the most rounded alround bike???

[R650R]

The best alround bike is anything you’ve owned long enough to not care about what happens to it. Just about anybine is capable of going anywhere or being parked anywhere once the erm paint works a bit weathered....
Plus on for GSXR pretty indestructible.
In fact one of the joys of motorcycling is taking a bike where it’s not supposed to go...
Emilio Scotto took a Goldwing through Central American jungles....
Million Dolkar Bogan taking his Harley on beach and 4wd tracks...
MDB and David monkey bikes across Nullarbor plains....

No matter what the bike is it’s 90% rider and 10% the bike as to what it’s capable of.

Anyhow best is probably any of modern adv bikes but with road tyres fitted.

[Navy Boy]

I was thinking that this sort of question used to be something that Mr Honda could provide an easy answer to (900 Hornet or CBF1000F perhaps). However in recent years I'm thinking that Suzuki seem to be really owning this type of thing. The VStrom 650 I owned a few years back is probably the closest I've come to such a machine.

It wasn't the best at anything but as a machine to fulfil your needs rather than your wants it was ruddy brilliant.

Other candidates IMHO would be a Multistrada 950 or possibly an MT-09.

Good question though

[Swoop]

The correct answer is: Honda Africa Twin.

[beyond]

I've ridden many bikes over the years. So far the best all-rounder I've owned and kept for any length of time was the GSX1400. Loved them so much I traded my K2 for a new K7 and ran up 100,000km on the two of them all up.
Torque is awesome, sprint times great and two up riding no issue. It's an amazingly well handling machine once you dial in the right suspension settings and I even did a track day on it no problem.
Because I've been off bikes for 11 years after selling my K7 in November 2011 for various reasons, I've now bought another bike. With the blue brigade everywhere, with instant on radar and speed cameras worse than the paparazzi, the riding scene has changed dramatically.
Hundreds of horses and massive amounts of torque are great if you can use it without getting into trouble, but those days are long gone.

I am now happy to own and ride a new Triumph Speed Twin 900 and so far are loving it. Its quick enough for me now, handles nice and is also good two up. Yep, sure I would love another GSX1400 but I'm done paying for Ardern's lunch and Grant Robertsons pies.
The Speed Twin has a nice sound, enough stonk to overtake quickly when needed and is a nice to look at machine.

[1/32 man]

Thanks for all the replies to my question.

Today sees the delivery of my new to me 2016 Suzuki GSX-s1000.
Goodbye sweet bandit 1250 and hello sweeter GSX.

[Laava]

Nice one! My mate has one. Had the low speed throttle jerkiness programmed out and he loves it.

[Blackbird]

Thanks for all the replies to my question.

Today sees the delivery of my new to me 2016 Suzuki GSX-s1000.
Goodbye sweet bandit 1250 and hello sweeter GSX.

This is my long term review: https://geoffjames.blogspot.com/2018...rm-review.html . Hope that you enjoy yours!

Cheers,

Geoff

[1/32 man]

Thanks Geoff....that was a good read.
Have I seen you on the GSX S1000 forum?

[Blackbird]

Thanks Geoff....that was a good read.
Have I seen you on the GSX S1000 forum?

Thank you! I doubt that you've seen me on the GSX-S forum unless they were old posts as I sold the bike and left the forum in March 2019. That was when I switched to the KTM 790.

[1/32 man]

OK, thanks again for the link to the blog.

Safe rides