Bonneville America Forums Forums General Motorcycle Forums Other Bikes I need purchasing advise

It has been a year since I crashed, and the Speedy is currently moth-balled. So, the wife has given me permission to buy another rig. I have narrowed my choices down to 9 motorcycles, - but I can't seem to make up my mind. So I need some help. Here are some links to my candidates,

Moto Guzzi Breva V 1100

then...

Moto Guzzi Griso 1100

then...

Triumph Sprint ST

then...

Triumph Speed Triple

then...

BMW R 1200 R

then...

BMW K 1200 R

then...

Yamaha FZ1

then...

Yamaha FJR 1300A

and finally...

KTM 990 Super Duke R

So, I would like some input about which one to get. I kinda like that BMW K 1200 R because it has 163 bhp (BMW says this bike will "cook Japanese without a hibatchi").

Please Advise,

-BT

Here's another choice...

Triumph Tiger - it shares the same engine with the S3 and the Sprint.

When I was searching, I seriously considered the Yamaha FZ1. I read many articles about the bike and came to the conclusion that they messed it up a bit in ’06 when they went to fuel Injection. Cycle World and Motorcyclist had several reviews.

My thoughts: Upright seating position, Lots of usable power, great looks (Sports Bike), good mileage. Could not picture my wife on the back.

Gerry

out of the choices you gave I would probably go with the BMW. They are very well made machines. I love my old one.

What is not to love about a Beemer? if you got the cash go for it!

Of your choices I'd go with that BMW you like. I bet it's the most expensive of the lot though. When I first saw picks of the Griso I fell in love with it, but when I saw it in person it just didn't do it for me anymore

Kick the Duke and BMW's out, way over priced (particuarly the Duke).
Just on adrenalin, I'd go for the Speed Triple. You've got some very different bikes listed. You need to narrow down how you will use what you buy. (Duke and the FJ1300 are worlds apart..).
The MG's are appealing, but I've never ridden one.

i would go triumph or yamaha

Frank

ssjones,

Good point! A BMW, I'm sure, is a wonderful machine, but is it 5 to 6K more wonderful than a FZ1 (for 9100 bucks), or 4 to 5K better than the Speed Triple (for 10K)? I really like the Sprint ST, - except I don't like lower fairings. And the Guzzi's are good, but are a bit sluggish (2 valves per cylinder).

I am really fickle right now.

-BT

You have a pretty big range of bikes there.
I could be wrong, but I would eliminate the Guzzis and the Duke for lack of dealer network - even smaller than triumph's?

To me, the yammies have no soul.

That leaves the beamers and the Triumps. The K1200 and the S3 are the bad boys of the group.

On the other hand, if new isn't important to you a low mileage Thunderbird Sport can be had pretty cheap.

Okay, I looked at a KTM SuperDuke 990 after work. A FRIGGIN PENNY SHORT OF 14K! And that is before tax, license, setup fee, & destination charges. So the KTM is out.

I also know that the FJR 1300A is a lot different than some of the others, - but it is the "hot-rod" of the sport-touring category (that I liked). Nevertheless, it would be too big, so it's out.

The MG Griso is also too expensive for the sluggish motor they put in it (they are going to make one with 4 valves per cylinder, - but not for the USA). So it's out.

I am intrigued by the Speed Triple because it seems every bit as rowdy (an insane wheelie machine) as the KTM SuperDuke, only $4,000.00 less (am I missing something here?).

So, now we're down to 6 bikes.

-BT

BMW - smooth as silk, built to last.

I'll never part with my Speedmaster. It's like part of my family...

...but when I hit Powerball

If price aint an issue BMW

My best advice... get another Speedy!

Soren

ssjones,

What I wish was available was a modern version of the old Sprint RS. A half a fairing with three pipes tucked underneth the seat like the modern Sprint ST. If they had that, I'd buy it.

I am teetering about the S3. The only thing that is holding me back is that with this second bike I did not want to accessorize forever and a day. Unfortunately, the S3 screams "accessorize me, - ACCESSORIZE ME!"

My wife prefers for me to buy the BMW R 1200 R because she thinks it is already quality stuff and has no need for accessorizing.

But, for me, the S3 is less boring. By the way, the S3 has everything that the SuperDuke 990 has, only better (single-sided swingarm, more horsepower, etc.). I've noticed that most German companies just really want to charge more money for their stuff (I know, KTM is from Austria, - but it's close enough). Is it arrogance, - or does it have merit?


I'm getting close.

-BT

Soren, you silly bunny, I'm a not going to get rid of my beloved Speedy. Are you nuts!?!!

-BT

Either of the BMWs. Fantastic machines, ive had a few and i love them.

I always prefer the Boxers beemers, but that new K bike sure does look like a blast.

BUT, servicing on those things is high ($90 per hour in some places), and there is not much a do it yourself mechanic can do. Particually on the K Bikes.

Arsenalfan,

You nailed it about that K 1200 R. I don't want to pay that kind of money to keep that thing tuned. That was why I dismissed the idea of a Ducati Monster S4R. But the Boxer motors are supposed to be easy to tune. This whole issue is where the Moto Guzzi's win, - hands down. You simply sit on a stool in your garage, with the motor head angling right up toward your face, - and adjust the valves with a screw and lock-nut. That's where the Guzzi shines.

-BT

The BMW might be $5,000 morew but it will run that much longer too.Those bikes never die 100,000 miles easy and then some.

Don't know the new Guzzis but my uncle had an older one. One of the very few in the country at the time. He was the top engineer for Alcoa Aluminum before he retired , now he is a consultant. Anyway his was a wonderful trouble free bike so that would also be a good choice. But the boxer is easy to work on and very dependable. Won't need to work on it for a long long time. Its a bike where you check the plugs then put em back in.

I always like it when somebody else wants help spending their money on a bike.

So if you like the Sprint RS, why not buy one? These can be had on the used market with not many miles on them for about $4000 or so.

If you're into the BMW thing, have you looked at the R1200ST? A bit more money than the R1200R, but it has that Sprint RS look to it. Trouble is they're hard to find, as I think they're a special order only bike...like the new FJR1300 is. Then there's also the new F800ST. Probably not enough horses though for you.

If you're considering an FZ1, why not a Suzuki Bandit 1250S? More upright riding position than the new FZ1, and now with liquid cooling and FI. A new one with ABS lists at $8799. If I was in the market for this kind of bike, the Bandit would be near the top of the list. But then I'm the type that usually looks for the most bang for the buck.

Whatever you end up with, enjoy the search and let us know what you buy.

SalMaglie,

Thanks for the input. I've noticed that all the motorcycle manufacturers are lowering their prices. This is an across the board trend. This is a bit baffling because the price of metal & labor has gone up. Perhaps these company are utilizing China for manufacturing more of their component parts.

Anyway, check the difference in the price of the 2006 & 2007 BMW K 1200 R here.

The same is true for the 2006 & 2007 Triumph Sprint ST here.

What's up with that?

-BT

Did the euro drop this year?
Remember exchange rate plays a factor here.

You did not even mention one of these:

http://www.ducati.com/en/bikes/my2007/ModelPage.jhtml?family=Monster&model=MS4RSTESTASTRETTA-07

It seems you are looking into a naked bike, I like the Ducati at 2007 MSRP $14,995 USD. If not I say Speed Triple. By far the best bike for the price.

Bobbed,

I dismissed the Monster S4R S Testastretta for this reason, - tuning it properly takes a large inventory of valve shims, and are a hassle to get at. Then, to get it to run "just right" one often has to mill a few thousandth off the shim stock with a grinding stone. This must be repeated every 3500 miles. Now, I do have access to a machine shop, - so I could do it. But, do I want to? Answer - No. I also don't want to pay to have this anal tuning done either.

That's why.

-BT

Gotcha! I have a buddy with one and he loves it. He's also giving the dealer lots of money on a regular basis. Now I know why.

This reply is kinda directed toward Pat, but if anyone else has input then chime in.

I located a 2004 Thunderbird Sport that is in pristine condition in my area. It can be viewed at this CycleTrader site. Anyway, if I bought that rig, I could continue accessorizing to my hearts content, and by the time I spent as much on that as I would some exotic machine, I'm thinkin I might be a whole lot more satisfied.

Then (and Pat, this is where you might offer some knowledge) maybe many of the parts off my beloved Speedy might be interchangable.

Any thoughts?

-BT

If Ducati's are so well engineered, how come you have to get everything adjusted so often? Doesn't sound like good engineering to me.

The T-Bird Sport is my second favorite Triumph. If '04 was not the last year for them, I may have bought one instead of the Speedy.

Soren

Well that TBS sure looks a bit pricey to me for a discontinued model with 12,000 miles on it, but then I also think these are starting to hold their value pretty well compared to a few years ago.

I can't see where a lot of parts are interchangeable since they have different motors, but without knowing what you had in mind it's kind of hard to speculate. I know the TBS hubs, especially the front one, are desirable for certain America owners because they can let you run dual front brakes with a spoked wheel.

Further up the thread....It's tough to figure out what the manufacturers do some times when it comes to pricing. I'd guess price drops on certain models for the most part would be due to the fact they aren't selling well. I know that's the reasoning I've read about the Rocket 3 and it's recent price drop.