Transalp 650 (or 700), Tiger 955i (or 1050), BMW F800GS, or other mid size adventure bike?

[brett73]

I have a transalp 700 I am 6.2 had it about 3 years very good bike. Me and the wife went to Spain fully loaded and some. The bike is no good for a speedy rider but ideal if your a plodder.

[-Ralph-]

I'm 6'5" and had one of the last 955i's, a 2007 with the 1050 bottom end

Do you know how to tell which bottom end you have? I have a 2006 Daytona 955i (147bhp model).

[Tink]

I've owned 55reg Transalp 650, toured Scotland on it and it was fantastic machine never missed a beat, also toured Scotland last year on Tiger again great bike..
Think tiger has more personality but transalp I think was slightly more comfortable but tiger had more grunt..

Good luck in your search (thumbs)

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[SteveR]

The transalp is a very underrated bike. I'm 6" 3 and decided to buy a 650 TA as my first bike and I loved it. Comfortable, reliable and easy to ride. It will cruise all day long at 80 mph and will take you anywhere you wish to go. The vtwin is lightly tuned and should last a lifetime if looked after.



Power can be an issue for the more experienced rider,but as a first bike its a great machine!

I would agree with all that is said above other than the TA not having enouh power. IME, the only times I ever had an issue of wanting more power was playing silly buggers with a 900 Yam in the Dolomites, and I found myself working... hard, to keep up! The TA lacks a bit for faster 2 up motorway work, but as joeymc says, it'll cruise at 80 happily. Comfy too.

[Spike941]

I'm 6'5" and had one of the last 955i's, a 2007 with the 1050 bottom end

Do you know how to tell which bottom end you have? I have a 2006 Daytona 955i (147bhp model).

From memory, the 1050 bottom casings are different from the 955, or put simply, mine had the 1050 casings and my mate's 2005 model had the 955 casings. I can't remember exactly what was different, but I'm sure a quick look at Google images of both models will tell you which bottom end you have.

PS. A quick look at Google images shows the clutch cover differs. The 955 has 3 bolts in the middle of the casing, whereas the 1050 hasn't and almost has a slight conical profile.

[boatman]

Had both, (3 off 650 transalps )
1 955i tiger
I would advise both :- buy a transalp for a time ,as a next step in the learning curve, they are very good and underrated motorcycles.
Then make the step to the more powerful machine would be my advice
My GSA 12 was not available as it was sitting in service ready for a big 2up trip so I packed my wee transalp with camp gear and did Scotland to Nordkapp n home , (the long way ! )
Did it easily (thumbs)

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[Shidosan]

I have had both and for touring 2 up with luggage my choice would be the Tiger 955..
Loads of torque and dont need to keep dropping a gear or two on hills...
Still got a Tiger 800 and find it nearly as good as the 955

I am definitely a Tripple fan....

[*Touring Ted*]

I've owned and travelled on both bikes you mention.

Tiger 955i has a stonkingly good motor. It's a well made bike too. However it's VERY HEAVY and top heavy too. It also has a FI bug that requires a TOR exhaust and re-map to sort it out. After that it's a great road bike. Good for passengers too.

The Transalp 650 is also a good bike but it's also VERY heavy for it's size. It's got more ground clearance and maybe a bit more trail bike orientated than the Tiger but not much.
I also found the TA650 underpowered and it thirsty too. More thirsty than the Tiger. And it has a small tank.

Honestly, I'd buy neither of them but if I had to pick from only those two, id have the Tiger.

If I were you I'd have a long hard look at a Transalp 700. Much better bike than the 650.

[BigBlue]

Having ridden both I agree with all the comments made, and you won't get a 'bad' bike with either option.

If your finances could stretch to it, then I can really recommend the Tiger 800. It can be considered like a more modern version of the 955 Tiger, it rides like a much lighter bike than the 955i but although it's a smaller engine there's not much difference in realistic performance.

[-Ralph-]

If its for road use only, I suspect the Tiger 1050 is now available for less money than the 800.