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I did a week and a half around CA on a versys 650 and it was pretty good all in all. It just worked, no quirks of any kind for better or worse; hop on and just ride kind of bike. The motor is not special and has no low rpm roll-on power (I have had a tuono and bandit 1200 so I guess I am spoiled), but it can only be better than another, smaller p-twin. Never rode a 500x but I am usually susceptible to 'vibeyness' and get numb hands but never had a problem even on 300+ mile days on the kawi. It wil also cruise fine in the golden ~85mph range but easily pass 100 if you want to and rev it.
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Aug 4, 2015 01:00
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I've been really really happy with my 500X. At 14k miles now, riding it every day. Really a fantastic all around bike. In other questions, just because I've been looking around, are there any sub $10k bikes these days with an upright position and shaft drive, fast enough to do distance on the highway? I'm sort of drawing a blank on it.
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Aug 4, 2015 16:43
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Very few shafties are made today. The only ones I can think of are BMW and cost BMW money and moto guzzi that cost almost BMW money.
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Aug 5, 2015 10:01
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Comedy options: Honda XLV750R  BMW R80G/S 
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Aug 5, 2015 11:49
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Mr. Wiggles posted:I've been really really happy with my 500X. At 14k miles now, riding it every day. Really a fantastic all around bike. Honda ST1300, mountains of those on the used market for less than 10K.
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Aug 5, 2015 14:32
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Yamaha BT1100 Bulldog
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Aug 5, 2015 16:05
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Wow, I've never seen or even heard of the Bulldog before. I really like it.
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Aug 5, 2015 17:20
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Mr. Wiggles posted:Wow, I've never seen or even heard of the Bulldog before. I really like it. Probably because much like the MT-01 and XJR1300, they have never sold it in the US.
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Aug 5, 2015 17:33
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Oh.....oh. Welp. Guess I'll be going through a bunch more chain lube then. Or buying a BMW sometime, but I was trying to avoid spending that kind of scratch on a yet another bike.
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Aug 5, 2015 18:08
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Mr. Wiggles posted:Wow, I've never seen or even heard of the Bulldog before. I really like it. All bark and no bite, unfortunately - only made about 70 hp, weighed more than the Sun, and handled slightly worse. For some reason it took Yamaha a really long time to even begin to get naked bikes right when the market started picking up in the early 2000s.
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Aug 5, 2015 18:24
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I think there have been real improvements on the vibeyness of the Versys over the years and now just about every touchpoint and the motor are rubber mounted. I really need to try a brand new Versys and CB500X back to back...and hopefully the FJ07 if it comes out soon.
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Aug 5, 2015 19:14
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goddamnedtwisto posted:All bark and no bite, unfortunately - only made about 70 hp, weighed more than the Sun, and handled slightly worse. For some reason it took Yamaha a really long time to even begin to get naked bikes right when the market started picking up in the early 2000s. I had a Yahama like that once. It was from 1983, so maybe those were forgivable characteristics, but that seems to be a thing for them.
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Aug 5, 2015 20:40
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Why in the ever living *gently caress* is the FZ-09 not available with ABS, I would buy one today if it did.
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Aug 5, 2015 22:08
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goddamnedtwisto posted:All bark and no bite, unfortunately - only made about 70 hp, weighed more than the Sun, and handled slightly worse. For some reason it took Yamaha a really long time to even begin to get naked bikes right when the market started picking up in the early 2000s.
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Aug 5, 2015 22:31
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Radbot posted:Why in the ever living *gently caress* is the FZ-09 not available with ABS, I would buy one today if it did. Seriously. And the FZ-07 is marketed heavily here as a first / second bike or girl bike - a market where you're avoiding the I DON'T NEED NO COMPUTA I CAN BRAKE FASTER THAN ANY MACHINE idiots and where ABS has been adopted pretty widely. (Also puzzling why the R3 doesn't have ABS when the Ninja 300 and CBR300 all do.) The day it's made mandatory in the USA will be a good day.
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Aug 5, 2015 23:03
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Collateral Damage posted:When I first got into bieks I wanted a Bulldog cause I thought it looked really nice.. Then once I got my license I read some reviews of it and welp. Yeah, when I first saw one I thought that it looked awesome - reminded me of a V-Max but with the potential to actually corner. Somehow though it has even worse handling than a V-Max but the power of a learner bike.
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Aug 5, 2015 23:41
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DEUCE SLUICE posted:Seriously. And the FZ-07 is marketed heavily here as a first / second bike or girl bike - a market where you're avoiding the I DON'T NEED NO COMPUTA I CAN BRAKE FASTER THAN ANY MACHINE idiots and where ABS has been adopted pretty widely. (Also puzzling why the R3 doesn't have ABS when the Ninja 300 and CBR300 all do.) Why? I mean, it would be a nice option. I have no doubt a computer can break faster them me or anyone else, but ABS is a pretty new thing on bikes... it did not stop ever other bike rider for the last 100 years from riding. I just don't understand this one, folks are so hung up on it. Bikes are inherently much more dangers then cars, always will be. Some things improve this and that is good, but why is it such a show stopper? 5 - 7 years ago almost no bike offered ABS yet everyone still rode. FYI, I just got a FZ-09 a month ago and could care less about ABS, have a buddy who would not get one without and got a FJ-09 for the ABS. To each his / her own. Also, the FZ-07 and FZ-09 are related, but not really in the same class. The FZ-09 is sort of made and marketed as a retard / hoolagan bike, the FZ-07 is much more of a "beginner / friendly" bike.
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Aug 6, 2015 03:55
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~35% reduction in fatalities on bikes equipped with ABS. People rode without helmets all those years ago too, and without real protective gear. The past is a bad baseline when it comes to bikes. Along with training, wearing a helmet, and not drinking and riding, ABS is a critical safety advancement in motorcycle safety.
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Aug 6, 2015 06:18
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I am danger close to getting a Triumph Tiger 800 XC. Someone please convince me this is a bad idea (I have considered the F800 GS but I'd rather just pocket the couple grand difference).
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Aug 6, 2015 06:32
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redscare posted:I am danger close to getting a Triumph Tiger 800 XC. Someone please convince me this is a bad idea (I have considered the F800 GS but I'd rather just pocket the couple grand difference). I rode a Triumph Tiger. It was glorious.
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Aug 6, 2015 06:44
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Z3n posted:~35% reduction in fatalities on bikes equipped with ABS. People rode without helmets all those years ago too, and without real protective gear. The past is a bad baseline when it comes to bikes. Yup. We're past the tipping point and there are enough bikes out there with ABS standard or optional that I can now choose to insist on it. I wish the Yamaha's had it but oh well, plenty of other bikes at all price points with it to choose from nowadays.
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Aug 6, 2015 07:15
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ABS is great, I will never dispute this. I find it odd that anyone would not buy a bike on that basis though. When I compare bike X to bike Y, one having ABS doesn't recommend it over the other one. Styling, engine, performance etc are all way, way, way more important.
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Aug 6, 2015 07:40
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Slavvy posted:ABS is great, I will never dispute this. I find it odd that anyone would not buy a bike on that basis though. When I compare bike X to bike Y, one having ABS doesn't recommend it over the other one. Styling, engine, performance etc are all way, way, way more important. Simple to justify. Do you want a 35% more reduction in the odds of you dying while riding a bike? Then get ABS. I had a laugh when a dealer tried to sell me a non-ABS bike AFTER I told him about the studies that showed that it was hugely beneficial.
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Aug 6, 2015 11:45
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Slavvy posted:ABS is great, I will never dispute this. I find it odd that anyone would not buy a bike on that basis though. When I compare bike X to bike Y, one having ABS doesn't recommend it over the other one. Styling, engine, performance etc are all way, way, way more important. I wear a biltwell too because styling is more important than safety. What is the etc which is also more important than safety?
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Aug 6, 2015 12:48
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My next bike will have both ABS and traction control. I trust a computer more than I trust myself not to do something stupid.
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Aug 6, 2015 13:11
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Koruthaiolos posted:I wear a biltwell too because styling is more important than safety. What is the etc which is also more important than safety? Cost, which is also why I go to a basement in Miami to have my cosmetic surgery done. 
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Aug 6, 2015 13:15
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Slavvy posted:ABS is great, I will never dispute this. I find it odd that anyone would not buy a bike on that basis though. When I compare bike X to bike Y, one having ABS doesn't recommend it over the other one. Styling, engine, performance etc are all way, way, way more important. I made "has ABS" number one on my list of requirements for a new bike. I've had 2 crashes that (almost certainly) wouldn't have happened with ABS (nigh-invisible diesel slick on the approach to a set of lights, and a straight-up panic grab in heavy rain) and while my skills have undoubtedly improved a lot I'd had a couple of near-misses with locking up the front on the Shiver and probably more than a few times when I'd unnecessarily put myself in increased danger by not braking as hard as I probably could have because of adverse conditions. I think the more important question (and the one that started this off) is way some manufacturers won't offer it even as an option on some bikes. It's a COTS product at this point so it's not like they have to invest in R&D (and even if they did they offer it on some models and not others), people are willing to pay the extra for it, and it's not like they can claim stylistic reasons for not offering it.
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Aug 6, 2015 13:40
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ABS and TCS are the best biking safety developments since helmets and sticky rubber. In fact, probably the only ones. For a sport/hobby/transport that has a sky-high risk factor that is such a huge win. True it's still not a binary choice especially for bikes on a budget but it really introduces into the decision process: "oh that one looks cool, that one is better 2-up, that one has the better motor, that one MAKES ME A THIRD LESS LIKELY TO DIE"
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Aug 6, 2015 16:41
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I love you guys so much. I know we just circlejerk about different things, but the fact that I can just cite the statistics and it's not filled with a bunch of mouthbreathers telling me how they outbrake all the ABSes and blah blah blah is just the nicest thing in the world to read when you wake up.
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Aug 6, 2015 16:47
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Z3n posted:I love you guys so much. No we love you.
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Aug 6, 2015 17:55
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For the last 3 months I've been hell bent on the Husky 710. Brand new, full price, I was ready. Then today I saw someone mention the tuono v4, which I could get for around the same price slightly used (ABS and all!). Goddammit I hate being wishy washy. I could then fix my xr400r tard myself (motor popped and trans was having issues) and get the SM kick from that again. 3 years into riding, 6 track days, etc, etc. Ninja 250 -> SV650 -> FZR600R (current runner) -> plated xr400 motard (current dust collector) -> Tuono V4!
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Aug 6, 2015 17:57
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goddamnedtwisto posted:All bark and no bite, unfortunately - only made about 70 hp, weighed more than the Sun, and handled slightly worse. For some reason it took Yamaha a really long time to even begin to get naked bikes right when the market started picking up in the early 2000s. Yeah it's not a great bike but it'd make a nice commuter. They're getting a bit old though. Also an extra mark against it is that its lo-po engine doesn't even have hydraulic lifters.
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Aug 6, 2015 18:09
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redscare posted:I am danger close to getting a Triumph Tiger 800 XC. Someone please convince me this is a bad idea (I have considered the F800 GS but I'd rather just pocket the couple grand difference). My dad sold me his Duke and traded in his Sportster on an 800 xcx. It looks really well finished, engine is supposedly rock-solid, and it's pretty much a great bike (for old people), but here's his issues with it: -Standard windscreen is awful, the Triumph aftermarket one is awful too, he got some 350 euro one from some other brand people on forums are really happy with and he said it's as silent as in a car. -The passenger pegs are welded to the rear subframe, which is welded to the main frame. Which means that if you drop the bike it's totaled. -The sound is just shameful. -Engine is completely characterless and feels like an electric motor.
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Aug 6, 2015 18:15
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I totally agree that the windscreen is terrible; all the wind is forced directly into your helmet, making the ride way noisier than it should be. I did love the engine though. It sounds electric at idle, just a slight whirring in the background, but whenever I opened it up the Tiger roars. I was shocked by how alive it sounded. I thought the name was silly until I started riding it and now I smile every time I think about that bike. The engine had such a beautiful note to it when it got up to speed. As far as power curve and being fun to ride, I dunno. I've only ridden my DRZ, so outside of the Tiger I haven't been on any bikes that weren't MSF bikes. I had fun with the Tiger and thought the delivery and ride was great. On the other hand, any bike that can handle the freeway comfortably is fun to me because I'm comparing it to the DRZ, which isn't enjoyable at 60+, unless you like numb hands.
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Aug 6, 2015 18:49
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Is it a terrible idea to buy a Honda 919 with 46000 miles on it? It's a 2003, and it's listed for $1000, so I'm feeling a little nervous, but it could just be a solid deal. Anything I should look out for in particular?
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Aug 6, 2015 19:03
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benwards posted:Is it a terrible idea to buy a Honda 919 with 46000 miles on it? It's a 2003, and it's listed for $1000, so I'm feeling a little nervous, but it could just be a solid deal. Anything I should look out for in particular? What kind of shape is it in? How badly do you need that $1k? If you go in expecting it to need a whole bunch of stuff, go for it. If you're buying it with your last $1k and expecting to ride it to job interviews and meetings with your PO, I wouldn't do it.
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Aug 6, 2015 23:14
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Photos seem to show it's in good shape -- I'm gonna take a look at it tomorrow morning. I could plow another $1500 into it without stressing, in terms of cash, and I'd make it back easily just by flipping it. I guess I'm just wondering if there are any huge red flags to look for with this particular bike.
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Aug 6, 2015 23:25
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High Protein posted:My dad sold me his Duke and traded in his Sportster on an 800 xcx. It looks really well finished, engine is supposedly rock-solid, and it's pretty much a great bike (for old people), but here's his issues with it: Guess I'll have to spring for the panniers to avoid the passenger peg issue. I used to have a KLR, so a dodgy windshield and bad-sounding engine are non-issues. But why do you say it's an old people bike?
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Aug 6, 2015 23:47
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redscare posted:But why do you say it's an old people bike? I'm pretty sure that's the target audience for road-going Adventure Bikes.. I'll give it to the Tiger though, at least it's vestigial Adventure Beak is almost gone.
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Aug 7, 2015 00:10
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redscare posted:Guess I'll have to spring for the panniers to avoid the passenger peg issue. I used to have a KLR, so a dodgy windshield and bad-sounding engine are non-issues. The engine sounds great, you philistines! 
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Aug 7, 2015 00:13
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