Someone Tell Me Why...

[twowheelnut]

TWN
I think too much is made of BMW's having a rear drive problem. I'm sure it happens as I am sure it happens to other bikes also.

My ridding buddy and I rode to Alaska and the Artic Circle in 98. He rides a 95 R100RT and I ride a 97 R1100RT and neither one of us had problem one. We both have over 100K on the bikes and never have had a problem with the rear drive. We were both wishing we had a GS with knobbies for the haul road as it was real muddy and all we had was street tires . I will not do that again without something with knobbie tires.

Having said that, I am still waiting for my 07 FJR to come in and plan on putting plenty of miles on without spending so much at the dealers for maintenance.

mac

True, but the more I look into this genre of machine, the more the Wee Strom is making sense to me. Plenty of bike, simple to work on, nifty-fifty mpg, tons of farkles available and I'll have 8 grand leftover for the trip to Alaska. Yup, making lots more sense to me...

You left out the part about being easy to pick up after ya drop it !! :dntknw:

yep at 427 pounds, it's a full 31 pounds lighter than the VStrom 1000 :blink: I would have thought there would be a bigger difference there.

But the GS AV is almost 600 lbs with a full tank of gas, not even loaded up. By the time TWN packs his 50cal and rounds, case of bear spray and pimp daddy stuff, it'll be 8000lbs !

Yep, them Dacor convection ovens are heavy!!!

Yeah, but my pillion hos come with air bags. Don't you know? "Bumbles bounce!"

C'mon, TWN, buy sumpin' and post up the pics. The suspense is killin' us.

Aw, good ride your kids bike 'round the yard.

I vote KTM, no contest in performance or ugly factor. The one I want is here.

That KTM ain't cheap either. The 990 will be 14.5K without bags, I might as well get the Beemer. No, me thinks both of those are out of the running.

 

[Scab]

Aw, good ride your kids bike 'round the yard.

You've got no witnesses. You can't prove a thing.

 

[twowheelnut]

You've got no witnesses. You can't prove a thing.

I think your youngun running around the yard crying, "BWAAAAAA, my big fat daddy, broke my bike!", is a dead giveaway.

 

[Scoot]

I love that sting ray bike. I had one almost exactly like it as my first bike back in 1966 I think it was. Oops. I'm not that old am I? Can somebody please tell me why they would put those great big, square, dorky, rediculous looling boxes on the back of a motorcycle? I just don't get it. Talk about ugly. Yuck!

 

[evil_henchman]

I love that sting ray bike. I had one almost exactly like it as my first bike back in 1966 I think it was. Oops. I'm not that old am I? Can somebody please tell me why they would put those great big, square, dorky, rediculous looling boxes on the back of a motorcycle? I just don't get it. Talk about ugly. Yuck!

I think the dual sport crowd likes the "utilitarian" look. Have you seen the welded aluminum ones? Sharp edges and all? Mega yuk, they're as sexy as a utility truck. :lol:

Late edit: I think they're more crash resistant the the pretty bags.

 

[Ric in Sac]

The Tiger would be my choice. Just because it isn't labeled a "dual-purpose" doesn't mean it won't effectively handle Alaskan roads. I used to take a Triumph Bonnie dear hunting in the Sierra's and it did quite well. Ground clearance and the absence of plastics that will be chipped up by flying rocks is the key. Not having ridden in Alaska yet [i would love too] you should probably ignore everything I just said!

 

[evil_henchman]

Come on TWN you know you want this

It's the only one of the bunch that's not a full sized sport tourng bike with a couple of inches of added ground clearance. No oil cooler at BDC, no fully exposed heads dangling out the sides and just over 400 lbs... :dribble:

 

[twowheelnut]

The Tiger would be my choice. Just because it isn't labeled a "dual-purpose" doesn't mean it won't effectively handle Alaskan roads. I used to take a Triumph Bonnie dear hunting in the Sierra's and it did quite well. Ground clearance and the absence of plastics that will be chipped up by flying rocks is the key. Not having ridden in Alaska yet [i would love too] you should probably ignore everything I just said!

Well, if a Gold Wing can make Prudhoe Bay, then anything can, I suppose. Don't get me wrong, I think that Tiger is killer, but I want something that was meant to be a bit off-road...

Come on TWN you know you want this
It's the only one of the bunch that's not a full sized sport tourng bike with a couple of inches of added ground clearance. No oil cooler at BDC, no fully exposed heads dangling out the sides and just over 400 lbs... :dribble:

What, you have stock in KTM/Polaris or sumpin'? :lol: No sale, I suggest you put your money in hog belly futures! :haha: Seriously, if I was doing more than 30% off road riding, that bike would be way higher on my list. I do love that WP suspension, though. :dribble:

 

[evil_henchman]

What, you have stock in KTM/Polaris or sumpin'? :lol: No sale, I suggest you put your money in hog belly futures! :haha: Seriously, if I was doing more than 30% off road riding, that bike would be way higher on my list. I do love that WP suspension, though. :dribble:

:lol: No stock. I just have a thing for really ugly bikes with great suspensions.

 

[S76]

I found out why you don't ride dual sport bikes with cylinders that stick out to the sides:

That's reason enough for me!

 

[twowheelnut]

Well, that's not good! mg: I feel better and better about the DL650 every day!

 

[escapefjrtist]

Seems like just another reason to get those crash bars / sliders installed. That is no doubt, an expensive lesson.

Well, that's not good! mg: I feel better and better about the DL1000 every day!

There, fixed it fur ya....

--G

 

[madmike2]

I think the dual sport crowd likes the "utilitarian" look. Have you seen the welded aluminum ones? Sharp edges and all? Mega yuk, they're as sexy as a utility truck. :lol:
Late edit: I think they're more crash resistant the the pretty bags.

1.) With no "weird" shapes, they pack real easy.

2.) They're reported to be waterproof.

3.) They double as a cook surface/dining table.

4.) They're rigid enough you can tip the bike onto them to change the rear tire. (I've seen pictures of this being done.)

 

[FLOWBACK]

Hey Nut, Just bought an 07 KLR for $4600.00 in the box from a dealer in Colorado. Available farkels are endless. Gonna do the big aluminum hard bags, plus all the other crap. Doin PrudHOE Bay next summer with a couple high school buddies. See you there? :fans:

 

[BobG]

It is good these guy's are letting you know about the beemer.

Realistically the ride to Alaska is mostly paved roads. The run from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay can have problems, slick roads, motor homes, trucks that take up the center on curves, etc. I would make sure you get a bike that you can pick up even if it is up side down in a muskeg field.

It is really a toss up on what to buy. George Barnes I believe used his BMW LT to Prudhoe Bay during one of the IB races.

I also have a riding buddy who used his DL 650 last summer riding all over in Alaska, and loved it.

I am no fan of BMW because of their practice of denying factory warranty work.

A new BMW probably would be a comfortable ride, mine was.

I personally will never buy a BMW again, That is why I am in this forum.

I would look real close at the over all cost of owning a new GS.

Also BMW says they have the right to refuse maintenance and warranty work if they didn't approve what you put on their motorcycles.

I.e. their over priced junk.

It would be Cheaper and more satisfying buying a new DL 650 every 100000 miles.

My $.02 1/2