Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

As for fuel consumption yeh it is down to your wrist, but if the vfrs quoted avg. is lower than another bikes, thenam assuming ridden in a similar manner it will provide lesser economy.

My 800Fi got 50-60 mpg mixed commuting M way in/out of London getting a move on as much as I could. In the real world, I'd defy anything similar to get better than that by much if at all.

I've never seen any fuel figures worth their salt; no two people ride a bike the same way, and that's what counts. Any more than my car ever does anything like the "official figures".

the ntv650 does the same on a commute, but long distance at higher speed it guzzles a fair bit more bringing, worst I've had is 45mpg that was maintaining between 90-110 (on private roads of course*)

I think it was top gear where they got something like a micra and a beemer to cruise at 70, the beemer used less petrol as it wasn't being stressed.

Whatever sports tourer I look at with a decent top end is not going to challenge that on a commute, but over longer distance at higher spped think it may balance out as i won't have to screw it to make progress.

In any event, if fuel is a consideration as a cost, then you'll trump that by getting a shaft drive anyway - the savings in chains, sprockets and lube will add up to a whole heap more than a few mpg here and there if you keep it for any length of time and do some miles.

well the NTV is great on fuel and shaft driven, so think I will hang onto it for commuting. Add to the fact it cost £800 and has just done over 4500 miles to portugal and back without a single problem, I don't know if I could bring myself to sell it.

Really just want something quicker and more comfortable for the long trips. Like i said, just did over 4500 miles on the NTV and it was hard work.

This is what it looked like on the way down, and thats brooksie who was riding bitch! ha

and here it is slightly more sensibly packed on the way back through spain, solo.

now this ^ is motorcycle appreciation. it's and ugly duckling, but i definitely appreciate it.

well the NTV is great on fuel and shaft driven, so think I will hang onto it for commuting. Add to the fact it cost £800 and has just done over 4500 miles to portugal and back without a single problem, I don't know if I could bring myself to sell it.

Really just want something quicker and more comfortable for the long trips. Like i said, just did over 4500 miles on the NTV and it was hard work.

This is what it looked like on the way down, and thats brooksie who was riding bitch! ha

and here it is slightly more sensibly packed on the way back, solo.

now this ^ is motorcycle appreciation. it's and ugly duckling, but i definitely appreciate it.

I like them-practical value biking. But I know what you mean about comfort over distance.

I'd deffo have a look at an 1150GS - prob won't get a great 1150 for that money, but the difference isn't that huge. They are great to ride, handle brilliantly, are plenty fast enough, have great road presence, easy to maintain, cheap to run, etc.

thanks for the advice will have a look at them.

thanks for the advice will have a look at them.

Have a look on UKGSer (google) the classifieds there are ususally full of very well looked after ones.

I also know someone offering a very nice 100GS with full luggage etc for around £2.5K.

but its a bmw.

Have toured on many bikes, what actually makes it uncomfortable?

i'd say it's a little too small for me, the saddle is just a wad of foam which is fine for a half hour but after that is not supportive whatsoever so you just ache. and for covering long distance at speed, the fact that it's naked means alot of buffeting.

hey am not complaining about it, had a great trip with it but that's given me a good idea of what i'd want from a 2nd bike.

You can't stretch to a Triumph Sprint ST 1050 can you?
I had one as a courtesy bike and it was just brilliant. Big, comfortable, rocketship fast acceleration at any revs in any gear, a piece of piss to ride in town traffic, yet completely calm at 80-90.

The older ones are in your price range but I have no idea if they are anywhere near as good.

but its a bmw.

Take it you've never ridden a GS?

You can't stretch to a Triumph Sprint ST 1050 can you?
I had one as a courtesy bike and it was just brilliant. Big, comfortable, rocketship fast acceleration at any revs in any gear, a piece of piss to ride in town traffic, yet completely calm at 80-90.

The older ones are in your price range but I have no idea if they are anywhere near as good.

This is the kind of bike I'll be looking get, but yes think they're a bit out of reach financially.

I had a 900 Sprint - a 94. It was beyond awful; it essentially fall apart. Triumph were horrible to deal with, and I ended up going down the Court route with them to make them stand by the warranty. So I'd advise that if you go down that route, be very careful what you buy.

Or just go japanese and not worry. I had a 1100XX for a while - you can get those cheap as chips now - that wasn't a bad tourer once you'd sorted the screen out. Still not a patch on the GS for fun and comfort though.

see think my heart is kind of set on the Aprillia at the moment.

Just think it's sexy as fuck and supposedly super comfortable as well.

they come with colour coded panniers too which would be useful.

my Dad bought a Triumph 900 a year or so ago, he said it shifted but low speed handling wasn't good so he sold it. think it was late 90s, I think he tought it seemed well built, but obviously he only kept it for a brief time probs not enough to find out.

the 1050 is 10 years newer than the 900 though, and has had nothing but great reviews. I think Triumph have learned a great deal since Hinkley's early days.

I've got a Thruxton and it's been completely reliable for the couple of years I've owned it.

Certainly get a lot for your money and there are a load of them around £2k. If they'd priced them sensibly to compete with the VFR in the first place, they'd have sold loads more too.

Take it you've never ridden a GS?

Ridden most of them, likes the airheads not a fan of 1100 on wards have also done the BMw off road day. Don't like the image and they are not that reliable and finish is not as goot as the earlier bikes.

Cheap way might be get the seat recovered and new foame/gel inserted.

Certainly get a lot for your money and there are a load of them around £2k. If they'd priced them sensibly to compete with the VFR in the first place, they'd have sold loads more too.

1 word.

exclusivity.

Can't believe people didn't like the design, it still looks current today IMO.

edit - 2 words - spare parts

Ridden most of them, likes the airheads not a fan of 1100 on wards have also done the BMw off road day. Don't like the image and they are not that reliable and finish is not as goot as the earlier bikes.

But not a GS then?

I've had 3, done over 150K between then and nothing - ever - not one thing - has gone wrong.

My old man had a Beemer K1200rs, was such a nice bike for doing distance on whenever I borrowed it.
His had colour coded panniers not shown below and an after-market top box that he had added.
I was forever pulling onto the motorway, winding it up and not realising I was doing 120 till I looked at the dash to see what gear I was in.
Shaft drive too, it did that thing of when your were cornering one direction and accelerated out the torque stood the bike up but if you did the same thing in the opposite direction it made it want to stay leaned over.

Shaft drive too, it did that thing of when your were cornering one direction and accelerated out the torque stood the bike up but if you did the same thing in the opposite direction it made it want to stay leaned over.

Newer ones have a balance shaft, so torque reaction is nil, just point and go, and of course, no fork dive ever!

that leaning and straightening up thing sounds mad but i guess you just get used to it.
i am really looking forward it.

that leaning and straightening up thing sounds mad but i guess you just get used to it.
i am really looking forward it.

In reality, you don't do a lot of leaning on the road, unless you are hamming it up. It's all about counter-steer. Generally, if you are having to work hard to climb all over the bike and wrestle it around the shop, you are doing something very wrong, or your bike is knackered!

TBH I never noticed it till someone told me about it so it might have all in me head!