Varadero Test Ride

[Gregger]

I'm taking a test ride today at 3pm, with consideration to p/x my AT for the Varadero special in R/W/B. (Grantham Honda)

I guess I'm thinking will it be comfy, look good and feel good!

But will it have the character, be too heavy and be any good on the back lanes.

And the AT is fully sorted..

Virtually all my riding is done two up so I'm a bit concerned about managong an extra 40oddKg.

Still costs nothing to have a look?

[MacP]

Nice one! And if the weather's nice what a great day for a test ride!

Full report please!

[Robster]

My tuppence worth...

I think the RWB is great! Having seen one in the flesh now too my opinion has only been confirmed.

Swapping from an @ to the Vara, the comfiness is astounding! Really, the seat on the vara might as well be your favourite armchair. It's great.

Look good? Well, thats a matter of opinion hotly contended on here, but I cant see the issue anymore. Fair enough, the older models with fairing one colour and a plain silver tank looked a bit odd (my own Vara is black with a silver tank, but a black Bagster tank cover gives it a tasty facelift), but the RWB is definately cool.

Feel good? I defy you not to like it! It's the @, but with endless power. What's not to like?!

Character? Hmmm, well that's debateable. At first perhaps not, but then does any bike thats brand new or new to you have character? I'm not sure I would have said my @ was brimming with character when I first got it and before I'd done my big trip on it last year. Putting your own mark on a bike gives it character. Your memories of the ride gives it character. Those scuff marks on the crash bars where you dropped it at a dark petrol station in Serbia give it character! My @ was fully sorted too, there was nothing I hadn't done to it, I was out of stuff to buy on Ebay! That's all part of the character and I'm looking forward to doing it all again to the Vara...apart from the cost of course!

Back lanes are its bread and butter and you'll really not notice the extra weight at all. Two up is a dream compared the @ too, no loss of power and masses of room on the seat still - no more pillion induced nut crackers against the tank!

Dont get me wrong, I loved my @. Genuinely, and I was proper proper gutted when it did its David Copperfield the other month. Realistically I'd still have it now and I'd be raving about it on the AT forum. However I'd always looked at the Vara as a credible replacement for what I need it to do. My hand was forced by the theft, and I'm now pleased it was. Well as pleased as you can be!

I wondered if I'd gone the wrong way when I first got it. After the @, the Vara seemed quite refined, respectable, maybe even like a grown-up bike. I'd sit at lights and wonder if I'd done the right thing...then the light would change, I'd pull away, crank the throttle, pick the front wheel up and know I had made the right choice.

[africajim]

Agree so far with all said, the only tri colour I saw in the flesh was a Spanish one parked at Bardonecchia on the Saturday before the Stella, it just made me want to go back to the Vara. Perhaps it's the colours that remind me of the @T, I'd love one.

When I changed from the @T to the Vara I was very happy with the bike. The newer model with 6 speed box and EFI should be even more refined, MHO, the Varadero is one of the finest touring bikes made today, my wife reckons the Vara was far comfier than the Tiger I'm running just now. On tar, the Vara is the better bike, offroad I prefer my Tiger. :wink:

[redmarcus999]

Got to agree with Jim, at the stella i thought Jim was riding a XR400!! could'nt stay anywhere near him going up or down the "hill".

On the road however, the vara rocks, nuf said

[Gregger]

Oh dear....

The test ride machine was the blue one. I deliberately didn't look at the RWB one so as not to influence my decision.

On the way I was infleunced somewhat by some seemingly driving a nail into my coccyx over every bump the AT crossed. Not sure whether the shock is going off or I'm just too soft.

Anyway. Got on the bike. First impression was the side stands a bit short and its quite a weight to move it two up. Once moving the weight dissapeared. Second impression was "its broken", really quite compared to the AT with a Remus on. Thirdly, "where;s my pillion gone". Bags more room.

Did 20 or so miles. Nice strong engine, really good nipping out in traffic, overtaking. 6 gears, very nice. Handling fine, braking fine, no probs two up at lights etc. Looks good in the shop window!

On the back lanes. Great. Very balanced, no probs. Found a disuse Airfield! Very easy to bimble arounfd and turn it sharply. Evem went up a minor unsurfaced road and very balanced. Chased a hare up the track, always a laugh!

Down side; I'm 5'11". Noisy screen in the extended position. Slightly less wide handle bars than the AT? Bit awkward. Dont like the fuel light!

I was impressed, specillay after going dowin the back lanes. And so was the pillion. The nail had gone from my arse!

In the shop. The RWB looks great, really impressed.

Oh dear..... I now owe the shop £4000 as I swap over next week!

I guess first mods are crash bars and extended screen ( do MRA make one?)


Hello and welcome!

[Robster]

Nice move Gregger! You know it makes sense!

I have a tall screen and crash bars on mine, though I'm not sure what flavour as they were on there when I bought it. Screen is great though, no bufetting at all, and I've tested this up to 120mph so far :wink:

Strange, I had the same thought about the engine. took me 20 miles round the M25 the first day I got it before I figured out what was, not necessarily wrong, just different. Then it struck me that cruising along at 85-90 I couldn't hear or really feel the engine, unlike the Twin which would've been screaming and thrashing about in anguish!

Good job mate, look forward to the pics! I take it sir chose the RWB in the end?

[Gregger]

Indeed , I have gone for the R/W/B

It rocks!

[Dee Duble Yuh]

Don't rush to change the screen. Try it in the upper and lower position; bigger screens aren't always better (or manufacturers would always fit big ones!)

[DaveS]

Well done Gregger an excellent choice.

I'm still keeping the ladies and gentlemen of this forum guessing on what I'm going to get.

[Taz]

Well done Gregger an excellent choice.

I'm still keeping the ladies and gentlemen of this forum guessing on what I'm going to get.
Hope you don't mind me asking, but what did you actually get for your @ anyway?

[DaveS]

I haven't sold it yet. It's not properly on sale until I can get it fit for sale.
The polishing program has been started but will require a bit of effort on my part. It looks very shiny now which is good, and I've changed the front brake pads at sorted the calipers out at the weekend. Next job is to change the tyres and then stick 12 months MOT on it which is due in September anyway.
So a few things to do yet.

[Taz]

I haven't sold it yet. It's not properly on sale until I can get it fit for sale.
Oh....

[DaveS]

I'm holding the buyers at arms length at the moment telling them to keep their cash in their pockets until the AT is returned to its former glory.

[Taz]

I'm holding the buyers at arms length at the moment telling them to keep their cash in their pockets until the AT is returned to its former glory.
It'll take quite a while then. :lol:

[barftone]

I'll stick my tuppence worth in as I've owned both. As a two up bike the Vara is a much better machine with a great saddle for two up work. Not as good off tarmac and it is a BIG bike (line one up alongside an Africa!). The engine is superbly smooth and pokey and despite what some people say I thought the linked brakes were excellent. For me it did'nt have the same character as the Africa (look at the secondhand prices). Absolute bargain for those "in the know".

[africajim]

For what it's worth, I fitted a taller Givi screen to my Vara, I found it the biggest pain in the ass I'd ever had!
It blocked the wind yes, but when riding hard I found the edge of the screen was bang in my line of site for cornering. When concentrating on getting the line right in corners, (I constantly grounded mine) this damned screen was right in my way. I was constantly trying to look over or under the top edge of the screen to see clearer. After a couple of weeks I ditched it and returned to the standard screen. Problem solved.
Not a man to waste money, the screen is now fitted to my Tiger! Amazing what you can do with a grinder and a drill :twisted:

[pete07bikes]

Hi all,

I too tried a Varadero two weeks ago from Kent motorcycles (Canterbury), I currently ride a Deauville & was soon hooked with the gutsy engine & fantastic ride/views from sitting so high.

I'm due to collect my own slightly used 1,800 mile 2005 model from its original owner in from Aberdeen on Monday. I'm getting the ABS model and, hving never had a bike with ABS before wondered if you folks could tell me a little about it.

Lokking forward to join you in the near future

Pete

[Taz]

fantastic ride/views from sitting so high.
You like being high up? Then try an @! :shock:

[africajim]

The only thing I could tell you about ABS is it appears to be a nightmare offroad! On tar I'm sure it's fine and chances are you'll not even notice it. Combined with the linked brakes it should be excellent on tar. An owner of a new KTM told us at the Stella he had problems stopping with his adventure offroad with the ABS on, kept forgetting to turn it off, I don't know if you can turn off the Varadero as I've not had one with ABS,,,,, yet! :twisted:

[Dee Duble Yuh]

You can't turn the ABS off on a Vara (short of snipping the wires!) I'm not wuite sure why ABS is unsuitable for off-road; I'd have thought you'd want help stopping wheel lock-up off-road as much as on-road. :scratch: :dontknow:

On-road you'll barely know it's there. Only in an emergency in wet conditions would it even come into play. And you'll be surprised at how much braking power you still have to play with in the wet.

[Maverick]

You can't turn the ABS off on a Vara (short of snipping the wires!) I'm not wuite sure why ABS is unsuitable for off-road; I'd have thought you'd want help stopping wheel lock-up off-road as much as on-road. :scratch: :dontknow:

You need to be able to lock your wheels offroad to slide and control the bike better. A simple example would be to stop at a massive big gravel inlcine and then let the bike roll forward. Grab a handfull of brakes and see how fast you go down with the ABS pulsing it's head off every time the front wheel slides on the gravel :mrgreen:

Forgot to do switch the ABS off on the GS going offroad once and nearly crapped myself with this huge beast just picking up speed down a sliding incline :shock:

ABS on road is fantastic and it will save your life down the road.

[Robster]

S'pose you could just pull the ABS fuse out! :lol: