| Author | Message | ||
     Dynasport |
I really like the Ducati Multistrada. The new BMW S1000XR looks pretty sweet as well. Boy, do I hope the AX is a bike along the same lines as those. I'm planning on buying a new bike in two years. I'm really hoping the AX is competitive with those bikes. | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
Yeh I like that bimmer. http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2014/11/bmw-debuts- s-1000-xr-adventure-sport/ (Message edited by figorvonbuellingham on November 07, 2014) | ||
| Jkgonzo |
Yeh I like that bimmer. To even consider ever taking either of these off road, which is suppose to be these bikes' alter ego, you need better than that 17" front wheel.....at least offer a 19". | ||
| Tankhead |
I think that is the point. They are the new Sport-touring business model. They are not advertising them to be off road. The new Honda only has 5 inches of travel. This new BMW, Suzuki Vstrom 1000, Honda Crosstourer, Multistrada, Veryses, It's just like the SUV market 10 years ago. No big. If you want off road buy a real dual sport. | ||
| Court |
>>>>If you want off road buy a real dual sport. Which is precisely correct. We have some folks here at work who are serious DUAL (not dual) sport riders. They pack their stoves, bed rolls and so forth and head into the woods. Several of them have replaced, or augmented, their BMW F800GS with smaller, as in 250cc and 400cc, offerings. The Uly, Multistrada and so forth have no business being off road other than perhaps fire roads. I love when the road turns to dirt and my sport bike friends have to turn tail. . . . but for ruts, ravines and soft dirt you don't want to try to be dragging a Uly up a 6 foot drop off. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Exactly! I personally wouldn't even consider a KLR-650 as a real dual sport. I could take it though some really gnarly places if I was being chased by zombies, but for going on any kind of technical single track because you want too, a bike that heavy is just a ticket to an MRI scanner. I had a KLR-250 street legal dual sport, and that ***could*** do technical single track pretty well. Day and night better than a KLR-650, and not even on the same planet for a Multistrada / KTM Adventure / BMW GSA... and guess what I did with it for off road? I sold it. And bought a KDX-200. You can get them for $1000, which conveniently is about a quarter of what you would pay in repairs after your first attempt with a MultiStrada to do a long technical single track. Last Thursday my KDX hauled my fat old ass through 35 miles of Kentucky goat trail. About 1/4 of it was terrain that you couldn't even walk up or down without crawling. The KDX never even fell over, and I only had to back up and restart one hill climb.  Looking at all the "meh" entries of stupid expensive and dubiously useful bikes in the adventure market all of a sudden (3 different KTM's? Seriously?), I'm glad EBR is stepping back to rethink it. For me, any dirt bike that weighs more than 250 pounds or so, and makes less than 30 HP, is a non-starter. At least for the fun kind of off road that I like to do. You can make the valid compliant that I can't ride it to the trail, ride the trail, and ride home, but even that isn't really true. I could do it (and did it) fine on the KLR-250, and in Ohio I could actually plate my KDX without too much trouble. But here is the dirty little secret with this (see what I did there?  ). If you put good dirt tires on a dual sport, and ride it on the street, you replace them every 400 or 500 miles. Seriously. If you put street oriented tires on the bikes, you loose 50% to 80% or more of the bikes potential performance envelope, especially after the first rain drop falls. And when you do ride to the riding area, you are so worried about breaking a shifter or lever or something else stupid, you ride like a nancy the whole time so you can be sure you can make it home. Much more fun to have a trailer within pushing distance so you can ride a dirt bike like it is meant to be ridden. | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
I'm riding a Aprilia Caponord and its only good for dirt or gravel roads. I mainly commute with it and to be honest the idea of having taller suspension to tackle our horribly pothole riddled roads sealed the deal for me. 70 more horsepower would make it a perfect commuter for me. I'm not a true dual sport rider and not trying be a poser. These type of bikes have more to offer then just riding through forests, at least in my case. Most pictures I've seen of the capo in true off road environment have been with several guys trying to push and pull it out of mud. So, they are obviously just for dirt, gravel, and paved roads. It's also nice to have when I want to ride several hundred miles to catch a Moto GP or AMA race. It's much easier to load up with gear then my S1000rr. It's just not as fun. 70 more hp and I can probably sell the S1krr since there will be enough horsepower to satisfy my need for speed. Seems to fit all my requirements. | ||
| Buellmojo |
If you are riding a dirt bike, ride a dirt bike as you choose. If you are riding an adventure bike, part of the "ADVENTURE" is the ride there, and the great/bad experiences along the way. Dual Sport is also part of the ride there, and can be more of an extreme ride at times along the way. Three completely different riding styles... I guess some like to group them all together, why would you? There will always be a compromise with only one motorcycle, choose the best for your main use...I think most people understand this, and that is what they are doing, so what seems stupid to some, might just be the most fun for another. "More fun to ride a slow bike fast, than ride a fast bike slow" More of a challenge to off road a street bike, than to trailer a mini bike.  | ||
| Reepicheep |
I agree! I like the "adventure bikes" as a better naked standard or sport tourer. I love my Uly. | ||
| Tootal |
"More fun to ride a slow bike fast, than ride a fast bike slow" Boy, how true is that! I come from a dirt bike background. Use to compete in observed trials back in the 70's. If I want to ride dirt bikes I trailer my ancient IT200 yammer hammer to the woods and let er rip! But give me my Uly to ride anything from super slab to jeep trails! Being a swiss army knife is the epitome of function over form or maybe a form all it's own. | ||
| Buellmojo |
I watch videos, and look at pictures of how capable a V-Strom 650 can be off road with a competent rider, with amazement sometimes. I am pretty sure that I have, or very close to anyway, reached the V-Strom 650's limits on the pavement, in the canyons... without smashing it up of course... but I certainly have a long way to go off road with one, in comparison to what I have seen from others anyway... and I feel that I have experienced some rough paths with it already. | ||
| Dynasport |
I'm not interested in these bikes to take off road. The closest to off road I plan to get is a dirt road. I do ride on those from time to time on my XT, but I run street tires and sand and loose gravel is not my friend. I don't see the Multistrada nor the S1000XR as off road bikes by any stretch of the imagination. I see them as what I want the 1190AX to be. I understand some here want it to be more dirt capable. If that means it is less road capable, then I'll be passing on it. It is true that I could buy a Yamaha FJR or BMW R1200RT for the kind of riding I plan to do, and I may go that route, but I like the lighter "adventure" style bike. My XT has ruined me I suppose. I demoed an FJR at the AIME Expo a couple of weeks ago, and it even felt heavy to me and it is one of the lighter sport-touring bikes out there. So, it I buy a MS or the new BMW, it won't be because I want to look like an adventure rider, it will be because I like the sit up ergos and the sporty ride of the bike. So, that is what I want the AX to be. We'll see what it turns out to be eventually. | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
Aprilias new Capo https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=X vIIkRKswSU&list=UUUOwuCsyq0So1oJQGMzXMqw&app=deskt op | ||
| Nik |
I too am interested in a "sport bike on stilts" for my next bike. I would love to see the EBR be in that segment instead of something more hardcore dirty. Unpaved roads are as much as I'd want to do with a bike that heavy. It would also be great if EBR continued to not do the tuned for torque thing unlike BMW. | ||
| Buelliedan |
"I see them as what I want the 1190AX to be" who said anything about an 1190AX. Nowhere in any releases has the AX ever been reported to be an 1190. I think once the AX is released a lot of you are going to be very surprised. EBR is not the old Buell that we are used to. Now that HD is out of the way in making decisions EBR is free to build bikes the way Erik has always wanted. An 1190 is way to big to be an adventure bike. This is something the folks at EBR I am pretty sure realize. Just be patient. I think when the AX is ready you will all be very happy!!} (Message edited by buelliedan on November 11, 2014) | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
It has to be in the upper cc range or it will definitely be a let down, at least for me. (Message edited by figorvonbuellingham on November 11, 2014) | ||
| Hughlysses |
who said anything about an 1190AX. Nowhere in any releases has the AX ever been reported to be an 1190. You may be right about what it will be, but here is the 1190AX prominently mentioned on an official EBR website:  http://www.erikbuellracing.com.au/1190ax/ | ||
| Dynasport |
I guess what I want is my UlyssesXT with the 1190 engine built by a company that is still in business. | ||
| Court |
I suspect we'll also be eager to see a Fiat 500 with 625HP as well . . . . The idea of a 185HP "adventure" bike concern anyone? I'd rather spend my $______ on an appropriate motor complemented with a host of appropriate "adventure" type of options. We'll see. I think there will be some big surprises. | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
It was until I started riding my S1K on dirt and gravel roads. I can actually ride it faster and safer on them, due to TC, then I can on my Aprilia Caponord adventure bike. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
What if the AX is a sport touring type bike aimed at eating FJR's and crapping Honda ST1300dreds.... | ||
| Crusty |
What if the AX is a sport touring type bike aimed at eating FJR's and crapping Honda ST1300dreds.... Then you'll see me sporting a sh*t eating grin and robbing banks to come up with the dough for one! (Message edited by Crusty on November 12, 2014) | ||
| Dynasport |
The idea of a 185 hp 'adventure' bike doesn't concern me at all. Like I've already said, I'm in the market for an adventure bike more in the vein of the Multistrada. In other words, I want a sport-touring bike, but I suspect the AX will be as close as EBR comes to building one. I may be able to adapt an SX, but there are other choices that don't require the adapting that I think I would be happy with. I guess for me it may come down to the question of whether I want to buy an EBR or whether I want to buy a bike that is what I want; I don't want street legal dirt bike, as some seem to be asking for. I want a fun long distance bike. | ||
| Dynasport |
Then you'll see sporting a sh*t eating grin and robbing banks to come up with the dough for one! Me too! | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
Then you'll see sporting a sh*t eating grin and robbing banks to come up with the dough for one! damn straight I would!!  | ||
| Buelliedan |
IMO there is a reason that the OFFICIAL EBR website does not say anything about the size of the AX. | ||
| Court |
>>>IMO there is a reason that the OFFICIAL EBR web... A lesson learned from the BLAST. During the months I was doping developmental testing . . we had 2 different sizes up until a decision was made. |
