Next year I'm hoping to buy a 650 Transalp to replace my missus' (well, mostly hers, but I ride it an awful lot) 600 Transalp. We both love the 600cc one because even though it's real heavy it goes anywhere (includes single track at the Waimak) except when the going gets either very steep or very muddy. It is a much better offroad bike than my F650 Funduro, which had a 19" front wheel like the 700 Transalp. It is a bit gutless, and hopefully the 650 is better in this regard. It has about 85,000 very hard kms on it (previously owned by ThePom and Transalper) and little problems are starting to become evident (ie headlight/indicators turning themselves on/off - probably just shagged wiring loom, but symptomatic of bikes overall condition).
The only complaint I've heard about the 650cc job (from an old coot who was about to trade it for a KLR 650) is that he found it a bit thirsty - if this was an issue for me I probably wouldn't have a Tuono
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I checked out the V Strom before buying the Tuono, but decided it looked and felt like it had been built to a price. A low one. Never had this impression with Transalps...
Nobody knows what human life is, why we come, why we go,
so why then do I know, I will see you in far off places?
Stephen Patrick Morrissey
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