since I have had the R1200RT I can't keep off it! I picked it up less than 3 years ago with 14k on the clock its not got 31k

 

The GS is a fantastic bike and yes they can be expensive to repair but like anything you just hope and pray it behaves  

I thought they'd dubbed them the widowmaker 

 

It's a bit chicken and egg.

 

I'm so bloody uncomfortable on the SV that I can't really ride any longer than about 200 miles in a day (with a maximum of about 80 miles at a time) and it's starting to put me off getting it out to go anywhere.

 

I'll be honest I see/speak to a lot of people who have this theory of "got to get the miles in" all the time. They're that preoccupied with doing huge mileages that they're actually forgetting about just enjoying going out. I'm not interested in doing huge/mega mileage as I've got a full time (50+ hours a week) job, two young kids etc, but when I do go about I want to come home not feeling like I've regretted going out as I'm in pain for an hour afterwards. 

 

Yes they're an expensive ish bike, but a decent second GS is a similar price to a brand new street triple. Have you never heard of man maths before? 

 

Quote

The act of justifying an otherwise irrational purchase, through application of flawed logic, logical fallacies, and liberal use of arithmetical gymnastics; often with little to no true bearing on the actual costs of the purchase, or value at play.

 

Edited May 31 by Phil1

[Stu]

2 hours ago, Phil1 said:

I thought they'd dubbed them the widowmaker 

 

It's a bit chicken and egg.

 

I'm so bloody uncomfortable on the SV that I can't really ride any longer than about 200 miles in a day (with a maximum of about 80 miles at a time) and it's starting to put me off getting it out to go anywhere.

 

I'll be honest I see/speak to a lot of people who have this theory of "got to get the miles in" all the time. They're that preoccupied with doing huge mileages that they're actually forgetting about just enjoying going out. I'm not interested in doing huge/mega mileage as I've got a full time (50+ hours a week) job, two young kids etc, but when I do go about I want to come home not feeling like I've regretted going out as I'm in pain for an hour afterwards. 

 

Yes they're an expensive ish bike, but a decent second GS is a similar price to a brand new street triple. Have you never heard of man maths before? 

 

 

 Yes the TL was named the widowmaker and for good reason! 

 

Before the R1200 I had an fjr1300 and didn't really got on with it! I could do long rides but I just didn't like the bike! When I got the R1200 I sold the fjr with the intention of buying a toy for myself! 

 

I can't keep off this bike and the second bike never happened! 3 years later the money is still sat in the bank from the sale of the fjr

 

350 miles days no issues at all. It makes a difference when you get a bike that you get on with and can ride all day. 

 

The bonus with that for you would be when you can get out you can at least have a really good long day and not have any aches and pains after 

[bonio]

Never ridden an RT but I'd like to give one a go sometime, just to get a feel of what they're like.