Please help me make up my mind... UPDATE - Got a new bike!

[sgtcalle]

BCF, I'm caught in a conundrum and don't know what to do...

I currently ride a 2000 R1, probably worth around £2200. I am wanting to do a bike tour this summer, two up, for which the R1 isn't suitable. So, I need an alternative bike.

So, currently I have two options

A) spend around £1000-£1200 on a deauville/gsxf600/vfr750 or similar and keep the R1. I called my insurers yesterday and they said it wouldn't cost me a bean to add a deauville to my R1 policy.

B) sell the R1 and use the proceeds to buy a £2k bike. Currently thinking of a vfr800 fi. Likely would get a small refund for swapping the R1 to a vfr800 on the insurance.

My reasoning - 1) I parked the r1 in a ditch last weekend trying to be Rossi. I love the power and the way it handles, but I'm not riding anywhere near the bikes limit, and I may end up dedded. 2) I have heard vfr800s are nigh on perfect, and probably handle well enough for my needs. 3) buying a £1k bike may leave me stranded in the continent somewhere. Also, dullsville... 4) I'm currently commuting 90 miles a day on the R1. Putting that sort of miles on it isn't ideal, I could use the 1k bike as a good commuting workhorse.

There's various other thoughts going on in my head, and I realise only I can make the decision, but is there anything I have missed? I.e reasons I should go one way or the other? Also keen to hear any experience on any of the bikes I have mentioned. Thanks!

****UPDATE*****

So after careful consideration of the advice given, I kept an eye out for Deauvilles and similar. I saw this Deauville for £850, picked it up from the very nice guys at Olivers Motorcycles in Sleaford. 38000 miles, 12 month ticket, and all in all in good nick. I've done 1000 miles on it since picking it up last weekend and it hasn't missed a beat.

https://i.imgur.com/rdW56zt.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/AiQzRKl.jpg

I do have a couple of questions I hope you Deauville owners can help with though!


1) How the hell do the panniers work? The RH one wont lock, and the LH I cant get into! I haven't actually looked at them properly as I haven't had to use them yet.

2) The odometer and trip computer over read mileage. My 50 mile journey to work is showing as taking 70 miles, and I had 320 miles out the tank apparently... The bike was owned by a squaddie before me who took it out to Germany, so I don't know if he had it converted to KM? The speedo is reading in MPH though.

Thoughts gratefully received![/img]
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CBR600F '02
Manchester

[Beehive Bedlam]

Keep the R1 as a sunny day bike. Get another more practical one for the daily runner.

[oscar777]

Keep R1 as a track bike?

Thats the dilemma I have with my gsxr, thinking of making it a track bike and getting something more practical for longer trips/two up
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Push bike with a 80cc jerry rigged 2 stroke---> CBR125R ---> GSXR600 ---> Ducati 1098SF

[P.]

I toured with an R1, 2001 so similar.

Nothing to say you can't take 2...I wouldn't though.

If you've crashed it and want to fix it, do so and buy a better 2 up tourer, dullville is probably ideal and would be my choice.

I wouldn't buy a VFR for touring. I'm not fond of the electrics.

[sgtcalle]

No, and I'm 6"5 so anything over a couple of hours cripples me.

That's where my head is at the moment. I took the r1 out for a quick spin this morning and loved it. Lusted after one for so long, think I should at least give it a summer seen as I picked it up September last year.

Only this is, would you trust a grands worth of bike to do 250 miles of commuting a week and a 2000 mile Europe tour?
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CBR600F '02
Manchester

[Beehive Bedlam]

[azra3l]

I'm probably a bit far south for you, but I've got a deauville you can have for a grand. Cosmetically it's a bloody shed, but it's my old despatch bike, it can handle 500 miles a week easy.

[MarJay]

GSXF750 is also supposed to be an underrated mile muncher.

My concern is you'll miss the handling of the R1. What you need is a lightweight awesome handling bike with a comfy pillion seat. I'm not really sure such a thing exists. Maybe a Z1000SX but I don't think you'll get one in your budget.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[winz]

CBR1100XX. Absolute mile muncher, 2 up is a breeze, lightning quick and quite a roomy bike.
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Current Bikes: BMW K1200S
Previous: Honda CBR929RR, Honda CBR1100XX, Honda CB600F

[P.]

I trusted my 400 quid Varadero enough to want to tour Europe on.

I'd go buy a bike for 1k now and use it abroad. Basic checks beforehand.

[sgtcalle]

Ok, reassuring to hear. Obviously I would give it a good servicing before I went abroad.

Yes and I keep seeing gsxfs go for around a grand. Also been looking at zzr6s, as I used to own one and know the bike well. Blackbird is a good shout, but I'm yet to see any in my budget.

Think you're right with the handling comment marjay, we I say went out this morning, and no sports tourer will track like the r1.

Azra, could you pm me details of your deauville?
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CBR600F '02
Manchester

[ZX-7R]

[Polarbear]

You can tour with anything, but like a sports bike is to handling, a tourer is to mile munching.

A decent fairing, a grunty engine, hard luggage, a comfy upright seat and shaft drive make the touring world a better place.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[azra3l]

Pm sent.

[Fizzer Thou]

I had exactly the same thoughts when Mrs.Fizzer and I decided to go Euro-touring.My '01 R1 was great around France back in 2014 for the 2300 mile ride that I did one-up,but would have been a real squeeze if I was to even attempt to load up with a pillion and all of the clobber that Mrs.Fizzer would be likely to want to take.

Hence the reason why I bought the FJ1200.Air and oil cooled.No large radiators.Big lazy engine.Upright seating position.Comfortable seat.Easy to ride for 300+ miles per day.Lots of hard luggage options.

And there are some out there in very good condition for around the £600 range,which would leave you with a tidy sum to update it how you would like.

My one cost me £900 and has some corrosion which I will sort in time for our Euro-tour in late May/early June

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=305318&sid=2a5a85146269a72fca96b9fe45419e6c
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Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'

[Nobby the Bastard]

[chickenstrip]

OP, you need this:

https://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b550/nicknicklxs/DSCN0223_zpsquhunxh4.jpg

But you can't have it
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[Rogerborg]

Two bikes are twice as many bikes as one bike.

I hope this has been persuasive.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[andyscooter]

[Shaft]

[Polarbear]

[Shaft]

[sgtcalle]

Yes, I've done 2000 thousand miles on it since Christmas, and my crippled back and arse tells me I couldn't your on it!

Hasn't thought of fj1200s. I'll take a look.

Fazer thou is another option if I went down the one bike route. If I go down the two bike route I don't give a toss how the tourer looks or handles as long as it's comfortable and reliable. I will have the r1 for weekend thrills.

This will be my first big trip, and need to get it right cos if the Mrs has a bad experience that will be it for her! Don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing though...
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CBR600F '02
Manchester

[P.]

A bike is for me and no one else so the r1 was ideal. I found it stupidly comfy

[Polarbear]

Two bike route and get something like a Deauville. Totally under rated for what they are.

Oh a Dullsville

Maybe, but it has a decent fairing, shaft drive, built in luggage (get the larger pannier lids for more capacity) and comfy enough even two up. Put a back pad on the top box for her to lean against

A mate and I did a long tour all round Europe, me on a Goldwing, him on his Deauville, it never missed a beat. The thing is, the Deauville is a tourer so you aren't compromising. You get a bike designed for that job but obviously you will have to keep the R1 for Sunday play time.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition