What bike / BMW or Vstrom/ to start with?

[Laava]

Mate, there is 3 2nd hand V's on trade me, in Auck from 10 -13.5 big ones. Lucky you!

[sels1]

If you are 6'3 you might find a Triumph Tiger very comfortable. Very compentent on any sort of road, good on gravel, but not really a true trailbike. Similar to the Vstrom but a triple cylnd 900 or 955i One going cheap on trademe :
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...px?id=80067513

If you are going to Aucks, the dealers up there may have a demonstrator to have a go on.

[scracha]

Thanks again
have a great safe xmas

Have a look at a TDM too. I'm as tall as you and found mine seriously comfortable.

[Moki]

Do the whole hog and go for a BMW R1150GS Adventure. Perfect for the longish tours, and with the 30lt petrol tank you can enjoy the scenery instead of watching the fuel gauge. It's heavy but well balanced with bags of clearance and huge aftermarket spares market.

[NiggleC]

I'm thinking of selling my 1997 R1100G/S - 90000km, panniers, heated grips, hand guards, spare clutch cable and oil filter. pm me if you are interested.

[NordieBoy]

90000Km

I'd be careful of a BMW with this sort of mileage.

How much further before it's run in?

[NiggleC]

A couple of Southern Crosses, a few 1000k day rides, a couple of chatto creek 1000milers - it doesn't take long.
And just to get it dirty add in the Mangatapu Track, Porika Saddle, Lees Valley blah blah.
oh it got a new battery and air filter September '06.

[MVnut]

V-Stroms are too fugly for me, buy Anything else

[Wolf]

Don't keep us in suspenders, Logic, have you settled on anything yet?

Personally, I'd go for one of the XTs, DRs or XRs if I were going for a 600-650. My suggestion would be to go for something unfaired with proper off-road plastics (supple PVC) so if you bin it you won't do so much damage to the bike - pick it up, dust it off, and get back on.

ZeroIndex dropped an NXR125 on the road and we couldn't see evidence that it had just crashed - still looked bloody-near pristine, just a couple of small scuffs that could have occured in any of the 20-odd previous bins. He had more evidence on his gear and his arm than there was on the bike.

[CBobR]

the KTM Adventure is cool, but its a sh1t load of money.

I was in Auckland today and saw that the new KTM dealership in East Tamaki has 3 or 4 brand new 2005 KTM 950 Adventures. The salesman said they were officially imported by KTM NZ, but I didn't ask why they were still around or how much they cost (i'm not a keen negotiator).
Might be a bit cheaper than an '07 990?