What cc and what affordable motorcycle do you suggest to tour around Europe...
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- Опубликовано: 23 фев 2024
- We've got a budget of £5-6k and a dream to fulfill... how do we go about it...
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Well done, Sean, fantastic advice!
Thanks David, appreciate the comment and support 🙂
Appreciate the balance you bring to this discussion. well done. Thank you.
Thanks Richard, appreciate the comment and kind feedback 👍
Another great video Sean,and another glorious day in beautiful Ibiza🌞👍🇬🇧🏍
Thanks Kenneth, appreciate the comment and support ☺️
Good subject to tackle and very well laid out. I like the idea of taking an interesting question from a viewer and seeing where it takes you. Although I shan’t be planning any touring in the near future it made for an informative video. Your wild card was an interesting one. Having owned one for two years and did a bit of UK touring I can say it does work but would be a struggle on longer journey legs and certainly not with a pillion.
Hi Nigel thanks for the comment. It's nice to do something on a video that hopefully a new rider will one day watch and perhaps get some help from. Funny that reading down and replying to these comments there's a couple now saying that the Interceptor isn't a great touring bike, vibrations and the like. I wouldn't want to keep the BSA at 80mph constantly either I suppose, a Japanese twin is probably the safe option! Thanks 👍
First thought is a used VStrom 650. Bulletproof, endless accessories, good comfort.
Ditto to that ... I was just typing up the same suggestion and discovered you'd beaten me to it by 11 hours. Thumbs up from the south west coast of the island of Australia.
There's so many V Strom 650s to choose from out there as well! For any budget/mileage!
Exactly, was also my 1st thought while watching this. A sturdy reliable and comfy bike for munching the miles or even just to fetch a loaf at the village bakery last sunday.
@@millinutz Great minds think alike :)
@@Jonathan-L ...but idiots seldom differ!
Very interesting and some good information for all riders, not just new riders. Thanks.
Thanks Dave appreciate that! EDIT: is that a T'bird in your picture? My Dad has just bought one. Really nice.
Great video Sean and you are right you don't need a big bike to enjoy Europe, even a mid sized scooter would be great fun 👍
Thanks Mark, much appreciated. Yes I've seen online people touring Europe on scooters, seems perfectly doable, especially as you can now get 300 and even 650 engines. Cheers!
Another well balance video which will be useful to all riders who don't need 3/4 of a ton of bike for touring. It made me smile when you talked of the 80's in the distant past! My first European tour was down to Monaco in 1977 on a Suzuki GT380. As you said, you can tour on any bike but the thing to remember is, choose roads that are suitable for the speed of the bike & yourself and set realistic distances that are matched by the terrain i.e. if you are rolling through the Alps you probably won't be going very fast and stopping often, so you won't be going far on those days. P.S. white over with frost this morning...
Thanks Sweeny, yes I think the 80s would have been my favourite decade, unfortunately I was 3 at the time 😂. I guess that was one of the points of this video, on your first tour if you've a bike that can do a bit of everything you can learn what kind of roads and mileages suit your style. The 650 with road wheels offers the flexibility to do this. Of course now I'm riding a 650 single retro so nothing like these bikes 😂😂. Thanks for the comment 👍
I actually started with my first wobble out on the open road in 1971, so for me the 70's where very exciting, lots of development and I moved up from a CB125S to things like Z1R's & Jota's. However, don't I think a new BSA would be a bad choice for touring. Mind you my last couple of 3,000 mile tours of Europe have been on my Thruxton. It looked like a 125cc parked out next to a multitude of GS's @@MindfulMotorcyclist
Excellent video Sean. I agree with everything that you said. The one addition that comes to my mind that you probably won't agree with is a Moto Guzzi 750c.c. Over here in the U.S.. they are the best kept secret for buying a used one. Very cheap since the dealership's are not so numerous. You would have to know a good mechanic in your area if your mechanical skills were limited. However, given this same scenario you would have to do the same for any bike. Once set up properly, M.G. for the most part are bullet proof. You can get a lemon in any brand. Thanks for the video my friend! Have a great day! Illinois, USA
Thanks Larry appreciate the comment. I will one day own a Moto Guzzi, they are just such good looking machines and the engine has character by the bucket load. I think next bike I buy won't be a new bike or perhaps not even a nearly new bike but a special bike like a Triumph of Moto Guzzi a few years old. As far as mechanical skills I'm going to start playing with my BSA and see how I get on, I mean very basic stuff first and build up from there. Thanks again for joining us from the USA! Nice to have an international perspective. Cheers, Sean
Interesting I actually did the Atlantic Way route around Ireland in 2019 over 6 days on a Triumph Street Triple, great fun and surprisingly comfortable. However I was in a group of 6 people and we were covering 250 miles a day, on reflection would have enjoyed it more with lower mileage days and either increased the days taken or cut short some of the route. Also would have been even better with my current bike 2022 Royal Enfield Classic 350 if only for the 100 mpg ! As for the lack of power for me that’s an advantage on a tour as you then relax and enjoy the views. Just my take on touring, either reduce the miles you travel or increase the amount of days on the tour, it’s all about taking your time to take in the views etc. not a mad dash to see how far you can travel each day 😊
Thanks Peter, agree with this. I've done 500 miles in a day before and I literally dropped into bed straight to sleep but then slept in as so tired and the next day did only 100 miles 😂. So really it wasn't even productive to go that far. I've never been to Ireland that sounds like a great option to consider, thanks 👍
My first European tour was on my TBird 900 to Northern France. Comfy bike. The further into Germany on ‘98 Fazer 600 - that was a great bike - plenty fast enough for the motorway and great fun when we got to the twisties. Just a roll bag strapped to the seat was all I needed for luggage. No need for panniers - travel light is the way to go.
Thanks Ian, wow you did travel light. My problem is going up to Norway in May I travelled in the cold/wet, camping with camera equipment. So I had to have multiple layers sleeping bags etc. Next time I might ditch the camera and just record on the phone (most people aren't overly concerned about the picture quality tbh) that would then allow me to travel light. Perhaps maybe I could fit everything into my BSA large roll bag, if I wasn't camping it might be possible. 👍🤔. You've set a goal for me there 😄
@@MindfulMotorcyclist I didn’t camp so that is a space saving and we were riding most of the day so only needed minimal clothes for evenings which you can wash. Admittedly I wasn’t vlogging so didn’t need elaborate camera equipment but I did have a small tank bag for bits and bobs and I strapped an all in one waterproof suit on top of the roll bag but that was a faff so don’t wear leathers touring now - waterproof textiles are easier.
@ianfutcher1518 I probably won't camp again, especially as in Norway there are Hytte - little wooden cabins you can hire for £25/night. No need for a tent! Would save loads of space no tent or sleeping bag!
Nice one Shaun your spot on, another thing to think about is how much you will lose when you come to sell it. The less you pay the less you lose, spend 15 grand and its value drops like a stone.
Ain't that the truth, I shan't be ordering a 1300GS from Mr BMW any time soon ☺️. More my thing is a 2012 G650 GS only because I love the engine 😉 and the retro adv looks...
Hi guys, you certainly look like you're having a fabulous time..and I'm not jealous....or at least I keep telling myself.
As for an affordable motorcycle, I own a Honda NC750X and if it's solo-riding then this bike ticks virtually every box. The *only* downside is it isn't shaft-drive so you need to be able to adjust a chain.
My NC is (as it states) a 750, but it has low power, phenomenal mpg stats (try 100mpg on a steady run) and even on a bad day it will return north of 70mpg. It will easily do 100mph if you really need to do that, and they are cheap to buy, with many for sale with mega miles on so obviously reliable. The low down weight makes handling a dream, and the 'frunk' is a godsend for storing things, including a full-face helmet. I have been riding for more years than I want to remember but the NC is the most versatile machine by a country mile that I have ever owned.
I own an NC750X too and I agree 100%. Also about the one downside, why on earth didn't Honda give it a shaft drive?
I have had many people tell me "but it would be more expensive". So what? I would happily pay a premium for it, and for cruise control. @@olethorhermansen5696
Thanks Bib! That NC is a great bike, I think Exeter rider had one and he loved it. Oh to have a Frunk that would fit your helmet, that would be so helpful. Perhaps I should have included the NC in this rundown 🤔. Oh and well done 👍 I saw Freddie read out your comment on his podcast the other day RE the Hyabusa and ZZR1400 compared to the ZH2!
I think Freddie has a soft spot for me (we both enjoy art, I have a soft spot for Caneletto) as he's read 3 comments out from me now...@@MindfulMotorcyclist
Good advice! Personally, I'd avoid the Interceptor unless you're sticking to back roads. I enjoyed mine, but I did not find it to be well suited to highway miles. At 80 mph vibrations were such that I'd had enough after 20 miles, and was looking for the next exit. It's possible that was something unique to my bike, but I doubt it. My advice would be to get a test ride, and get it out at highway speeds to determine if you're ok with it or not. Or you can just stick to slower roads where you're doing around 65mph, and then it's an all-day bike for sure! You should be able to count on 200 miles to the tank, if you're running anything near a stock set up.
Thanks Mark, nice to hear from an actual RE Inty owner on this. I see pictures all the time of them kitted out for touring so knew it was a thing but also knew the seat is supposed to be very uncomfortable. Funnily enough my interceptor test ride actually had a shimmy at 80mph that felt unsafe, not sure if that was the demo bike or not it was a couple of years old by that point. Interceptor is very much a wild card, for me it would be the CF 650, it's the outgoing model and it's £4,499, that's Enfield money and it's got 54hp 6 speed and luggage! Cheers, Sean
Good point about the seat, that was absolutely the case with mine. I think after 1000 miles, I was already noticing that I’d broken down the foam at the spot where I naturally sat. And I weigh about 170 pounds, so it’s not like I’m a big guy. The touring seat would be money well spent.
A couple of extra wild cards, oddly both from Royal Enfield - the 650 Super Meteor, all those Harley owning Americans cruising the highways and byways of the US might be onto something with their feet forward, and why not give its cousin the Shotgun a go, they seem to have a fairly substantial rear rack as an option.
The SuperMeteor even has a 'Touring' variant that comes in the Celestial paint schemes, I think it has luggage as well. The SM650 is in all likelihood much more comfortable than an Interceptor 650, at least with the stock seat...
I spent years touring around on a 125 not because of restrictions of an L plate , I had passed my test and a 125cc was all I needed. These days I only ride a bike I can do all the work on and only air cooled, it’s just my thing. I also travel light, as light as possible.
I see the Interceptor in you picture. Is that Baker Express? Apologies I'm not hot on Inty colours...
Yes it is , I also have an RE Scram411 between that and the Inteceptor covers all my needs. The Scram is my go to everyday bike.
Hi Sean, great vid. My thoughts. First thing to consider when buying a bike is.......will it sell? Selling the chinese stuff (whilst great value and great bikes) is a sod and the loss on value is enough to put one of buying another bike forever. My suggestion for a 21 year old; it has to be cool! It has to look the part! It has to make me look good in the clan! Had it been the 80's, it would need to pull the girls but things have changed so much that this is now irrelevant. As a 21 year old, I will have a small deposit, I wont have £5k. A £1k deposit is available. Then I have to buy my kit but mom and dad will sort that out. I would then be looking at the Triumph 400 Scram. Great looking bike, it will sell, everything satisfied (other than the girlfriend bit but hey ho). Lomo soft waterproof throwover panniers (£70), Oxford 50L Roll bag to go over the back seat. I am now kitted out to go touring! Of course, insurance will be expensive for a 21 year old - but it has always been relatively expensive so hey ho.
So, £1k deposit, Triumph HP finance (so one will own it outright at the end - NO PCP), 36 months at £150 a month. If the 21 year old cannot afford £150 a month, then they should be looking at something much cheaper and not be even considering touring. However, assuming they can afford this, they have a brand new bike that can be looked after. The problem with the cheaper bikes, no one really cares about them (on the 80/20 rule) and looking after the bike is a thought that is miles away from the priority list of life. So new is always a good option.
Thoughts on the above? Richard
That's great logic and reasoning Richard. £1k down on the bike and beg borrow and steal the kit from eBay and you're away. I have a natural aversion away from finance, hence why I've only ever spent £5.5k on a bike 😂, that probably influences my view of things like this. Also with youngsters now living with the parents until 30 perhaps there is a chance to earn enough to buy a bike in cash. If someone did want to go for the payment option (and a lot do judging by how MCN now displays prices in monthly amounts) then the above makes perfect sense. On the point about impressing girls... Yes that is still a thing 😂 at least at my age I'm not so absorbed in Tiktok that on my first date with Suzie I turned up in bike gear on my Kawasaki 650. Suzie admitted later she was impressed 😂😂. Hope your GS is going well, it's a legacy isn't it from memory?
@@MindfulMotorcyclist hi Sean, I struggle to see any 21 year old with 5K in the bank today 😆however, I too have an aversion to finance so we sing the same hymn but when I was 21, I remember having to beg steal and borrow for the bikes I wanted. Hard work just didn't seem to bring the ROI from my time and effort. Maybe its a Staffordshire thing, but the girls here just don't get excited about bikes. My 25 year old son on his GSXR gets all the looks from the guys, and none from the gals 😆. I thought the GS it was a legacy, but alas, it is the 'dawn silver' I think. It is certain NOT the one with the chrome mud guards. It's going beautifully with near 2000 miles on it. I really am looking forward to the ECU firmware update to get rid of this annoying engine light - but at least no impact to performance 👍. Keep up the great vids ❤
I need a fun bike that i can use to travel to Belgium from Wales on a few times a year. Im also a mature beginning rider.
on looks i've fallen in love with the MotoGuzzi V7, but on a practical basis i think the Suzuki SV650 makes the most sense.
The RE Interceptors do look good value though
Hi Neil, I hate to say it but that trip won't be particulary nice. M4 - M25 - M20 - Tunnel - French motorway up to Belgium. There's a lot of nice roads in Wales, particular next to me is the A44 which is a gem. If you are heading to Belgium for your bike choice, the SV is powerful, kinda basic which I like and has a huge array of aftermarket accessories. Little bit harder to service because the rear cylinder is harder to access The Interceptor is extremely cheap right now, £4999 for a new one, again endless customisation but 47hp might be tiring on a motorway slog. The Guzzi is the most premium, but also expensive, I'd say its the most comfortable as well. You could also have a Versys 650 or actually even a SuperMeteor 650. I won't suggest anything Chinese because although they are good bikes you might want to change it out after a year and youll get hammered on depreciation. Anyhow, feel free to email me I'd be interested to know how you get on, which bike suits your requirements. Thanks, Sean
@@MindfulMotorcyclist yeah not nice roads I know, but an opportunity to get some riding experience in. Comfort will be king. Will keep you updated!
@@neilanderson2374 Good luck with it. Try a few bikes and also dealer demo days are ace. You can trial the whole range from one brand. Book early however as the slots for the popular bikes go quickly.
@@MindfulMotorcyclistjust about to pull the trigger on a sv650 or sv650x. Feels like a bit of cop out, but some good deals at the moment. I’m going to try the hull -> Rotterdam ferry to miss out a load of English motorways
I would not discount a RE 350 for touring Sean as comfort outweighs cruising speed and along with fuel economy, each to their own though 😁,
Cheers Bruce
Thanks for the comment Bruce, I knew it was slightly controversial discounting the RE 350 (I'm an ex Meteor owner). Guess I'm in two minds about it, for an absolute beginner who still needs to learn what kind of touring they want to do, having a little extra power might be handy. That said there are loads of people who tour on Meteors quite happily. Hope the bike is going well! Cheers, Sean
@@MindfulMotorcyclist that’s a fair point about new riders maybe needing a bit more for overtaking etc 👍
My Classic 350 is going great!
Waiting on the Cam to arrive this week from Hitchcocks 😁👍
Cheers Bruce
What ever bike you have,as long as it’s got a comfortable seat just load it up and go .
Wise words Jay. What if you didn't have a bike and wanted to get into the hobby? Any favourites from you? Perhaps an older model?
thanks for replys people ,, don't get me wrong - i only ride for pleasure and lose thousands on bikes yearly ,, i am just pointing out trying to help by saying that these bmw's are not that great , yes i know people have been to the sun and back , - but they have a very bad recall rate ,, but like me you spends your money where you want ,
I have to disagree with you on the royal enfields. Not everyone wants to travel at 130kmh. I much more enjoy taking the back roads & enjoying the ride so much more to see but still enjoyed the video
Far comment Chris, we are a broad church here and all opinions welcome. Most I did was around 200 miles a day on the Meteor 350...
Maybe a Honda Transalp. 🤔
I didn't include this because it's too powerful and too expensive for a very new rider. Great bike for the rest of us however...
@MindfulMotorcyclist Ha, yes right, good thinking. 👍
Transalp 750
To expensive for this comparison and unfortunately too powerful for new rider who this is aimed out. I admit a nice middleweight and nothing against it at all!
Honda cb500x, Kawasaki 650 versus Or Suzuki 650 Vstrom all proven touring bikes and all with a good resale value and dealer network anywhere in Europe the Chinese bikes might be cheap to buy but!!!!!
Totally agree with you Mr Hatswell. Dealer support, or at least essential spares availability (eg levers, indicators, etc) is important.
That's true, one thing to add is that now with Pierre Mobility (KTM parent) distribution handling KTM and CFmoto perhaps their spares situation will be as good as Japan and Europe brands. Thanks 👍
Sorry, but I couldn't agree with you less on this subject. For beginners adventure style bikes have way too much weight up top, even if your a 6 footer. You need a bike with a low CoG where the weight is low and baggage kept low. Initially I would say a 300-400 is probably best to gain experience on backbroads while touring relaxing enjoying the sites and sounds; not thrashing along the autoroutes missing everything 😮😢. In future years with more experience a 6-750 would probably be more suitable to explore further a field. It is only my opinion based on years of experience 😮😂
Don't worry at all Bob, all opinions welcome here. Typically the road based Adv bikes have a lower seat height and all the practicality, still not as low CoG as a cruiser I admit that. I mean I'm riding a 650 single retro so I'm not doing the norm either 😂. I would agree the back roads are best but unfortunately a lot of getting here is on faster roads, you could I suppose plan a route just back roads but if you wanted to get to southern Europe it's going to take an age. Are you thinking a cruiser like the Meteor, SuperMetor, honda Rebel, Kawasaki Vulcan etc? On a different note thanks for your email and I saw a 2023 650mt on Auto trader for £4499 with the tft and everything, unless your heart is set on the 700mt (54 Vs 66hp - a nice bump to be honest). I'll reply properly and hope your little one had a lovely celebration 🎉. Cheers, Sean
@@MindfulMotorcyclist Hop on the ferry and get into good weather soonest. Take 3-4 days touring across the top of North Spain use the coast/back road and drop down into Porto, Portugal. From Porto head back across Spain taking the back roads to Bilbao. Give yourself 2 weeks and they will have had the discovery adventure their seeking with minimal risk.
Morning guys nice and sunny and tee shirt warm lucky buggers, good video, I did my first euro tour in 87 on a CX 500 plastic maggot and over a 30 year period of lots of touring, worked my way up to a big adventure and down again via 690 Duke which made me realise I didn’t need to be on a big bike to tour on, in my experience the GS is going out the doors to born again riders who are at an age and wealthy enough to afford one and also in my experience are completely overwhelmed by the bike and I’ve never spoken to a GS owner who has ridden on anything other than a muddy lane, and I ride and have worked in the trade, the best adventures are on something not necessarily suitable for the job, having to ride the back roads, getting lost, and finding great roads, and don’t forget the Vespa scooter only a few years ago was in the top 10 of favourite touring machines, I will never bother with a ADV bike again (possibly) 😂 …. Pete🇫🇷
Great comment, it was a warm day on that particular video! Has cooled off more recently however. I do sometimes wonder who buys a £20k ADV bike with all the boxes ticked, I think you are probably right. Funnily enough I recently joined the TET Europe off road motorcycle touring Facebook group to learn about the off road rides around Europe. I discovered big adventure bikes on there are a bit of a laughing stock. The members would sooner you did it on a Royal Enfield Interceptor, BSA or even a scooter, (just as long as it is light) but suggest doing it on a big 1200cc+ ADV bike and watch the comments light up. So they are obviously not for serious off road types like these folk were. More for people who want to do big miles touring and don't want to buy a Goldwing or K1600 type bike. As for the last point... I want to 'do up' the BSA and have exactly the type of adventures you describe, on a bike that's not made to do so 😄😄... Sean
@@MindfulMotorcyclist it has crossed my mind to lighten the my classic with ally rims and ally mudguards and stays, lose some the pipe work around the rear wheel area, ally bars, etc etc, or keep her pretty and get a cheap hunter great tyre choices with the wheels on the hunter, street scrambler anybody, mountain scratcher 😜 be interested to see what you do Sian, …. Pete 🇫🇷
That is one area I was wondering how to modify, the mudguard, I dont want it so high that mud flings up into the rad but also not so long as to get bogged. Alloy mudguards sound interesting, will have to look at that... Thanks 🙏👍
Honda CB500X
Yes I had the Chinese copy of this bike and can agree it's perfect for a tour...
The CF MOTO MT 650 is being discounted to £4999 as it’s the out going model, bargain.
I've seen it for £4499. Massively reduced!
At the MCN bike show they were giving vouchers for an extra £500 off selected bikes which brought the price down to £4499, even bigger bargain.
Nice find. Whilst dealer support and spares availability isn't as strong as the long term established brands out of Japan & Europe, perhaps the CFMoto buyer would be wise to stock up on a few essential spares (levers, indicators, etc) and would be another viable option.
That's Brilliant, great find I hope you snagged a couple, guessing they don't stack the vouchers haha 😂
if it was me - i would go for the enfield ,, the rest are ok, - but this pretance about off roading is nonsense ,,,, you will be 99 percent on road ,,,, most will not have the skill to do anything other than mild trail riding , so do not get pulled into this '' adventure '' horse sh-te marketing that the makers do - saying that you need a bmw with variable valve timing , shaft drive , stability control 1300 cc engine ,, 120 bhp , electric screen ,, you definitely do not need to spend 25000 or buy a bike with 25 acres of plastic fairings ,, to give an example - one of the longest trips done in the usa was on a suzuki 250 ;; - so listen to what shaun has said as he is not far wrong ;;;
I totally agree with you Simon. I remember back in early 1983, I met a young bloke from the UK who was traveling from the UK to New Zealand on a MZ 250cc two stroke. He was contemplating writing a book (no internet then, and he probably didn't even bother with a film camera) with the title: "MZ-to-NZ". The most high-tech item he owned was a Belstaff jacket. The rest was basic, but it got him through Europe, through the Asian continent and to where I am (Perth, Western Australia). I often wondered if he succeeded in in quest and went ahead with the book.
Excellent comment Simon, but month after month people keep walking into that building with the blue and white propeller roundel above the door with prepared for a credit search 😲
@@MindfulMotorcyclistand the worst about those who ride outta that blue/white building hardly ever wave or nod when passing me on the street! They are overrated as everyday bikes... and make as much sense as buying a Ferrari to go to the local store for groceries!
But they are good for touring the hard miles abroard every year. Like everything, I suppose, they do have their niche but many mix up the word niche with showing off... look what I have, it cost XX£s and can do all this... No, not for me, besides, you're paying for the name.
A V-Storm does just as good, as probably a Himmy would, and the dealer networks in Europe are bigger.
thanks, for reply ,, i have put another note on this video to show i am just warning people that all that glitters ------- ;; you are welcome to go and read it ;; @@Jonathan-L
i have put a note on again to show i am just as bad ,, just don't believe all the hype ;@@millinutz
You have a bike, for europe anything does. Get a map and go.
Yep 😊