Good luck with the Adventure. I chatted to some guy at a set of lights the other day who'd just picked one up - he's already put on an after market can, and I have to say it sounded very nice indeed.
Hey, unless Honda bring out a successor to the AT it will eventually happen to us all! Although I suppose this site could eventually become a 'classic bike' style thing. At least you kept the old one, and when the BM lets you down (as it will if the complaining on the Horizons Forum is to be believed) you would be without a friend.....
[tongue in cheek] Purely in the interest of scientific comparison, it would be good to compare the running costs of the two bikes. My suspicion would be that a new drive shaft every 10k miles, and hernia operation and cylinder head when it gets dropped, would far outweigh the svelt running costs of an Africa Twin. But maybe I'm just biased! Oh yeah, and remember to disconnect the ABS computer when you need to get the frame welded! [/tongue in cheek]
I don't believe its there are lots of other bikes similar to @ for example theres ......umm errrr these ones :-
TDM 900 – Quirky - ridden the 850 which is OK? finish ? not off road
Suzuki Storm 1000 and 650 - ugly, all those angular bits nice engine, 650 might be nice ukeright:
Kwacker KLV 1000 copy of the above – different colours ! ukeright:
Triumph Tiger – British - top heavy ?
KTM 950- seat too high and hard too much money but depreciating like a stone for some reason (Not letting Mr McGregor use a KTM ! perhaps )
Varadero – Sorry its boring,needs a face lift , heavy ? I've ridden one
Aprilla Canponord - all a bit angular again, cross between Varadero and the storm -tempting - Italian copying the japs
Cagiva navigator - Ducati engine thing – old hat?
Moto Guzzi quota - low /old tech , shaft drive, reliable ? rare
Ducati Mulitstrada - Ducati ? reliable ? enough road presence ?
OK the bl**dy Germans win on paper but they're not having my dosh just yet.
Anyway Pussyhorse good luck and please tell us how its compares (just in case I have to replace the @ )
I like the comments you put in there! All valid, I recon, but for me the biggest problem is that, KTM aside, these are all much more road oriented. Let's face it, most of them have some form of spar alloy frame and alloy wheels - I need a bike that can at least do corrugated tracks, and I'm willing to trade a bit in the way or road manners for it (although that's where it spends most of its time...). And before you TA riders write to note that the Transalp still lives, the current version seems a lot less 'dual purpose' than it used to be (why the collector box where it is, why the breakable bits and why the weight (to mention but a few points)). Honda did the same to the Dominator before it was killed off - the final version was remarkably curvy and 'street-like'. Llllgggghhh!
Well, it's down to BMW and KTM to carry to torch for now. At least the 1150 remained in the shops alongside the 1200 until recently (or is it still available new?). I expect if Honda ever do get back to it, what we'll get is another scaled down Varadero rather than a KTM killer. Certainly no easy basis for an overlander. I realise what I want is not what the majority want, but we can wish, eh? Maybe the new BMW T600/T800 parallel twin will do the trick (assuming the reports weren't some kind of cruel pre-April 1st April Fool's Joke, or course!).
I want the Africa Twin back!!!! (Just as well the Internet cleverly covers the sound of me stamping my feet.)
I'll probably never take it off road. I never took the AT off road. I like big traillies for touring, commuting and general back lane hooning. I love the riding position as I'm not a fan of folding myself up in a racing crouch for hours on end.
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Honda XRV Forum
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A forum community dedicated to Honda XRV Trail Bike owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! Open to all Honda models including Transalp, XR, Varadero, Blackbird, NX400 and more.