BMW F900XR

[keithu]

20 hours ago, texscottyd said:

Have you ever ridden a Guzzi?   Tons of character, but totally different than the FJ...  It’s more of a slow-revving locomotive kind of fun than the rev-happy CP3 delivers.  Different, yet the same.  

I would respectfully submit that you need both.   Plus a big four-stroke single.  And a 600 Supersport bike.  You know the rule... it’s always n+1   

I like the way you think!

I got to run a tank of fuel through a Guzzi Sport 1100i about 20 years ago. I still replay that ride in my head. 

I can't imagine owning both my FJ and the V85TT. I think one would sit and one would get ridden a lot. I have seriously thought about getting a V7 Classic as a second bike though... or a Vitpilen... or a Speed Twin... or an FTR1200...

[texscottyd]

2 hours ago, keithu said:

I like the way you think!

I got to run a tank of fuel through a Guzzi Sport 1100i about 20 years ago. I still replay that ride in my head. 

I can't imagine owning both my FJ and the V85TT. I think one would sit and one would get ridden a lot. I have seriously thought about getting a V7 Classic as a second bike though... or a Vitpilen... or a Speed Twin... or an FTR1200...

This one has been sitting in a local shop for several years, just collecting dust while the owner tries to decide what to do with it...  I'm not even sure of the specific model and year.    I would love to add it to what my wife half-jokingly calls my Rescue for Abandoned and Unwanted Motorcycles

[BugsInTeeth]

I knew a guy had many Guzzi's, ( Guzzix's ?  whadever...), and the poor guy spent more time working ON

them than he spent RIDING them......they've probably changed  a lot by now, but his problems left

a bad taste....

[keithu]

On 11/25/2019 at 10:23 AM, texscottyd said:

This one has been sitting in a local shop for several years, just collecting dust while the owner tries to decide what to do with it...  I'm not even sure of the specific model and year.    I would love to add it to what my wife half-jokingly calls my Rescue for Abandoned and Unwanted Motorcycles

That's a V11 Sport, made in the early 2000s. Just look at it! Like a lonely dog at the pound. You should rescue it.

[texscottyd]

2 hours ago, keithu said:

You should rescue it.

I’ve made a few casual inquires on it, seeing if it might be able to follow me home.  It’s dirty & unloved, but looks to be complete and in decent shape.  With all the Ohlins & Brembo components, it’s a tempting piece...   I’ll research the V11 Sport model to learn a bit more.   Thanks for the info! 

[Guest]

Interesting thing about Guzzis, when people buy one they never leave them. Don’t know what it is but once a Guzzi owner always a Guzzi owner and most owners I know own more than one. I’ve ridden them on several occasions at the shop and they are a pleasant bike and solid reliable machines. 

[texscottyd]

On 11/25/2019 at 9:34 AM, keithu said:

I can't imagine owning both my FJ and the V85TT.

Fair enough.  So how about the FJ and a MGX-21 bagger?   I’ve had a secret lust for one of these things since they first appeared...  seems like way more character and quirky charm than an HD Street Glide.   At $22k it wasn’t something I would seriously consider, but at closer to $13k for a brand new non-current, it’s a bit more tempting.   

[betoney]

@texscottyd - Completely irrelevant to this discussion but an opinion nonetheless.  I am not a fan of any bagger-style bikes but if I was ever to be swayed, it would be the Honda Goldwing.  And more than likely I would get the DCT version.

2018 Honda Gold Wing Review | 15 Fast Facts

---

If you like most of the functionality of the Gold Wing Tour and don’t need...

 

[texscottyd]

Not irrelevant at all, @betoney.   I was fascinated by the new Gold Wing, so took one for a test ride back in the summer.   It was a huge evolution from the older Gold Wings, and I was incredibly impressed with the execution.   What I didn't feel was any emotional connection...  It was hard to find any flaws, but also hard to find any character.   Full disclosure:  I had the same challenge with the ST1300 I owned briefly, so it's clearly a pattern/personal problem with me.  

I wrote about it here:

 

 

[2and3cylinders]

On 11/5/2019 at 6:11 PM, stevesweetz said:

"I wasn't a huge fan of the bike overall for various reasons, but it probably had the most charm of any Honda I've ever ridden.  Engine actually sounded pretty good when you spun it up.  I think I could live with a 270° p-twin, but yeah probably still no match for the CP3 on charm."

Ever ridden a VTR1000F SUPERHAWK / FIRESTORM?  If you you like Ducati V-twins this Honda is the same (as is the RVT/RC51) with loads of character (charm?), are sneaky fast, torquey, smooth, and shift great.  My VTR is complimentary to my FJ, and my RD400 contrasts to both.  Now my old 72 H2 Mach IV just is from another planet... I

Oh, and a well kitted VTR with low miles in decent shape can be had for a comparative song.  

[keithu]

21 hours ago, texscottyd said:

Fair enough.  So how about the FJ and a MGX-21 bagger?

Those are interesting but not exactly my cup of tea. The only cruiserish bikes I sort of like are the Indian Springfield and Harley Road King, and I would only consider buying one if I thought my wife wanted to ride with me more often.

[texscottyd]

1 hour ago, keithu said:

Those are interesting but not exactly my cup of tea. The only cruiserish bikes I sort of like are the Indian Springfield and Harley Road King, and I would only consider buying one if I thought my wife wanted to ride with me more often.

Totally understand, and that was kind of half-joke, half-semi-serious.  I guess the math nets to only 25% serious?  

I rented a Road King in Honolulu for a day, and put about 400 miles on it going around the island... Around left, then halfway around right, then over & back the middle a couple of times.  It was a very, very nice motorcycle, and one I would consider owning if I (a) regularly carried a  passenger, or (b) had the ability to travel regularly for multiple days at a time on a bike.   Unfortunately I have neither right now, so there isn't a spot in the stable for a touring rig.  

That Guzzi MGX-21 is just such an outrageously unconventional exercise from Moto Guzzi that I found it really intruiging.  It's beautifully finished, has the quirky Guzzi traits that I find endearing, and the love-or-hate styling actually works for me.   Courtesy of the internet, I've found brand new ones for $10K - $11K...  that could be a fun fly & ride adventure.

[keithu]

I'm impressed that you could manage to ride 400 miles in a single day on Oahu despite the traffic, low speeds, and suicidal chickens.

[texscottyd]

18 hours ago, keithu said:

I'm impressed that you could manage to ride 400 miles in a single day on Oahu despite the traffic, low speeds, and suicidal chickens.

As with most good internet stories, the facts probably get stretched a bit along the way...   It was actually over the course of a long day and a half, and it might take a bit of rounding to get to a full 400 miles.  

I added an extra day on the end of a business trip to make it work...  picked up the bike at the HD dealership across from the airport right when they opened, and dropped off the next day around 2:00 pm, just in time to go catch my flight.    I made that entire loop around the island counterclockwise, then went up over the center mountains on whatever that 'highway' is, and came back around the coast clockwise along the shoreline of the eastern half of the island.   And then numerous passes up & back over the center again, with assorted excursions on side roads that looked interesting.   I honestly don't remember traffic being a problem, but I do recall that the scenery was stunning... 

The woman at the dealership was surprised by the mileage when I returned the bike.  "You must really like to ride.   Usually we get them back with less than 50 miles ridden." 

[stevesweetz]

US pricing finally announced, starts at: $11,695

Quite a bit more than I was expecting based on converted Canadian prices, but it's possible the US base model has some add-ons baked in.  Says it has a steering damper stock, which I don't know, seems like kind of overkill to me.

Available options and pricing for those not announced yet.

https://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/en/models/adventure/f900xr.html

 

Edited December 20, 2019 by stevesweetz