- Hertz wrote:
- What bikes are you considering?
Probably more response than you expect, but since you ask...Short background...am 55 and literally never sat on a bike until April of this year. Last fall, wife says she wants to learn to ride, adventure type travel...so I set about researching. Of course my problem is I have no frame of reference, or experience, so have to rely on reading and/or others first hand experience.
Picked up a 2015 CB500X with 440 miles on it for under $4000 for the wife and she loves it. I don't think she'll ever see an unpaved road on it, but if we spend time on the Blue Ridge Parkway, travel to the Carolina beaches, just get out, then I'll be happy.
After MUCH reading, and no test riding, I picked up a 2015 G650GS. Have put around 750 miles on it, and I hate it. Up to about 45-50, it is fine. But to maintain 55, it FEELS like its giving every full measure of devotion and pushing any harder will blow it up. Of course its not, and you can roll on the throttle and it'll get up and go, much faster than I'll ride it, but it FEELS like its going to come apart. Not to mention it feels like its missing 6th gear and constantly find myself trying to find that next gear.
Ride my wife's bike and at 35, 55, 75, it doesn't "feel" labored, just smooth, easy riding.
I had read about thumpers having some vibrations, and if that was it, I'd be fine, but its not just the vibration, its the "feel" that the bike is at its performance limit, again, knowing full well its not, but it feels like it is and to be frank, its not something I plan to continue to deal with.
So, everyone I know that rides owns a Harley, and wouldn't let you ride it if you asked, so I am going a bit slower at attacking the next bike and ruling nothing out.
Having said that, I really like what I am reading about the "Lightweight Adventure Bikes," i.e. WRR, KLX, CRF/CRF Rally. So, riding comfortably on paved roads a couple of hours, then riding on fire roads, dirt roads, mountain service roads, to a camp site, is the goal/plan... and from what I've read, this class of bike can fill it...I am too old to try and learn to ride a dirt bike to its capability, not worried about low end power and the like, only able to ride dirt, unpaved backroads at more than a crawl.
I am not adverse to bigger Adventure Bikes...but many rule themselves out, Thumpers with 5 speed gear boxes (KLR/DR/DRZ) don't thrill me. I've got one of those and am not enamored with it.
So, the WRR, is a single, (as are the other "lightweight ADV bike") but has the 6th gear, is lightweight and after reading Big Dog's WRR tales, I believe this could be a better fit. No one in any of the reading I've done so far say it really vibrates bad, or feels buzzy, in fact most say loaded up for overnighters, with a 200-225 pound rider and it runs fine at 55-60. BUT, this time I am going to find a bike to ride before I lay down the duckies. This one has just caught my eye.
Oh, I am 6'2" 230, and typically carry 30-35 pounds of camping gear when backpacking, so I'd be looking at 275 +/- total load.
Thoughts?
Home 
Latest images 