Advice Needed

[neverdie]

Hi mate,

I just ride a 2009 HD Sportster 1200 Low.

Yeah, sure you do. This has got to be a joke, err right?

[neverdie]

Not restored. Found it via Google, it's identical to my bike except for the saddle.

.

Shes a fine bit of kit anyway, certainly would of taken some stopping (compared to todays bikes) with such weight and a front brake like that .

[guzzi850m2]

Hi mate,

I just ride a 2009 HD Sportster 1200 Low.

The sportster is an allround bike, light enough to pop in traffic, plenty powerful enough for long tours. Only drawback is the seat really sucks, so it's an upgrade item. Mine also have the Vance & Hines short shots exhaust so it's very loud. I cruise with or without a passenger and luggage in 100 - 140 km/h but do the occasional blast to 180+ with it.

It's not a dedicated touring bike, but it does it very well. If you never ridden one before, I promise you will sit with a smile after a ride. I am not stating it's the bees knees, but it's certainly a bike I enjoy a lot. Just came back from a roudtrip Rayong - Khon Kaen - Rayong. Rode up in 6 hours with plenty of breaks for fuel, water , smokes and look at scenery. Same on the way back, that was 535 km one way, absolutely brilliant.

Probably a Road King or an Electra Glide is more of a dedicated touring bike, but for me they're too heavy to pop around traffic, just for the pop to the shop etc. I use my bike every single day I am home for about everything, so for me the sportster is it for this purpose. Should it be for touring and little else probably a road King would be my choice.

Cheers Bard

Cheers Bard

Spot on Bard,

I used to go touring with my wife on the Road King, but we since got a boy so the wife don't go anymore. My RK is now for sale as I want a lighter bike for 1 person, so either a Sportster 1200 or a Dyna will be my next bike. The RK is soo good for 2 persons, back rest for the wife and all

So you can recommend the Sportster for 1 man touring Bard?

[GungaDin]

Not restored. Found it via Google, it's identical to my bike except for the saddle.

.

Shes a fine bit of kit anyway, certainly would of taken some stopping (compared to todays bikes) with such weight and a front brake like that .

Not at all, Never had a problem stopping with the dual front discs & I carried some big loads.

S&W Air shocks were a help with the loads I carried back from France, Italy & Germany.

35mpg on the M6, Preston to Dover with one refuel.

You were only 10 at the time.

When did Swiss Cheese discs come in?

[GungaDin]

Back on topic...

Would the K650 with standard h/bars & a touring saddle, have enough grunt for touring for the OP?

$$$ wise & service wise, the Kawasaki makes sense!

Just a thought......

[cdmtdm]

Back on topic...

Would the K650 with standard h/bars & a touring saddle, have enough grunt for touring for the OP?

$$$ wise & service wise, the Kawasaki makes sense!

Just a thought......

mmmm ..... no....... need horsepower matey ....cheers anyway .... i want to take a fair bit of gear with me as well and a passenger (not sure which one yet ha ha )

[Bard]

Well I do love the sportster 1200 a lot, just change the seat as it's not comfortable and that's it. I done average 1000 km per week on mine and it is perfect for the everyday ride, plus the tours in my humble opinion.

Joke neverdie, no it's no joke at all I will take some piccies and post after I clean it from my last tour.

[GungaDin]

Back on topic...

Would the K650 with standard h/bars & a touring saddle, have enough grunt for touring for the OP?

$$$ wise & service wise, the Kawasaki makes sense!

Just a thought......

mmmm ..... no....... need horsepower matey ....cheers anyway .... i want to take a fair bit of gear with me as well and a passenger (not sure which one yet ha ha )

I hope you're not planning on camping are you?

If you are, the mozzies will kill you, & if they don't, the Joe Blakes will!

or the heat.......

You're a Westy, m8, you should see the snakes here!

[HDRIDER]

HI

It don't get better than this

http://www.big-cycle.com/shop/shop1.php

Hey HD , thanks for that , what is the diff between the Ultra Classic and the Ultra Classic Elect Glide ??? yes i had a look at quite a few at the Phuket Bike week and what sort of money would one of these set me back secondhand ?? many for sale in Thailand secondhand , nice website you sent had a good look over it ..

Cheers CdM

Hi

Think its the same, i know that 1 of the ultra dont have the faring around the engine, i would take them of, very hot, also look at the street glide, dam_n nice bike, 2008 street glide can be yours at around 850-900K

look here

http://www.ridethailand.com/bikeforsales/index_moto.php?id=1

remember you dont need to pay the price you see :-)

[cdmtdm]

Back on topic...

Would the K650 with standard h/bars & a touring saddle, have enough grunt for touring for the OP?

$$$ wise & service wise, the Kawasaki makes sense!

Just a thought......

mmmm ..... no....... need horsepower matey ....cheers anyway .... i want to take a fair bit of gear with me as well and a passenger (not sure which one yet ha ha )

I hope you're not planning on camping are you?

If you are, the mozzies will kill you, & if they don't, the Joe Blakes will!

or the heat.......

You're a Westy, m8, you should see the snakes here!

No mate ,swag still in Oz ha ha can afford a roof over me these days ..... i have seen a few snakes here but not as scary as a bloody King Brown on your outdoor table ...... now thats a scary snake ugly as a hat full of ass@#les and always angry ......

cheers

[cdmtdm]

HI

It don't get better than this

http://www.big-cycle.com/shop/shop1.php

Hey HD , thanks for that , what is the diff between the Ultra Classic and the Ultra Classic Elect Glide ??? yes i had a look at quite a few at the Phuket Bike week and what sort of money would one of these set me back secondhand ?? many for sale in Thailand secondhand , nice website you sent had a good look over it ..

Cheers CdM

Hi

Think its the same, i know that 1 of the ultra dont have the faring around the engine, i would take them of, very hot, also look at the street glide, dam_n nice bike, 2008 street glide can be yours at around 850-900K

look here

http://www.ridethailand.com/bikeforsales/index_moto.php?id=1

remember you dont need to pay the price you see :-)

Thanks HD ,good advice , where are all these bikes situated on that link you sent me ???

Cheers

[onlycw]

There is a nice green Triumph on GT Rider, with panniers. forgot the price, but it was under 300,000.

The Africa Twin is a great choice, too - but it has an ordinary chain.

The Honda Transalp might do nicely, too as power and top speed is not important over here.

A Yamaha TDM 900 or its latest version (1200 cc?) or a touring Ducati would be nice, too.

I love twins and am biased.

Chris

[HDRIDER]

cdmtdm

sent you a PM

[GungaDin]

10,000 Miles on my FJR1300A

Good blogger. See his take on the Givi 55L tail trunk.

[tubber]

Go For the FJR. I bought one and now has 25,000miles no problems. Can't beat Japanese reliability, shaft drive is also very good, no need to worry about the belt unexpectedly snapping or lubing the chain. Good luggage capacity with the 2 panniers and also a topbox available. Pillion comfort is very good. Bought from an official dealer so taxes paid and 100% legal green book. Bit heavy when wheeling around for parking etc at 265ky dry but over 5mph the weight disappears and it handles lightly in the twistier stuff. Around 130bhp at the back wheel, Yamaha quote 14? at the crank so power, torque etc are plenty. Only a 5 speed box but you don't really need 5th unless cruising at more than 100mph. Fourth goes from 40mph to 140 mph. Official Yamaha dealers in Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Phuket and Khorat. I emailed Kawasaki Thailand and they have no intention of importing the GTR1400, which is a shame. I know other people with the FJR and they have similar opinions. BMWs have reliability issues more with the electronics than anything else and Triumph had a reputation for burning oil. One UK magazine trashed a Daytona 675 engine as they didn't check the oil everytime they rode it. There is also a few dealers in the UK that have reconditioned Tiger engines available for 1000 GBP as the problem is very prevalent. How many Jap bike dealers have that? Earlier FJR1300s did have problems and became "tickers" they reckon the valve guides are outside specs and made from the wrong material but Yamaha fixed all these even the ones outside the warranty period the problem is not relevant on the newer models. The only other problem is the cam chain tensioner which was finally redesigned for 2009 with a longer plunger. Mine is a 2008 model so I will be changing the cam chain tensioner to the new design before 60,000 miles. I ride up to Chiang Mai for the services which is an 1,800 km round trip just because the FJR is a pleasure to ride. After having one I wouldn't consider another bike for long distance touring. If you require more Yamaha propaganda PM me.

[tubber]

To answer your 5 previous questions

1/ reliability ( is the harley reliability still an issue on newer models comments please) the others ???

2/ service in rural thailand or adjoining countries , what is the best bet of them all ..... ie bmw shits itself bangkok i presume , triumph same , harley same , yamaha ??

3/ re sale ..... do jap bikes as opposed to bmw , triumph or harley fetch less on resale ?? if not which model ??

4/ passenger comfort and storage capacities ......

5/ compliance / green book issues

1. Yamaha reliability excellent.

2. 4 official dealers in Thailand-If you want more buy a Honda Phantom.

3. Resale value is still not certain, they have only been importing them officially for just over 2 years and the price rose dramatically last year due to the Yen.

4. Excellent, hard, 100% water proof panniers and extra top box available for the FJR

5. Not an issue, everything 100% legit.

Some people complain the Japanese bikes lack "Character". I have no idea what this is, all I want from a touring bike is to stick fuel in it and arrive at the destination in comfort.

[katabeachbum]

2/ service in rural thailand or adjoining countries , what is the best bet of them all ..... ie bmw shits itself bangkok i presume , triumph same , harley same , yamaha ??

2. 4 official dealers in Thailand-If you want more buy a Honda Phantom.

KAWASAKI, but unfortunately they dont presently serve in LOS what OP is looking for

[cdmtdm]

Go For the FJR. I bought one and now has 25,000miles no problems. Can't beat Japanese reliability, shaft drive is also very good, no need to worry about the belt unexpectedly snapping or lubing the chain. Good luggage capacity with the 2 panniers and also a topbox available. Pillion comfort is very good. Bought from an official dealer so taxes paid and 100% legal green book. Bit heavy when wheeling around for parking etc at 265ky dry but over 5mph the weight disappears and it handles lightly in the twistier stuff. Around 130bhp at the back wheel, Yamaha quote 14? at the crank so power, torque etc are plenty. Only a 5 speed box but you don't really need 5th unless cruising at more than 100mph. Fourth goes from 40mph to 140 mph. Official Yamaha dealers in Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Phuket and Khorat. I emailed Kawasaki Thailand and they have no intention of importing the GTR1400, which is a shame. I know other people with the FJR and they have similar opinions. BMWs have reliability issues more with the electronics than anything else and Triumph had a reputation for burning oil. One UK magazine trashed a Daytona 675 engine as they didn't check the oil everytime they rode it. There is also a few dealers in the UK that have reconditioned Tiger engines available for 1000 GBP as the problem is very prevalent. How many Jap bike dealers have that? Earlier FJR1300s did have problems and became "tickers" they reckon the valve guides are outside specs and made from the wrong material but Yamaha fixed all these even the ones outside the warranty period the problem is not relevant on the newer models. The only other problem is the cam chain tensioner which was finally redesigned for 2009 with a longer plunger. Mine is a 2008 model so I will be changing the cam chain tensioner to the new design before 60,000 miles. I ride up to Chiang Mai for the services which is an 1,800 km round trip just because the FJR is a pleasure to ride. After having one I wouldn't consider another bike for long distance touring. If you require more Yamaha propaganda PM me.

thanks Tubber for the great reply ..... before you posted i had already narrowed it down to three bikes , Yamaha, Harley and BMW .... having ridden a BMW 1200 GS in OZ as much as the bike was well equipped etc i just could not get used two big cylinders poking out , personal thing thats all and add to that you mentioned the continued push for more and more electronics creates reliability issues..... so its down to the Yamaha FJR and a Harley Ultra Glide of some description , next step is to test ride with and without a passenger and make a desicion , must say the yamaha is priced very well that is also a big plus and totally legal as you added ..

Cheers CdM

[tubber]

I also rode a BMW 1200 GS. Found it hard to stop laughing which took about 15 minutes but after that I tried to like the bike as I reckon it would be ideal over here. But in the end I just couldn't get along with it. I believe Hardleys are a lot more reliable these days since 1999 or 2000 when they introduced the Evolution engine. I don't know much about them but I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong. First time I saw one idling I thought all engine mounting bolts were loose it was shaking that much but apparently they all do that. Anyway I am biased so don't listen to me, I grew up with Jap fours so anything else doesn't get a look in. Unless it's a Jap six.

[Travelmate]

The OP failed to mention what kind of rider he is.

Does he want to sit happily all day long at 100kmh, then a Harley it is.

What if he likes a bit of poke for overtaking quickly & safely. Then a Yamaha FJR should do.

The problem with buying bikes in Thailand. It is a very costly exercise.

Should look at something that gives more for the money. Something that can cruise all day long with comfort. Something that got grunt to overtake & dispense with traffic at a mere twist of the throttle. Something that can handle through the twisting mountain & valleys. Something that can filter through traffic with ease. Something that has a countrywide dealer support. Something that has character & pedigree.

A bike for all season.

Let take mine for example.

Can ride all day long. eight hours? easy

Can hang with the superbikes. Dispense brand new R1 with ease. Even so good, riding two up overtook a CBR1000RR in the twisties. Boy did that superbiker get a fright!

If need be will take panniers & top box. Heck even got room for a tank bag. Cockpit roomy enough for satnav system.

Passenger got plenty of room on a nice big seat. Plenty of room for the legs as well. No cramp on this motorcycle.

Thanks to it upright position, filter traffic with ease.

What kind of bike is it? Hard to pin down. I think it's a Sport Tourer.

Sure I am biased. Why? Cause it done all the above well. And it been fun every time, I swing a leg over my mighty white Bengal Tiger!

[cdmtdm]

The OP failed to mention what kind of rider he is.

Does he want to sit happily all day long at 100kmh, then a Harley it is.

What if he likes a bit of poke for overtaking quickly & safely. Then a Yamaha FJR should do.

The problem with buying bikes in Thailand. It is a very costly exercise.

Should look at something that gives more for the money. Something that can cruise all day long with comfort. Something that got grunt to overtake & dispense with traffic at a mere twist of the throttle. Something that can handle through the twisting mountain & valleys. Something that can filter through traffic with ease. Something that has a countrywide dealer support. Something that has character & pedigree.

A bike for all season.

Let take mine for example.

Can ride all day long. eight hours? easy

Can hang with the superbikes. Dispense brand new R1 with ease. Even so good, riding two up overtook a CBR1000RR in the twisties. Boy did that superbiker get a fright!

If need be will take panniers & top box. Heck even got room for a tank bag. Cockpit roomy enough for satnav system.

Passenger got plenty of room on a nice big seat. Plenty of room for the legs as well. No cramp on this motorcycle.

Thanks to it upright position, filter traffic with ease.

What kind of bike is it? Hard to pin down. I think it's a Sport Tourer.

Sure I am biased. Why? Cause it done all the above well. And it been fun every time, I swing a leg over my mighty white Bengal Tiger!

ok you lost me <deleted> is it ?? is it me or am i the only retard ??

[Travelmate]

Thought the combination of my avatar & the last line. "Mighty White Bengal Tiger" would have given the game away.

It's a Triumph Tiger 1050.

[Travelmate]

Double post

Edited April 19, 2010 by Travelmate

[cdmtdm]

Thought the combination of my avatar & the last line. "Mighty White Bengal Tiger" would have given the game away.

It's a Triumph Tiger 1050.

guess the retard that i am should have looked at your avatar , LOL ..... yes nice bike but you are sure passenger comfort is ok , seat looks a bit on the sports bike side , when you say nationwide dealer support , where exactly are they ?? quality machine for sure .... lucky man !!

cheers

[Travelmate]

Thought the combination of my avatar & the last line. "Mighty White Bengal Tiger" would have given the game away.

It's a Triumph Tiger 1050.

guess the retard that i am should have looked at your avatar , LOL ..... yes nice bike but you are sure passenger comfort is ok , seat looks a bit on the sports bike side , when you say nationwide dealer support , where exactly are they ?? quality machine for sure .... lucky man !!

cheers

Have a look here. http://www.britbike.co.th/?lang=en

Dealers in Bangkok, Chiangmai & Phuket.

Passenger comfort is very good. The rider & passenger is a one piece seat and it is massive. Very comfy.

In fact when I ride solo. I sometime sit on the passenger seat and let the bike coast along.

[tubber]

I seriously considered the Speed Triple ( if that's the 1050) but seeing some of the horrendous warranty claims, oil burning issues and poor quality finish complaints I decided against it and bought an FZ-1 instead. Price was also a lot more. I would be interested to know any first hand experiences with the Tiger as it looks good on the spec sheet. Have you had any problem? What are the dealers like? Where are the new bike prices in Baht on that website and where is the Rocket 111? Sorry for hi-jacking this thread but thought the OP might also be thinking the same things.

[cdmtdm]

I seriously considered the Speed Triple ( if that's the 1050) but seeing some of the horrendous warranty claims, oil burning issues and poor quality finish complaints I decided against it and bought an FZ-1 instead. Price was also a lot more. I would be interested to know any first hand experiences with the Tiger as it looks good on the spec sheet. Have you had any problem? What are the dealers like? Where are the new bike prices in Baht on that website and where is the Rocket 111? Sorry for hi-jacking this thread but thought the OP might also be thinking the same things.

excellent work Tubber you beat me too it ...cheers

[Bard]

I do not easily concur that a Harley is the sluggish bad handling bike anymore. The sportster I got do easily 200 km/h and yes I did blast some 650 bikes in curves, admit I had sparks coming off it in the curves but they had no way to keep up.

The bike is pretty much flawless besides the seat, it's brutal in take off and vibration free even in 210 km/h so what is the bad point with the new Harleys?

I donno but I know Triumph is doing all they can to make a Harley, they do mostly cruisers and market mainly that... I had an old Panhead in my youth and it was as reliable as a Chinese copy watch. It was all I could afford at the time as they were cheap, I used all my time fixing it. However the new HD is actually an awesome bike. So you can always go Triumph America or another Triumph, it's still not the massive thunder of the road.

The new HD I ride is just a brilliant bike. Had mine on the track and guess what it keeps up with the other bikes, not a sportbike not a superbike but still the laptime is very respectable at 1:22 @ Bira.

Anyone who think they still suck have never ridden a new one.

Anyway, we can all throw crap at each other on the bikes each other own, but any bike which brings a smile on your face is a cool bike. If you ever have enough balls to face your demons and actually ride what you told everyone was <deleted> you are a dedicated biker.

Now I have for the moment;

Yamaha R1 2010 Superbike

Ducati Monster 900

Harley Davidson 1200 Sportster

Honda XR 440 R

Honda CBR 600 RR

The bikes I ride for everything is either the Harley or the Ducati, should I really want to blast the roads I take the R1, offroad the XR rocks, the CBR is a restoration project.

Anyway my point is, what do YOU like, do you like the thunder, Police smiling, people everywhere waving you cannot beat a HD. You need speed an R1 is very very hard to beat, but touring bike it is not. Any HD is.

Again you want a tourbike the FJR 1300 is hard to beat, for the thunder a HD is impossible to beat.

Cheers Bard

[cdmtdm]

I do not easily concur that a Harley is the sluggish bad handling bike anymore. The sportster I got do easily 200 km/h and yes I did blast some 650 bikes in curves, admit I had sparks coming off it in the curves but they had no way to keep up.

The bike is pretty much flawless besides the seat, it's brutal in take off and vibration free even in 210 km/h so what is the bad point with the new Harleys?

I donno but I know Triumph is doing all they can to make a Harley, they do mostly cruisers and market mainly that... I had an old Panhead in my youth and it was as reliable as a Chinese copy watch. It was all I could afford at the time as they were cheap, I used all my time fixing it. However the new HD is actually an awesome bike. So you can always go Triumph America or another Triumph, it's still not the massive thunder of the road.

The new HD I ride is just a brilliant bike. Had mine on the track and guess what it keeps up with the other bikes, not a sportbike not a superbike but still the laptime is very respectable at 1:22 @ Bira.

Anyone who think they still suck have never ridden a new one.

Anyway, we can all throw crap at each other on the bikes each other own, but any bike which brings a smile on your face is a cool bike. If you ever have enough balls to face your demons and actually ride what you told everyone was <deleted> you are a dedicated biker.

Now I have for the moment;

Yamaha R1 2010 Superbike

Ducati Monster 900

Harley Davidson 1200 Sportster

Honda XR 440 R

Honda CBR 600 RR

The bikes I ride for everything is either the Harley or the Ducati, should I really want to blast the roads I take the R1, offroad the XR rocks, the CBR is a restoration project.

Anyway my point is, what do YOU like, do you like the thunder, Police smiling, people everywhere waving you cannot beat a HD. You need speed an R1 is very very hard to beat, but touring bike it is not. Any HD is.

Again you want a tourbike the FJR 1300 is hard to beat, for the thunder a HD is impossible to beat.

Cheers Bard

Thanks Bard , brilliant post and i dont think anyone can argue with you given the cross section of bikes you ride and own , for me its test ride time , first a FJR 1300 and then an Ultra HD ....... just to expand on the HD reliability issues that tend to get thrown at them , any HD owners out there having or had any real issues with reliability on more recent models lets say bikes not more than 5 years old ???? its interesting to me and the ride will make me decide i am sure ,but here we have the FJR1300 reliable , smooth , new , heaps of power , looks nice on the eye etc etc , but unlike the HD it seems to lack some soul , again a ride may just fix that for me .......

cheers and thanks Bard

[guzzi850m2]

I do not easily concur that a Harley is the sluggish bad handling bike anymore. The sportster I got do easily 200 km/h and yes I did blast some 650 bikes in curves, admit I had sparks coming off it in the curves but they had no way to keep up.

The bike is pretty much flawless besides the seat, it's brutal in take off and vibration free even in 210 km/h so what is the bad point with the new Harleys?

Anyway, we can all throw crap at each other on the bikes each other own, but any bike which brings a smile on your face is a cool bike. If you ever have enough balls to face your demons and actually ride what you told everyone was <deleted> you are a dedicated biker.

Now I have for the moment;

Yamaha R1 2010 Superbike

Ducati Monster 900

Harley Davidson 1200 Sportster

Honda XR 440 R

Honda CBR 600 RR

The bikes I ride for everything is either the Harley or the Ducati, should I really want to blast the roads I take the R1, offroad the XR rocks, the CBR is a restoration project.

Anyway my point is, what do YOU like, do you like the thunder, Police smiling, people everywhere waving you cannot beat a HD. You need speed an R1 is very very hard to beat, but touring bike it is not. Any HD is.

Again you want a tourbike the FJR 1300 is hard to beat, for the thunder a HD is impossible to beat.

Cheers Bard

That's the best poster I seen in bike forum for a LONG time. Now here is a rider who have all these bikes so he obviously knows what he talks about.

My hat off for you Bard