What should I buy?

[HenryDorsetCase]

My partner has expressed an interest in some touring (after the lap of the south island on the CB750 all those years ago, I thought she'd lost interest).

My plan would be to trade the Hornet, or sell the Hornet and buy something.

Key criteria are: pillion comfort. pillion backrest (or top box with back pad).

lowish seat height.

some sporting pretension/intent (though I will have a dedicated single seat scratcher bike also when I put the motor back in it).

Timing isnt critical, and so far the list is:

second hand VFR800

Moto Guzzi California (so freakin' cool: bonus, 1100 cc and shaft drive).

Ducati ST2 ST3 but query maintenance costs.



Uh, what else>?

[homer]

My partner has expressed an interest in some touring (after the lap of the south island on the CB750 all those years ago, I thought she'd lost interest).

My plan would be to trade the Hornet, or sell the Hornet and buy something.

Key criteria are: pillion comfort. pillion backrest (or top box with back pad).

lowish seat height.

some sporting pretension/intent (though I will have a dedicated single seat scratcher bike also when I put the motor back in it).

Timing isnt critical, and so far the list is:

second hand VFR800

Moto Guzzi California (so freakin' cool: bonus, 1100 cc and shaft drive).

Ducati ST2 ST3 but query maintenance costs.



Uh, what else>?

how about a suzuki bullivard cruiser
if you still want sports go and test ride a bandit 1200 or the new 1250
there still sports and most excellent as a 2 up cruiser with a heap of torque to pull up hills

[pritch]

My erstwhile pillion rated the Hornet as the most comfortable bike she had ridden on. She had tried pretty much the whole Honda range except the SP.

The Hornet has a better seat than the Blackbird or the VTR, There is more leg room on the Hornet than the CB1300 (the pipes you see). The Hornet doesn't require the forward lean of the VFR.

I wouldn't rush to sell a Hornet just to accomodate a pillion.

Then again, if this is just an excuse to buy a new bike... Hey! go for it!

[Cajun]

Yeah we have modifyed a couple of hornet seats in our time, also, check out www.trimit.co.nz, could also help with pillion comfort,

[unhingedlizard]

Buy the best possible thing you can.



Bike lessons.

Get her to get her own bike.

[ynot slow]

A nice vfr800 with panniers was viewed by me yesterday,37000km on behalf for $7500 i think,mate just emailed me his new toy,c50 suzi which is coming his way,looks nice,shit it's new so should be.

[BMW]

I got my Beamer but I found that each rider finds each bike different. I took a few bikes out before I got this one. Some did not 'feel' right for me at all. This one did. I cooked the tyres off it when test riding.

So try all. Never dis a bike till ya have ridden it!

[Blackbird]

Whilst the VFR 800 is a wonderful bike in all respects (with the possible exception of the VTec version, you'd be better off with something like the Blackbird simply because of its bigger capacity and unburstable motor. Riding positions aren't dissimilar. However, I'm not even going to recommend the 'bird because the pillion position is a bit cramped for serious touring with respect to the pegs being a little high.

There are many great sports tourers on the market and you'll probably be driven by emotional appeal too, but the bike I'd seriously look at is the Yamaha FZ1 Fazer. Ergonomics are superb, they have serious mumbo (~250-260 km/r) and the engine is bullet proof. Mangell6 has done way over 100,000 hard km on his with complete reliability and there's no reason to think it won't do another 100,000.

[fergie]

It's a big ask trying to get an unbiased opinion as all bikes/cars/boats etc come with a pair of rose tinted glasses. I guess they all have their good/bad points, i would try as many bikes as possible (with the boss on the back) and try and imagine what it would be like sitting like that for 2/3 hours at a stretch.
For me, as long as the boss is comfy things will go well. I prefer the sit up riding position to the lie on the tank style, but everyone is different.good luck

[James Deuce]

2002-2005 Triumph Sprint ST. The original styling with the 955i motor and factory panniers and Topbox. Better bike than a VFR and ticks all the boxes you want ticked plus having handling that makes it huge fun.

The new one is lovely, but the pillion needs a ladder and once installed, oxygen thanks to the altitude of that seat.

[Bass]

2002-2005 Triumph Sprint ST. The original styling with the 955i motor and factory panniers and Topbox. Better bike than a VFR and ticks all the boxes you want ticked plus having handling that makes it huge fun.

The new one is lovely, but the pillion needs a ladder and once installed, oxygen thanks to the altitude of that seat.


I'm with Jim!!!
Well I would be of course - just a touch parochial
But if you want any extra verification ask Mrs Bass about our 5,000 km round the Southern bit last year.
I have done a couple of mods which ice the cake however - namely (1) an aftermarket rear shock as the original is pretty soggy when loaded right up and (2) a sample of Mr McDonald's fine seat mods.
When we have somewhere to go these days, Mrs Bass' ruling is that "if we can't take the bike then we're not going".

It's still heaps of fun at track days too!

[2wheeldrifter]

Tough call, you really will have to ride each bike as what suit's one may not suit the other. Here's some reading...http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/ducati/first-impression-ducati-st2-14358.html
and this one...http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/ducati/first-ride-year-2000-ducati-st4-14401.html and here...http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/ducati/2004-ducati-st3-14584.html and last one...http://www.motorcycle.com/shoot-outs/aprilia-rst-futura-vs-ducati-st4-15638.html can't forget the...ST4s!

No other bike can sound the same!....:gob:

[miSTa]

Ducati ST2 ST3 but query maintenance costs.

I love my ST4, on the sports side of sports-tourer, and (IMO) pretty much perfect for our roads. For me it has performance, comfort, looks and, heaven forbid on a Ducati, practicality.

As for the maintenance costs of Ducs, its a pretty much a myth. Talk to Far Queue about the cost of his recent service on his ST4s which included new belts. Prepare to be surprised.

Obviously the two valvers are cheaper to service than the three or four valve heads, realistically though the difference is negligible.

[kneescraper]

How about a Yamaha XJR1300, the old man rides one and has taken a few different woman on the back...from a short small-ish woman to a tall large woman...and they had nothing bad to say...heaps of low down power and the famous bullet proof engine..cant go wrong.

[FROSTY]

My suggestion would be a FJR1300 you will be really suprised how hard you can make one of those hussle