Advice appreciated for a newbie to biking not just adventure riding

[Milshy]

I'd suggest a Suzuki DL 650 as previously mentioned above. Ideal bike for what your after And relatively inexpensive too. Good luck with whatever you end up with, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

[guiri]

Thanks for all the replies and encouragement so far.

I've already booked to do a BMW off road skills course in a couple of weeks time, and that should be on the 650 GS Sertao mentioned. I'm 6 foot tall, I don't think height is a problem, it's just confidence on different bikes to be gained.

I have a helpful Suzuki dealer reasonably close in Hyde, so I'll try and get a ride on the V-strom 650. I also have a Honda dealer down the road - should I be looking at those? The Yamahas have caught my eye when I've been out and about but I've not got as far as locating a dealer yet. davsato mentioned criteria for test rides having to be met; as I have money to spend and a full licence how choosy can they be?

[P4ulie]

davsato mentioned criteria for test rides having to be met; as I have money to spend and a full licence how choosy can they be?

Some dealers can be funny & won't give you a test ride unless you've had your license for a couple of years etc etc. With cash in your pocket it's a buyers market out there, finding demo bikes can be more difficult though 12 months or so after a product launch.

Good luck test riding a Tenere, couldn't find a demo for love nor money anywhere around Surrey / London last year. One dealer did let me sit on one :S

There are so many bikes to choose from, the more I read posts on sites such as this the bigger the list of potentials becomes :laugh:

[davsato]

davsato mentioned criteria for test rides having to be met; as I have money to spend and a full licence how choosy can they be?

well, pretty choosy sometimes! for instance, one local dealer wont let you take out a bike bigger than 600cc if youre under 25, another wont if youre a new rider. to be honest, would you let someone who has never ridden a bike since passing their test (and that could be years!) out on a brand new panegale? :laugh:
they also play with their insurance excess, you ride on the dealers insurance but their cover might impose limits on them whether they are happy for you to take the bike or not. im older, experienced and used to big heavy bikes, when i took a 350kg 1800cc £22K goldwing out for a jolly one day i agreed to a £200 excess, but my 26yr old mate who took a fireblade out with me had to agree to £2000!! needless to say i was a bit more gung-ho than he was, he was on pins till he got the bike back to the dealer!
after a couple of years riding i wanted to uprate from a 600cc to a litre, i was over 30 but the salesman came out with me on another bike.

so, as i said, dont just turn up and demand a test ride, they'll think youre just another t**t looking for a spin on someone elses bike. go in, have a chat, make yourself known so they can get an idea of you. (and you them, they need to get your trust too if they want your cash!)

oh and nobody's mentioned the kawasaki versys 650 yet, thats a good'un

[guiri]

Because I'm a new rider, it seems like a mid size dual purpose bike would be the most sensible choice. I'm likely to get something new or nearly new. This is a summary of what has been mentioned so far:

Yamaha XT660R
http://www.yamaha-motor.eu/uk/products/ ... t660r.aspx

Yamaha XT660Z Ténéré
http://www.yamaha-motor.eu/uk/products/ ... t660z.aspx

Suzuki V-Strom 650 ABS (DL650)
http://www.suzuki-gb.co.uk/motorcycles/ ... m-650-abs/

KTM 690
http://www.ktm.com/us/enduro/690-enduro ... ights.html

Honda NC700X
http://www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles/adventure/#!/nc700x/

BMW G 650 GS Sertao
http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk/motorcycl ... gs-sertao/

Kawasaki Versys 650
http://www.kawasaki.co.uk/Versys

Anybody have any thoughts on the new Honda CB500X?
http://www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles/adventure/#!/cb500x/

The price looks attractive, and I presume it would be a sensible insurance group as well.

Also, any thoughts on the Triumph Tiger 800/800XC not mentioned above? Is it a bit much for a first bike?

Thanks once again.

[special one]

The tiger 800xc is a great bike, might be a bit heavy for you, especially if you want to do laning on, great engine so would be fine for road use.

IMO, any of the ones you listed would do your great job as your first bike as long as you are a sensible chap with control of your right hand.

[Dave DRZ]

The idea of buying a Tiger 800xc as a first bike would scare off most people - £7k is a lot of money for a bike you are inevitably going to drop, whether that is over cooking it on a bend or losing balance at a junction, we've all done it.

You probably passed your test on something like a Suzuki GS500 or Honda CB500 with less than 50 bhp. The Tiger has 94 bhp, your right hand wont know what has hit it. So buy a bike with similar power ratings - you don't have to own it for the rest of your life, ride for it the season, trade up next year... some of the other bikes mentioned tick the box (650 V Strom, Versys 650, BMW 650)

My first big bike after passing my test was a Kawasaki GT550 (56bhp) which I crashed a few times, I worked up to a Yamaha XJ600 (61 bhp) I crashed that a lot as well, before getting my VFR (108 bhp) which is the bike I always wanted. And apart from a crash about 7 years ago, it's stayed upright ever since. My DRZ 400 (39 bhp) is always falling over but that is because of the rocks and mud I'm trying to go over...

Follow the advice in other posts, take a look at some dealers, try and get a test ride (I've always found Hunts Honda in Burnage to be alright). Why not pop down to the Manchester Bike show at the Trafford Centre this weekend and talk to some dealers (Hunts are there, as are Wigan Yamaha, Robinsons of Rochdale, Williams BMW, even Earnshaws in Huddersfield isn't far away) and ask about tests.

Finally, good luck and hope you have fun.

Dave

[guiri]

Hi Dave DRZ

I looked at the Tiger 800/800XC having been in Youles a few times on scooter related duties (as they are also a Vespa dealer). In terms of pricing, they are more expensive than a V-Strom but I'm shocked to see the RRP for a V-Strom with Adventure pack coming in at 7900 GBP. So in terms of dropping one, I'm not sure it is an option with a V-Strom either :laugh:.

I learnt on an ER6N (a claimed 72 bhp) but for the reason you mentioned I have done a couple of days refresher at Circuit Based Training at Mallory Park, and rode a 1250 Bandit on the track and then on a road ride. That's about the same power as a Tiger 800, a bit heavier, but I didn't go mad on the throttle. I'm not sure I'd want all that power on a slippery surface though, so I'm interested to find the limit of my skills when I do the BMW off road course in a few weeks time.

Thanks for the tip about the Manchester show at the weekend. It will be useful to talk to some local dealers - Hunts is just down the road, I bought my helmet from there when first doing the CBT.

[Simon_100]

Hi Guiri - love that name!

I returned to biking a few years ago, after twenty-five years in oblivion, and bought a BMW G650 X-Country.

It's a great bike, especially as it's neary 50 kgs lighter that the 'normal 650's that BMW have now reverted to after they dropped the 'X' bikes - a genuine shame IMHO.

But although it's a brilliant bike for touring in Spain it's still too heavy and pokey for trail riding if you're a novice. I've learned this the hard way, that is to say hard knocks at times, and now that I've bought a much smaller bike, a Beta 200 Alp, I'm riding much further, faster and attempting ever more challenging trails - I live in the Spanish Pyrenees - and I'm coming along in leaps and bounds.

So, just to add my twopenno'th: don't listen to the industry that just wants folks to buy bigger - and of course more expensive - and think a bit more laterally, especially if you're a complete newbie.

The advice you're getting here about mid-sized bikes is pretty much on the spot, but I now sih I'd bought the little Alp first - apart from anything else Mrs Spanish Biker has never stopped saying "I told you so!" - even though the Beemer has opened up some fantastic tours in Spain that when I bought it I hadn't had in mind at all.

Regs

Simon

[picos mestizo]

If you've got a 5K budget I'd go for 2 bikes.

Bike No. 1. Kawasaki Versys ER6. This will be your main road machine & can eat miles.
You should find an under 10,000 miler for 3K.
Bike No. 2. Japanese off road 200 to 250. Trail/Enduro oriented. Look to the lightest.
You should find one for around 2K.

Neither of these will be your ultimate mount but for these prices & performance you can punish them without fear of loosing too much money on them. Both will get you on your way & in fact will stand up too most other mounts around.

Good luck with your new venture.
You might want to get in touch with your local TRF group for green lane experience.

Brian.