Hello and Welcome to the Hubb.


Apologies if this gets long and biographical and "what I did on my holidays" and probably a bit random, but if I save you a few euro's and the odd wasted trip maybe you will get the ten minutes of your life back.


My first "long range" bike was an MZ 301. Age 18 I was riding behind the old Iron Curtain, smuggling Levi's and fashion magazines (good start). This was just about when any bike would still do anything.


I then made the error of making excuses to myself about needing bigger (F650), faster (R1100R), more adventury (F650 with loads of Toura**** bling). I spent more on bikes and "stuff" than riding. I ended up with an XT600E (to get the must have 21-inch front wheel and because Chris Scott told me to in his book (Sorry Chris, sensible people do know you didn't write a shopping list)) but then gained a wife. Second bikes (Enfield, Ural and more MZ's) followed.


Wanting to ride two-up I tried a Harley Sportster (nice bike, salesman terrified me) and then found a Triumph salesman who'd had too much champagne at a launch. I had that Bonneville for 8 years. It went from the North Cape to Morocco to the Baltic states, two-up, on snow, on gravel etc. It would do anything except race. The bike was honestly ****ed at this point though, simply used and used. The best money I ever spent on a bike.


Logically a V-strom with it's nice big tank and tubeless tyres was better so that's what I bought. Lovely bike but utterly unchallenging to ride and a bit too tall for two up and if you want to be rude bland. I bought a Guzzi V7.


The Guzzi has the same tubeless tyres and 250-plus mile range (22 litre tank). As it is low and torquey on the power delivery it'll do any sort of road, just more slowly than say a KTM (Enfields too, ride them up the side of a house just expect to repair it afterwards). It'll tour with anyone who doesn't have a death wish or addiction to the smell of police stations. On a Sunday morning my neighbour (a 70-year old Christian lady) tells me it sounds like a proper bike and cheers her up (not as good as the Enfield mind, her husband had one that sounded like that). I hate to use the word but you could describe this as "Soul". As a short**** the road bike shape just works.


If you like the idea of a Bullet (slow, unreliable POS or mechanically interesting, engaging to ride depending on your point of view (I think both, it depends how late for work you are)), a Bonneville, W800 or Guzzi V7 may well fit your needs. By the time you are ready for the Road of Bones you'll either have decided to really slow down and take an Enfield or realised you do want that KTM.


I am no longer a fan of BMW, so lets leave the F800 by me saying if I were to get one that'd be the one.


Go for it whatever you choose. Just spend the cash on tyres and petrol IMHO. You need to like the bike to ride it so pick with the heart as well as the head if that's how you think of it.


BTW, How tall, heavy and mechanically inclined are you? V7's are better than Bonnevilles and W800's for mechanically inclined midgets, Bonnevilles have more dealers and feel bigger but include parts made of cheese, W800's should tick more boxes and have proper Japanese quality but Kawasaki dealers only want to sell you snot green road missiles.


Andy