And for us short ones "off the road" has just manufactured a 35mm lowering link for the rear. http://www.offtheroad.de/ Makes the seat a slightly less bxll breaking 860mm.

Well done. A good choice. (Another one won over from the Dark Side...;-)

Now, get over to the XT660.com forum and seek out all the specific info you want and need regarding the Tenere.

__________________
HansP
All you wanted to know
about riding in Norway

I've been having a look at the Tenere. It's a stunner and unbelievable that it cost the same new as a second hand BMW.
Busy reading the reports but you guys have done well to change my mind.
I think I'll buy one in the new year when there are a few around with 1 -3000miles on the clock. Then spend some cash to get it Africa ready.

I'm so excited![/quote]

Now that sounds like a plan

Enjoy yourself

Sure you don't fancy trying a Triumph outfit? Much harder to fall off, plenty of space for the essentials (G&T etc.) and not much heavier than the Guzzi Quota

Andy

If I should cross Africa with a single it would have been with F650GS or an old XT.

The new XT is the most interesting single which have been introduced in the last years but it’s still a new bike and you will not find someone who can serve it properly before you reach South Africa, maybe Namibia.

Despite what people says here the “old” 650GS has proven to be a reliable bike which easily can do more then 100kkm. The police in Kenya and Zambia (and maybe other places) use some kind of F650GS so it’s possible to buy some parts from the police.
Remember that the locals in Africa don’t run big bikes and you will probably not find a bike-shop that sells parts before you get to South Africa or Namibia. Even tires, chain and sprockets are close to impossible to find in the “shops”.
Most African countries have a BMW-shop (there are always some rich guys that want BMW-cars). The shops normally don’t have spares for bikes (they have a few parts in Nairobi and Zambia) but they have the channels to order them. It’s no problem to order parts from Europe but sometime customs could take time – and money.


A friend of mine recently bought an F650GS with 140kkm.on the clock, beside the clutch and a top gasket the engine was untouched.
The plan was to set it up with a TT39 kit from Touratech, the bike would then have a range of 1000kms which would be outstanding in the bike-world. The range would make it possible to go places in Africa where unsupported bikes normally have to stop. Maybe it’s possible to convert some of the tanks to water; it would have been a nice desert-cruiser.
Anyway, he didn’t like to drive a single so he changed it for a 1986 R80 G/S PD which gives more comfort, same offroad abilities and it’s easier (and cheaper) to maintain.


For some reasons a lot of people that drive jap-bikes tends to bash BMW. My BMW has made 200kkm through three continents and 60-70 countries, it’s not outstanding in the BMW-world but when did you last see another bike with the same records?

Well - BMW is the Dark Side, after all..

Oh, btw: Here are a bunch of Guzzis with a couple of miles on the clock.



Bill Stokes' '73 V7 Sport has more than 300 000 miles on the odo. Photo: GuzziTech.com

__________________
HansP
All you wanted to know
about riding in Norway

I did a lot of research into the best bike for my needs. I seriously looked at the Dakar, but the prices, even second hand, are crazy. If I had the money, I would definitely have gone for the new Tenere, no question, no contest. Ended up buying a second hand Pegaso Trail. Mainly due to it being my first bike; very reasonable price; it also has the same engine (?) as the Tenere. Very happy with my choice, but I still lust after the Tenere; maybe next year

Sorry Indu, I should have written "when did you last see a jap-bike with the same records?" :-)

We are still talking about offroad touring bikes, right?

Ok. Let's have a pissing contest. But then let's compare apples to apples, pears to pears - not multi cylinder bikes vs singles.

Dirk Egli's Honda Africa Twin has more than 240 000 km's on the odo, including km's racked up during the last seven winters.



His is not alone. AT's are known for being able to withstand use and abuse for years and years. Just change the oil, chain, sprocket and the odd fuel pump, and off you go.

__________________
HansP
All you wanted to know
about riding in Norway

I agree, The AT (and TA) are both solid bikes that unlike the singles from the same company will last for a long time. Both should be considered if you look for a twin.

Personally I find the AT difficult to drive in rough terrain but some people manage it: YouTube - How to handle a Africa Twin

Damn, those guys know how to handle 200 kg + worth of Africa Twin! Great vid, thanks!

__________________
HansP
All you wanted to know
about riding in Norway

There are offroad bikes of all other brands that have set such "records", it's only they don't have the same marketing and/or the same fanclubs as the germans to spread the word on all forums.


The only bmw that was ever truly reliable was the K75/K100 series.

Sorry, my experiences are from people I have met and bikes that I have owned.

I’m not a fan of fan-clubs, but the Ks are nice bikes :-)

Those words prove the only people who really know something or two about the reliability of BMWs are those who actually have owned (various of) them.

Have you?

I'd say the R1xx0 boxer twins are among the most mileage-eater reliable bikes currenty around. One good example here - currently 420 000 miles (672 000 kilometre) R1100GS, even pistons and rings are original. (Seen some 300+K boxers, and lot of 100+K which is rather regular among older boxers) So out of curiosity, has any jap big-traile twin has done similar mileage without any breakdown or major work done on the bike, how many chain sets?

And it's so funny yet ironic to read mr. Mollydog is at his famous BMW-bash cycle again so here we go through all over it again... again he comes bashing BMW with wrong facts. When's BMW last won something? Well, two days ago, showing KTMs and all japs their rear-light. And it's just one of the series-wins and they're leading the series with single-cyl bike. Not bad for a maker that makes just few percent of the bike's sales in the world, is it? You can read about their racing activites here.




Now some offtopic :

Uganduro: Spreading words - yeah I do agree BMW are particulary good on the sales ads, but by owning both jap and BMW bikes I also know BMW users are way more enthusiastic than an average jap bike user that changes his bike every year or two because of boredom, bikes are mostly sold with small mileages (and sold dirt cheap since mostly jap bikes don't hold their aftermarket price) and thinking-assuming they should be reliable. While BMW owners keep their bike for ages and clock up huge miles, 100K miles is not a factor for many users I know, and the bikes have been realistically proven reliable. Something you don't see that often on jap bike users (again not bad for a maker that makes just few percent from all the bikes is it?)

Unlike the japs that can leave people just bored, with BMW bikes there are mostly only hate-OR-love fold, since they're so different. And you get reactions about BMW accordingly in every media channel, be it forum or a mag.

BMW users praise their bikes more than anything else, jap users do it too, but mostly never with that kind of enthusiasm as european bike users (not just BMW). While owned both BMW and japs, in all those years, the main difference I've picked up is: jap users bash other (mostly european-made) bikes, while european bike users praise theirs, they normally don't bash others. IMHO, this says thing or two about the personality attitudes of different "schools" of bikers.

So IMO this describes the attitudes of people in the forums about european and jap brands (with american HD skipped out which is all different story). And you have to consider it on choosing your bike - different schools of bikers always argue (by brand/prupose etc of the bikes), and it's hard to pick up the truth. So the best way would be don't listen the forum-bollocks - go test ride all of them and decide yourself!

Others are not you, each person has it's own vision and viewpoint of things.

So your own reality is your best friend

Ride safe, Margus

R80/100 bmw owner usually don't make fun about chain sets. Before the average chain set is to be renewed, they need a gearbox revision, not to mention the various oil leaks in parts that I don't know the english terms for.

R1100 models? .
According to a rider "enquête" of a magazine in belgium (in 2000 or so!),
had 25% - I repeat: 25 per cent - of the respondents a ....

....

new gearbox.
Some respondents, were on their 3rd gearbox.

The paper cilinder head gaskets were not so reliable neither.


The magazine stopped doing such enquetes after that disastrous result for their biggest sponsor.


Don't know anything of your advrider forum, but IF there are many bmw riders, there will be several threads about gearboxes - from R80G/S to R1200GS A.

I actually love bmw's. Had 3 of them, wouldn't have wanted to swap with any comparable bike from whichever make/country.

but I would not recommend the 2 cilinder models for reliability.