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Pondering a bigger bike

Hank

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My NC actually is plenty of bike for me, but the purpose of riding is pleasure, so rationality is not that important.

Bikes I like:

Indian Springfield. So comfortable and powerful! Handles very well for such a heavy bike.

HD Heritage Classic. Upgraded in every way. Looks great.

Versys 1000. Fantastic and comfortable sport tourer, much lighter than most of its competition. Pillion seat and position are excellent.

Africa Twin. Basically an NC with better parts and more power.

My other bike right now is a Suzuki 400 supermoto, which is a totally different riding experience. I will probably keep it no matter what else I buy, though the Zero supermoto is amazing.

I wonder if Honda will redo the 1300. And then on 10/24 they apparently will announce a DCT Goldwing. They also have a patent for a four cylinder hybrid engine.
 
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Random thoughts on NC and bigger bike:

I was able to acquire a bigger bike.... used and a good price.... and I understand why you might want one.
Still, the NC is my favorite ride even though I won't be getting rid of the FJR1300 ($4300 with 35K miles) anytime soon.

bigger bike: smoother ride, shaft drive, fast as all get out, poor gas mileage (46mpg), adjustable windscreen

smaller bike: nimble ride, easier engine access, great gas MPG, fixed windscreen

Next Spring's cross country ride will be on the FJR.... for the sake of the smoother ride.. but it won't be as comfortable as the NC until I can add: heated seat, highway pegs, heated grips.

If I absolutely HAD to part with one, then the FJR would go.
 
Yea, those Indians are sweet. Last month the local motorcycle shop (C&C Powersports in Clarksville Indiana) had the Indian demo truck for the weekend. I got off work early on the Friday and went and test rode all their bikes. I absolutely fell in love with the Indian Chieftain Classic (red of course). Oh my god,, those Indian motors really don't care what gear you are in: doing 30mph in 6th gear and twist the throttle and boom, gone like a bat at of hades, no bog down what so ever. However, the only way I could justify that price is to win a big lottery.
 
If it was available in this country I'd be looking long and hard at the Triumph Sport SE 1050, (Ride Apart review, MCN report, Visor Down report.

TriumphTS1050-web.jpg

As it isn't, if I was looking for a bigger tourer here in the US I'd be doing comparo rides between the VFR1200X and the Triumph Trophy SE ABS. Of course if it isn't obvious already, being a Brit abroad I still have a hankering for a Brit brand like Triumph. That 1050 would be on my driveway pending availability and Triumph having similar reliability to Honda!! There's the rub though, they don't.

When I attended the MSTA meeting, I rode all day Saturday with a small group and one gentleman had a Triumph. He's had a string of them and really likes them. But he was also quick to admit that they see more of the dealership for issues than he would really like. I believe he had a tight connection with his local dealer (could have been family, not sure) it wasn't that big of a deal for him obviously as he still rode one and his last few bikes were all Triumph. He was easily able to name quite a long list of fixes he's needed over the last couple of years though. And for me, I ride to commute then for enjoyment so reliability is way up near the top of the list. Bike downtime needs to be measured in a few days per year max, and those are almost always at my convenience (during vacation time for example).
 
I have a bigger bike. It is a Triumph 1200 Explorer. Great bike and one of my top ten favourites. However it is not the one that gets used every day. The reason is that it is simply too heavy to be hauled out of its berth on a daily basis. That for me at this stage of my life is its only downside. As such it is kept for long weekends or holiday trips to Europe and the like. I will eventually have to part with it because of its weight but hopefully not too soon as it is a delight to ride.

My NC variant ( X-Adv) is the one that gets used daily. It is considerably lighter than the Triumph and indeed carries its weight much better also. My overall tendency nowadays though is towards lighter bikes. They are lots of fun to ride and especially when mixing it with more powerful bikes on twisty roads. For two up though it is hard to beat a big motor for easy passing power.
 
Nothing wrong with adding another bike to the stable!

I fell in love with a used bike in my LBS last time I was in... 2013 Victory Cross Roads Classic. ABS, cruise control, seat like a lay-z-boy. I know nothing about this bike and not in the market for another bike right now, but it sure is nice to dream.
cross-roads-classic.jpg
 
A bigger bike for me would be the BMW S1000XR. So much beauty and power. I loved my s1000RR crotch rocket. The XR will most likey be my next buy.
 
Interesting replies.
The bike that has surprised me the most is the Indian. The build quality, power, and suspension were all excellent.
I don’t know about living with a bike that heavy.
I kind of feel like every motorcyclist ought to have a big bike or a Harley once.
 
Shaft drive was more important than big, but you can't get shafts drive without going big.

I still dream of the BMW Pirsig wrote about in "Zen and the Art...",
 
I mentioned taking a demo ride of a Yamaha FJ-09 at AIMExpo last month. Well, Yamaha seems to have some sales incentive going on with those bikes right now and the out the door price of a 2017 dropped over $2k from what it had been earlier in the year. I took a highway test ride at an Orland dealer two weeks ago and found the bike to be quite smooth in the 75 - 85 MPH range and bought one. I have no idea what the trade in value would have been on the NC, because I'm keeping it. It wasn't cutting it as a long distance touring bike, but with the frunk, good gas mileage, low maintenance and the mellow character of the big twin it great for running errands and running around the area.

FJ the day it came home:

FJ_09b.jpg

As of today it has a Puig touring windshield & Sargent seat. May get new handlebars this weekend.
 
Im feeling the urge as well. Sold a ton of stuff on ebay and am looking for a KTM 990, or a 2002 BMW GSA. Keeping the NC, but want a iconic big bike as well.

Do i need a second bike. No. But i sold toys and ill be damned if i do somthing sensable with the money.
 
A fellow, a non rider, asked me the other day why I had two bikes. "You can only ride one at a time", he said, "I don't get it".

I said I have three counting the scooter and I have more than one bike because bikes are like tools, or guns, or pairs of shoes. Sure, one pair of loafers can work for every occasion and you can drive a nail, well sort of, with a box end wrench but to do the job right you learn what kind of hammer you need.
 
Shaft drive was more important than big, but you can't get shafts drive without going big.

I still dream of the BMW Pirsig wrote about in "Zen and the Art...",

My Suzuki C50 Boulevard is shaft drive. 805 cc, a little over 500lbs weight, classified as a medium cruiser, but I have toured all over the south eastern US on it and it is my main commuter bike (even though the NC gets better mpg)-it is just tired-10 years old and approx. 86,000 miles on it. It is small compared to all those other 'big' bikes mentioned here :)
Those Indians are heavy but they don't feel heavy while riding them and even at a stop-the balance is really good.
 
In the second half of the 70's I was a Yamaha mechanic. Starting with the XS750 triple in '76 Yamaha used shaft drive on a number of bikes. Shaft drive was used on the XS850 & XS1100, 750 & 920 Viragos, Seca 650 & 750 and the bike no one heard of, the water cooled, V-twin 550 Vision.
 
Interesting replies.
The bike that has surprised me the most is the Indian. The build quality, power, and suspension were all excellent.
I don’t know about living with a bike that heavy.
I kind of feel like every motorcyclist ought to have a big bike or a Harley once.

I kind of feel like every motorcyclist ought to have a big scooter once. Piaggio MP3 500, Piaggio BV 350, Suzuki Burgman 650. BMW makes a good one too. :cool:
 
Big bike accomplished...I think I made a deal on a S10.
I won't be getting rid of the NC, but I had the bug to get a second bike. Something with a better suspension and a bit more off road growl.
I recently sold a lot of equipment form my old business and knew that, this was it. I will have no more "toy" money that I could use for myself probably in the next several/many years. Found a banging deal and couldn't leave it. Set up almost exactly like my NC but in most cases with the gear I couldn't afford.

Insane deals on the Super T's if you look. Whole bike for around the cost of the Farkles, 15K miles. It's like new...

2.jpg

I think I have a sickness... ;)
 
Big bike accomplished...I think I made a deal on a S10.
I won't be getting rid of the NC, but I had the bug to get a second bike. Something with a better suspension and a bit more off road growl.
I recently sold a lot of equipment form my old business and knew that, this was it. I will have no more "toy" money that I could use for myself probably in the next several/many years. Found a banging deal and couldn't leave it. Set up almost exactly like my NC but in most cases with the gear I couldn't afford.

Insane deals on the Super T's if you look. Whole bike for around the cost of the Farkles, 15K miles. It's like new...

View attachment 35087

I think I have a sickness... ;)

Very nice. I really liked the Super Tenere on a Yamaha ride day last year. Congrats!
Year? Factory cruise?
I suspect your poor NC wont be getting much attention anymore.
 
Big bike accomplished...I think I made a deal on a S10.
I won't be getting rid of the NC, but I had the bug to get a second bike. Something with a better suspension and a bit more off road growl.
I recently sold a lot of equipment form my old business and knew that, this was it. I will have no more "toy" money that I could use for myself probably in the next several/many years. Found a banging deal and couldn't leave it. Set up almost exactly like my NC but in most cases with the gear I couldn't afford.

Insane deals on the Super T's if you look. Whole bike for around the cost of the Farkles, 15K miles. It's like new...

View attachment 35087

I think I have a sickness... ;)

Nice bike, nice pic. Where was the pic taken?
 
Big bike accomplished...I think I made a deal on a S10.
I won't be getting rid of the NC, but I had the bug to get a second bike. Something with a better suspension and a bit more off road growl.
I recently sold a lot of equipment form my old business and knew that, this was it. I will have no more "toy" money that I could use for myself probably in the next several/many years. Found a banging deal and couldn't leave it. Set up almost exactly like my NC but in most cases with the gear I couldn't afford.

Insane deals on the Super T's if you look. Whole bike for around the cost of the Farkles, 15K miles. It's like new...

View attachment 35087

I think I have a sickness... ;)

Excellent choice! I do like the S10 and I've been tempted to buy one several times.

Because the NC700X and the Super Tenere are somewhat of the same genre, I'll wager that you'll be letting the NC go at some point in the near future. I think the key to enjoying a fleet of bikes is variety, such as having a scooter, adventure or sport bike, tourer, dirt bike, etc.

Congrats on the S10 purchase! Many happy mlles . . .
 
The NC will be getting attention. Im going to commute daily on the NC and save the s10 for longer rides and bigger summer trips. The pic was taken at the owners house. Going out after this work trip to snag it. My wife is going ro murder me. ��

Also per RedNC's suggestion im slowly working my wife up to taking a MC class. Be awesome to cruise together.
 
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