Motus coming to town...10/14 5p-8p

[bikepilot]

For ST bikes I'd consider the GSXR1300 and ZX14.  Not technical ST bikes, but big, comfy, light (compared to traditional ST bikes), good suspension and brakes, and loads of usable power.  I'm not crazy about the sound or feel of the inline 4 motors, but they sure make a lot of thrust.

[zooom]

For ST bikes I'd consider the GSXR1300 and ZX14.  Not technical ST bikes, but big, comfy, light (compared to traditional ST bikes), good suspension and brakes, and loads of usable power.  I'm not crazy about the sound or feel of the inline 4 motors, but they sure make a lot of thrust.

problem with those bikes is this...you feel like you are taking a nuclear weapon to a stick fight!

[The Mad King Pepe']

For ST bikes I'd consider the GSXR1300 and ZX14.  Not technical ST bikes, but big, comfy, light (compared to traditional ST bikes), good suspension and brakes, and loads of usable power.  I'm not crazy about the sound or feel of the inline 4 motors, but they sure make a lot of thrust.

Comfy?!?

Bandit 1250, ZRX 1200 (or even the Zephyr), FZ1 ... much more comfort there even tho the Kawi would need a windscreen for proper Touring.

[twolanefun]

The ZX and GSX have almost good ergos but not quite and not what I consider a Sport Tour, something that can almost keep up with one of my Monsters on a two lane back road and yet be able to do some distance if required on the Super Slab. I actually do not have any first hand experience with the MTS but based on what I've been told by people I trust - it fits the bill. The other thing about the type of riding I'm talking about is that I want a bike that has that grunt in and out of the corners, at a tractable RPM, which amazingly is a quality that all 7 of my current bikes posses. I don't care about top speed or HP, on the roads I travel and have the most fun on most would discover that 3-4 gear on a M900 or the XR1200 generates enough speed to get the Adrenalin flowing and put a silly ass grin on your face - and being able to do it all day requires something lighter and more nimble than what the big four or BMW offer. But hey that's just me, some think Sport Touring is 400 miles of SS or Limited Access Hwy connected by 50 miles of twisty roads. - Gene

[twolanefun]

Comfy?!?

Bandit 1250, ZRX 1200 (or even the Zephyr), FZ1 ... much more comfort there even tho the Kawi would need a windscreen for proper Touring.

Bandit might have possibilities, previous version was buzzy, but it is sub 600 lbs, still it's got no soul. The side and top case are an option, I've not heard about the abs version beings available here in USA yet. I have no knowldege on the ZRX. BTW did you see the history behind the motor in the Motus? - Gene

[zooom]

The ZX and GSX have almost good ergos but not quite and not what I consider a Sport Tour, something that can almost keep up with one of my Monsters on a two lane back road and yet be able to do some distance if required on the Super Slab. I actually do not have any first hand experience with the MTS but based on what I've been told by people I trust - it fits the bill. The other thing about the type of riding I'm talking about is that I want a bike that has that grunt in and out of the corners, at a tractable RPM, which amazingly is a quality that all 7 of my current bikes posses. I don't care about top speed or HP, on the roads I travel and have the most fun on most would discover that 3-4 gear on a M900 or the XR1200 generates enough speed to get the Adrenalin flowing and put a silly ass grin on your face - and being able to do it all day requires something lighter and more nimble than what the big four or BMW offer. But hey that's just me, some think Sport Touring is 400 miles of SS or Limited Access Hwy connected by 50 miles of twisty roads. - Gene

Kawasaki Versys, Suzuki DL650, Honda NT700 ( though this one is a bit of a porker in comparo), and the BMW F800ST are just a few that seem to fit the same criteria...

[twolanefun]

Kawasaki Versys, Suzuki DL650, Honda NT700 ( though this one is a bit of a porker in comparo), and the BMW F800ST are just a few that seem to fit the same criteria...

The Versys and the DL are good bikes for what they are but I sure would not want to take them for ride down to Barber and back for example. The NT is overweight, undepowered and really does not carry much in the bags. The BMW now that is one I had forgotten about, the tank shape is a little weird, bags too for that matter, but it does have the right stuff and it's sub 500 lbs, belt drive is a plus. I don't remember the service interval, I think it's every 6K but vavles are checked by the computer and usually only require adjustment at 12K. The price of admission isn't bad either, Mario and I have been talking about those for awhile. - Gene

[zooom]

The Versys and the DL are good bikes for what they are but I sure would not want to take them for ride down to Barber and back for example. 

there are a few who'd disagree with you....look on ADVRider and you'll see a few kitted out for full touring and are accomplished as such...not for everyone, but is certainly more capable than most would give it credit for.

The NT is overweight, undepowered and really does not carry much in the bags. 

completely agree with you...great platform and possibilities that got ruined in execution...I think an older PC800 would outperform it in all duties in comparo...but I felt I had to mention it in the class it tries to fill...

[twolanefun]

there are a few who'd disagree with you....look on ADVRider and you'll see a few kitted out for full touring and are accomplished as such...not for everyone, but is certainly more capable than most would give it credit for.

I'm on that forum, I've never ridden with those guys but know some that have. I'm told there is a lot of talk but not always a lot of action, I don't know that just sayin. Anyway I doubt many would take off on one of those bikes and go with me over a long weekend to Barber, Road America, Indy GP for example, Mid-ohio maybe that's only a 1,200 - 1,400 mile weekend. Of course anything is possible in 1971 I rode my CB100 from Miami up to Ft. Bragg and didn't even think it was strange, now I know how dumb that was. And for what this discussion was about to begin with, Sport Touring, like at least half of my 45K annual miles, I would not pick one of those bikes, but to each his own. - Gene

[bikepilot]

Comfy?!?

Bandit 1250, ZRX 1200 (or even the Zephyr), FZ1 ... much more comfort there even tho the Kawi would need a windscreen for proper Touring.

I owned the B1250 (rode it to san diego) and spent a good bit of time on an FZ1 - both great bikes, but I'm not at all sure they are more comfy than the ZX14.  Maybe more comfy at lower speeds, the ZX14 is def more comfy at high speeds.  I find a small, nearly horizontal windscreen combined with a moderate forward lean makes for the most comfortable mile-eater for me.  Big upright screens and upright bars throw off too much turbulence unless they are really huge and then the ride gets hot and I don't like sitting behind that much plastic.  I've done 1k+ mile days on a TL1000S, Honda 919 and Bandit 1250 so have a basis for comparison.  Of course different riders will have different preferences.

FWIW the B1250 is glassy-smooth, no buzz at all. It is soulless and slow (for a big I4).  It is highly capable, dead reliable, and a real bargain for how cheap they are.  A fantastic clutch, long wheelbase and loads of mid-low end power make it really easy to launch off the line.  It'd be a great drag bike if it actually made half-way decent top power (it only puts down about 105 to the rear wheel).  You might like the motor, it probably has more up top than the ST3 and it has really exceptional low-mid power.  Pulls harder off the bottom than anything else I've ridden, including the TLS and XB12 which are stonk'n machines.  Much wider power curve than the XB too as its power starts lower and pulls for another 3k rpm.  The bike is clearly built to a budget, but it's also half the price of most ST bikes and works a lot better than I expected.  Probably not the bike for you, but probably better than you'd think.

I'm on adv as well, like any forum it has some posers and some hard-core riders.  Plenty of folks do real touring on adv-styled bikes as well as ZX14/GSXR1300s there and elsewhere, heck in about everycountry but the US the ZX14 is sold as a sport-touring bike. I don't think a 1400 mile weekend is a big deal at all -- a 1400 mile day might take a little doing:)

The Versys is a very impressive bike, though probably not what you want.  It is astoundingly good for its price-point.  I'd put handling on-par with a Monster and power is a bit better than the monster 620.  Egronically its a 3/4 scale MTS1100.  I'm not a 3/4 scale person so it wouldn't be my first-choice for a long-distance mount (I have bad knees).  If you find a MTS just a bit too tall/long/heavy but really like it otherwise the Versys might be just the ticket.  At its price-point you could go crazy with suspension upgrades etc and pimp it all out and still not spend much.

From your description I'd think the MTS 1100S might be the ideal sport-tourer for you - great motor that you already know well, handles nicely, fairly comfortable, smooth suspension, etc.  You might even like the Buell XB12XT - I just got one and really like it overall.  Turns nearly as well as a hyper 1100 but is more comfy than anything I've ever ridden.  Seems to stick on roundabouts better than a trumpet 675 too 

The buell/HD motor kinda sucks (imo), but you know what its like as it is about like the XR1200 - maybe a touch better (buell has just slightly better breathing IIRC). The bike is also dramatically lighter than the XR so I'm sure it accelerates a bit harder.  When I was chasing Lars it seemed that the buell and his SM950 were dead even in a straight line.  Its not going to leave a 90mph blackie at 10k feet like a FZ1 will though.  It does have a charming v2 vibe that I like.  It certainly isn't lacking soul.

The current gen FZ1 I rode will  outhandle a monster easily and puts a solid 150hp to the rear wheel (it had a pensky shock, re-worked forks, akra exhaust and re-mapped FI, othewise stock).  It is a ton of performance in a light, stiff aluminum chassis.  The motor is all about revs though.  It needs 6k rpm to have good pull and 8k+ rpm to really stretch your arms, but boy does it move out.  The gearbox and clutch are great and the motor so smooth that keeping it wound-up isn't hard.  Also, the power curve is quite wide, it's just at high revs.  A wider curve than the XB12 by a large margin.  On the FZ you've got from about 6-12k rpm of good solid power, the XB12 only has 6k rpm from idle to red-line and it makes good power for about a quarter of that range at best.  The FZ is not quite as comfy as the B1250 and not nearly as comfy as the Ulysses, but still pretty comfortable.  For me it is quite a bit more comfortable than a VFR800 (also lighter and much faster).  It has a very long swingarm and a tightly packaged motor and shoots forward where most bikes will wheelie, very effective coming out of corners (don't worry, it'll still wheelie if you tell it too, even at 12k feet).  I still don't really like I4s though, just not a fan of the sound or feel of them.  Like the MTS1200 the FZ1 is a bit wide between the knees which I didn't like.

The DL is comfy and carries a load well.  I find the chassis a bit ponderous and not ideally suited for carving corners - long flexy forks and a skinny 19" front tire just aren't the ticket for great road feel.  I know a guy though (locally from adv) who corners like the devil on one and tours all over the country on it as well. 

I think my top pick bike right now for the riding I do and my preferences would be a KTM SMR990 with an SMT seat and tank.  It wasn't in the budget so the Buell will do and I'm actually really liking the buell and if someone dropped a brand new pumpkin bike off in my garage I'd still keep the Buell around.  Just a unique ride and so darn comfy its unreal.

Note, I haven't done a long distance high speed ride on the buell yet, I'm sure it'd loose out to bikes like the ZX14 for high-speed comfort, but at say 80mph and below it is ultra comfy.

[Jdan]

I saw the new motus yesterday up here in New York.

First impression; damn that thing is big.
The showing was very small and personal with two of their bikes there.
The bike seems much more of a straight up touring bike, rather than how the reps sold it as "extremely fun in the twistys."

I was told pricing wasn't final, but they are looking at the ~25k-30k range.

[twolanefun]

I saw the new motus yesterday up here in New York.

First impression; damn that thing is big.
The showing was very small and personal with two of their bikes there.
The bike seems much more of a straight up touring bike, rather than how the reps sold it as "extremely fun in the twistys."

I was told pricing wasn't final, but they are looking at the ~25k-30k range.

It's no bigger then any other sport tourer and it's actually smaller than some. I see no reason why it will not be fine in the twistys, specs indicate it should handle as well as an ST3 and I can assure you the ST3 handles just fine in the  twistys. - Gene

[twolanefun]

From your description I'd think the MTS 1100S might be the ideal sport-tourer for you - great motor that you already know well, handles nicely, fairly comfortable, smooth suspension, etc.  You might even like the Buell XB12XT - I just got one and really like it overall.  Turns nearly as well as a hyper 1100 but is more comfy than anything I've ever ridden.  Seems to stick on roundabouts better than a trumpet 675 too 

The buell/HD motor kinda sucks (imo), but you know what its like as it is about like the XR1200 - maybe a touch better (buell has just slightly better breathing IIRC).

As I said when this thread started the MTS does not fit me, at 5'9" with a 30" inseam, nor does it fit the average male in USA not to mention a whole bunch of other countries. To each his own but I will not go back to my BMW days when I rode a bike that didn't fit me. Actually my ST3 is pretty darn good, it fits me, performs well, has good luggage capacity, and does well 2up. Would be nice if it had ABS. And to be honest the electronics on the MTS give me pause, it's based on software written by humans, as a 35 year IT veteran I know all about software, it breaks from time to time, heck we had an issue with one of the MTS bikes on that Ducati Experience Tour visit in Leesburg, there was an easy correction to the problem but only Donnie knew about it and since I don't have cell coverage on a lot of the roads I travel on..........

As for the Buell, I've ridden multiple versions of the Buell, several of the old ones based on the sporster motor and the newer 1125, my XR is nothing like any of those bikes, I will admit I have never ridden a Ulysses. The XR is what it is, it's a fun bike, provides that solid vtwin feedback when you grab a handful, assuming you are doing at least 3K, has decent brakes(actually I like the progressive feel vs the aggressive brembo brakes on say my S2R1000) and with the upgraded race suspension provides good handling. I like the look, like the seating position, and even like taking it on overnigh trips as long as I've got nice 2 lane roads picked out.

[DRKWNG]

Gene, have you looked at an SM-T? Not sure if you'd feel comfy on it, as it does sit fairly tall, but they are pretty stomping bikes.

[twolanefun]

No desire at all for that bike, for now I'll keep the ST3 and see where the Motus ends up price-wise, or if Ducati comes up with something, which is higly unlikely. I guess the other thing I've come to realize after buying the Paso is older bikes are also nice to have so keeping what I have and maybe adding a MG sounds like a plan. - Gene