Good long range bike

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Penguin_master
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Good long range bike

#1 Unread post by Penguin_master »

I am planning on taking a trip with my dad from minnesota to california and back on motorcycles in the near future. He doesn't feel comfortable on anything smaller than 750, and I thing smaller is better, as long as it can keep up with trafic. But the problem is, we are not exactly rich, so we need an economical solution.

What is a good pair of bikes that would be good for the trip, also cheap enough, but which would also be fine for city driving. I mean, a gold wing might be a fine touring bike, but it's huge. not good for when you're NOT going to california. Plus it's expensive.

Any thoughs?

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TechTMW
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#2 Unread post by TechTMW »

Whatever feels good to yer bum. Honestly. You gotta try em out and you have to figure out what feels best to you. Engine size shouldn't be as big a priority as comfort. I have friends who recently completed a 3-month, around-europe trip on a 1969 and a 1970 BMW - One 500cc one 600cc - both made the trip no problem - and that's talking about Europe (Like Italy) where speed limits are rarely enforced.

I only mention this because you can get bikes like the GS500, or the KLR650, which offer a comfortable seating position (Depending on your size) and get a much better MPG ratio than if you were riding something bigger. Plus, both make great daily city-bikes, and are economical.

You should be able to find used KLR650's for relatively cheap, and you can even do some mild off-roading with them if you are so inclined. KLR 650's also have a HUGE aftermarket - so you should be able to outfit the bikes with enough gear to hold all your stuff for a long journey (And then some)

A few links - Check it out - http://www.motorsports-network.com/kawa ... klr650.htm
http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~lbauer/klr/
http://www.deweerd.us/Page0.htm
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DivideOverflow
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#3 Unread post by DivideOverflow »

If you are looking for fuel range, I know the KLR650 is good, but if you are more into sport touring, my 1984 Interceptor has a 5.9gal tank including a 1.1 gal reserve. My 1994 Interceptor has a 5.5 gal tank including a .77gal reserve.

They both get around 45-50ish mpg while cruising (maybe better.. I haven't tested 6th gear for a long trip), so that is around 250miles before fillup.
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#4 Unread post by Penguin_master »

I don't mean to offend people, but... Sportbikes... FEH! Neither I nor my dad much care for them. Why does anybody need to go two hundred miles per hour? I'm in no hurry.

I was looking around the internet and I saw the Suzuki C50T. It looked good. How does that thing seem?

Thanks for the advice.

--Scott

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#5 Unread post by dieziege »

Sportbikes aren't all about speed... my bike is nominally a sportbike and it'd be lucky to hit 105 ... but if you don't like the look, you don't like it. There are plenty of other styles.

You might consider the Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD. It has an inline twin and 6-speed transmission, is fairly light, fairly cheap, the motor is well known because Kawasaki uses it in other bikes, and it has fairly decent range w/ its 4 gallon tank.

The KLR650 would be a better choice in many ways.... but it looks like a dirtbike, not a cruiser.

The Suzuki models have a good reputation.
Ride it like you think owning it matters.

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#6 Unread post by TechTMW »

Penguin_master wrote: I was looking around the internet and I saw the Suzuki C50T. It looked good. How does that thing seem?
--Scott
Well, I still stick w/ my KLR suggestion - But if you are more into cruisers, the 800cc suzuks have pretty much everything you are looking for as well. Once again, I'd recommend going and trying them on for size -
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#7 Unread post by DivideOverflow »

Penguin_master wrote:I don't mean to offend people, but... Sportbikes... FEH! Neither I nor my dad much care for them. Why does anybody need to go two hundred miles per hour? I'm in no hurry.

I was looking around the internet and I saw the Suzuki C50T. It looked good. How does that thing seem?

Thanks for the advice.

--Scott
Sport-TOURER. :) They are much more comfortable to me than my cruiser was. Not to mention, I can't go 200 miles per hour... The older one I have can go 120ish, and the newer one does 140 theoretically. Do I go that fast? No.

The 84 Interceptor is one of the most comfortable bikes I have ever been on. It sits almost straight up, and doesn't put a lot of weight on your tailbone like a lot of cruisers do.

Your bike is your choice, but you are operating off grossly inaccurrate stereotypes. The bikes I mentioned are not uncomfortable race-replica bikes. The Interceptor has been voted the best all-around bike on the planet many times.
2008 BMW K1200S
2003 Z1000 - For Sale
1979 KZ650B - Work in progress
2005 Ducati SS 1000DS - sold :'(
1994 VFR750 Interceptor - sold
1984 VF700F Interceptor - sold
2004 Hyosung GV250 - sold

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#8 Unread post by Penguin_master »

well, my 200 mph thing was hyperbole. But i don't know. I was just saying. I'm not really after speed. Heck, the bike i'm on now is a Tomos Arrow, which is a moped. Goes 30.

I don't know. Thanks.

By the way, does the vulcan still use that plastic oil pump gear I hear so much about?

--Scott

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dieziege
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#9 Unread post by dieziege »

I wish... plastic is a good material for gears... properly engineered plastic gears typically last 2-10 times longer than metal gears. Find me someone who doesn't like them and I'll find you someone who isn't an engineer. ;)

However, the 500 LTD has an older engine (it's the engine out of the Ninja 500) so you don't get modern improvements. :(

Any bike can go slow. Not every bike can go truely fast.
Ride it like you think owning it matters.

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#10 Unread post by Scott58 »

I'd make that run on my rebel. Truth is anything your comfortable with that will do street legal speeds will make the trip.
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