Touring bike advice.

[innominate]

Me and the Girlf are planning a big Europe tour in about 2 years time.
Will need to buy a new bike to do this (it could be a little slow + uncomfy on my current cb500) & to commute me to work in the mean time, 250 miles a week.

Would be looking at a max price of around £5000.


Could people reccomend me some bikes to look into.
Must be comfy enough for 10 weeks or so of travel with enough luggage space for 2 people & a tent. Also would have to be reliable, so thinking >5 years old.


Triumph Trophy 1200 is the only one I have seen so far that fits the price.


Thanks for any replys.
inno
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I, as a responsible adult human being, will never concede the power to anyone to regulate my choice of what I put into my body, or where I go with my mind. From the skin inwards is my jurisdiction, is it not? I choose what may or may not cross that border. Here I am the customs agent. I am the coast-guard. I am the sole legal and spiritual government of this territory, and only the laws I choose to enact within myself are applicable.

[Vespa]

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[veeeffarr]

I've got no advice either! But I'm round the Halewood area tonight so if I see your bike I'll give you a shout!

[biketeacherda...]

Have a look at the Honda Deauvile thingy good bike shaft drive cheap to run and bomb proof or as mentioned get her to do her test
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[McJamweasel]

Trophy 1200/900 are good bikes, although a little heavy. Honda Deuville is a very good bike - shaft drive and with built in panniers that you can get higher capacity lids for. Add a top box (£150ish) and you're laughing. The only downside that I can see with that is that its only a 650 twin - might be a little sluggish.

Other to consider: VFR800, any number of BMW's R1150GS/LT, Triumph Tiger/Sprint ST, Suzuki VStrom/Kwak KLV, Yam TDM900, Honda Varadero, ZZR11/1200, Pan Euro, FJR1300...
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[muddycoffee]

I have a mate who has been camping around northern france on a 250 vespa, you don't need a huge engine. Although in my experience a bike with great brakes is essential if you load it up with lots of luggage, as they don't stop too well otherwise. His advice to me is spend a few days in a couple of places rather than doing mega distance, because it gets quite boring just seeing motorways for days on end. He has worked in bike shops and owned loads of bikes, including big ones for 20 years and he's been around a bit.

I have another mate who has a faser1000 and he's always off on trips around europe, often to nurburgring, a great bike which eats long distance.

Another mate with a Ducati has been around switzerland, france etc.. and like many people said that he enjoyed it but doesn't do it all that often so I wonder if it's just to say he has.
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Suzuki SV650 naked Blue curvy with Givi Screen and G force can.

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

It depends on what sort of touring you wish to do. If your sight-seeing touring then the ideal bike will be the Honda Deauville. However 110mph is it's top speed (on a private road) so realistically 70-80mph is your motorway cruising speed. It's quite like a car as well. Nice and comfy for a passenger and fairly unobtrusive unless you rev it in which case it gets a bit vibey. Pulls from nothing, but realistically top revs are about 7000 before the vibes are annoying.

If however you wish to move at a faster pace then consider the usual VFR750/800 etc. Also as it isnt for 2 years consider not purchasing a enw bike and just running your CB500. The new Sprint ST's may be coming into your price range then. The old Sprint is a possible purchase now.

Also consider that if your on a long journey do you want to mess around with a chain? One of the advantages of the Deauville is it's shaft drive, and i'd be amazed if it came up with a major fault.

My Dad describes his Deauville as the Mondeo of the bike world. Does the job in comfort, without fuss. However it isnt amazingly exciting. He also drives a Mondeo.
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[innominate]

Thanks for the advice


I am working on persuading Saff to do her bike test.
It's not looking too good.

However 18months of pestering may change her mind :p



Good idea on the cb.
Its a good runner, might as well commute it for another 2 years.

I'll look into those suggestion in the mean time.
Thanks
____________________
I, as a responsible adult human being, will never concede the power to anyone to regulate my choice of what I put into my body, or where I go with my mind. From the skin inwards is my jurisdiction, is it not? I choose what may or may not cross that border. Here I am the customs agent. I am the coast-guard. I am the sole legal and spiritual government of this territory, and only the laws I choose to enact within myself are applicable.

[veeeffarr]

I'm trying to persuade my missus to do her CBT... It's not looking good! Maybe we should arrange a rideout so they will wonder what they're missing?

(BTW if you see a red CG blatting about Halewood tonight then give us a wave! )

[Teaman]

ZZR1200
I have one and its realy comfy for long distance,, also handles like a dream and with my givi system(about 400 quid inc bags) baglux tank cover 80 quid and bag 75 quid

i crunched a few miles this summer and didnt notice,, its such a vesitile bike,, great for all weather,,

buy a pan if you want but there a bit boring if you want to do anything else.

pick a zzr 1200 off ebay for about 3-4 grand,, a bargin
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There is no point in ranting about someone stupid because there is nothing u can do about it. There is no cure for stupid.
Someone stupid does not realise they r stupid.stupidity is indistinguishable from malice U just have to accept that some people are thick as p1gsh1t and work around them.

[ZZR Girl]

I was going to suggest an FJR1300, but someone already has.

I've not ridden one but have done pillion several times, and am told from the rider who commutes over 200 miles each day on it, that it's a very comfy, powerful bike, perfect for long distances. I've also been on a touring holiday in Europe as a pillion on a Honda CB750 but that was years ago. I never found any problem with that. What about the Honda Blackbird as another suggestion?
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Keep it shiny!

[JeffT]

My old man owns a pan european and does silly amounts of miles on it.
Mega comfy, quick and shed loads of luggage space.
Very comfy for pillion too (I am no small chap but could quite happily do 100's of miles in one go on the back of it.)

[Johnny GSX-R]

What about this...........

I have done 725 miles in one day on this, 2 up with luggage and no problems what so ever.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=57970

Extremely quick, comfy, reliable and very well made.

[levi]

id go with the vfr 750 i have one and its very comfy for long distance as i like to travel (in the 2 weeks i have had it done around 1800 miles) hahahahah just going to see family around 800 of these with 2up i dont know about the addition of top box etc! but its a reliable fast comfy bike
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Proud owner of a Gilera Cougar 125
Proud owner of a Honda VFR 750

[map]

[innominate]

TBH the FJR1300 looks like the ideal choice.
Shaft drive, fast, loads of room by the looks of it.

Just a little out of my price range atm.




Very nice BlackBird you have there XX.



Think I will definatly go shaft drive though, less to go wrong is a bonus. The Deauville is probably the most sensible choice. So hence my eyes are drawn straight to the FJR :
____________________
I, as a responsible adult human being, will never concede the power to anyone to regulate my choice of what I put into my body, or where I go with my mind. From the skin inwards is my jurisdiction, is it not? I choose what may or may not cross that border. Here I am the customs agent. I am the coast-guard. I am the sole legal and spiritual government of this territory, and only the laws I choose to enact within myself are applicable.

[map]

[veeeffarr]

[Johnny GSX-R]

Ride a 'shafty' before you committ to buying one, they are not to everybody's liking. I was out on a NEW K1200S BMW last week and hated it.......clunky horrible thing it was compared to the 'XX'

[innominate]

[ZZR Girl]

Johnny XX - I was thinking of your Blackbird when I suggested that bike in my post. You obviously haven't sold it yet then.

Innominate - the FJR 1300 also comes with hard case panniers fitted so you wouldn't need to buy any luggage
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Keep it shiny!

[feef]

we did a tour of northern france, 2-up, on a thunderace this year.. gf was comfy enough, bu the soft luggage was a biut short of space..

door - door we did about 2000 miles, riding one day, resting one day

rather than a "tourer" as such, also look at the Trumpet Sprint ST, or a ZZR1100

a
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[gimpy limp]

buy a gl650 or cx500 change it's mechanical seal, monitor its stator with a multimeter throughout the year, change it's plugs, oil, filter etc do all this 2 years before you go then you have 2 years of living and working with it. Far more chance of being able to fix one of these out in the field with a bit of knowledge of the bikes and the fact their so simple and reliable. Take some spare plugs/coils etc with you if you like and it'll do you good.

New doesn't mean reliable, new means no chance of fixing in the field and expensive parts.

https://img359.imageshack.us/img359/6098/dscf13466ue.jpg

I reckon 95% of any jobs that need doing on my cx I can do myself and I haven't had it no longer than 9/10 months if that.
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-=[Sam/b]=- cx500's the only way to travel, we do it in style just like jimmy saville
msn addy - sam.barwick@ntlworld.com
https://pre-auto.com/cx500/rat_and_survival_gallery_2006

[Wooly R6]

i would definitely think about that CBR 1100 XX

looks lovely

[Johnny GSX-R]