Need your advice

One bike?

One bike? Are you insane?

If I was limited to one bike, it would have to go around corners and pull wheelies like my KTM 620 supermoto, handle tight woods like a 200EXC, ride trials like a Gas Gas, accelerate like a VMax, have the range of a DL650, get the mileage of a Ninja 250, jump like a CRF450, and look like a, a, well, I just don't know. Something insane!

Maybe that Ducati Hypermoto.

If I were limited to just 1 bike, i think i mighht pick a BMW R1200GS. it is truly a go anywhere do anythng bike. touring, trailing, apex strafing, it does it all. it'll humiliate sportier bikes in the twisties, too. great bike if you could only have one.

I'm not crazy about the FJR. The ST1300 would be a bit better and the R1200RT the best in this group. (In my humble opinion)



Now lets get serious, the 05' GSX-R1000 is more comfortable then the 01' R1 so check it out.



Best of ALL worlds? Maybe the Sprint ST?

I think the answer is easy: R1. Big sportbikes have never been better behaved. I'd perhaps throw on some helibars and sport-tour rubber for long haul stuff, but that'd be it.



Didn't a Dutch guy circumnavigate the Earth on an R1 a couple of years back?

It is my understanding that this spring, BMW is coming out with a K1200 GT. I have only seen pictures of it, but I am already saving my money for one of these babies. I don't see how it can be anything less than the best sport tourer on the planet when it arrives.



Maybe you should consider this bike.

WAIT!

Cutrate +$100

I second the BMW R1200GS if you have to have 1 bike.



OR



Buy two used bikes, I bought an '04 Multistrada(1500mi.) and an '04 Daytona 955i(952mi) for the grand total of $16,100 incl tax.

I'm 56 and ride a stock 955i Daytona as my only bike. If I didn't have the Daytona I'd be on an R1. I suppose you would call me a tourer because I generally ride several hundred miles in a day and do not take the bike to extremes unless pressed.



I think I have stuck with motorcycling all my life because for me it is the one thing I have never had to compromise. By the bike you like the best. If you can't decide by the one that looks the best.

Get the R1, my dad is older than you and tours (well 8 hour rides) on a aprilia RS250 with a trunk.



Besides you could always raise the bars, and tweek other things to make it a bit better ride.



I mean it won't be the one bike that does everything but as long as you stay on the road and get it to where you can tolerate it for long distances what else do you need?

Well, Dennis, true enlightenment comes when you realize that man cannot live with just one bike, because none of them do everything well. We don't either, but we WANT to be able to do everything, well or not. I would say, forget the FJR, which is a compromise between touring and sport, and buy two bikes, maybe a used Wing for the one end, and a nice race replica for the other end. Buying recent used you can keep the money in the same range as the new yammy. Heck, with a little luck you might can add a third, maybe a dual-sport with the other two. Think of the possibilities!

Dennis:



I'm 55 and limit myself to one bike, which my wife insisted that I buy as if I were going to ride solo. So I picked the BuellXB12Ss. I heartily recommend it. Handling is great, gas mileage is quite good, no valves to adjust, and the bike is an absolute hoot to ride. Barring that, the only other candidate is a VFR.



Francis