Bike dilemma: the upright position is just better, I think...

[SWriverstone]

I don't get it—I thought the Tiger 1050 was a dual-sport—but in all the photos (with it's front fender 1/2" from the tire) and it's "urban sport" category name, it appears to be street-only. What's up with that? (Or was the 955 the dual-sport? Has Triumph gotten out of the serious adventure bike market?)

Scott

[Snowdog]

The 955 Tiger wasn't really a dual sport either - despite the bash plate and longer travel suspension. It came with road tyres and also had a low front mudguard. IIRC Triumph put in the "Touring" category.

But then the old (Meriden) Tiger was a road bike too - basically the single carb version of the Bonnie.

[thatguy]

Scott you remind me of a bed hopping woman.Always looking for the greener grass instead of mowing the lawn.I thought you enjoyed the other Viffer you rode a couple weeks ago?Higher bars and lower pegs?Ya know the yellow one.Settle down and mod what you have to suit.remember the first 6 months you own a bike it's more likely to.....................well you know.   Fuking type A nutz..........................

[garry]

Regardless of the front fender, any "all roads" bike (none of them are dual-sports IMO) with a 17" front wheel is going to have a strong street bias. The 19" wheel of the Strom rolls over stuff and handles better in loose conditions, plus you can get blockier tires for it such as the Tourance and Anakee which are not available with 17" fronts. You can even get a semi-knobby tire such as the TKC80 for a 19" front.

It really comes down to how you plan to use the bike. They are all big heavy street bikes, not dual-sports. Even the 650 Strom is a big heavy street bike, but it's probably the most nimble of the lot on dirt/gravel roads. If you're also going to trade the KLR, I would take a very strong look at the Wee Strom (650) to replace both bikes. It will be the best choice for your non-paved adventures and it does fine everywhere else too (highway, twisties, commuting, etc). Plus it has ABS available which is a plus for you.

You might want to pay attention to the Triumph rumor mill. Talk of a 675-based Tiger is out there. No idea on whether it will just be a smaller Tiger or more dirt-worthy. I'm hoping for something much more dirt-worthy to give the Wee Strom some competition.

[SWriverstone]

Scott you remind me of a bed hopping woman.Always looking for the greener grass instead of mowing the lawn.I thought you enjoyed the other Viffer you rode a couple weeks ago?Higher bars and lower pegs?Ya know the yellow one.Settle down and mod what you have to suit.remember the first 6 months you own a bike it's more likely to.....................well you know.   Fuking type A nutz..........................

LOL, well yeah, I guess you're partly right. But ya know, the VFR was *always* my 2nd choice—I originally wanted an ST3, but decided the VFR was the smarter choice (and I found a screamin' deal on one). And I ended up buying the KLR because the VFR was lousy on dirt roads. Now...I can't help but keep thinking I want BOTH in one bike! (And yeah, that's where the grass is greener, etc.) What can I say? Even with bar risers (which would definitely make the VFR more comfortable), it's still not as comfortable as my KLR...so I keep dreaming of something as comfortable as the KLR but with POWER.  

Besides, I remember back before I bought any motorcycle, lots of people said "It'll take a while before you figure out what works best for you."

Garry, I appreciate your points about tires—I wasn't aware of the more limited dual-sport tire selection for 17" tires. And yes, ABS is a BIG plus for me (in light of, err...recent events).

Scott

[chornbe]

You want the 'Strom 650.  

[RideWV]

The BMW GS is only 3k more than the Uly.  Tiger with ABS is same price as Uly.   Compare the insurance price of a GS vs. a Tiger, it's much less from my company.

The sweet spot for value is the last year 1150GS, before the switch to the 1200.  I think a second owner 1150GS would last longer than all the other bikes on your list, be the most comfortable, easiest to work on, and have the most aftermarket support.  I truly loved my BMW.

Come by Morgantown one day and you can ride my buddies 1150 with Remus and huge windshield, you met him at Denny's.

The only problem with a GS is that they are popular to the point of cliche.  Same reason everyone hates the VFR.

James

ps.  Just want to add that you should consider wheels if you are going to do any offroading.  The Beemer has strong, spoked, tubeless wheels, that's where a chunk of the extra money comes into play too.

[SWriverstone]

Though I haven't ridden one (yet) I have to admit I'm slowly but surely being seduced by the uniqueness of Buell and the Ulysses. I've always liked to think of myself as "different" (whether I really am or not)...so the "outsider" status of Buell appeals to me!   Plus I don't think I've ever heard a bad thing about a Buell and the Uly in particular.

Gotta go find one to try!
Scott

[servicerifle]

Scott, I felt exactly the same way 'till I tried one.  I wanted to like it so much, but upon riding one my mind changed completely.  You may feel completely different though.

[RideWV]

Don't forget to get your free bag.  I'm doing the Demo ride next week at Cerini's just for that reason. (of course, who knows, I might fall in love with it).

James

[Rincewind]

I don't get it—I thought the Tiger 1050 was a dual-sport—but in all the photos (with it's front fender 1/2" from the tire) and it's "urban sport" category name, it appears to be street-only. What's up with that? (Or was the 955 the dual-sport? Has Triumph gotten out of the serious adventure bike market?)

Scott

The 1050 Tiger is not a dual-sport.  The earlier models had more concessions toward dirt riding, but they weren't really dual sports either.  The 1050 is best described as an upright sportbike with extra suspension that does pretty well on beat-up roads.  It feels lightweight and has excellent slow-speed balance, but it is a streetbike with Pilot Road S tires.  I think you could get pretty far down an abandoned, camping, forest, or nature road on a Tiger 1050, but I wouldn't take it on a serious dual-sport trail.  The flipside is that it's road handling is superb and it's quite fast (probably the fastest of the bikes being discussed - it howls).

If you think about it, Supermoto uses 17" tires, and it is common for Supermoto races to have dirt-riding portions.  You can ride a bike with 17" wheels plenty of places.  

The low front fender is present on all of these liter+ adventure-type bikes, KTM and BMW included.  

If you want a real dual sport in the liter size, with a high front fender, look at the KTM 950 Enduro.  But that's not exactly tour friendly.  

[Rincewind]

Garry, I appreciate your points about tires—I wasn't aware of the more limited dual-sport tire selection for 17" tires. And yes, ABS is a BIG plus for me (in light of, err...recent events).

Scott

You may want to research the use of ABS on dirt roads.  I believe it is called an "ice effect" and it means that the ABS can prohibit stopping quickly.  

I don't think the V-strom ABS or Tiger ABS systems have a switch to turn them off, though you may be able to fab one, I don't know.

[kendenton]

If you want a real dual sport in the liter size, with a high front fender, look at the KTM 950 Enduro.  But that's not exactly tour friendly.  

How about the KTM Adventure bikes?  Surely they're up to some dirt riding as well as touring?  Definitely fits the "i want to be different" bill as well.  As for dealers....

[SWriverstone]

Thanks for the illumination on Tigers Rincewind. Very interesting, and I had not heard of issues with ABS on dirt roads—definitely something to look into. I'm aware of the KTM950...but it's a little $teep, and I don't know how good it is for long-distance pavement touring.

When I bought my KLR, I honestly thought I'd be riding a lot more offroad. While I've done some long rides on fire roads and a few rougher double-track rides, I'm realizing what I've heard others say—here in the east, it's not easy to just head out the garage and quickly get into some good single- and double-track riding. At least where I live, you have to ride a while to find anything like that. (It might be a different story if I lived out west...)

So I'm realizing that 90% (or more) of my riding (at least 'til I move out west in a few years) is going to be on pavement...but...much of that pavement will definitely be rough (e.g. poorly paved, beat-up, potholed back roads). So that's why I'm really looking for a street bike that has no problem tackling those crappy potholed backroads and the occasional graded dirt/gravel roads.

Scott

PS - Whenever I talk about "streetbikes that can handle dirt roads," invariably someone chimes in with "I take my VFR on dirt roads all the time!" My response to that is, you're a better rider than I am!   The few times I've had my Viffer on dirt/gravel, it scared the hell out of me and I hated it! So...I say "No thank you!" to sportbikes off-pavement.

[ctfz1]

Gen1 (01-05) FZ1  as a trial ride on a sportbike/naked that shouldn't be missed.  Grin machine.  Upgrade springs, and mod to suit. 26,000 valve adj inspection.  Most difficult feature, right windscreen.

[cosmoose]

I fit right in with this thread.  I just sold my 1997 Bandit for a V-Strom, which I find much more comfortable.  But my issue concerns shoulder position, not back pain.  

I just like sitting on dirt bikes, and the 'Strom sits like one.  

But that's my body.  Sit on a bunch of stuff and make a call.

Dave

[Johnny Monsoon]

do you really need a liter?  Honestly, it struck me all over again how good at the mission you are describing the 650R is.  I swear I'd get one of these and put some DS tires on it and take it everywhere.  It deserves a look.  Ditto, of course, with the WeeStrom...

[WitchCityBallabio]

Wait for the Stelvio!  

[Jesse]

Don't forget to get your free bag.  I'm doing the Demo ride next week at Cerini's just for that reason. (of course, who knows, I might fall in love with it).

James

James,

I went to Cerinis in Rostraver one afternoon a few weeks ago to do a test ride. Wasn't able to get one....the salesman I spoke with was polite and helpful but clearly hadn't dealt with anyone wanting to test ride a Buell before -  you'd have thought I'd walked in off the street to take a helicopter for a test flight   He got the manager but they didn't have anyone to go out with me. I'm going  to give them a call again in a few weeks after we're out of school so the next trip down there is more worthwhile.

Sounds like you've already made arrangements....good luck!

[kendenton]

James,

I went to Cerinis in Rostraver one afternoon a few weeks ago to do a test ride. Wasn't able to get one....the salesman I spoke with was polite and helpful but clearly hadn't dealt with anyone wanting to test ride a Buell before -  you'd have thought I'd walked in off the street to take a helicopter for a test flight   He got the manager but they didn't have anyone to go out with me. I'm going  to give them a call again in a few weeks after we're out of school so the next trip down there is more worthwhile.

Sounds like you've already made arrangements....good luck!

You'll need luck - I called 5 area Buell dealers, and none had a Uly for demo.  Only one dealer had any Buell to demo, a TT.  The rest had no Buells in stock at all.