Triumph Explorer XC vs BMW GS1200adventure.

[vash]

still trying to work out the details for my midlife crisis.

wife gave the idea "the yellow light". i want a bike again. i want to sit up high so i can scan ahead..no more rocket bikes for me. my wife wants to ride with me..so two passenger stuff.

i have grandiose visions of riding the ALCAN highway with one. (probably be more like Starbuck runs)

i was about certain to get the BMW..but i walked into a triumph dealership..whoa!

this idea is in it's infancy. next person that offers me crazy money for my SC, might just put me back on a bike. (i've said "not for sale" three times now)

the bikes are awful similar. i almost got the Triumph in EP, tex..for just shy of $15k..

[dlockhart]

Don't rule out going orange. The big KTM is nice too. I like my little KTM640 ADV for getting about. It is small enough to single track and if I'm feeling sporty I can huck it over some table tops on the local "B" track.

For the ALCAN, a friend did it a few years ago and he reports the big GS made it a comfortable and easy ride. ( gravel road sofa)

[Rick Lee]

The R1200GSA is a BIG bike. If you're not at least 6'1" and used to top heavy bikes, be careful. With that 9 gallon tank, it doesn't take much for it to want to tip over in very slow parking lot maneuvering. However, if you know how to ride them, they are soooo comfortable for long hwy. trips and handle mild offroading well.

[vash]

Yea. The triumph fit. I just about got to flat foot. I think I can lower it. Heck, shaving the seat would work. Never sat on a Beemer.


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[tedg04]

I'd cross-shop the Super Tenere in there too. GSA's are just ungodly expensive in my mind. Great bike, but at a 25% premium over the market (like cars, as optioned prices are a bit higher than stated MSRP, quite a bit).
As I recall, the ST couldn't switch off it's ABS (might be nice for gravel), but I'm sure someone has a wiring diagram to put in a two position switch.
If you go GSA, get one with the elec suspension. It is awesome.

[nostatic]

+1 to what Rick said. Even the regular GS is made for taller riders. They have focused on making it a bit more friendly to those who are height challenged. You can get about 200 miles on a tank of gas, so as long as you're not too far in the boonies it isn't an issue. I find that I need to stop every hundred miles or so anyway to give my body a rest.

[dlockhart]

the 800 looks fun, not too big.

[scottmandue]

Whatever you get make sure it has a really, really loud exhaust!

[Don Ro]

Paul at Touratech speaks with straight tongue.
Not many BMW 800 GSs on the used market...unless the owners have traded up to new same. ....and every owner that I've spoken with loves them.

[dlockhart]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

Paul at Touratech speaks with straight tongue.
Not many BMW 800 GSs on the used market...unless the owners have traded up to new same. ....and every owner that I've spoken with loves them.

The mid size bikes make a lot of sense. My 640 is a offroad star, but the hwy is not fun, the big KTM and even bigger GS seem to rule out any real off road fun unless you have extraordinary skills.

[Don Ro]

Man and bike are one. Oh, to be that talented...in my dreams.
Good music for that, too.
Thanks...enjoyed it.
.
Been watching the indoor trials on DirecTV...wonderful!

[on2wheels52]

Unless you're committed to a brand new bike, you might take a look at the bikes on the ADV flea market. I just took a glance and saw 4 GSA's posted today along with a couple of standard GS's (and a couple of 800's). I knew whatever I bought would be taking an occasional nap in the dirt so all I looked at were used bikes. After a month of looking I knew a good deal when I found it.
Jim

[tedg04]

The F800 is slightly less comfortable than riding a broomstick though.
It is quite a bit more manageable off road, but for the 10% of the time it spends out there I'll take the comfort over the off road prowess all day long.
However, if you do want an 800 class machine, my understanding is that the tiger 800 is a lot more comfy than the F800.

[motion]

Vash, Vash, Vash. I've had em all.... get a used 2008 KLR650 for $3500. Best all around bike on the market and in the recorded history of mankind. Not that exciting, but it does everything.

[MMARSH]

Go check out the KTM 1190. its much lighter then the BMW, handles dirt way better then the triumph and is a much better two up bike then a KLR. It has 150hp, if you get the non "R" model it has electronic suspension. Depending on your riding style, its the best all around big Adventure bike you can buy.

KLR has been around for years for a reason, but if 2 up riding and cruising on the freeway above 75 mph is something you plan on, I wouldn't even consider it.

I got an F800GS from the dealer as a loaner when I dropped my bike off for service. I actually really liked that bike a lot. My ride home includes a very nice twisty bit and it handled really well. In fact, that weekend I took it,bags and all on my weekend morning back road ride with my sport bike riding buddies and they were all surprised at it's abilities. I didn't get a chance to try it out in the dirt though.

I've spent some time on the 800 tiger riding it back to back with a 1200GS. I had thought the 800 tiger would be my choice of ADV bike. Well I hated it. in fact every one of my buddies who rode it preferred the 1200 GS and F650GS we were rotating with it.

[turbo6bar]

Is an F800Gs even 2-up friendly? I own and am selling an 07 BMW G650X Country. As an off road steed it's probably better than anything mentioned here except the 640 and 1190 KTM. The 350 lb wet weight is much lighter than the F800, but the X Country totally sucks 2-up. A 15 mile jaunt into the city for funtime was a real pain on the G650X.

I wish I could help on the Explorer XC versus 1200GSA question, but I would not get a small bike if 2-up and/or high speed is in your gameplan. That said, when looking, I heard the V-strom Suzuki 650 is a really good 2-up bike. I couldn't get over claims they were boring bikes, so I bought a Buell Ulysses for puny money. Damn good 2-up bike, crazy down-low torque, and quirky enough to keep me interested. I'm not saying you should get one. Motorbikes, in my opinion, are all about being irrational.

Cheers,
Jurgen

[Oracle]

I have been "researching" and comparing both for months.. Not one review found any flaws with the XC. The GS is still the benchmark but from the money perspective the XC wins hands down..
You can lower it and/or buy a lower factory seat.. no issues there..
Also there are as many accessories for the XC than for the GS..

Overall I will buy (eventually) an XC since it's as good for a lot less $$$

[regency]

I loved my 1150 GS and now, I'm thinking about KTM. However, motion makes a great point suggesting the KLR650.

1973 911T MFI Coupe, Aubergine

Steve

[Noah930]

No experience with this part of the bike market, but a friend has the Super Tenere and **loves** it. He's about 50 yrs-old and into that adventure riding stuff, though. He's ridden it down through Baja a couple times, as well as up to Washington (state) and back. He's got all the Touratech farkles on it, as well.

He had the KLR before, but didn't like the lack of power. Noticeable on the highway, as Mr. Marsh noted above. Plus there was a fork shake at above 80 mph that he couldn't get rid of, despite trying aftermarket fork braces. But there are a million of them out there, so they're cheap, parts are interchangeable between years, and you can go anywhere in the world and repair the thing.

[Rick Lee]

I still don't think I've ever seen a Tenere in the US. I took this photo in Paris in 2010 and it looked a lot smaller than an R1200GSA.



I will own another GS or GSA, that's for sure. But I'm so addicted to the acceleration of my K1200R, that I can't imagine giving it up and then only having a GS. So I'll have to keep it and get a GS/GSA when I can afford to keep them both.