[Rick Sperko]

I want to buy a second bike. Bullet stays where it is, and I don't want to convert it into anything else. I love it as it is, 50s looking country road thumper. A second Bullet may be my third bike some day... mmmm military C5... I digress.

I am currently looking at the "sport-touring" segment. I would love to go across country fairly comfortably, and I really, really want it to handle twisties. Plus I have to be able to carry stuff (carry-out Thai food, hardware store visit...). I prefer the Bullet's standard sitting position. I will probably never go off road.

Do you guys have any suggestions for a good value used bike? I have been primarily looking at the 2007+ tiger and the ulysses xb12xt. Both are at the top of the price I am willing to pay (7.5k). A bike with a great online community is important too. Until I joined here I did not appreciate how valuable that is. I have joined tiger1050.com and badweatherbiker.com, both seem good.

Thanks for any thoughts,
-Rick

[1Blackwolf1]

Beemer would be my choice, or a dual sport Kawasaki.  Probably more toward the Kawasaki end.

[UncleErnie]

You can't go wrong with an 80's era BMW- any size, really.  They are porobably the most ergonomically perfect bikes I've ever ridden.  Loads of support everywhere. 

Love the W650 with lower bars, but that seat...! (seat needs some work)
Bonneville is down there somewhere...

I really like the Kawasaki Versys- it looks much better in person, too.

[motomataya]

The Tiger is a good bike. they are huge compared to your Enfield, but very comfy. Personally I would have to really like the Buell to buy one considering they are out of business.

[PaulF]

You can't go wrong with an 80's era BMW- any size, really.  They are porobably the most ergonomically perfect bikes I've ever ridden.  Loads of support everywhere.  

Love the W650 with lower bars, but that seat...! (seat needs some work)
Bonneville is down there somewhere...

I really like the Kawasaki Versys- it looks much better in person, too.

The KLE 650 Versys is a beautiful machine. Light weight, fuel injected mono-shock - current technology in a thin 650 liquid-cooled twin. 2009's are still around around and seriously on sale.
I will be selling my Bullet next season. I had a taste of classic and ready to move on. As I don't have room for two bikes, the replacement will most likely be the Versys, (I'm a little prejudiced since I am an old Kawasaki guy).

[ScooterBob]

The early Kawa Concourse is a really well kept secret. Very ergo - tons of room and they'll show you 50+mpg's at speed ...... and you can usually find one CHEEEP.

[ace.cafe]

The Aprilia Futura 1000 is one of the best sport-touring bikes made.
It's been in the line-up for almost 10 years, and consistently is rated above the Ducati St4 and the Honda VFR800. Both of those bikes are very good too, and you might look at them also.

I'm sure you can find used ones in your price range.

[Slider]

Do you guys have any suggestions for a good value used bike?

UJM from the '80s. Lots of them around in great shape, very cheap, reliable, comfortable, easy to set up with saddlebags, fun in the twisties, dirt-cheap insurance, lots of online forums. They make for a great value. I love mine, and there's an active forum devoted to it.

[Blltrdr]

Scooter Bob is correct. The Concourse is a superbly built and a much overlooked motorcycle. In many tests it is rated highest in it's class for a fraction of what you would pay for a Beemer. The older inline four Kawasaki Voyager 1200 is also a very well built bike that is fully loaded and very dependable. I think 2003 was the last year they were built. You can pick one up with low miles for a very good price and expect to put 250k on it without any issues except for normal service repairs.

[single]

I want a Honda Pacific Coast.I know,me and 2 other guys.I just like the idea of everything being covered up making the thing easy to clean.2 cylinders.Honda reliability,low maintenance,etc.But,I've got this here XS Eleven.Gotta get to work on it.Used to keep 3-4 bikes ready to go all the time.Not a good idea for me as I had to remember which one I was riding at the time,all had idiosincracies of their own.I had a Trident,R75-5,Hondamatic 750,Kawasaki KZ 1000.I would try to shift the Honda,forget to shift the others.Mash the shifter going for the brake,try to tickle the carbs on the Kaw,drove me nuts.Sold everything but the Trident,the only one I always got right.

[PhilJ]

The Beemer Boxer for long distance. the vibration won't get to ya. Did a 5K mile trip in a week and half. Was ready to go again at the end.

[HRAB]

I have had four sport tour biikes over the years. Before the type was built by the factory, I dressed up a Suzuki GT750 "waterbuffalo" with faring, bags, trunk, etc.
I followed up with two BMW K100's. One was a "RT" the other a "LT". I now still have the "K100LT", and have added a Honda ST1100.

By far the best commuter, bad weather, long distance, dependable bike has been the K100's.

It offers the best riding position and weather protection of any bike I have ridden in rain (and on rare occaion...snow). Both gave better than 40 MPG. The engine is as bullet proof as any could be. I sold my first "K" with 94K miles on the clock (55K that I put there) and he rode it to the coast with me last year. We but on about 5K miles round trip.

Both of the bikes I have had, I was able to buy, fix and fit to my liking for less than $3K.
Like I said above, I have a ST1100 but I still can't bring myself to sell the K. It is too bloody much FUN!
jim

[jdrouin]

I agree with those above that the Versys looks much better in person than in photos. I was impressed with the red one that I saw in a showroom.

What about the Suzuki V-STROM? They're ugly as hell, but man, they seem like a lot of bike for the money. If I were to get a second bike, I would get a 650 V-Strom and install hard cases and fog lights. I sat on one at the international motorcycle show, and it felt really roomy and natural for me, just like the BMW GS bikes do. I considered this bike before buying the bullet and joined the Yahoo group, which is a really great online community, like this one. There's also the 1000 model if you want a bigger engine.

Jeff

[Rick Sperko]

Thank you for all the feedback. You have re-broadened my search. I had trouble with the idea of a BMW simply because well... its a Beemer, must be over priced. Since this thread, I have been looking at the R1150R. The only reason I like the Tiger over the Speed Triple is because of the bags, now the R1150R is Nekkid and has bags. That may not sound right.

I will keep mulling over the options you guys have presented.

Thanks again,
-Rick

[Cabo Cruz]

Br. Sparko, while not a sport-tourer, have you looked at the Moto Guzzi V7 Classic or V7 Cafe options?

[Rick Sperko]

Br. Sparko, while not a sport-tourer, have you looked at the Moto Guzzi V7 Classic or V7 Cafe options?

Thanks Cabo, I have looked at those. Very cool, but the Bullet scratches that itch for me. Boy that R1150R looks good. I am a little concerned about riding it with a 32" inseam. I am sure some other bright shiny object will cross my path soon and I will focus my OCD there.

-Rick

[jdrouin]

The BMW F800 ST seems like a real nice sport-tourer. Great on gas and low on maintenance with that belt drive, too.

Jeff

[PhilJ]

Thanks Cabo, I have looked at those. Very cool, but the Bullet scratches that itch for me. Boy that R1150R looks good. I am a little concerned about riding it with a 32" inseam. I am sure some other bright shiny object will cross my path soon and I will focus my OCD there.

-Rick

Rick, IIRC, the R1150R and the others in it's genre have/had an adjustable height seat. I had an R850 with 29" inseam and with the seat adjusted down could flat foot a stop. It was a '99 but the 1150 came just a year or so later and very will might have the same feature.

[ace.cafe]

Here's a short article with a test-comparison riding review of 5 Sport/Touring bikes in the top of the class. Written in 2005.

Aprilia Futura
Ducati ST4
BMW R1150RS
Triumph Sprint ST
Honda VFR800

As expected, the Aprilia Futura comes out the winner as best overall, against all the big-name competition. The Aprilia name might not be as famous as the others, but it beats them. I think it's the best looking of the bunch too.
The engine is a very powerful and reliable 1000cc Rotax V-Twin.

Here's the link
http://www.sportrider.com/sportbike_product_reviews/146_0502_sport_touring_motorcycles/handling.html

Here's some comments on Sport-Touring.net from Futura owners. They love it. Super comfortable and reliable.
http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php?topic=28504.0

I really think that this is a bike that's worthy of consideration, since it really is better than those other bikes, and the reliability is superb.
The main down-side is that the dealer network is small,  and you might have to wait to get certain unusual parts shipped from Italy.

[Rick Sperko]

Here's a short article with a test-comparison riding review of 5 Sport/Touring bikes in the top of the class. Written in 2005.

Aprilia Futura
Ducati ST4
BMW R1150RS
Triumph Sprint ST
Honda VFR800

As expected, the Aprilia Futura comes out the winner as best overall, against all the big-name competition. The Aprilia name might not be as famous as the others, but it beats them. I think it's the best looking of the bunch too.
The engine is a very powerful and reliable 1000cc Rotax V-Twin.

Here's the link
http://www.sportrider.com/sportbike_product_reviews/146_0502_sport_touring_motorcycles/handling.html

Here's some comments on Sport-Touring.net from Futura owners. They love it. Super comfortable and reliable.
http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php?topic=28504.0

I really think that this is a bike that's worthy of consideration, since it really is better than those other bikes, and the reliability is superb.
The main down-side is that the dealer network is small,  and you might have to wait to get certain unusual parts shipped from Italy.

I cannot find any Futura's available around here. I will keep my eyes open. It sounds interesting. I am actually in far less of a rush than my brain/wants tell me I am.

Thanks,
-Rick

[ace.cafe]

I cannot find any Futura's available around here. I will keep my eyes open. It sounds interesting. I am actually in far less of a rush than my brain/wants tell me I am.

Thanks,
-Rick

I've always liked them.
Aprilia is always going neck-in-neck with Ducati for the top of the V-Twin sportbike category, and that is a good sign that they have their act together for performance.
The Aprilia company is owned by the Piaggio Group, who also owns Moto Guzzi, Vespa, Gilera, Laverda, and Derbi.

I love the look, and the bags are integrated into the styling very well. A well-executed design overall. It's not easy to split the differences between sport and touring, and the Futura probably does it the best of any of them.

If I was going to get a Sport Touring bike, that would be very high on the list, probably my #1 choice.
It was discontinued, but there's talk about bringing it back next year.

[PhilJ]

For me, it's not about fast but comfort and not oiling chains on my touring bike. I just went too many years touring on Beemers to even consider anything else. But, alas, I don't tour any more and have finally slowed down ala Bullet style.

[Blue Ridge Wheeltor]

How about a modern airhead. Air cooled flat twin with electronic ignition, shaft drive, disc front and back, with a 2 yr unlimited mileage warranty for $6995?

[Blue Ridge Wheeltor]

Oh, and make it hand made, 5 gallon tank, dependable Keihin carbs for simplicity

[r80rt]

How about a modern airhead. Air cooled flat twin with electronic ignition, shaft drive, disc front and back, with a 2 yr unlimited mileage warranty for $6995?

I'll take one too please

[Blue Ridge Wheeltor]

I'll take one too please

Well, lets add
# A 745cc, horizontally-opposed, air-cooled carbureted engine
# Both electric and kickstart
# A four-speed transmission and shaft final drive
# A dry weight of 441 pounds
# 40mm Marzocchi forks, and twin Sachs rear coilovers
# 4-piston front and 2-piston rear Brembo brakes
# A two-year parts & labor warranty with unlimited mileage

[Rick Sperko]

Well, lets add
# A 745cc, horizontally-opposed, air-cooled carbureted engine
# Both electric and kickstart
# A four-speed transmission and shaft final drive
# A dry weight of 441 pounds
# 40mm Marzocchi forks, and twin Sachs rear coilovers
# 4-piston front and 2-piston rear Brembo brakes
# A two-year parts & labor warranty with unlimited mileage

I cannot find the solo on their site.

Given the choice of a 2004 R1150R with 6k miles or a new Ural for a little more, I really don't think I would choose the Ural. Perhaps out of my ignorance. What would make the Ural preferable?

Thanks,
-Rick

[Rick Sperko]

Let me add, the Urals and their brethren do look very, very cool.

[Blue Ridge Wheeltor]

Like a Royal Enfield, it's charm is in its' simplicity. And like a 70's airhead BMW, they last forever. Upgrades are retrofittable. Warranty is strong. Dealers (most) are dedicated.

[Blue Ridge Wheeltor]

Firefox won't let me post urls, but if you go to motorcycles.about.com and search Ural, the pictures are there. I've been considering the Guzzi V7, but this unit has me thinking. The dealers are great (many of them are Enfield dealers too) and stand behind the warranty.

[REpozer]

I'm going to break the rules:

   May I suggest a fishing car? Or a clown car?  What I mean is a cheap car with a 4 cyl engine, 4 doors and a trunk.....well you get the ideal. You already have a nice RE, why not have a cheap car you can fix and get you out of the rain and cold to boot.

[Anon]

Well, lets add
# A 745cc, horizontally-opposed, air-cooled carbureted engine
# Both electric and kickstart
# A four-speed transmission and shaft final drive
# A dry weight of 441 pounds
# 40mm Marzocchi forks, and twin Sachs rear coilovers
# 4-piston front and 2-piston rear Brembo brakes
# A two-year parts & labor warranty with unlimited mileage

Are you talking about the new (not yet out) Ural ST?  The importer is just across Lake Washington from me and I heard they were letting folks have test rides to get feedback.  I've been kicking myself in the ass for not testing one.  I really like what I've seen so far, but would love to check one out in person.

Eamon

[Blue Ridge Wheeltor]

From what I understand, they were letting people take them for long (all day-days at a time) test runs looking for feedback.

[PhilJ]

In the pics from about.com, why were so many standing up? Is it that uncomfortable?
The position of the feet looked cramped.

[birdmove]

    South Sound BMW is now a Ural dealer.

   jon

[jest2dogs]

I bought my 2007 Moto Guzzi 750 Breva in 2008 and I think it was about $7,200 out the door. Guzzi won't let the dealers post their "deals" so it's best to contact a dealer and see if they have any left overs. Moto International in Seattle is where I got mine and their service, support and customer rapport are fab!  I have almost 5k on it now. The seating position is just right ( I am 5'-8+") and have no problem setting my feet on the ground.

The 750 motor is tried and true gets good mileage and is plenty peppy. My wife and I did a 1,200 mile tour of Washington last September in six lazy days. My wife says the pillion seat is like riding in a limo.

Now that it's broken in I find that she likes to rev but she will also go slow (who wants to do that?)... i.e. she has a wide torque band.

Hepco Becker bags and racks are available as well as a couple of tank bags. I ride sans windshield and she seems fine. Shaft drive, easy maintenance, EFI and EI, halogen, brembos... What more do you want? Oh yeah, a two year warranty and a good bunch of owner forums (Guzzitech, Wild Guzzi.com etc.)


Buy one from Moto International and ride it home. Call Dave, he's great.

Here's a pic from just before our tour. I only have the left side bag mounted in the photo.

-Jesse

[Rick Sperko]

I put a deposit on a 2002 BMW R1150R w/ 17k on the clock, one of the fast black ones. Much like the black Bullets are the fastest. I am slammed in my schedule so I pick it up in a week. Thanks for the input.

-Rick

[r80rt]

Not a bad choice, I think you'll like it a lot.

[jdrouin]

Congrats on the new bike. I like that model a lot, especially in yellow.

Jeff

[ace.cafe]

Enjoy!
It's always fun getting a new bike!

[Cabo Cruz]

Have fun with the new bike, Br. Sparko!

[Rick Sperko]

It is home, it was different riding on the interstate. Not nice, but different. I finally was able to ton-up.

-Rick