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Old 18th July 2019, 11:37   #61
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Re: Which big touring motorcycle should I buy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Amey Kulkarni View Post
My Bad! I meant Triumph Scrambler 1200xc.

@Axe77, @the_skyliner - Thanks for clarifying.

BTW Heartiest congratulations on the Suzuki V Strom 650. It was always a capable bike but failed because of the poor service interval they carried. Hope that's sorted now.

Happy munching miles! Catch you soon at the rides.

Cheers,
Amey
The Scrambler 1200 is totally mouthwatering to have. I gave it a serious look, also considering the mouthwatering price. But given our tropical rising temperatures I really dont want to regret a hot pipe between my legs.


Having said that, I should be astride the V Strom next week.
Cheers.
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Old 20th July 2019, 23:03   #62
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Re: Which big touring motorcycle should I buy?

Guys, I have a fresh question. Please advise.
I'm scheduled to take delivery of the V Strom on Wednesday.
What all should I be looking at or looking for on the bike, prior to taking delivery?

Any specific questions I should be asking?
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Old 21st July 2019, 07:09   #63
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Re: Which big touring motorcycle should I buy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves View Post
Guys, I have a fresh question. Please advise.
I'm scheduled to take delivery of the V Strom on Wednesday.
What all should I be looking at or looking for on the bike, prior to taking delivery?

Any specific questions I should be asking?
Check odo reading.
Check for visible scratches if any.
Check tyre pressure immediately.
Check chassis and engine number to see manufacturing date info.
Little to nothing to go wrong, but check if all the electronics work right before you leave.
Paperwork.
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Old 21st July 2019, 12:14   #64
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Re: Which big touring motorcycle should I buy?

Start with close visual inspection front to back. Take a closer look at plastic parts and paint.
Sit on it, start it, and use all electronics. Scroll through the menus on the odometer.
Rev it a little to see if clanking, vibration , loose nut kind of sound is coming from any particular area. Normal sound should be okay but nothing should stand out.
Chassis and engine number as already mentioned and tallying it to the paperwork.
Generally speaking, as long as you are parked inside the showroom and anything is off the dealer is responsible. The minute you take it out the door you are responsible. So take your time.
PS: I did nothing of the above. Unboxed it, started it and rode for 300 kms back home so what do I know.

Last edited by manson : 26th July 2019 at 00:29. Reason: Typo.
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Old 21st July 2019, 12:23   #65
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Re: Which big touring motorcycle should I buy?

Check the tyres for manufacturing date.

It should have the cat whiskers( or whatever it is called ).
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Old 21st July 2019, 19:59   #66
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Re: Which big touring motorcycle should I buy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by bigron View Post
...
Generally speaking ,a s long as you are parked inside the showroom and anything is off the dealer is responsible. The minute you take it out the door you are responsible. So take your time.
...
I guess as long as the bike papers haven't gone for registration, if you find something fishy, you can get a different bike.

Once registered, you are limited to warranty repairs and replacement of faulty parts alone.

But I guess the OP already knows this bit.

Last edited by manson : 26th July 2019 at 00:29. Reason: Typo.
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Old 22nd July 2019, 21:25   #67
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Re: Which big touring motorcycle should I buy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves View Post
What all should I be looking at or looking for on the bike, prior to taking delivery?

Any specific questions I should be asking?
1. Check PDI sheet for all basic checkups.
2. Ask the SA to help you through all the features and identify each accessory if installed.
3. Next service schedule.
4. Bike Running-in conditions and DTE on the bike while stepping out
5. Insurance, Tax receipt, Tax invoice and other important documents.
6. Any impromptu questions which may come to your mind looking at the bike.

Cheers
Amey
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Old 23rd July 2019, 17:05   #68
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Re: Which big touring motorcycle should I buy?

Hello all,

Mods please move the post to the relevant thread if required. Also all the thoughts, views are of my own and as per my understanding. No offence to anyone

History :- I am 29 year old guy riding a 2010 Honda Unicorn 150cc (with 32,000 km on odo). Initially i used to ride it to college and then had a long gap from riding due to work commitments. Now have been riding a little over 1 and half years again only for city commute. The itch for upgrade, both in terms of cylinders and BHP, has been for a long time now. I was initially looking for R3 as I always wanted a faired motorcycle from my childhood. However, the requirements for the next bike are a comfortable long distance tourer with good pillion comfort. So I had to let go the R3 itch mainly as its not a comfortable tourer and unfriendly pillion seat.

I then started reading more about touring friendly bikes and came across quite a handful of threads on Kawasaki Versys. Post reading multiple blogs on Tbhp and seeing reviews on Youtube, I have made a short list of requirements:-

(a) Budget:- Below 6L (The lesser the better)
(b) Ownership:- Open to a preowned one
(c) Kms run:- Below 15,000 km (The lesser the better)
(d) Comfort:- Comfortable seats (both rider and pillion)
(e) Reliable, robust, easy on pocket, having easy access to service centres
(f) Running:- Would start off with weekend rides and then aim is to do pan india rides with wife as a pillion. So I am guessing a running of 5,000-7,000 km approx in the beginning. Would be using it for my daily office commute too (15 km in total)
(g) Duration of ownership:- Minimum 8-10 yrs. I generally keep my vehicles for a long time unless they are a pain in the back to maintain. My car is a 2007 preowned Tata Safari Dicor 2.2 with 1,20,000 km on odo. I have no intentions to sell it for next 3 years unless it turns out to be a white elephant to maintain (Trust me it is not now.!) or if I am transferred to Delhi.!


Based on the above requirements, I have shortlisted few bikes which fit my bill (all preowned ones due to the Budget restriction) :-

(a) Kawasaki Versys
(b) Suzuki Vstorm

Could not find other long touring bikes of my liking. Please suggest if there are any. Also the hardcore offroading element would be extremely less. I did not like RE Himalayan, 650 Twins and Dominar 400 for reasons like power output, looks, seating comfort, vibrations etc. Want a big bike feel and want a serious upgrade which I would keep it for a long time to come.

So now coming to the questions

(a) I came across a mint condition 2018 Nov registered (2019 model) Kawasaki Versys which has done 3000 km. The owner is selling it off due to low running. It has aux lights, engine guard, barkbusters. He is quoting 7.2L. The vehicle would have costed him 7.45L onroad. How much do you I can ask him for? 6.5 L max considering the depreciation ?

(b) I am not keen on Triumph Tigers XR/ XRX as finding well maintained low run vehicles within the said budget is difficult. Any other bikes which you would suggest me?

(c) Things to check for a used bike: - Physical condition, Service history, tyre condition, tyre manufacturing dates, Manual, Extra keys. Anything else?

(d) As far as my understanding goes, the pillion seats on all fully faired bikes seems to be very narrow and not so comfortable for long rides. Also the riding position is little to more committed depending upon the bikes. The fully faired ones which I like and are in my budget on search would be Yamaha R3, Kawasaki Ninja 300 & 650, Honda CBR 650F. My heart still longs for a faired bike but my mind says to go for a tourer for all the reasons.

Sorry for the long post but my mind is a little cluttered. So guys, answers/ help/ suggestions are welcome.

Thank you
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Old 23rd July 2019, 17:56   #69
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Re: Which big touring motorcycle should I buy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ani0404 View Post
Hello all,
(a) Kawasaki Versys
(b) Suzuki Vstorm

Thank you
A used Vstrom would be an extremely rare find, since there aren't many around.
There is a higher possibility of finding a used Versys within your budget.
Versys is a reliable bike and since it is fairly bare bones in terms of electronics it is not very expensive to maintain unless you need parts replacement.

Last edited by jaysmokesleaves : 23rd July 2019 at 17:58.
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Old 23rd July 2019, 19:08   #70
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Re: Which big touring motorcycle should I buy?

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Originally Posted by Ani0404 View Post
Could not find other long touring bikes of my liking. Please suggest if there are any. Also the hardcore offroading element would be extremely less.
Have you looked at the Benelli TRK 502 and 502X? The 502 would be around 6.5 Lac on-road as new. It has good road presence and I believe a 500cc twin with around 47 BHP should suffice. Do check out the reviews on YouTube. I personally found them to be decent. The only question being Benelli's ASS and long term reliability. My friend has a TNT 300 and it has been problem free for 2 years.

If you are aiming at the 600+cc segment then your choice is good. Just that I have not seen the Versys sold below 6.5 lacs unless they are 2-3 year old.
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Old 23rd July 2019, 22:12   #71
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Re: Which big touring motorcycle should I buy?

If you are willing to spend 6.5lacs on a used versys seriously consider a new one given how long you keep your vehicles and how much use them (conjecture based on your post). The cost over 8yrs will be approx 1000rs/month more!! But the peace of mind will be priceless.
For someone young like you and your usage, a new one just makes more sense. You can't go wrong with a versys but the vstrom is just a more complete bike. Won't recommend any other (brand new) cause either they won't fit your budget or they aren't proven yet over long term usage.
A fully faired bike like CBR600F is not a bad option and there would be a few good examples in the pre-owned market. A Triumph T120 is also a good choice but a little hard to find (not impossible).

Last edited by Nilesh5417 : 23rd July 2019 at 22:13.
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Old 23rd July 2019, 23:42   #72
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Re: Which big touring motorcycle should I buy?

Congrats Jay on your booking. I believe you would be getting your delivery from the Andheri Suzuki dealership, right? I believe everyone has covered all the checks that you need to do before taking delivery. Hope you are also aware that you cannot ride the bike on a temp plate for a long time. Make sure you take the delivery receipt to show to the cops that you have taken delivery (in the unlikely event you are caught on your delivery date).
Try riding minimum until you get the registration done - because I think you wouldn't be getting your insurance also until then.
Get a good cover and keep it safe.

Not trying to scare you, but you would be going in for a service after a month. Please take a look at Odeen's service experience with the Suzuki dealership here :

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/super...ml#post4600529
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Old 24th July 2019, 00:04   #73
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Re: Which big touring motorcycle should I buy?

If you are planning to do cross country rides, better stick to the ADV bikes like Versys and Vstrom. Both of these are excelled machines but Vstrom has little edge over the go anywhere capability compared to Versys. But Versys pips the other in service department as Kawasaki service is better.

There is a speculation that KTM 390 ADV version is in the pipeline. That would be very easy to ride around town as well as cruising at 100/110 on highways. Given the road conditions, I will not push beyond 110 in a motorcycle in India. Also it will be cheaper to buy and maintain in long run.

Last but not least. If you are planning cross country ride, please allocate some funds for good quality gears as well.
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Old 24th July 2019, 11:01   #74
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Re: Which big touring motorcycle should I buy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ani0404 View Post
(a) Budget:- Below 6L (The lesser the better)
(b) Ownership:- Open to a preowned one
(c) Kms run:- Below 15,000 km (The lesser the better)
(d) Comfort:- Comfortable seats (both rider and pillion)
(e) Reliable, robust, easy on pocket, having easy access to service centres
(f) Running:- Would start off with weekend rides and then aim is to do pan india rides with wife as a pillion. So I am guessing a running of 5,000-7,000 km approx in the beginning. Would be using it for my daily office commute too (15 km in total)
Ani0404, the budget appears to be the fly in the ointment for your overall requirements. If you are on a really tight budget, TBHPian aghate's suggestion on the Benelli TRK 502 is actually quite good. I havent test ridden it yet but did check it out in person. It should suit your bill but you dont get the proven track record of the Kawasaki or Suzuki offerings. And as good as the bike might be, you wont get the bragging rights associated with the Versys 650 or the V Strom 650, if that matters to you.

If that doesnt work, I have two suggestions
- Buy an intermediate bike for now which might be a compromise of some sorts while you work out your financials for the long run. Something like the Himalayan or the Dominar. This might delay your big bike purchase a bit but at least you are on the roads and riding. That way, you can actually see if you will do weekend rides or full week rides now. Often the best intentioned ride plans never materialize due to a multitude of reasons and if you plonk you money now for a big bike, it could be an expensive garage queen. We have all been through this cycle. Man proposes, God disposes.
- Wait for a year or two more without any upgrade, intermediate or large, ensure that you have a bigger budget and then buy the right bike for you as soon as possible. The last thing you will want is to buy a bike today and then regret it tomorrow thinking I shouldve saved more and bought the better one.
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Old 24th July 2019, 12:16   #75
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Re: Which big touring motorcycle should I buy?

Dont look at the TRK - its a mediore bike at best. A pre-owned Versys 650 should easily come in your budget and will keep you happy for quite some time.
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