I've read a lot of the posts on the Varadero, with the associated pros and cons. I'm planning on a 4 month tour of Europe this summer. Starting the UK, down to Greece, back through Eastern Europe and then up into Scandinavia before returning to England. I'm planning on doing this 2 up with camping gear and all the other stuff you need for 4 months on the cheap.

I've ridden a 2007 GS and didn't like it at all. I tested the New Triumph Tiger 1050, but I don't have the cash for one... I've ridden a 2001 Varadero and loved it. It was so easy to ride and didn't feel like the monster it looks. The engine was smooth and the bike was like a Rolls Royce for Comfort.

Question is.. what do i need to look for if I'm considering buying one of these? Does anyone have a buyers guide? Assuming I get a 2005, or around then, what are the common problems? A 2004/5 would suit my budget i think...

I'm assuming riding around Europe I'm not going to require the 'off road worthyness' of the RTW bikers on the list. So should I be considering full on touring bikes like the ST1100, FJR1300, R1150RT???


Advice and thoughts welcomed...

Chris

Honda XL1000 Varadero (2001-current) - Motorcycle Reviews - MCN

Chris,
I would say that the MCN review is a reasonable stance on the Varadero 1000 (there is a 125cc Varadero as well, which has the same styling with a learners' engine capacity).

In general, the MCN tends to rate bikes lower than the owners, which may be because the latter have their rose-tinted specs in use or because most of the reviewers prefer crotch rockets, and were brought up on them.

Anyway, the Varadero has not been too popular I would say - it was received OK when it was first on the market, but it has not moved on since then. Also, potential buyers were looking for a replacement for the Africa Twin which has never happened, at least from Honda.
I am not sure if it is still for sale as a new bike, but there is a steady market for them in the UK.
Anyway, who wants the latest, stylish must-have bike for 2008?

I have not owned one but I had the "Firestorm" ("Firehawk" in the US?): the V twin sportey(ish) bike with the same engine. Yes, it drinks fuel if you are heavy on the throttle hand - even the FI version, but particularly the earlier one with carbs. Never mind, that engine is superb and a great response when using the V twin grunt out of bends. Well worth the refuel costs!

I would say that the overall build quality is good and typical of Hondas, but they have the usual economy suspension as standard.
The riding position is as for similar bikes, such as the Tiger, GS etc - sit up with a good view of the road and good for touring. The pillion comfort is also very good if that matters to you.

Right enough about riding in Europe BTW: the Vara would do this just fine.

I did a search and there are a number of threads about the Vara: this one has more than average replies, as an example:-

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...light=varadero

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Dave

Many thanks Walkabout for your comments. i think it's fair to say that you could do a tour of Europe on the 'Dumb and Dummer bike' if you needed to. It's more about splitting hairs than black and white I feel. I guess I'll let you know when I get back from 10k+ of riding this summer.

Honestly, if I were doing this for riding pleasure alone, I'd probably take my 675 and leave the Mrs at home

Touring comfort for the pillion will be a critical part of my 'ear' comfort and there by the entire trip. Happy wife, happy life...

I can't f'in wait!!!

Chris

i got a 2007 varadero(called Black Bertha) and i love it. varaderos are still going, they just had a restyle for 2008 but not so you would notice, slightly different cosmetics.
go for a later year, an Fi model with the 6speed box.

good points;
its BIG, with excellent lights, noone says they cant see you coming on this baby, its fast enough, handles well, carries a lot, very comfy big seats, good ride quality, 25ltr tank, nice engine, build quality, you can get good road biased tyres for 19" front wheel now, conti road attack, BT021 etc(ignore off road although there are some nutters out there who go green laning on them). 70mph cruising will see 60mpg, easily 250mi per tank

so so points;
it weighs a ton (but not noticeable when moving), can be a bit juicy but on a long run can be very good (got a fuel economy computer in the dash, commuting in town for a week averages 35mpg, (which i dont think is too bad for 1000cc bike). its got strange gear ratios, low geared in 1-2-3-4 so around town it gulps fuel, but 6 is like an overdrive, good for economy but even with plenty of torque you have to drop a gear to overtake even at 80 odd mph.
and being tall helps.

i would be well happy to blast around europe or further on it, in fact i am in 10 weeks!

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dave

Hey, you are getting some real feedback now from owner(s) - always useful I reckon.

Yes, the pillion comfort is exceptionally important, especially for the time that you are going to ride - my wife reckons the Varadero has one of the most comfortable seats (and she has tried a few!).

Is that the Triumph 675 triple that you are not going to ride? If so, you might consider a Tri Tiger for touring - the earlier model, fitted with panniers is another good tourer IMO.

Right enough though, there are lots of great bikes for touring European roads - how about a CBR 1100XX blackbird? The more these bikes are loaded up, the better they go!! I think that second hand blackbirds are holding their value pretty well, so buying and selling again should not loose too much cash. Just a thought.

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Dave

thanks Dave and Dave for your feedback. I love this website. Putting your mind at rest from your laptop, how much better can it get.

After riding my brothers 2001 I couldn't believe how small it felt when it's rolling. a quick twist and it's off, quite impressive when you consider it's weight.

My 675 is my track tool, although having said that I've taken it on 3 separate 1000 mile plus long weekends around California. Bloody brilliant. Thank GOD Clarkson has repeatedly told the World there are no good roads in America. It keeps the best roads for us. I watched the topgear special where they went to drive the best roads in the World. They managed to find some short stretches around Europe which seemed pretty decent. Clearly they haven't ever taken a look around California. There are literally 100's of miles of deserted sun baked twistys to wind your bike up on. (at the speed limit obviously .

The Varadero is really a bike for the Mrs and I. Not a joy machine, but I have to say in my limited experience of riding the big V, it's great.

I've ridden the 1050 Tiger and loved it. but it's a little pricey for me in the UK and I already have 3 Triumphs in my garage right now and no more room (or wife's patience) for anymore right now... but I want them... I've always loved Triumphs and probably always will.

Bonneville 2001
675 2006
Trident 1973

On the Xmas list are
Speed Triple
Tiger 1050
Sprint ST
1939 T100 Speed Twin
1969 T120 Bonneville
I need to move house before I increase my collection any further...

Chris

hi chris,
did you see the topgear where they drove the stelvio pass with a ferrari, aston, and lambo? although you are right, and its very short, (11km i think?) that has got to be on the list of top ten roads of the world. the only trouble with it is every other git in europe knows all about it, and you cant get out of 1st gear for all the coaches chugging up it and mad sods on bicycles in silly tight clothes.
i reckon they had special authority to close the road while they did that.
its a hard life being a famous car journalist, you know

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dave

I had a 2000 Varraderro.
Its all of what everyone said both on the good and bad points, one thing i found , and it seems to be consistent among them is that the rectifier keeps blowing on them which will leave you with a flat battery somewhere in the middle of the night and there is no way you will push it to start it.
just check that out

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Life is for Living - so Live

I did not realise that is a feature of this bike; maybe it is the same design as the one that fails on the VFR800 - the older model anyway: I haven't heard so much about this recently, but, there again, I am not convinced that Honda are selling as many of the 800 as they used to do, pre-VTEC engines.

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Dave

ive heard the rectifiers are a big thing with hondas too.

hopefully only on older ones, a friend has had 2 go in a year on his 10yr old deauville but none on his 4yr old fireblade, and we think its the same part

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dave

just back from my hols, if anyones interested i can say the varadero is not a thirsty bike. out of the four of us i could easily go the longest distance, and not just because i had a massive 25ltr tank!
travelling on autoroutes at 80mph+ for hours, and carving up the hairpins on champagne/ardeche D-roads, when the SV650 and hornet600 fuel lights came on we all filled up together, but i was putting in 9/10ltrs for their 15/17, not even half a tank.
on a par for economy was the R1150R, we both put in about the same fuel for the same miles, but of course i had an extra 6ltrs in mine. i was handed a rubber hose to put under my seat in case i had to be used as some sort of 'milch cow' tanker, which gained a heartfelt 'HaHaHa, f### off!' from me!

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dave

It's interesting and great to hear some feedback and banter about different bikes ( aka not E & C's BMW GS) Especially about the Varadero. Which for the life of me I couldn't understand why they aren't more popular!? As a Honda how bad can it be? One bike you didn't mention which i would have thought would have been a close comparison to the Varadero is the 1000cc V-strom which by all accounts is a fantastically capable bike. But why not the Varadero?? the only negative I've heard as mentioned here is the fuel consumption, but by the sounds of it.... not so much

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'99 R1100GS - In a suitable shade of black

It's not that life is so short, It's just that we're dead for so long....
"The world is a book, those who do not travel read only one page." ~ Saint Augustin

Yes, that is interesting. I wonder if the state of tune of the Vara engine is different to the Firestorm? I could get somewhere "just over 100 miles" (from memory) from the FI engine on the 19L tank and the carbed Firestorm was always reputed to be worse.

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Dave

My 2 cents worth of experience
I've got 97 Firestorm/Superhawk with 2004 fuel tank (19 l)
If you look after air filter (must be clean to do good mileage) you looking at 200 km to reserve and 40 on reserve of mixed and sometimes spirited riding .
Vara engine got not so "steep" camshafts, single valve springs and 36mm if I am not wrong intake ports. Storm have whoopinh 48 mm carbs (largest ever on production bike), steep camshafts, double and strong valve springs and as result of it camchain tensioner that serves OK on Vara does not do so well on Storm. Latest generations (FI) of Vara got about 10 less bhp and same peak torque as Storm, but earlier in rpms.
One thing that Vara lacks that Storm have it is precision of trottle at all speeds (apart from different world handling, weight etc.) but Storm is way more thirsty than FI Varadero, way way more and nowhere near as comfortable. On highway well set up Storm never eats more than 6-7 liter per 100 if you do not go over 6000 rpm.