Buying my first transalp

[boomer84]

I'm looking at buying my first touring bike for a big RTW trip and am weighing up the pros and cons of buying an old transalp over a newer one.

I have test ridden the 2008 model and I LOVE IT but there is no way I am buying a new bike and putting 30-40k miles on it in the first year. for 2004/5 models with between 20-30k miles on them the price is around 3-3.5k and then for 2001/2 models the price drops to about 1.5-2.5k with mileages much lower (10-15k).

What I am wondering is were there any major design changes between 2000 and 2007? Any minor changes either that I should know about? (not even considering the 2008 model)

Are there any particular years which had faults I should know about in advance?

Finally, are these the strong, durable bikes that the salesman makes them out to be or are they a bit flimsy in comparison to others? They seem to have a lot of plastic on the front that looks like it will shatter into a thousand pieces when I fall off!

Thanks in advance for your help,
Oliver

[The Pheasant]

All the 650 models are basically the same. About halfway through the model life, (2004 of the top of my head) Honda introduced daytime low beam, black wheel rims, HISS security sytem and clear indicator lenses but otherwise the 2000 model is the same as the 2006, which is the last year of manufacture of the 650 although it was still on sale in '07.
Later bikes are thought to be more durable 'cos Honda introduced extra anti-corrosion measures. All 650s were built in Spain anyway. The XLV700 is pretty different.
Don't worry about the plastic; it's tough and you can get decent crash bars.

[Sharribee]

Welcome to the site, good choice of bike. Haven't been RTW but have done 35,000 miles on my little 04 lovely without many problems

[Mudwiz]

They are not as flimsy as they seem!

Spend a bit on protection - crash bars/sump guard, make sure both keys work the HISS, clean and check the speedo drive, check water pump somehow (??) and possibly check the swing arm bolt isn't seized in. You might want to put in some thicker fork oil and some spring compression spaces (1-2"), take some radweld/chemical metal and go.

Let us all know how you get on too, we love piccies!

.

[severs]

All 650 TAs have HISS, it was standard from the beginning.

[Lord Vader]

All 650 TAs have HISS, it was standard from the beginning.

but you see the detail is in the small print
"make sure both work" cause i have come across something like that.One key works but not the other

[afk40]

Buy the 08 model... do yer trip an clock up 40k then a`l buy it from ye Cheap... cant say better than that...

[boomer84]

You realise I am already 13000 miles into my trip right? Currently residing in the lovely indian city of Pune with the BIKEindia magazine editors.

And the 08 is a peice of poo for this type of trip. Front wheel too small, wrong power curve and most of all.... crazily expensive plastic. I just don't think it would hold up to the pains the world outside of Europe has to offer.

You can read about my trip on www.motorcycleodyssey.co.uk Specifically the sept and oct posts ("I am not that man" and "Don't look down. Riding a motorcycle into the Himalayas") a damn good read if I do say so myself.

[largewayround]

What a great read so far. Oliver.


I have a 650v6 , how do you rate them for the trip you are on.

So after India, where are you going next. Are you coming back to the UK?

[boomer84]

Cheers, I will eventually be back in the UK. In about 7 months. I am a little bit too conventional to do a Dan Walsh.

The remaining route is (you know, as far as me and planning go it is not exactly a marriage made in heaven) Nepal, Thailand (errr, flights? Cancelled? What?) Malaysia, Argentina and from Argentina to Vancouver with all the countries in between.

Oliver
www.motorcycleodyssey.co.uk