XT Dilemma!

[Pete]

Now I love the XT...never had so much fun on a bike.

But there's a few problems.

Seating: 90% of my mileage is two up cos the wife likes going on the bike. Unfortunately the XT seating is not really designed for two people...it ends up with me nearly sitting on the tank and the wife half on the luggage rack!

Power: 2 up does hit it hard, particularly uphills and in a strong wind. Overtaking has to be planned very carefully. Most of the time I'm revving it like hell to keep the momentum going.

Brakes: Single disc up front, and once again, with the additional weight of a pillion it tends to fade a bit. Fine for normal use, but in the event of an emergency, you could be in trouble.

Screen/Fairing: Got to have one cos I'm being inflated like a sail. And being so upright and high up, I get splattered with millions of insects. I get home and it looks like somebody's thrown a Pizza over me.

So....I must have a Dualsport/Adventure Tourer cos they suit me perfectly, but there's only one bike that fits the bill.....

The Honda XL650 Transalp! :shock:

Will I be banned from here....and what will Skyline say?

What do you reckon on these Transalps then guys?

[Guest]

Not a bad bike :shock: (for honda), but then again, it's a h*nda!

Seriously though, as you always say, if it feels comfortable and you cxan get a good deal, get a bike that's right for you. If it's right, go for it

[JohnR6]

How about the TDM900. 8)

[Pete]

It's not a dualsport John....it's a road bike.

[liquidcooled]

i've heard nothing but good things about them bikes pete. if you want one and they suit your needs then go for it, like i've said, buy a good bike that YOU like, dont comprimise and get something cos you feel you have to 8)

[JohnR6]

Oh, sorry XTreme! But the TDM does looks quite nice though! 8)

[XT Alan]

Hmmm? Transalp - A good engine: this old Bros lump has served Honda well and also powers the Dullsvile :wink: It isn't particularly powerful and in such a heavy bike will feel less pokey than your XT. But, it will chug on forever.

The totally crap gearbox is notorious.

It's Spanish or Italian built and non-Japanese Hondas are regarded as pretty poorly put together. So expect it to melt at the first sign of rain.

Personally, I would go for a BMW 650, which is also more dual sport than the Honda. It is also a much better bike in my opinion. Both are much less dual sport than the XT however.

At the end of the day, the reasons why you love the XT are reasons not to have either of these bikes. Both the Transalp and the Beemer are small 2nd rate versions of their bigger brothers: the GS1200 and the Varadero. So I would say, only change bikes if you want a different style of biking. The logic of which leads you to the V-Strom :shock: a road bike with traily style but no traily substance, but is a much more substantial bike than either the Beemer or Transalp, but not as good as a TDM. If you go for a TDM, you will want a 1000cc V-Strom.

And then: Guess what Pete? You're back on the merry-go-round :roll:

[yammie girl]

get ur wife to take her test....and buy her own bike... :!:

[YamaHead]

Yammie might be onto something there Pete :wink:

[Pete]

Good points Alan. As you know I love the XT but 2 up it does have shortcomings.

I still want this style of bike, and I'm not going back to a standard, but options are limited unfortunately.

[XT Alan]

Hi Pete,

Of course, I missed the "bleedin' obvious" choice in my previous reply. Why not go for an XT660? Comfy, larger saddle, decent grab handles, modern engine, more power and it comes with a range of add ons, including 2 heights of screen. A little less offroad than your 600, but it is definitely a better prospect than a Transalp.

A to B it is more comfortable and handles better (as a road bike) than either my old CB1300 or Bandit 12. I am getting 75mpg at road speeds of 70 mph.

I know that you are a serial bike changer, so you might need a road bike again in between just to remind you how dull and limiting they really are, before you get XTing again :wink:

0 - 100 - 0 in 12 seconds! Been there, done that ..............yawn.

[YamaHead]

Good sales pitch there Alan........ya got me wanting one now! :wink:

Seems like that would fit Pete's needs quite well........but only he'll be able to verify that

[XT Alan]

It's a great bike YamaHead. If you ride one, you will want one.

It seems that Pete and I agree on most things biking, but one thing Pete has missed out on, changing bikes every 34 seconds, is that when you change bikes frequently you never get to develop a relationship with a machine. This is, for me, a huge part of the pleasure in being a biker. It's only after you have done a big trip, had an adventure, gone through a few sets of tyres even, that the true character and quality of a bike reveals itself. You tweek it to your style of riding, you get used to its little quirks. This can never happen with a modern car, but with certain makes and models of bike - Suzuki Bandits, Gixxers, Yamaha XTs, FJ1200s and (old) Fazers, Kwak GPZs, Old Beemers, Harleys and Ducatis - there is an individuality of concept that appeals to so many different types of rider. BMW cars, Mondeos, Vectras? Who cares - they go, they stop, they get replaced. Bikes (apart from the supersports flavour of the month models) represent a whole different set of values.

This is why I got rid of the Honda 1300 - it was sooo boring. It was just a fast toy and a badly built one at that. It looked purposeful, but it would have been a coplete dog by 20,000 miles - I cut my losses. My previous Bandit 12 which I had for 3 years (24,000 miles), was a stormer. From here in Wales to the far north of Scotland (Scourie) two up in 8 hours and touring around for a couple of weeks - brilliant. For this type of riding the perfect bike. When I sold it, after 3 Welsh winters, it looked like new.

I have big plans for the XT: Early days yet (only 1200 miles), but it looks like it will be another long term relationship.

Essay over - I need to lie down and take my medication :roll:

[Pete]

You know my main concern about the XT660? The design of it!

What I mean is that as far as I can see, the bike was made to be a motard. Everything about it says motard.

I reckon Yam wanted to produce a motard, which they did with the XT660X, then thought..."Hang on, let's throw bigger wheels on it and sell it as a dualsport and get 2 bites of the cherry". Which they have done through the XT660R.

I want a bike that doesn't look or feel like a motard or a streetbike.

That's why I'm thinking of an Adventure Tourer...but BM's are OUT! I'll only buy Jap.

[XT Alan]

In the middle weights there is a simple choice then: Transalp v V Strom. No contest! V Strom is much more bike for your hard earned - more power, better handling, big comfy saddle and (I can feel Pete getting all excited) it's a SUZUKI :shock:

[Tym]

You need the perfect garage XT,

an Enduro, and a } Sport Tourer {...

Get your self a dedicated two up bike,

And use the enduro fir hooliganisms

[Pete]

We're in danger of getting a real bike thread going here you know.

Anyway, I was looking at a Transalp Forum and have come across a few people complaining about their bikes using a lot of oil!

That's getting into Shitzuki territory....anybody else know whether that motor has a history of oil usage?

[Guest]

I might have read something like that in a magazine, but I can't remember if it was definately that bike or a similar one :roll:

[XT Alan]

Yes. The Honda V twins do use a little oil. My mate has a Direvile, which uses the same engine, and it uses a litre between services. It is the old Bros engine and they do go on forever as they are in a very low state of tune. The cosmetics are on a par with the Dullvole - very poor.

By memory: Transalps compression ratio is 9.2 - 1, BHP at the back wheel is 44 and torque is 40. Top speed is 105mph downhill with a following wind. So overtaking will be even more leisurely than your XT.

The 650 VStrom puts out around 65 bhp and is also a well proven motor, plus you get the outstanding Suzuki Gearbox.

By reputation the Transalp's box is as bad as the original 850 TDM's. In other words - simply horrible.

[Pete]

I've been looking at comparisons and it appears that the V-Strom is far better in many respects than the TA. But to me it looks like a road bike.

However, it seems there may be a main bearing fault which Suzuki are trying to worm their way out of. Why am I not surprised? :roll:

http://11109.rapidforum.com/topic=101081106027