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Now that I have gotten the go ahead from wifey to take our daughter on rides...she has now said that she wouldn't mind going for a ride once in a while too...so I'm thinking that the Yamaha MT-01 isn't the right bike for two up touring...so I will probably be trading this great bike in on a more sensible choice...

I'm kinda leaning towards a Suzuki DL1000 VStrom...it's not pretty, but it will do everything I might want to do...I'm just wondering if I should go with a more touring oriented bike, either sport touring or cruiser, or if the adventure touring is the way to go...I went for the "Cool Bike" last time and I am finding that it really wasn't the best choice. Don't get me wrong, I still love the MT-01 but the 15L tank and more sporting ergonomics...well I could have picked a more sensible bike for the riding I do...commuting & touring.

Anyway, what would your suggestion be for a bike? The budget will be $8-9000...I'll start shopping...

Later.

PPFFF nothing wrong with a DL 1000, great bike and very few get to this bike's limit I can tell you. How about the TDM 900 or a BMW R1150/1200R

The DL is a good bike for sure!
If you're going for adventure touring, it is compulsory I throw in the Yamaha Super Tenere. Comes with extra slots in the fuse block, mounts for foglights, adjustable seat height, heck it even has a remote preload adjuster for the rear shock. A friend of mine is setting his up for a trip to the Arctic Circle this summer and I'm very jealous of it lol.
Ironically though, his son is joining him (son's my age) on his very own DL1000.

I had a backrest installed on my bike and my wife and daughter both say it makes riding much more comfortable for them. If it's only for short rides I don't think it would be worth selling your bike and getting another one, unless you want to get a different bike anyway.

If you want a truly sporty sport touring bike, you can't go wrong with the Triumph Sprint ST or GT models. The older Kawasaki Concours are also a great bike. Not to sure about the new Connies and Honda ST's, they seem a bit big.

If you're just going for sport touring, I'd definitely suggest you take a look at the C14, the ST1300, and the FJR1300.

C14 is very fast (local guy has one and can outrun me when we're both at full throttle), and both the C14 and ST1300 come in police versions so you know they handle well (our local cops are on ST1300s). The FJR is pretty much agreed upon by reviewers as the sportiest of the choices, but still very comfortable.

madjak30 wrote:Now that I have gotten the go ahead from wifey to take our daughter on rides...she has now said that she wouldn't mind going for a ride once in a while too...

Doesn't sound like you're going to be needing a sport tourer for an occasional quick ride. Like BobK said, it'd be a pity to sell a bike you already love.

But if you still feel like getting one, might want to consider a Honda VFR800 or a BMW F800ST. The 1000cc + sport tourers have already been mentioned. A smaller bike might be cheaper to buy and run, as well as more fun to throw around. As always, depends on how you want to ride.

Good choices there too

The DL1000 is a great bike and I have ridden with a guy who can really make his move through the twisties. Besides the looks the only bad thing that I can say is that some guys who have bought the super-practical V-Stroms after coming of of sport-tourers missed the sharper handling and fun factor of these bikes. I had convinced myself at one point that the V-Strom is what I need until I rode one - and it was like giving up the sports-car for the station wagon. "Damn this wagon is handy, but why am I not smiling?" It's a subjective thing and many guys can have more fun being practical. It's all whatever floats your own boat.

Well said High_Side - and given that Mike owned one (DL 650) and said practically the same thing that you just said, must mean it's a common thought. Mike called his bike "Chesterfield" becuase it was like a big old comfy couch, but in reality didn't give him as much fun as he was hoping for.