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3 Apr 2005
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Registered Users
HUBB regular
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: bristol, uk
Posts: 58
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age of bikes - important?
am going on a central and south america (and beyond) open ended trip, leaving summer 06 (too far away...), and have decided on a africa twin.
having just smashed up myself and the road bike, (in a straight line at 90 on a good, straight road. go figure!!) i need to buy the bike now. looking around i see a lot of 1994 bikes with 30 odd thousand miles on them. I am a competant mechanic, and can easily fix anything that needs doing but am wondering if there is a reason to avoid my first instinct of a older, higher milage (but good nick) bike, and save extra pennies for a much newer one. (£1000+ difference - thats a month in S america at least!)
money is tight for this project. all advice and suggestions about all parts of the plan and trip will be welcomed!
thanks
dan
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3 Apr 2005
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Registered Users
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Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Nantes, France
Posts: 392
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I wouldn't hesitate to get an older AT. Not just because of their reliablity (it's a Honda blah blah blah), but because of their superior quality to the later ones.
When the Yamaha Tenere big monster thing came out a lot cheaper, Honda redesigned the AT taking off lots of little bits and pieces in order to save money, remarketing the bike at a price more like the Yamaha.
There is a higher ground clearance on the older ones too: they are, I think it is fair to say, closer to the trail/off-road idea that the XL series began with.
Gradual "improvements" have lead away from this towards a more road oriented bike. The same is true of the Transalp.
Not that later ATs aren't good ( they have a bit more power I believe), but for overlanding, I think that the older ones edge it.
__________________
Simon Kennedy
Around the world 2000-2004, on a 1993 Honda Transalp
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12 Apr 2005
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: bristol, uk
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cheers for that. on with plan A. although the bike has now changed to a transalp. didn't realise just how heavy the africa twin was till i rode the thing...
dan
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10 May 2005
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: TGA, Bay of Plenty, NZ
Posts: 21
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An older bike is probably better, Have a new BMW dakar and have to change the intinerary a little to suit the service requirements
Mexico so far has been friendly and safe with easy access to gas and the things needed.
Cheers Geoff
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In mexico heading south to central and south america until Jan 06
__________________
Finished 09/04/06, Denver Colorado to Ushuaia and back to Santiago. 27000 miles two up on a 2005 F650GS Dakar
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