other bikes in your stable?

[larstorders]

Eighteen months + after a return to motorcycling, I'm ready for a second machine to keep my R65 company.
Can't really make my mind up, though. Great machines like V stroms are very practical but pointless for me as I've found my R65 and late 70s/ 80s BMs in general are awesome for covering big distances. Cumfy to ride etc and fairly fixable if they break during the trip.
I'd like something with plenty of character that could cope with an occaisional long trip.
 Had passing thoughts of a Multistrada. Viewed a mint Norton Commando ! So far I'm most drawn to a KTM adventure. All very different, I know.
So, what other bikes do the rest of you like, and own.

[fastcataz]

For the sake of your sanity, I would avoid Nortons like the.... I am currently "between Nortons", and if I had any functional brain cells I would stay here. Perhaps the ( ahem ) best looking, best sounding bike ever. Shudder. If I had any spare coin I would be thinking Kawasaki Versys.

[msbuck]

We currently have six bikes in our stable... of course, with both of us riding, that doubles the number of bikes we 'need'.  We have our 2 beemers (R65 & R100) for our touring, 2 Laverdas for our sport bike riding in the mountain twisties and we recently picked up 2 Lifan dirt bikes.  Something for every occasion.   Just need to find the time to ride them all!

Graham had one of the first BMW F650s (1997) and it was a good all around bike.  Even took the traveling well, he took it from Key West to Maine.  Finally traded it for the Laverda because he felt so bad about neglecting his R100...

[larstorders]

fastcataz. thanks for that injection of sanity. I once owned a commando and the good memories had quite blotted out it's 'short comings'.

[MrRiden]

Geeze, My good bike is my LS. Have a couple of 70's vintage triumphs just to keep the tool inventory in use. Modern bikes are a bit beyond my reach.
rich

[nhmaf]

I still have the bike that I bought after I sold my 88 R100RT - it was a brand new 98 Kawasaki Concours (GTR1000 on your side of the pond, I believe).   It had a comfy, sizable fairing with good protection, alot of luggage capacity, is actually very reliable and simple compared to modern bikes which makes it relatively user-friendly to wrench on (I do my own valve adjustments for example - but there are 16 of them to do compared to the 4 on the R65/R100).  One could sort of compare it to a K1100RS or K100RS with bigger fairing and bags, but it is actually comfier and easier to  zing through the twisties with it.   The new 2007 and later Concours is a monster 1400cc , 150 HP beast and is very complex, in comparison.   They are nice, but all the new electronic gizmos have had their recalls and teething problems - I'm keeping my 10 year-old, "only" 110 HP Concours for quite some time yet - it is the closest bike to a "Japanse BMW" that I have ever found.   The Concours riders group even have "KMW" stickers made up (with a rondel that uses KAwasaki Team green instead of Bavarian Blue) to stick on their bikes as they are frequently mistaken for BMWs by cagers and other non-BMW riders.   It easily handles 600+ mile days, day after day, and since the basic design of the earlier Concours lasted from 1985 - 2006 there are many parts, aftermarket accessories, etc to be had for it.

But, it isn't a bike for shorter riders - seat height with the standard seat is over 31 inches anyhow, and it carries its weight higher up, being rather top heavy when its large (7.5 gallon) fuel tank is full.   Still, it can manage its weight pretty well when ridden briskly, and I generally haven't even switched to reserve yet when my cousin on his K100 is sucking fumes and desperately seeking a fuel station.   Since the new models have been out for going on 2 years now, and they have almost nothing in common part-wise with the earlier 20+ eyar run of bikes, you can often find these in good condition, used, for relatively low price, if you're looking for a sport tourer that can really do long touring spells.

I'm still looking for an R100 or R80 to add to my stable, as my R65 is alot of fun but I am too tall to enjoy long distance riding on it, but I want to have that big airhead feeling again.   I may even consider adding a sidecar to a bigger airhead, as they just seem too cool and I could even come up with some reasonable rationalizations for one - including taking my dog with me, local grocery trips, and traveling to work or band gigs with my instruments.

What sorts of riding/uses do you envision for this new bike - would help us make better suggestions.

+1 on the Kawasaki Versys - they seem like a decent "swiss army knife" of a bike.  The Multistrada has a certain flair, especially if you're an Italian marque afficionado, but I think it is a much more expensive, higher maintenance item than the Versys (though Multistrada comes with a more powerful engine).  The V-strom in 650 or 1000cc flavors are good bikes too - I believe that KAwasaki was specifically targeting direct competition with the 650 Vstrom when they released the Versys.

[Semper Gumby]

I love the BSA's.  Great sound and good handling.  I ride the Thunderbolt so much that I'm neglecting the BMW (excepting trips to work).

TTFN,

[larstorders]

Its interesting to hear about your other bikes and reasons for choosing them. My habits mean I need to carry enough luggage for a couple of days as my rides are often to see family or friends hundreds of miles away. Being middle aged, I'm not into race replicas or top speed any more, but good handling and acceleration on steep hilly routes would be nice. The recent BMs are not for me though.

[aussie]

Don't really know why... but I wouldn't mind a Laverda Jota, or SFC but for luggage needs - maybe a Laverda RGS / Exec?

[steve hawkins]

I quite often stop at local bike dealers to have a look at what is being offered.  But to be honest, the vast majority just do nothing for me - even BMW.  Recently I have looked at Motoguzzi as they have produce 1 or 2 models of note in the passed 10 years after the styling disasters of the 80's and early 90's - but I have never come across one at the right time and price.

Now and again, I see a retro bike that sort of hits the mark, but then I factor in the purchase price and the following the usual freefall depreciation and it all goes a bit sour.

I like a certain involvement with my bikes that is more than just riding it.  I like to tinker.  Not being able to tinker because of a warrantee would annoy me.  Having a new bike without a warrantee will just accelerate the depreciation.  

I like bikes where I can see the engine.  I like my engines to look like an engines.  I am a fan of aircooled engines with fins, not rubber pipes and radiators.  I like bikes from the 70's and early 80's.  The British bike industry was all over by the time I grew up, so I feel little affinity to them.  Although I like their general style on the whole.  I am attracted to some Italian makes, like Laverda and Motoguzzi, but strangely not Ducati - except for the style of their singles.

I like an underlying reputation for reliability and longevity.  I like to be able to source spares at reasonable cost (usually second hand).  I like the notion of covering long distances at a deceptive speed without drama.  My dream garage would include have the following:

Laverda SFC
Moto Guzzi Le Mans Mk1
Moto Guzzi 1100 sport/Daytona
Motoguzzi V11 (early version)

Along with my BMW R65 Cafe Racer and R100.

I prefer my BMW's from the early 80's with Brembo's etc.  But I do like spoked wheels.  Although I am rather partial to R75/5 as well with drum brakes.  /6's and /7's are not my favourites - compromised by ATE swinging calipers - which I hate the look of irrespective on whether you can get them to work or not.

The Italian bikes would mostly be to look at and the German ones to ride in the real world.

R100 - Orange with Black wheels
R65 - Cafe Racer.

The R65 is still my favourite as every time I ride it reminds me of its better chassis than that of the R100.  It puts a smile on my face.

Steve H

[drewboid]

OK - so how did I end up with 4 Beemers?
Had the R60/2 with sidecar since 1969 - about 4 years ago I decided I wanted electric start and a disk brake on a solo machine. Thus the R75/6. My fiance told me "you yave two bikes when do I learn to ride". That brought the R65 into the stable (She did try a Honda 750 Shadow because it was available - too topheavy!) While looking for a R100GS I found a great buy on the R1100R - ABS brakes, heated grips, so that joined the fleet.
My fiance saw the MotoGuzzi Nevada and fell in love with it - until we parked her R65 next to it and saw how small it was!
I test rode a Guzzi Jackel thinking that it would be a good match with the 1100 for touring - but she found the clutch was too hard to pull.  
We still have space in the garage for one more bike - Guzzi would be nice but we may check out the smaller Triumphs come spring.
In the meantime she LOVES the R65 - fit and power are great and lightening the clutch pull and adding the second front disk has made it her special bike.

[Ed Miller]

I rode a KTM Adventer once.  Nice bike.  I only got up to 4th gear, and don't know why it has two more.  That was about 80 or so, and the owner who was following me on my R65 was rapidly getting smaller in the mirrors.  It's bigger than I like, but I do wish I had something that would be better for the gravel logging roads up where I live.  I really liked the F650GS I rode a while back but I stayed on pavement.

I want a modern sport bike, too, a Daytona 675.  But the dang things get worse gas mileage than my car!  About 35 is what I read when I looked it up.  I've never ridden one.

[larstorders]

Looked over some Multistradas today. Hmmm, those seats are so wide Two of me could sit side by side on there :-? The panniers, as on most recent bikes, stick out way too far for worry free traffic jam filtering.
I didn't get aroung to test riding. But felt a Ducati Monster may be more my thing. With a few mods.
A couple of dozen frozen motorcyclists had been gathered at the dealers, taking hot drinks and trying to warm themselves up. One guy had actually bought a new Ducati. I, despite having travelled 120 miles to get there, doubtless twice the distance any of those guys had done, was perfectly warm and comfortable having cruised down at a very respectable speed behind an RS fairing. So I came home thinking the BM is still fantastic  8-)

[aussie]

And there larst, is the moral of the story - why tamper with perfection?  

[DeeG]

I'm kind of embarrassed to admit how many bikes we have.  Started out on a pair of Honda Rebels, then Pete got a Triumph Bonne America and I got a Honda Shadow Aero.  
Next came the Guzzi's.  Cali EV, 750 Breva, Nevada.
Then the R45 and the C.  Then Pete decided a baby Ninja would be a cheap, fun bike to have. Nevada got damaged when Pete hit a coyote one dark, overcast night.  Guzzi dealer in Seattle made him an offer he couldn't refuse on a new Nevada, so now there's two.  Harley mechanic had to trim the herd and so the R80 joined the group.  Really like the 650GS's and heard that the last shipment was on its way here, so we picked up a pair. Last Valentines Day, he surprised me with a little Honda CRF230L, (and a new CZ 550 varmit gun).   And most recently, a friend of ours decided he is no longer able to ride on two wheels, and he's had his R100 since it was new. And he needed the $$, so we bought it and his other bike, a 1998 Guzzi V11 EV.  Didn't really need the EV, but now I have one of my own, to go with the Cali EV that Pete rides.

I know that if one of us wasn't interested in riding, there would only be one bike in the garage.

For some reason, we just can't seem to part with any of them.  The Aero hardly ever gets ridden, even though it is the most comfy long distance bike we own.  But its worth more to me sitting in the garage than what I might get for it, if I decide to sell it.

I like all the bikes, each of them has a purpose (well, MOST of them have a purpose, a couple were just...because....)
If it came down to being able to own only ONE bike each, it'll be a choice between the pair of GS's or the pair of Rebels.  GS's can do more and have more power, but the Rebels get 85+ mpg when commuting and they are almost maintenance free.  And I took my Rebel from WA to MN and back this summer.  5,000 miles and she rode like a dream.  

I'm really looking forward to getting my 3 wheel endorsement, and I'd like to remove the useless(to me) fiberglass sidecar and replace it with a custom built 'crate'.  So I can haul stuff.  I'm already thinking about a refurbishment of the bike, it was an almost daily commute rig for its previous owner and is looking tired.  

If I have the weekend off, the R45 will be heading to the Vintage Motorcycle Assoc yearly gathering at Vashon Island.  Its going to get ridden a lot more, instead of being the garage queen she is now.  


So many bikes out there, I'd REALLY like to have one of the new Guzzi V7 classics.  purdy.......