VStrom 650 would be my pick. Likes tall riders. Torquey, light, and handles well. Could be a nice mount for trashing the Alcan.
Middleweight Standards Comparo
Nice article. As the owner of my fourth Sportster-a 1200R, I must agree that overall it is a radical improvement from its '03 and earlier versions. It can still be easily smoked by most of the other "small" bikes in the test, but the grin factor when riding this bike thru curves is astounding.
The saddle continues to be an ergonomic pain-in-the-arse, the headlight equals a weak batteried flashlight and the stock Showa suspension combines nicely with the dummlopp "rim protecturrzz" to compromise handling. That said vast improvements are only(!!) hundreds of dollars away: Race Tech up front, good shocks in rear, Bridgestone BT45Vs, an aftermarket saddle...watch out curves! IMO, of the 65 or so bikes I've had the 1200R ranks up there with the best for being lotsa fun to ride. My BMW R1150GS will easily show her saddlebags to the 1200R, but the 1200R is the usual choice for riding. DFO
The saddle continues to be an ergonomic pain-in-the-arse, the headlight equals a weak batteried flashlight and the stock Showa suspension combines nicely with the dummlopp "rim protecturrzz" to compromise handling. That said vast improvements are only(!!) hundreds of dollars away: Race Tech up front, good shocks in rear, Bridgestone BT45Vs, an aftermarket saddle...watch out curves! IMO, of the 65 or so bikes I've had the 1200R ranks up there with the best for being lotsa fun to ride. My BMW R1150GS will easily show her saddlebags to the 1200R, but the 1200R is the usual choice for riding. DFO
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Little boy, go have a big cup of Shut the F&ck Up and let the adults talk.
Flipped on the electric vest, did ya Buz? Temperature must have dipped waaay down to say 60?? LOL
Re: waaay down to 60 LOL
Buz is killin me. I don't think there is one day this year I have ridden when it was above 55. Most commutes have been in the 25 to 30 range, and that was on the VMax. I do have a Widder vest, but use it mostly for long days in cold weather. You can dress up for a commuteand not be too cold, but a 200 or 300 mile day in very cold weather is nasty. I'm sure Buz made that 100 mile ride in that freezing 60 degree weather seem like nothin'! LOL
Buz is killin me. I don't think there is one day this year I have ridden when it was above 55. Most commutes have been in the 25 to 30 range, and that was on the VMax. I do have a Widder vest, but use it mostly for long days in cold weather. You can dress up for a commuteand not be too cold, but a 200 or 300 mile day in very cold weather is nasty. I'm sure Buz made that 100 mile ride in that freezing 60 degree weather seem like nothin'! LOL
1 - 4 of 228 Posts
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