foca Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 Hi, new member here, I've had an sv650 for 5 years and am looking for a change. Looking for a *sporty* slightly larger bike and for a slight (20% +) bump in torque and top end. Is the tracer/fj the best bike in this category, ignoring production price differences? I have not ridden a tracer/fj but I'm loving size and power specs. I'm struggling to find bikes in this category. If anyone can comment on the hypermotard or other alternatives it would be much appreciated! My short list: - Hypermotard 821 sp or non sp, add on a short windscreen and maybe some mini fairing bits for extra comfort, add a custom seat to move the seating position back a bit and give more room. Only thing that scares me on this bike is the seating position. - fj-09. Love the specs but don't like the look personally. Would definitely remove handguards, do a tail tidy, maybe paint job, definitely custom short screen. Also need to upgrade suspension it seems. All those mods, might be better off with something else. - used kTM 990 smt. Or maybe a 990 sm. Fuel range isn't great and eats a lot of gas but otherwise seems like a good competitor. Ruled out: - fz-09. Sat on one, really small! Feels smaller than my sv650 (I have an aftermarket rear that raises the frame and also a custom seat that adds over an inch). - mv agusta turismo veloce. Almost a perfect bike but the touring tail impacts the sporty side (no tail storage, very difficult to tail tidy, license and blinkers at rear tire easy to break maybe) and there are reports of weird fueling issues. - mv agusta rivale - terrible fuel tank size - mv agusta stradale - meh hypermotard is better i think - street triple r. also seems a bit small. other than that seems perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member wessie Posted May 21, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted May 21, 2015 You have a varied range of bikes on your list and you list many variables to consider. My advice would be to go ride the bikes as some may drop out of your spreadsheet due to the ergonomics. Those that have aesthetics that displease you may impress you enough from the saddle to become serious contenders. For me, I set myself some economic parameters and see what can be bought within these limits, either new or nearly new. Then the next parameters are function over form (buying a pig ugly R1150GS is evidence of that but I couldn't lower myself to the mk1 Versys 1000cc). Currently, a relaxed riding position and a low gross weight are the factors that steered me towards the FJ/Tracer. Eventually, you need to reduce the number of columns on your spreadsheet to only include those things that are critical, otherwise you will be procrastinating ad infinitum as that perfect bike for your needs is a mythical beast. Alternatively, if you are considering bikes like those from MV Agusta, maybe spend the $18000 on a fleet of older bikes that can be used for different occasions. This signature is left blank as the poster writes enough pretentious bollocks as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foca Posted May 24, 2015 Author Share Posted May 24, 2015 May 22, 2015 0:21:31 GMT 2 wessie said:You have a varied range of bikes on your list and you list many variables to consider. My advice would be to go ride the bikes as some may drop out of your spreadsheet due to the ergonomics. Those that have aesthetics that displease you may impress you enough from the saddle to become serious contenders. For me, I set myself some economic parameters and see what can be bought within these limits, either new or nearly new. Then the next parameters are function over form (buying a pig ugly R1150GS is evidence of that but I couldn't lower myself to the mk1 Versys 1000cc). Currently, a relaxed riding position and a low gross weight are the factors that steered me towards the FJ/Tracer. Eventually, you need to reduce the number of columns on your spreadsheet to only include those things that are critical, otherwise you will be procrastinating ad infinitum as that perfect bike for your needs is a mythical beast > Thank you - I will be doing some test rides and I'm some will drop off like you said right away. Just curious on some of those here that may have directly compared against some of the other bikes on the list with helpful feedback on those particular bikes. Multiple bikes is a great option, but for me I don't get enough ride time on my bike per year as is so I want to focus on one machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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