I need a bike for a trip around the world
 

Hello :)
Inspired by all the stories and videos you can find online, i decided to get on a unpaid leave off work in 2019 and the company even said yes :thumbup1:

My situation right now is that i am getting my drivers license for motorcycles in Germany and i want to buy a bike in autumn (so within the next 4 months i guess). I don't have the license yet so i can't test some bikes but i just use google searches many many many times and i am simply overwhelmed by the huge selection of motorcycles on the market. :helpsmilie:

So some basic informations:
I am male, 26 years young and 1,78metres tall so im not really big, which could be a problem for big adventure bikes.
I plan to drive from Germany to Tiflis (Georgia) within 2-3 Months and avoid any highways. I totally expect parts with bad road conditions and offroad parts, i guess an enduro or travelenduro or the newer term "Adventure Bike" is the right thing to get. Anyway if i enjoyed it till there im totally open to go further since nepal is definitely on my bucket list as well as china (which is hard to reach with my own motorcycle due to the strict laws for foreign vehicles there).

I successfully traveled from north vietnam to the south and throu a few islands in Indonesia (Bali and Lombok) with a scooter and i loved it, this time whatsoever i want a real bike ;)

One of the biggest worries i have is the weight, i definitely want a light bike, around 150 to 190KG. And i also am afraid of newer bikes with alot of digital or electronical technologies in it. What i also want is ABS, im not even sure why but i just think it will be a good idea to have it!

I found alot of maybe good bikes, then i find another opinion and think "nah maybe that bike is not good at all".

Im kinda "stuck" to the Honda CRF250 Rally, Honda CB500X, Kawasaki Versys X-300 or even Versys 650, BMW GS800 or Suzuki V-Strom 650.

Those are all newer bikes tho, to avoid the problem with the newer technologies i kinda am worried that a defect can end my trip way 2 early.
Older bikes I've found are the Kawasaki KLR500 (90s) but without ABS, or the KLR650, KLE650 (older Versions), the Honda Transalp and and and.

WHAT are good suggestions? I kinda would like to get it down to 3 or maybe 4 bikes and then just rent the bikes and go on weekend trips with it before the summer ends. I will definitely test the bikes before i buy but i cant test 20 bikes doh

Any help for a new motorcycle friend? :)

You will find a 100 opinions on this. IMO, all your initial bike choices are pretty good. Keep in mind that older, low tech bikes WILL NOT come with ABS. But ABS is the last thing you need on such a trip.

If you liked the Scooters in SE Asia then you have good taste! IMO, smaller, lighter bikes are the way to go.
250cc is about perfect for most riding in most places save Autobahn or parts of USA.

But now you really need a different bike for each continent. For most of EU, USA, Canada and most of S. America, a larger, more powerful bike would be OK. But very expensive, but fast, smoother and luxurious. Of course you can get along OK on a 250cc bike too. Or something smaller than a R1200GS.

For others continents, like much of Asia, smaller bikes like the Honda CRF250L
are a great choice. But you can also buy some pretty good Chinese bikes throughout the world now that are less expensive than Japanese bikes.

Chinese bikes continue to improve every year. Some travelers like to keep the same bike with them. Some get a bike suited for their location. Transporting a bike is expensive and very difficult. So, sometimes best to buy a bike for each continent you visit. Then sell it on, move on to next region of the world. Get another bike that suits that location. bier

A rather hard choice and hard to test ride bikes too. Good luck!
(lots of opinions and info here on HUBB on this subject ... so keep reading!)

Buy as you go
 

Howdy

I am with MollyDog on buying as you go.

Buy whatever is cheap where you are and sell it when you cant take it across a border. Then grab another or some other mode of transport that suits that country.

No Carnet worries. Soft luggage that can be used on most bikes.

I have the andystrapz soft panniers and they are great. I have rented bikes in Japan and NZ and use these as our carry on and just hook them together and wear them like a backpack and frontpack. Our large dririder bag goes in cargo with our helmets and other gear.

Expedition Soft Pannierz

I would recommend you have a look at the DR650.
I have travelled on both the transalp and vstrom and although both great bikes, I am getting a DR650 for my next trip.
lighter, simpler, more off road capable.

Well ... we all know the Suzuki DR650 is the best RTW Travel bike made today ...:mchappy: but I'm a bit biased. :smartass:
My 11 year old DR is over 62K miles, still going strong, (could use a top end)

Problem for the OP is getting hold of one in Germany. If he is willing to begin travel in USA, Canada, Australia or NZ, he could buy Used or New no problem. Around $5000 to $6000 USD new in USA. (not sure price in Canada or OZ?)

Used ones from $2500 to $5000 USD.

This bike is very hard to find in UK or EU. The ones for sale aren't always ideal examples. You may still find an XT600 here and there in UK or EU, not sure.
All these old Carb bikes are no longer sold in EU for over 10 years now, including the KLR, DR650 and Honda XR650L.

For me, the 250 is way to go for novice rider. I prefer the Yamaha WR250R, but the KLX250 and CRF250L are also good and with proper set up can be good travel bike. bier

Hey, thanks for the tips! Very helpful already!

I have never even thought about buying new bikes wherever i am, this sounds crazy expensive tho?!

I have the feeling that i should write more about my (planed) itinerary.
Since i will be on the road for a maximum of 12 months i will skip some parts of the world.

To be honest, I have been in asia many times and I kinda wanna go back again and again, since I also started learning chinese (which is madness in a basic german evening school xD), I have quiet a few things on my bucket list.

I checked out the route from Germany, starting in Cologne all the way down to Croatia over Austria and Slovenia. From there it goes along the coast to Albania, Greece and then Turkey. In Turkey i want to follow the blacksea to the Kackar Dali Mountains to Georgia. If i ride about 3-4 hours a day and stay a few days in some places (i ride about every 2-3 days only) i need 2 months for this part, let's say 3 months if I change my plan or want to stay longer in some places. I also avoid every Highway, since driving in the same direction for hours and see nothing but big trucks and fences for hours is not what i expect from such a trip. Whatsoever on this part of the route should be mostly good conditioned roads and also doable with a standart naked bike like suzuki sv650 etc.

After that I kinda don't really know where to go next. I don't want to go throu Iran and Pakistan to India because of safety reasons. So if i take it for Russia and then travel throu Kazakhstan to Mongolia i still have the problem, that I can't enter China with the Motorcycle. So i guess i will end my Journey there after 3-4 Months in Mongolia and sell it/leave it and take a plane into China. The 4000$ to make my bike become chinese is way 2 much for my Budget (around 2500€ / ~3000$ per month).

What i really WANT to do is the following:
- Chinese language course (around 1 month in length) in China
- Hiking (not driving) up to the Mount Everest Basecamp in Nepal
- Travel throu Japan and Southkorea
- Go back to Taiwan to see lots of friends of mine
- Maybe Australia? I don't know

That's all about it to be honest. Since its only 12 Month i will skip North- and Southamerica this time and come back there another time.
Africa is also not what I want to see right now, since I've seen Ghana, Morocco, Southafrica and Benin. I kinda liked Asia better.

In May 2018 I will go on a 4 week trip to Brazil so chances are high, that i will change my plan then xD But for now its only Europe->Southeurope->Georgia and then somehow on to Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

Taken that in consideration I need a bike that can handle not only the good roads but mainly the bad Roads. I would say having a 250ccm bike like the Honda CF250 on a highway for hours is "annoying" but way better then having a 230KG 650+ccm bike on a track made of loose rocks and mudfilled holes bigger then my tire.

Does the new Honda CF250 got alot of electronics on board? Or should I buy a used one? Another problem of this bike is that i definitely DON'T want a bike that has this standart enduro sound XD I don't like this loud screaming voice at all xD

edit: I kinda read alot of other threads and I am pretty sure now that I want a 250ccm bike.
The Options are Honda CFR250 Rally, the Yamaha WR250R and? What else worth Mentioning?
One more Questions tho: I've found the Yamaha WR450F online (as new bike) which weights only 123KG but offers 449ccm, isn't that better then a WR250R? It only cost 500€ more too (new).

New as in 'new' old LOL.

If you are buying older stuff, paying cash and looking for the right seller who needs to sell you can bank those savings for when its time to sell and sell at the same price or a bit more. Or, if you need to sell quick, say you buy for $2000, use it for 6 months, then take a 20% hit selling for $1600 it has cost you $400 for 6 months or $66 a month or $16.66 per week.

Bloomin cheap. Or even if you take a 50% hit on a quick sale its still only cost you $42 a week for the bike.

That's true but i kinda wanna buy a bike now and ride it the next 1,5 years until I start my journey. It's because i want to get used to the bike since it will be my first one and also get used to the art of travelling with a motorcycle. Not to mention that I want to sell my car as soon as possible because I still get around 14.000€ for it (2 years old Mazda 3 Sport) and the Motorcycle is overall way cheaper, which helps me saving Money for the trip.

I just found the thread about the WK400 Trail, damn that's a nice bike i kinda wanna buy now but I have no Idea where to get it in Germany :P

A 250ccm bike is, IMO, a good choice based on what you want. Actually getting on the bike and riding may change your mind!

The sound on the Honda is very quiet. All the modern bikes are quiet, but some used versions may have been modified by previous owner.

The CRF250L is a modern bike with Fuel Injection, so yes, some electronics. All VERY reliable ... just make sure the BATTERY is Strong! The new CRF now has ABS, earlier ones not. I would buy a nice used one with low Km.

Hard to find the Yamaha WR250R easily in Germany, but it is my favorite. The WR450F is totally different bike: The "F" model is a RACE BIKE, not a great bike for travel, not as reliable over long term as the 250.

Other options: Yamaha XT250, KLX250S and a few others, plus the Chinese bikes, some are good!. I would go to dealers, try to get as many test rides as you can to test out a few bikes. :thumbup1:

+1 on CRF250 (or rally for that matter). Not massively powerful, so could be a problem at altitude. And you will be restricted on weight - subframe is only rated to about 155kg (but not necessarily a bad thing). But the bike has good fuel consumption, can sit at 100-110km/h the whole day, robust and simple to maintain. Suspension is not all that great though, but functional

Yeah i guess it will be a 250ccm bike, what exactly i will find out once i go for test drives.

A Versys X-300 is too new and got too much electronics right?

I usually travel with 8KG on 4 week trips to asia, add maybe a tent (maybe i will mainly stay in hostels, not sure yet) and the motorcycle clothes and some spare parts and tools...should be around 30KG of luggage maximum. With my wheight its 120KG, but i will try to lose 10kg beforehand, so maybe 110KG of loadup. Should be fine.

EDIT: I've just found out that there are more light adventure bikes coming. In 2017/2018 they want to release a Suzuki V-Strom 250, BMW G310 GS, KTM 390 Adventure and Royal Enfield Himalayan, maybe the WK400Trail also gets available in Germany. I atleast know now that i don't want a 650ccm+ bike ;)

The Problem I see with the Honda CRF250 Rally is that the tank is very small and it might be superior to the other bikes in case of heavy off-road Biking but i am not planing to do tracks with it or something like that, i will avoid every highway i can avoid (by highway i mean something like Autobahn btw, i never remember if the right word is highway or freeway :P) with SOME lose roads or some tracks across fields. So roads a car can pass, i will not ride throu forests n shit :D

Probably the others are better for me then since they offer some more power and are still not very heavy.
So the Competition will be:
- Honda CRF250 Rally
- Kawasaki Versys X-300
- Suzuki V-Strom 250
- KTM Adventure 390
- Royal Enfield Himalayan
- WK400 Trail
- BMW G310 GS

The Kawasaki and Honda are still my favourites tho, the Suzuki is not really capable of off-road riding and the royal enfield and WK400 are not available. KTM Adventure 390 is 2 heavy i guess. I somehow just don't want to buy a BMW, not sure why xD

Breaking it down i will testride the Versys X-300 (maybe with more cross oriented tires?) and CRF250 Rally and compare them. I will wait a bit longer so i can buy used ones in late 2018/early 2019. Until then i maybe get an old Kawasaki ER-5n or Honda CRF600NA, as first bike probably a good bike, cheap and not 2 bad if i drop it. It should be fine for weekend trips in Westeurope / Germany.

Thanks for the help anyways, seems like this is a nice and informative community, glad i've found out about it!
I will start a blog soon (Hobby), maybe i will put some of the motorcycle oriented posts up on here aswell, even tho my english might be too weak for a blog :P

Yes, the tank on the CRF250L is ridiculously small. And even if you purchase an Acerbis or similar, it will certainly not give you a great range. The rally does at least have a bit bigger tank.

I'm sure you have seen this before, but it might help your thought process if you haven't.

CRF250 Rally vs 300 Versys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZa9Cv3LmBY


Versys 300 vs. CRF250L

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYYf7iG1ih4

Yeah i've seen both videos, therefore i think the Versys might be better.

This Question is easy: You can ride the world with a used Honda for less then 1000 Euro: http://afrikamotorrad.de/?report=en_transafrika

but you can also waste 20.000 Euro for a BMW and spend your lifetime working in an bouring office for this.

In Asia and Southa America 125cc Hondas are very common so if you buy or rent one there for just 4 Dollars per day you get all the parts if needet, save expensive shipping cost and dont look like money on legs so the police will not pull you out so often: http://schoene-motorradreisen.de/?re..._hong_son_loop

Enjoy yout trip :-)

You will be perfectly fine with a 250 cc bike. You wont be able to ride at Autobahn speed and you wont be able to carry loads of luggage - something you will be happy for in the end. It will be perfect for most of Asia.
Wasnt it just recently a young german bloke who travelled Europe to southeast-Asia on a Kawa 250 that posted here on the HUBB?
Of course any bike will need some upgrades, bigger gas tanks for those small 250s, seat, footpegs, handlebars, maybe suspension, lighting etc, but any bike will need some upgrades.
If you choose something bigger a Honda Transalp or a Suzuki V-Strom are good and reliable bikes although heavy! They will take a lot of beating.

Try to limit luggage, tools, racks, bags to around 22 kgs. or so. You can do it!

All good bikes but some are BRAND NEW models, therefore, you will not find used examples .. so you must buy NEW. Buying new is very expensive, so a lot depends on your budget and how much you want to spend on a bike that is likely to get beat up once you go traveling.

The original CRF250L model has been around so USED examples out there for sale. Shop around. You can buy a larger tank, not too expensive. You can also up grade suspension. But if just doing road riding you will be OK in standard form.

No worries, I know about 5 words of German! You're English if FANTASTIC! :D
The Rally is NEW, so will be hard to find a good deal on and aftermarket items will take a while to reach the market. (things like larger tank, better seat) The Rally is a beautiful bike but quite heavy, IMO. (compare to Yamaha WR250R)

I agree with your favorites. The Versys X-300 looks very good, could be the perfect bike for you. If you go Honda, buy original CRF used. Save big money.
But ride as many as you can ... make your choice! (you can rent one in Thailand, maybe they have the X300 Versys there too for rent? (I believe it is made in Thailand along with the CRF)
bier

I will actually just bring my 45litre Backpack, put it into a drybag and add some second pair of shoes, my camera/electronics stuff on a lowepro photosport 200 on my bag and the spare parts/tools/water into the bags on the side of the motorcycle. The Motorcycle stuff is what i wear anyway. We will see how heavy that really is in the end :D

Yeah if i buy one of the listed bikes i will buy in 2019, so there should be 1 or 2 year old bikes on the market then. The thing about the CRF250L is that the cheapest used one i can find is for 3400€ right now
https://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/d...d=MB&fnai=prev
Probably im looking for the wrong one?
If i buy one for 3400 and add a bigger tank etc. i am very close to the price of a new CRF250 Rally.

Yeah i will test the CRF250 and the Versys :) Im not too sure if i buy a new bike in Asia. Im not even sure if Southeast Asia will be my main goal, im more likely looking for China and then Nepal/Japan/Southkorea, since ive been to Southeastasia so many times. But i can also change my plans, that part of Asia is ****ing beautiful! :)

You probably know this but in case you dont, to get into China you need heaps of permits and paperwork done and you need official guides by your side - and its all very very expensive. And then further to get your bike to Korea and Japan - well it will be quite costly shipping. From where would you ship your bike to Korea? Nepal maybe? Then you will have to fly it and thats expensive. Also remember that you need a Carnet to get into certain countries such as Iran, Pakistan, India etc and a Carnet is also quite costly. You will have to plan your route wisely :mchappy:

Yeah well i planned it pretty wisely already but there is plenty of stuff thats unknown still, i have 2 more years tho.
I'm not sure if this is too much for this thread now but the biggest problems are the weather and the shipping indeed.

As I said in my starting post, I don't want to get throu Iran and Pakistan because of safety reasons. So i will go to Georgia from Turkey and then north to Russia and from there into Kasachstan, whatsoever my unpaid vacation will start in September'19 :clap:, therefore I will be in Russia/Kasachstan/Mongolia in about Decembre/January. Yeah -15°C, what a nice time to ride the motorcycle... I will have to shift my plans around a bit because I just know that I will NOT enjoy a ride on -15° :D

My plans are, that i ship away my bike from Ulanbaatar, Mongolia to Portugal after 4 Months of riding. Then i travel for 7 Months in China/Nepal/Southkorea/Japan/Australia/NZ, and decide if i rent/buy a bike in the different countries. After that I fly from NZ to Portugal and drive home to Germany in the last month of vacation.
I don't know how to ship it from Mongolia tho, probably i can better buy a KLR500 or something and sell it there.
So I didn't really plan a Motorcycle Trip around the World but from Germany to Mongolia and then from Portugal to Germany :D

And I don't need a Carnet on any of these countries.

There are tons of "Versys vs CBF250" Videos :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SINyNWwFvFk

The Moment at 08:15 totally makes me wanna start RIGHT NOW :scooter:

Hi,

I find these pages very helpful,
sorry, one is in German.

about Honda CRF250L
Amsterdam to Anywhere - motorcycle trip around the world - Epic 3-year journey, riding 100,000+ km on 5 continents | Amsterdam to Anywhere – motorcycle trip around the world

about different bikes, but especially Kawasaki KLX250:
Endurowandern mit Zelt und Schlafsack in Skandinavien
and
Enduros und Motorräder zum Endurowandern mit Zelt und Schlafsack

And if available used, you might consider a KTM LC4 motorbike
with a special 400cmm engine, which was just a reduced version of a 620cmm engine, I think,
also a bike which should be considered!
These were ordered by the German army some while ago and have been sold.

good luck arnulf

I can't help but the Kawasaki Versys X-300 seems like the perfect bike for my needs. I guess this is a question only a testdrive can answer. :)

Shame that the Honda CB500X is gettin very interesting aswell :D

Maybe i can test earlier then I thought, my instructor told me that he will try to burrow one of those bikes from a local dealer.

Sorry for these DoublePosts and Ups and whatsoever but i got a bike now. My uncle gifted me a very old Kawasaki ER-5 which he got for very low money for me to learn driving and learn how to fix basic stuff. He was like "ARE YOU CRAZY?" when i told him, that i wanna go around the world beer
So i guess this question is gone now :scooter: but i really want to buy a newer bike for the trip in 2019 so the questions is still there.

Whatsoever I just found a picture of a Royal Enfield Himalayan and I gotta say that I really really really like the appearance of this bike.

I would love to add this bike to my list, so in the end it will be one of the 4 Bikes:
- Honda CRF250 Rally - Lightest, but Weakest
- Kawasaki Versys X-300 - relatively light but still not very strong
- Royal Enfield Himalayan - Stronger but heavier.
- Honda CB500X - Heaviest + strongest.

The Bikes are getting heavier, but also getting more power. I will testride the 2 Hondas and the Kawasaki here BUT the Royal Enfield is only available in India and Nepal. Since Nepal is on my bucket list anyways, im thinking about just flying to China in 2019, doing my thing there for a few Weeks/Months and then fly to Nepal, do the 2 week hike to the Everest Basecamp and then buy a Royal Enfield Himalayan there and drive it back home. This is something I could imagine doing, this would also solve my time issues (I have to start in Octobre, so i would be in Kazakhstan in about January? That's just way 2 cold for me :freezing:

What do you guys think about the Royal Enfield? And do you know by any chance IF this is even possible? I mean all i know is that in Germany we have very strict laws which define how the vehicle should be. I guess in the US it's the same, whatsoever I can imagine that in India and Nepal, there are no such limitations. So would my plan work out? Where and how do I register this bike? If i buy it there I would probably go around southeast asia with the bike and ship it from Singapore to portugal, after Australia, where i will just buy a local motorcycle i fly to portugal and pick it up and drive it from east Europe to Southeurope (Balkan) and then up to germany. This would mean i skip turkey, kazhakstan, mongolia etc. so i don't even need a light bike anymore so the heavier wheight of the himalayan would be fine.

And also, do you guys know what price the Himalayan is being sold in Nepal?
Thanks :)

https://www.motoroids.com/wp-content...c-Shots-15.jpg

Actually......for what it's worth , I used to love my ER-5...... And I wouldn't have had too many doubts about taking it on serious trips.....
Like the people in this video did :
https://youtu.be/bAQYPGtjKSo


Sent from my P6000 Pro using Tapatalk

Haha I had my first driving lesson on a ER-5 and I loved it as well no doubt :D
Liked it way better then the CRF600f, that im driving most lessons now. :D

Royal Enfield as much as I love those bikes has some serious quality issues:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-quality-92263

Oh damn thanks for the link. Too sad :(

This is true, reviews I've read on Himalayan show serious quality issues. If you ride the bike only in Nepal and India I'm sure you will easily find places to repair any faults. This goes for OLD Royal Enfield models as well. :thumbup1:

Royal Enfield should have dealers somewhere in Germany. Look around. I know they have dealers in UK, probably France as well.

But really, best place to ride the Royal Enfield is INDIA. They can keep the thing running. Outside of India? Dunno, maybe not! :(

The ER-5 seems a great bike. I saw hundreds around UK when I was there. Give it some time, you might end up really liking it as a travel bike! If me, I'd MUCH rather ride the ER-5 RTW than a Royal Enfield.

Get on the ER-5 forums, learn all the weak areas and fix them or upgrade.
Go though the whole bike, re-new everything, check wiring, new bearings, check frame for cracks. If your basic engine is good then very little else to fail. Super tough and reliable bike. NO, not a classic ADV bike but can be converted to travel bike no problem. Better tires, suspension, fit luggage and GO. bier

You know what? Maybe i will do that :D

LOL - maybe it's just me showing my age, but I don't consider a motorcycle first made in 1996 to be "very old"... :rofl:

17 years is old for me :D

Well i guess i celebrated too soon there... there are problems with the ER-5n, the guy who sold it to my uncle said its running perfect but there are some mechanical issues now and it didn't get throu the testing therefore can't drive on the road unless i make some investments, my uncle said then he doesn't want the bike so yup...i don't have a bike still :thumbdown:

I will contact some sellers and try to drive some bikes this weekend.
I got a 660 Tenere from 1991 for 1400€ in mind and somehow the BMW F650GS Dakar is stuck in my head even tho i didn't want to buy a BMW doh
A 2000er Dakar in Snowwhite with quiet alot of addings (grip heaters, Touratek aluminium cases, protection etc. für about 3000€. Very expensive but probably worth it...

Too bad about the ER-5n.
I'm not a fan of the 650 Dakar but many here on HUBB have had good ... and bad luck with them.

I do know they have a "colorful" history regards reliability. Very mixed. But IMO... if well looked after and with a few key spare parts carried on board, you can do well on this bike if it's not too worn out.

They ride nice on road when in good condition. Not great off road but certainly OK for mild off road travel. Watch closely water pump and for blown head gasket. Also, fuel pump and some electrical issues too. Basic engine is good and if looked after could go to 100K miles for traveling.

Be sure to look out for bad wheel bearings. F650 is notorious for having bearings fail very early ... for no good reason. (tip: use Japanese bearings)

One big negative is possible front fork failure. This has been discussed in detail on various Dakar and F650 forums for YEARS. Many documented examples of F650 Showa forks snapping, riders injured in some cases. So keep an eye out there. (NOTE: most are OK, not in danger of breaking)

My guess, with an older F650/Dakar with many km done, most problems will have already presented and been fixed at this late date, after 10 or 15 years with bike on the road.

For me, if buying 650 class dual sport bike in Germany, I'd consider a very late model XT600. These were made until 2003, so should be some good used examples for sale.

XT is a simple bike: Carb, no fuel injection, almost NO electronics. No
ABS. Strong and reliable bike. With good maintenance, reliable as a hammer.
Tons of good info here on HUBB about the XT600 Yamaha. SEARCH.

And one big thing:at least 30 kg. lighter weight than a F650 Dakar.

Off road, weight is your enemy. I rode the F650 Dakar in Moab, Utah ... in soft conditions was a bit scary. Too heavy to lift alone.

The XT is about the same weight as my Suzuki DR650, similar attributes.

I somehow focused on getting ABS on the bike as a first bike.
I've found a F650 GS (no Dakar) for 2500€ with quiet nice addings (cases, grip heaters etc.) with 57.000km done from 2003.
Should be fine then?!

I just searched for travel bikes with ABS under 3000€ and the BMWs are the only one who showed up.

Maybe i should say goodbye to ABS but idk man, in case of a accident i just don't want to say "IF I HAD ABS", atleast for the first bike. But maybe my thinking about this is wrong.

I like ABS but ride two bikes without it ... and rode 40 years on bikes with NO ABS.

Some riders depend TOO MUCH on ABS and skip proper training and real practice ... which is the MOST important element. PRACTICE.

2500 EURO for 2003 with 57K km does not sound like a great deal to me. Many many things would have to renewed before a long ride. I covered some in above post. If seller has done things like: New steering head bearings, all new wheel bearings, new swing arm bearings. All very important for a bike of that age and km. If not done recently, then you really should do all before long ride.

I would continue to SHOP and wait for a better deal. Be willing to travel far to get your bike. In Summer, prices can be high and inventories low. Be patient, wait until October. Have cash on hand, be ready to jump on a good deal. bier

I really thought the BMW is more solid.
Makes it harder to find a proper Bike for me :D I never expected it to be that difficult. Tomorrow i will testride a BMW anyways, got the appointment already.

Maybe i will rent a Versys for a Weekend aswell.

The old Honda Dominator (the one with the pink logo on it) is somehow so ugly that its cool again :D I could totally imagine riding one of those :rofl:

Here's the thing: The BMW is a much nicer looking bike, better switches, dash, clocks, controls. Better fit and finish, nicer paint. A much nicer looking bike overall. A Yamaha XT600 would seem "crude" by comparison.

But "beauty is only skin deep" ! :smartass:

The reality is BMW F650's tend to have more problems than XT600 (or similar) does not usually have. The BMW's may look beautiful (they are!) but not always so reliable once out in the real world riding rough roads or off road, fully loaded up with gear. Some BMW fans would have you believe BMW's never wear out. They do!

Good luck with test ride!

I somehow couldn't sleep so im up again looking for bikes :D

What do you guys think about a Aprilia Pegaso 650 from 1993 with 15.000km,
never heard Aprilia as reccomendation. It's only 1450€.

Also for 1600€ there is a Honda SLR 650 from 1996 with this cool naked bike look (round headlights), never saw that one before :D Is it something maybe? (german)

And once again, i am looking for a ride to "learn" the driving on. It doesn't neccessarly have to be a bike where i can ride around the world with, i will buy a Honda CRF 250 or Kawasaki X-300 for that. I just need something for now, to get experience and all, something around 600ccm.

edit: this is every motorcycle i could imagine under 2500€ right now. Many Bikes, what is good, what is trash?
https://www.mobile.de/park/list?id=2...ontent=desktop

The Aprillia Pegaso is almost the same bike as the BMW F650, I think they share a frame, engine and many other parts, a friend who has owned both said there is not much between them but Aprillia branded service parts are more expensive and ones from a BMW supplier are the same but cheaper.
The Honda SLR 650 is a Brazillian built bike and none the worse for it, perfectly capable but as with everything it comes down to how it has been used and maintained.
Apart from many of the Chinese built models there are few modern bikes which are trash, however much you are paying it all comes down to how it has been used and maintained, the cheaper and older you go the greater potential for problems. Look out for fewer owners, service history, receipts for work done, even something like the state of the sellers home and garage can give some indication about how it will of been treated, nicely looked after home usually means nicely looked after bike.

Yeah but sadly hard to tell for me if its in a good shape or not since i have 0 experience regarding to that.

I contacted the owner of this Transalp. The description says that it got HU/TÜV until 2018 so i don't have to worry about that, let me try to translate it.

I hope you'll understand that, i had to google translate the Motorcycle parts :D
Seems like a fairly good deal!

Most of your translation makes sense and the Transalp is a good solid bike with a low seat height, favoured by shorter people but fine with taller ones. If it has been well looked after it should be good for another 100,000km and a worthy machine.

Can i add grip heaters if i really want them later on or should I buy one with heaters now?

It is easy to fit heated grips on any bike. I have fitted them on various bikes over the years. Well, my mechanic did :)

If you cross Kazakhstan and Mongolia in winter time, you should also consider heated jacket and gloves. For that, you will need a bigger bike than a 250, as it would drain the battery. (And consider ground clearance especially for Mongolia!).

These days, I travel with a very light bike (XT250), but on my 1st big trip, in South America, I had a BMW, and I was very happy to have the heated gear and heated grips.

Don't agonise about "which bike". There is no perfect bike, no right or wrong way of travelling, only your way! It is always a big compromise. Buy what you like, and deal with the consequences:

1 – small 250: you cannot go fast ,so big pain in Europe and Western countries. You cannot use much heated gear but perfect on hard trails, so you can ride pretty much anywhere. Simple to maintain and easy to repair;

2 - a bigger 650: is heavy and will be hell in some trails/roads. More electronic so more “fragile” and harder to repair or find parts. But you will have more comfort.

Most people start with choice number 2. And over the years some decide to downshift.

By the way, when I lived in Brazil, I had an ER-6n. It is a lovely bike and I took it in many very bad trails… it was fun, although it would have been easier without the sleek road tyres!

Yeah i am on that Point now. :D There is no perfect bike even tho the Kawasaki Versys X-300 comes pretty close to perfect for my specific Needs, but we already found that out on page 1 or 2 :D

For now I will start with a 600er travel enduro like the one i mentioned, the transalp and maybe an older africa twin or KLR 650 as prefered option.

I start to test bikes this weekend so we will see what suits me good :)
My trip starts in 2019, so for the next 2 years i will mainly do weekend trips and maybe a few weeks in scandinavia OR west europe (Spain/Portugal/France) so the heavier bikes are okay. If i start my trip i will downshift to a 250ccm or the Versys 300 (because in 2 years you can get it used and without any major weak points, or atleast they are known then).

I hope that the Situation in central asia is a bit better in 2019 so i can drive throu Iran so i can skip the sibirian winter in Russia, Kazahkstan and Mongolia but i will decide that in 2019 :)

Sooo...no testdriving today :/ very bad weather and i didn't know that the motorcycles in the stores are not driveable :D

So here are my new discovieres:
- The BMW F650GS Dakar looks amaaaazing in real, but is also amaaaazingly high, no chance for me. It was in one Shop and the owner immediatly said "nope, not your bike, even if we put it down a bit". This guy was a nice guy, he told me to keep my money for now and wait for a real deal for a travel enduro, right now they didnt had anything but they get offers for old travel bikes fairly often so he will call me if something comes in in my price range (2500€).
- Another Shop got a 2013 Honda NC700X for 4800€, looks good, feels good, too expensive. Simply that. I talked to the owner a bit about my plans and that I want to buy a light and low ccm motorcycle and he couldn't understand it. He is one of the speed lovers not travellers and didn't really care for my needs.
Nontheless he had a Suzuki V-Strom 650 from 2003 with 28.000KM, very good shape (he said) for 3250€, sat on it, and damn this bike feels JUST right. I know its too heavy but for the next 2 years? Maybe, its 750€ above my budget but i think its possible to pay that much for it, i will call him next week and make an appointment for a testdrive on next saturday, the guy didn't really care for me but when i showed my interests on the V-Strom he just started to get more into what im saying. Maybe not the nicest guy BUT iof the V-Strom runs good, why not. The plan is to testdrive it into next town and let my uncle check it (he knows ALOT about motorcycles).

So my questions: The guy said, the V-Strom is repairable with a hammer and some force. He means that theres not much electronics that can break and it can be repaired everywhere in the world. Is that true? And also what do you guys think about the V-Strom DL650 from 2003? Good bike? Worth 3250€?

Or should i wait more?`
Sadly NONE of the sellers i wrote messages to (the shops and privates with the very old Enduros like Dominators or Africa Twins or Transalps) answered my messages. :(

I told you, the bike you need is my Ténéré :thumbup1:
It is tall, a bit scary at the beginning I give you that. But I am 1,72m and no problem at all.

Think about it :)

Haha yeah maybe :D

Okay i THINK its fix now. I will buy either the Suzuki V-Strom 650 (from 2003, or maybe i find another offer) OR the Kawasaki Versys 650 from 2006.

The questions is: Which one is the better bike? Both are road Bikes so i'll stick to that for now, i know ;)

The important points: The V-Strom i got here is without ABS and without any extras. The Versys got grip-heaters, crash bars, bigger windshield, new exhaust (why tho?), ABS, a power plug, navigation holder and some hardluggage (topcase and sides). The price is the same.

Especially, what bike is more valueable after riding it 2-3 years? Where do i get more money back?

edit: there just came a Kawasaki Versys 650 from 2008, ABS, Grip Heaters for 2700€. That fits my Budget fairly good, 33.000 km. I wait for an reply, new tires and chain kit 5000km ago, completely new TÜV, new battery and oil 4 months ago. Buyable?

I have had two Kawasaki Versys 650 ( MK1 and MK2).
They are good bikes, well balanced, fantastic handling and very reliable, but bear in mind that the exhaust is under the belly.

This will be a very big problem if you cross Mongolia. Go to a shop and look at it and consider how you will cross the difficult trails and rivers in Mongolia with that. You may be able to reposition it but could be costly.
Although if you go via the south road it might be ok, we did north and Central.

Most rivers are not too deep but we came across a big one somewhere. It may not be a big issue, I am not a mechanic but look at it and ground clearance.

Thanks for your worries but the bike i buy now is just for the next 2 years and i will mainly do trips in germany and west europe (france, spain, portugal) with it.

If i go on my journey it will be a Honda 250 Rally or Versys X-300, im 99% sure it will atleast :P

Right now, just something to learn driving on and enjoy some good trips :)

edit: i rode a versys today :) the break is really hard to reach somehow and the bike is a bit tall for me, but i guess i could put it down a bit. I will testride more bikes anyways, not quiet 100% what i want.

Im getting a Versys X-300 this weekend (rent it) and i will drive the motorcycle to the testdrive of the Transalp. Probably a nice camparison. :)

If those don't suit me i will give up on ADV-Bikes for now and pick up a cheap naked.

Bought a 1998 Transalp :)))

Excellent choice, Skyy

Thanks :)
ITs good that i didn's spent my full budget (3500€) but only 2500€ because i just spent 800€ on other stuff (intercom, navigation, prot. jeans, new shoes, new gloves etc.) :D

Without Pics ... It never happened! PICS PLEASE!

Also, I'm sure folks here would love to hear your riding impressions of the TransAlp after getting off your rented X300 Versys.

A lot of riders are queuing up for that Versys X300, would be interesting to hear
how the two bikes compare.

Ride safe on your new bike! :scooter:

Comgratulations with the bike!

It was my first big bike as well. A little heavy for what it is and a little topheavy too but a rock solid bike. I rode 45 k kms on mine and it didnt miss a beat on all those kms.

45kms not that far :rolleyes2:

Ehhhm i dont have it yet, pic when I get it!

The motorcycle gets new fluids, new tires, a full checkup and they register it.
He said it will be finished next friday. :)

Ehm i would love to give out a small report on the versys and the comparisment BUT the only versys x-300 they had for rent was sold justa week ago. I couldn't rent it...next rentable mashine in 2018.

Sorry - typing error. 45 k kms it was.

And photos please...:mchappy:

1998 so probably has million miles on it ;)
great bike!

http://i.imgur.com/TFUePRt.jpg

That's the only pic I have :) It's a 1998 Transalp with roughly 45k km on it.
The color is...yes, PURPLE. I'm driving a milka cow now ;)

And she already has a name! :thumbup1:

Yeah ;)

Already got Gadgets/New Clothes for 1200€ lol. Im hyped! But the Cow Need 1 more week until I can get her :(

Sadly the seller is not realy sticking to his words, he said I can decide what tire I'll get... today i called him to tell the insurance number so he can register the bike and the guy on the phone said that they already put Bridgestone's TW47 and TW48 tires on it. Googled it, seems like a good tire so it's fine i guess. .)

I just hope he sticks to his words when it comes to the included register, fluids, checkup and barell. We'll see :)

I bought a intercom and the microphone sucks! The Quality of speech is terrible so I decided to get rid of the mic, since it's also annoyoing in my helmet (folding one). Sadly there is a hole in the intercom now (where the plug from the mic where) where you can see the c-board in the intercom case. I just put some tape on it, I hope it's waterproof :mchappy:

Coming back to the Honda CRF250rally and Kawasaki Versys X-300, I am still very interested about These, as soon as the seller got a new versys x-300 for rent I'll get it and write a comparisment to the transalp. :)

transalp
 

very good choice :thumbup1:

just get the seat upholstered and read about the well know problems, e.g. CDI and voltage regulator .... take spares ... fill up and go :mchappy:

mika

Still waiting :nono:

I will make a introduction thread once I got the bike! With pics and all that!

Prepare yourself guys, many questions incoming ;)

Update: I can pick it up tomorrow!
It's raining like crazy and it got brand new tires xD this will be fun!

The Transalp is FINALLY here! :)

Just had a 2 hours ride, sadly bad weather now. Tomorrow I will ride around and find a nice place to take some pics and introduce myself :)

http://i.imgur.com/k5NcF58.jpg

take a look
 

Hi Hendrik,
Transalp is a good choice. I ride one PD10, myself and it it goes well. My NightAlp brings me from Marokko to the Northcap withoiut any issues.

Here is a hints, you should take a look at ABENTEUER WELT – Die Abenteuer-Messe. There will be a talk from Bea & Helle, (https://www.timetoride.de/). ( 22.October ) They did what you want to do with 2 Transalps.

So it could be interesting for you ;-)

Go forward and I hope I get a chance to follow your trip in the internet.

Greetings from Rhein/Main
NightAlp

It's still a long time till I get going but maybe I will blog about it then!

I'm not sure if I should write a diary while travelling and make a book out of it after or blog it directly on the internet.

Thanks for the Info! I will go to the Messe :)
Maybe I can meet some of you guys there :)

Don't do what I did which was to keep the diary / notebook in my bike jacket pocket. We hit some serious rain, the diary got wet and the ink ran ...

I bought a Kawasaki zx9r and the rare times I got on Yamaha motorcycles. Recently I started renting motorcycles for long trips. The Yamaha xs250 was one of my first motorcycles, and the memories of it create an enjoyable nostalgia for me. Recently, I have been thinking about renting such a model for a leaflet around the city. I've been thinking about buying a new motorcycle lately, but I have no idea what model to buy, maybe someone can help me with advice in this area. I would be very grateful for the help.

What kind of riding do you want to do? Is it only for the city, or do you want to tour as well?

Holy thread resurrection, Batman

posted a spam link - we deleted it and banned him. The conversation is worthwhile though so WE USED the spammer! :)