Can one bike do it all?

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TechTMW · #11 Unread post by **TechTMW** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 12:08 am

Transalp is a Great bike for this kind of thing. Unfortunately, it was never available in the US. The nx650 is another good choice, but was only offered in the US for 4 years (1988-1991) and may be difficult to find

gumby191 · #12 Unread post by **gumby191** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 5:37 pm

The Vstrom is a great bike. My uncle has one and it handles everything that he throughs at it. Not to mention the vtwin sound it puts out sound BAD "O Ring"!

LMJ · #13 Unread post by **LMJ** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 10:18 pm

I really appreciate all the comments, they're really helpful.

How are the paralever BMWs for wrenching on? If I do get one, it'll be high mileage and definitely need some TLC... Though I'm suprised to find that the paralevers ARE in my price range. Working on German machinery, in my experience, can vary from idiotproof, to impossible without proprietary tools.

The NX650 seems like the other top contender besides the Bavarian boxer. Used V-Strom is a stretch for my budget, and KLR650... I don't know why, it just doesn't inspire me.

sapaul · #14 Unread post by **sapaul** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 11:28 pm

What is nice about the Beemers is the lack of maintanance they require. Ask any guy that does the Cape to cairo and he will pick a Beemer. There is a thread about a guy on his 650 who worked his way across America, blowing up balloons and putting thousands of kms on his bike. Maintained properly they very rarely break. The 1200GS and 1150 GS are Africa's top selling bikes because you can do 10 000kms before a service. I do not know of any other make that stretches that long.

LMJ · #15 Unread post by **LMJ** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 10:36 am

Well, the Rotax-engined singles seem like a better bargain in the used market now than the airheads. Plus they're all swoopy and downright sexy.

Thanks again folks!

TechTMW · #16 Unread post by **TechTMW** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 11:20 am

Rotax engine single is nowhere near as easy to work on as an airhead. Nor does it have the timeless beauty of an airhead.

But get what you like, of course.

LMJ · #17 Unread post by **LMJ** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 8:32 pm

I expect that, and yeah, I'm quite torn.

The airheads are dead reliable and shaft drive is wonderful...

But I love the late-model styling, they're about a grand cheaper for a decent bike, get better fuel mileage, and weigh less! That's a lot of checks in the "for" column.

And since this is my first bike, it might be tempting fate to have those horizontal cylinder bores sticking out just waiting to nail a rock or a curb or a log or caught in a small furry critter's burrow or scraped along the pavement if I screw up. With the single, I can at least minimize the risk of damage by stripping the bike naked until I've got some idea what I'm doing. With luck all I'd damage would be my pride.

It'll be a few months until I'm in a position to buy, but for now, it seems like the better bike for me.

TechTMW · #18 Unread post by **TechTMW** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 9:13 pm

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a single If I found one at a price that was right for me.

(Of course, I already own an airhead so that's proabably not sayin much)

You can change the clutch in an airhead in a parking lot in france in under an hour on a trans-european trip. (Have a friend that just did this) The only special tool that I can think of to work on an airhead is the exhaust nut wrench which costs about $25. or a set of feelers for valve adjustments. Everything else you need (basic tools) are found in the tool pouch that comes w/ the bike. (If the tool puch is missing you can buy a new one for about $50)

Of course, you aren't taking any round-the-world trips, and probably won't be tearing the bike down for any reason, so you'd probably be better off w/ the single - for the reasons you mentioned