I just passed my motorcycle test in UK 2 months ago. I've been dreaming of traveling to Scotland on a motorcycle. My motorcycle instructor gave me some advice for buying my first bike, he said: ''don't spend more then 2 grand''. With this is mind: I took a quick look the day after I passed my bike test. And there it was, my now BMW F650 Dakar, just 10k miles, interesting black and white paint/stickers. Almost immaculate, for a 23 year old bike. Juts two owners. It's needed an MOT. Passed, just two advisories. So far I've not spent anything on the bike. But I am planning for top boxes, panniers, maybe crash bars. I go to sleep at night imagining riding to loch lomond, loch ness, etc. There are good bargains to be had if you've got realistic goals.
...and when you get to Loch Lomond continue up the west coast to Ullapool. Then after you have treated yourself to a night in 'The Ceilidh Place' ride the next day 'over the top' hugging the coast until you reach Thurso/Wick. Scotland has so much to offer for a biker....Good luck in your newfound 'hobby'.....I have been riding since 1979 and in 2025 am planning to ride to Tromso.
Freddie I read the other day that John Bloor the owner of Triumph payed himself £13 million, perhaps he could plough some of the money into the spare parts department and look after the customers who've made him so successful.
Having met John bloor many years ago when triumph was just starting up again I think that after all these years he can pay himself a bonus. 13m isn't that much of a bonus when you see others like footballers get more than that. After all NO John Boor = No triumph motorcycles "
I read that Triumph had made 74 million and the owner had taken £13 million out of the business Well that's how you run a company I suppose and not suggesting he has done anything wrong, but I am sick to death of the brands making bikes in different country's and still asking ridiculous prices for there bikes
@alexmorgan3435 well its his money and he can take it if he wants But when you go into a dealership and they tell you there's no wriggle room on price it leaves a bad feeling in your guts to see 74 million profit
Freddie...once again..enjoyed that. From 1968 to 2023 I have ridden many bikes... . my needs changed over the years so did my 'perfect' bike. Happy now to potter about on my Bonnie 865.
Timely comment, especially as I’ve been looking at my next bike! I have one which ticks all the boxes, so looking is pointless. You’ve saved me some money 😂
I have worn that Tee-Shirt myself many times. Indeed only this week I have been looking on Auto-Trader as I consider a new bike. Lord knows why as I have a barely run in Gen 3 Hayabusa in my garage...@@stoatsngroatsuk5012
You can get a motoguzzi v85tt with sub 10k miles for just over £6k. I just bought a 2023 model. Air cooled simplicity, 80hp, can carry up to 70 stone, extremely reliable, off road capable, handles like a dream on road, low seat, so comfy for pillion, italian styling, so much character from tranverse v twin, shaft drive, cruise control, power modes and able to set custom with abs and traction off, rarity factor, tubeless spoked wheels (better for puncture repairs), 23 litre tank for long range. Great luggage options. Monica would love it!
I would not call it a low seat though. I have R1250GS which definitely feels lower for me to sit on. Just had V85TT and yes I love it too. Would definitely consider the updated 2024 version as next bike. Only hate is the basic windshield which creates massive noise turbulence on my helmet which is inexcusable for me being exactly average size man, with 177cm height.
I tested a v85TT with just over 900 miles on the Odo for an afternoon in Northern California recently. Loved it, zero turbulence from the easily updated touring screen (I am 5 ft 9 / 175cm), ample power with character, seat height easy to manage and comfortable... colour me impressed. Shortlisted on my future bike options list.
I do like that F800 . Adventure bikes seem to be the thing now , you get the best of both worlds . My brother in law has the w800 , he loves it . Old style modern parts .Bullet proof .
I have watched David Jay's channel. I was thinking about buying a CL500 back then. Best bike to ride around the world? I wouldn't go on a BMW, and I did 91,000 miles on an R1100GS. I remember a group of lads doing 40,000 miles around the world in the early/mid-'90s, all on Suzuki DR350s. That size makes sense to me if you're going off-road. If you aren't, I'd ride a Honda NC750X DCT. A Canadian bloke in Thailand had done, at the last count, a few months ago, a staggering 280,000 km with absolutely nothing going wrong. Nick
Hope you are feeling better Freddie. Another great video, still surprised at the low subs compared to your other channel, totally worthy of more, hope they rise to where they should be! Thanks for the bringing together of so many useful insights and stories.. awesome.. keep up the great production sir!
I have a 2014 Yamaha Super Tenere 1200. I bought it new in March 2015. It now has 168,000 kms of basically trouble free kms. It is not a popular bike but has severed me well on several multiple month trips including a 6.5 moth 45,000 km trip from home in Mexico City to Alaska and back. It is so overlooked and underrated.
Thanks for the mention Freddie .... I wondered why I had gained a few subs in the past 24 hours ! Great content from you as usual ... your travel video's in particular are stunning . All the best to Monika and yourself , Dave.
I test rode the Benelli TRK502X & loved it. The engines sound like mini BMW GS’s (360° crank). Lovely ride, big bike feel & plenty of space for panniers & top boxes etc. The only reason I didn’t buy one is because it wasn’t the right time to get out of my current bike at the time (2017 Suzuki V-Strom 1000). Currently ride a 2021 BMW C400GT. I bought one as I had never owned a big scooter. Love it, but hardly used it, only 2,400 miles done in just over 2 years. Will be selling the scoot’ in March ‘24 & will look for my next steed from then 👌🏻👍🏻
thanks for the lovely video again, always appreciate the discussions! :) i like to think that videos like this slowly bring the motorcycle community together, hearing stories of everyone’s adventures, struggles, and preferences
For my needs my current bike is my blinged up Honda Monkey, out of 25 bikes i have owned, half at least have been mini 125s, nothing else has give me as much joy except a modded Yamaha tmax i had years ago, the quirky oddball bikes really tick all my boxes.
My husband and myself have been riding Yamahas for over 20 years. I once fell for a Benelli. Had it for about one year. It began with the TFT display failing (speed, then fuel indicator). Was exchanged by the shop. After about half a year, the rear brake got stuck for no reason. On that point, I stopped touring on my own with this bike. The final straw of me not enjoying the Benelli anymore when I did mod my seat. What I looked at the seat shell, I was shocked. It was so thin that I had to reinforce it with resin at two point as after pulling out the clamps it teared. At that point, my husband fell in love with the then new Ténéré 700. The next summer, he did a test ride and was sold. I took the chance to happily trade in my faulty Benelli for a Tracer 700 (I did not feel comfortable on the tall ADV). Best decision motorcycle-wise I ever made. Three years trouble-free for both of us. Out daughter got herself a MT 125 (we are German). Conclusion: if you want something really reliable - maybe no Italian beauty. Looks great in the garage, but be prepared to have a trailer at the ready.
I was in Gran Canaria the other day in a shopping mall, there on display were four new Morini motorcycles, absolutely gorgeous and the build quality looked to be first class, I was shocked to read a small sticker that said 'Made in PRC'.
I've had my Bonnie for 17 years now and it's been as faithful as an old labrador. Probably cleaned it twice in all of those years (It's a mode of transport in my mind not an object for shining). It lives outside under a motorcycle cover where the local cats use it as a tent and apart from the yearly M.O.T and a service that's all the nurture it gets. Wouldn't swap the old girl until she finally expires. I'm 81 by the way and have enjoyed many years of riding since 1960.
Owned a CFMOTO 300SR for commuting into London 3/4 days a week (1h 15 min door to door into Sussex either way) and absolutely no issues. Yeah quality could be better here and there but no issues in terms of reliability.
Hi! Recently completed a west coast ride between 3 states - Karnataka, Goa & Maharashtra. A lot of trail riding along the western ghat forests and then along the coastline of the Arabian Sea. Was wonderful. On my return to Bangalore I realised my Tiger 800 numberplate hanger had cracked due to the load of the soft luggage system used on the rack. Since my motorcycle is a 2017 model, the parts are not available here in India. I immediately got onto World of Triumph website early Friday morning and ordered the part. Was stoked to get a mail from them this evening that the part has been shipped. - Percy
As an owner of a 2020 Vstrom 650xt i can endorse the sentiments of the Vstrom lobby in your survey. I've never owned a transalp. I had a string of Hondas in the 80s but when they tried to block grey imports from being serviced at their dealerships in the 2000s I vowed never to spend another penny on Hondas. The only thing I'd say is that I love VTwins so I'm biassed. My prevous 3 bikes were Triumph Daytona 955, Aprilia Falco SL1000 and Benellli Trek Amazonas. A VTwin sandwiched between two triples. All great bikes. The Aprilia is probably the best bike I've ever owned. I don't like triples because having tired Europe in summer, the engines run far too hot. I guess the middle cylinders don't get the chance to chill down easily. I rode the VStrom more in a few months than I did with the Benelli in a year. Those late Italian Benellis had crap components and were poorly assembled. I saw on the Benelli forum there were lots of people decrying the build quality of Chinese Benellis. There's have to be really badly built to be worse than mine. Soluble relays installed in such a way that they collect water are ludicrous. I'd be wary of the Benelli until it's been around long enough to prove it's longevity. Btw my strom was just under 6 grand with hardly any miles done in 18 months from new. An absolute bargain.
I ran a transalp 600 for 8 years and 25000 miles. It was still purring like a kitten when I sold it with over 50000 miles. I now ride a Honda deauville 650. It's a big improvement over the transalp being shaft drive and having tubeless tyres and improved brakes it does 65 mpg and is stone reliable. Best bike I ever owned enough power for to get my rocks off.
Oh how i can tell you about the Honda 650 Transalp Freddie. In 2007 I bought a brand new one, spent a year riding it round Africa and back & still own it with 93,000 miles on the clock. In all those miles it only left me stranded once briefly with a broken clutch cable. It's an Uber reliable tank of a bike, but before you run out & buy one, I must also add that it rides like a tank. With a 19 liter fuel tank sitting as high on the bike as Honda could get it it's incredibly top heavy and it needs that big tank because it only gets 45 miles per gallon. ( The BMW F800 GS is a far superior design with a 16 litre tank under the seat and averages 62mpg). I do love my old Transalp for it's reliability but I am getting ready to retire it & the bike I'm replacing it with?. A 2013 BMW F800 GS with 9,300 miles on the clock. I don't expect the BMW to be as reliable, but riding them back to back it's like night & day. They weigh about the same, but the BMW feels & rides like a much lighter, more agile & engaging bike. I hope I don't regret it, but having ridden the BMW I'm ready to take my chances with it. 🤞
I bought a f800gs I was looking at the transalp but put off by so many things. The normal way up forks, the mild steel exhaust that would have needed replacing before long or just put up with watching it go rusty, when it went twin discs on the front they looked punny as were so small. I believe the xl700v was 217kg so heavier the the f800. No electric gizmos just ABS. Did it even have a fuel gauge ?
@@chrishart8548 yes mine has fuel gauge, but don't rely on it !. At half a tank it says it's 3/4 empty. I think most bikes do this though?. I just love it that it never really broke down on me. I got used to it,but it never grew on me.
Shame no belt or shaft drive. I have to say had a 21 plate and sold it after 3 months due to quality of the bike. Very nasty swing arm in Particular. Despite acf50 was corrosion everywhere. My 21 yr old VFR - still immaculate when sold. Think Honda accountants have interfered
I follow a couple of Adventure motorcyclists and Africa is full of these things. Usually barrelling along a dirt track 3 up. Bajaj Boxer stands for strength, endurance, ruggedness and durability. A motorcycle that can take on any road across the globe. A bike that has been the single largest selling bike across Africa and one of the most preferred bike in more than 30 countries. Known for its reliability, Boxer is extensively used as a moto-taxi by riders popularly known as Okadas or Boda Bodas in many African countries. Not just that, in places like Egypt & Iran, Bajaj Boxer is considered as a dependable motorcycle.
Many years ago I worked as a DAS instructor. Our workhorse instructor bikes were high mileage Transalps, a new V Strom 650, several high mile ST100's, a 1000 Varadero and a BMW 1200GS. We rode these bikes 6 days a week, 8 hours per day in all weathers. The big bikes were thirsty on fuel and tyres, more expensive to maintain and required a lot more concentration in any slippy, soft or awkward terrain. The V Strom and the Transalps were virtually faultless, supremely comfortable, effortless to ride and easy and cheap to maintain. The only thing I'd say against them was the lack of shaft drive. The V Strom was brand new and never gave any issues, the Transalps were all well North of 50,000 miles and the only issues were these. One had a rotted allow front engine mount bracket. It's an aluminium alloy plate that connects the front downtube to the engine and is hidden behind the bash plate. Over a long timescale it corrodes. Just unbolt what's left and replace it. The fuel taps can sometimes give grief but are easy to refurbish. And most serious we had one very high mileage Transalp where the gearbox output shaft had worn making the front sprocket wobble. That's a serious repair but I only saw it on one bike.
I owned a BMW K100 in college and it was rock solid but sold it at graduation. Now 30 years later 57yo I purchased a used 2017 Africa Twin and love it more than the BMW.
I have f650gs (800) 2012 this is my first bike and I love it. I traveled from Russia to Afghanistan and didn't have any troubles with the bike despite the roads were really bad and I had zero off-road experience. Bmw made a really reliable bike
Totally agree on Japanese and its not just bikes almost every functional product i own is japenese bikes, cars, phones, hifi, tv, kitchen stuff - all are well made. Brits do make the best proper bitter though but that's about it.
Hi fred have you seen one man and his bike on here 70 yr old on v strom 650 uk currently in Senegal😳😳😳. What a man what a bike, wild camping mostly unbelievable
‘Their DNA is reliability! ……. and I will wrap it up there!’ You are so right - nearly all motorbikes can be fun but they have to be working reliably, otherwise just buy a pretty artwork and polish it in a heated garage ( or the sitting room 😮🤦🏼♂️) ….. so the next bike will be a Honda? After all you meet the nicest people on a Honda.
Hey Freddy, in some states of Australia if you're a repeat offender or get caught commiting a bad enough case of "hooning" (driving recklessly) they can straight up take your car and crush it, which for many people would hurt more than seeing your pride and joy simply auctioned off.
I used to own a W800 which I bought new. It was beautifully made and looked good but I found it just didn't produce enough power to make overtaking carefree, and its single disc front brake did not inspire stopping confidence, so it had to go.
Just saw an article about the danish law against reckless driving… Since the law was introduced 2.5 years ago more than 2,400 cars have been confiscated. The penalty for breaking the law is (without casualties): car confiscated right away regardless of who owns the car (borrowed, rented or whatever), at least 20 days imprisonment and at least 3 years without the right to have a drivers license (and a fine I imagine)
I rode a Suzuki GS750 taking it from Adelaide to Melbourne then to Sydney. I used it commuting to work in Sydney for 2 months then took it to Brisbane and finished 100 miles north of Brisbane. I also worked 7 weeks on a farm that was 250 miles from Sydney inland. It had done over 80000 Kms and kept going. I only had to open up the points gap and did minimum maintenance like chain adjustment. Amazing bikes those 2 valve per cylinder GS engines and had an 850 shaft and that did over 85000 miles and GS1000 that went round the clock. I sold it to a friend he sold it a few years later and to another mate who had it over a year . It was 15 years old and it had done well over 120k miles. I never paid over £700 for the 1000, £500 for the gs850 and 750 Australian dollars or £320 for the gs750. They never ever broke down. Only tyres would wear out and chain and sprockets, brake pads and just oil filter and oil changes. The best Japanese bikes I ever had. The Kawasaki 1977 z650 custom was great too and quick for its day and £375 with 25000 miles on the clock. Yamaha XT500 were very cheap £175 each and a few XS 650 , one had 85000 miles on it when I bought it. Also had an XS2 650 yam from 1973. These 1970s jap bikes were simple tech and built like tanks and for me far better than the later, more complicated bikes. Yamaha 600cc Fazer was really good too.
I've had Honda vfr750 and 800 too but voltage regulator, rectifier units packed up on both of them and the 800 went through 3 of them in 19000 miles until I bought a electrex MOSFET one that was very reliable and superb but at £110 at the time double the price of the rubbish Honda one.
I started riding in 76 and Japanese machines were then the dominant force. The Benellis in particular seem to be well made and very capable. I can see Chinese bikes possibly hiding behind western brand names taking off. Don’t forget many Japanese low capacity bikes are made in China
The two cheap and ultra reliable bikes,Suzuki 650 Vstrom and the Honda Transalp series,well I'm there with one of them I've just bought a 2020 DL650 Vstrom and though not the TA my NT700 Deauville which has the same engine plus shaft drrive,is as reliable as the sun rising tomorrow morning. After 30k miles of ultra reliability of my Honda CB500X,I'm looking forward to the same with the Suzuki😊
Finding your riding style is an interesting topic. I bought 4 totally different bikes in the past year and I find myself constantly changing which one I am in the mood to ride almost daily. The four are: 2023 Aprilia Tuareg 660, 2023 Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled, 2022 Ducati Diavel 1260S, and 2020 KTM 390 ADV. I found that on any given day, my tastes change. Some days I want the raw power of the Diavel, it is a missile on two wheels. Some days I want the comfort of the Aprilia, it has a great windscreen that creates a little cocoon of still air while riding. Other times I want the hooligan feeling of the Scrambler. And lastly I like the KTM for running quick errands to get a pizza, or a bit of off-roading; we don't have the tailored and groomed "off-road' routes that I see on YT. Ours is harsh rugged desert riding where often there are near unridable sections that are sure to leave a mark ;) Yet, even with these 4, I find myself browsing the classifieds for something different, the unicorn bike.
Hi Freddie. I've been following you for a while. Sorry for you bonnie. I'm a Triumph fan and I have a Bonneville Street Twin 2017. I think it's a very reliable bike. Just do the service in time, put gas and ride it. You know what it is! Hugs from Portugal.
I owned an NC750. It's news to me. Furthermore you see them for sale with way in excess of 100k miles on them. I think they are the number one most versatile bike BAR NONE.
I’ve heard there’s some sort of washer that can only be replaced from inside the engine maybe? These bikes look to be great value but is the 47hp? Is that right? Is it enough for motorway speeds without the engine screaming?
@jerhughes500 it's about 54hp. The newer models are 58, I think. The gears are very long, you can spend all day in second without having to change (if you like). Excellent on motorways, very efficient on fuel.
I think either a Honda Africa Twin or Yamaha Tenere. Basically old, relatively easy to fix, and easy to get parts for bikes are a good choice. Certainly not a new BMW or new anything TBH.
I have to say freddie. I buy Japanese Bikes , but all my accessories ,touring windscreen , crashbars , highway pegs , extenders for my front and rear mud guards and many other parts all from China. The cost is a fraction of the original manufacturers cost and the quality I've found is sound.
Hi there, I've owned shed loads of bike and....it has to be a honda now, knocks the socks off anything else.. Honda trannie, the best, the very best, I've had 3 and if I could get longer legs ( 27 inch!) I'd have another. Stop mucking about and get yourself a nonda... Great chanel, love it, all the best, Mick.
Hi Freddie, Have you ever read ( or even heard of!) Jupiters Travels by Ted Simon? The only bike to ttravel the world is a Triumph. or may be a BMW, but thats a later book.....!
The F800GS is a nice bike… if you’re 6’3”! The 890mm seat height is way too tall for most riders. Smart buyers plumped for F650GS - same engine with a lower state of tune, so smoother and better fuel economy, and a far better road bike without the tubed wheels. And it’s cheaper! As for reliability - all brands have issues. Yes, even Honda. The only real issues with the 650/800 were terrible paint application (take a look around the sump, if there’s actually any paint left!) and a hot start issue due to under seat tank venting. The enduro seat is well known as torture device but easily changed. If I were to pick a bulletproof cheapish new bike it would be the Honda NX500 (was CB500X)
Well said. I tried one in a dealers last week and in spite of being a touch short of six feet tall I found it impossibly high. However, my brother lent me his F800ST and that was a terrific machine.
Wow...100kph is only 60mph ! Of course 60 in a 30 zone might get you into a fair amount of trouble here in the US too. Hey, how about the Suzuki SV650? That's a nice little all-around ride.
At the minute i own a 93 honda cbr1000f which i payed £650 in reasonable condition withh 77k and would trust it to ride anywhere modified bars for extra comfort total budget touring machine thats reliable i just cant justify spending thousands on a bike its just something else to worry about i think the uk in general are obsessed with having the latest bikes and cars ect and my wife would go mad if i spent £6k on a bike.
I have to agree with the comments regarding the growth & quality of the Chinese bikes now coming into the country. I almost bought a Benelli trk502 but instead bought a Honda CB500x because of the availability of parts and access to dealers throughout the U.K. and Europe. Regarding the quality though I use too sell Chinese 125s 10 years ago, and the quality was to say the least awful. 10 years on and certain brands are now just as good as the Japanese bikes. I can only see them improving year on year. But the parts availability might still be the biggest problem.
Hmmm I sold my 650 v Strom , for my $$ , I'll get around the world on my RE classic 350 😊, don't like going over 70mph anyway 😂. I also love my Dr 650 .
Hi all. Chinese products and quality. International companies often outsource parts to be made abroad. They do however insist on their own quality control. The reputation Chinese products have for being substandard appears to mainly relate to in-house products not outsourced items. It's up to the buyer to decide if they want to make these purchases.
Freddie, I received an email from the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride about next year’s date. I am happy having my wife and I join our local Triumph dealer’s “team”, but I was thinking that it might be fun to have YOU have an international team (is that possible?). Perhaps this is silly, but do you have any demographics about your US subscribers or just watchers (shame on them)? If you were to start a team, and I was able, I would join, and I think a lot of your watchers would. Just a thought after a long days work.
I know I am the village idiot and sorry for that but I just love your pod casts because you are so so honest and to the point... I only wish I could be the same!!!! To the point that is ..Take care both and have a lovely time over the next few months !!
The danish law mentioned is fairly new and it was made because of those who drive recklessly. There had been several cases of killed pedestrians, including children, where the drivers had fled the scene.
@@alexmorgan3435 Just saw an article about it… Since the law was introduced 2.5 years ago more than 2,400 cars have been confiscated. The penalty for breaking the law is (without casualties): car confiscated right away regardless of who owns the car (borrowed, rented or whatever), at least 20 days imprisonment and at least 3 years without the right to have a drivers license (and a fine I imagine)
The African Twin is far to heavy for any serious off road, and if you like to take corners fairly briskly on road (I know that's not what its made for) you will keep loosing the front end.
Have you ever watched Toni Bou? Any bike is capable off road. It all depends on the rider and the skill! (Part 2) Toni Bou extreme maxi trail Honda Africa Twin CRF 1100L
I want a motorbike that is reliable, cheap to maintain and will put a smile on my face. I would love to buy British but they don't tick all the boxes. I have 2019 Moto Guzzi V7 and while I love it, it isn't reliable, it has electrical problams which is just so annoyong. My go to bike that ticks all the boxes will always be a Honda.
If you want to go around the Far East, apart from India, most people are on small Hondas. If you're not Ewan and Charley, with a camera crew and a truckload of mechanics, you need something light, simple and reliable. Power and weight are hard on the components, and those big aluminium boxes aren't particularly aerodynamic. Something easily fixable anywhere, great worldwide parts availability, been in production for over 30 years with sales numbers into 8 figures. Can you tell what it is yet? The Honda CG125. Aircooled, pushrods, up until recently a fully-enclosed chain, consumption around 95mpg. You're not going to be breaking any land speed records, but I've seen one of these do five countries in a day. Cheap as chips, and if you come home with an extra 30,000 miles on the thing, you'll still be able to get what you paid for it. If the journey is more important than the bike you use to do it, the CG125 is your only man.
The header on this and the comments left me thinking I had loaded the wrong video. What a waffle. I thought there was going to be a mention of a Honda ‘postie’ bike and maybe other gems of similar abilities and cheap cost. Instead it’s mostly a high price jerkfest.
I think there is a big difference between a uk/USA designed product and manufactured in China (any Asia to that point) and something which is claimed to be a Chinese Manufacturer
I have to agree with the gentleman on the Chinese bikes, Freddie. I always hear the argument about Apple devices or the Japanese brands back then, but that's a bit ingenious comparison. Apple may very well manufacture their devices in China and Taiwan, but it's not really the same as state-controlled companies doing industrial espionage, price dumping or buying European brands for fake heritage clout. Most consumers don't care about these things, specially in a difficult economy, but we should be more conscious about the power of voting with our wallets and when possible get to understand more the impacts of our purchase choice have in the World. Personally, I avoid any media when it's advertising any Chinese brand, even the heritage brands that hide their Chinese origins, the same way I avoid consuming Nestlé brands, to give an example. I don't expect most of us would even consider worrying about the origins of the chocolate we are about to eat. I also understand why these Chinese brands are gaining in popularity. The Japanese brands have proved their quality and reliability over decades! Nothing so far has given me hope that these Chinesium-made bikes won't crumble in rust and e-waste in a few years. We worry about saving a couple grands in the short term, compromising our long term investment.
This is an important point to make. It’s a very very different thing to compare an American company that has their products built in China with stringent QC standards to a Chinese company building their own products. I don’t say this to be rude or racist but a decade of business dealings with China the fact is their culture of taking shortcuts or “good enough” is everywhere, on every level. Making the comparison to Japanese built bikes comes off as disingenuous as the culture of quality is the polar opposite of China. TL:DR: A Kawasaki engine built in China and a CFMoto motorbike do not make a well thought out comparison.
Who says anything other than their bike has been faultlessly reliable when selling it? ‘For sale, an absolute nightmare. If it can go wrong it will, I’ve spent thousands, the bike has spent half it’s life broken’. Who’s buying that?
I live in Finland you only lose your license in Finland for speeding if you are repeat offender, and your speeding fines are connected to how much you earn. If your unemployed or on a low wage your fine will be small. So the Finnish guy who lost his license for 6 months isn't being completely honest with you.
@@tuesdayatdobbs repeated traffic infractions and traffic offences, causing a traffic hazard in a manner indicating gross negligence, operation of a vehicle without a licence, driving while intoxicated abroad, driving while intoxicated and aggravated driving while intoxicated, causing a serious traffic hazard, transport of dangerous substances offence. You really have to be a complete jack ass to get a driving ban, endangering lives, causing major road traffic accidents. But as you can see speeding isn't just speeding once, it's habitual. And I've known people who have had multiple speeding offences and been let off a ban because they needed to drive for work. You really need to be some kind of ass hat to get a ban for speeding. That he was fined €2000 means he's a rich ass hat.
For a round-the-world bike I'd certainly choose a Japanese bike because they're the most reliable (especially electrics) and parts are easier to obtain.
I owned a 2016 CRF1000L for a few years, I went to the top of Norway on it, its close to the perfect bike ... However, the somewhat minor but fatal flaw is the wind buffeting, you can't live with it and its why I had to sell it. I tried all sorts of screens and different helmets but nothing worked and it's a dealbreaker.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
I just passed my motorcycle test in UK 2 months ago. I've been dreaming of traveling to Scotland on a motorcycle. My motorcycle instructor gave me some advice for buying my first bike, he said: ''don't spend more then 2 grand''. With this is mind: I took a quick look the day after I passed my bike test. And there it was, my now BMW F650 Dakar, just 10k miles, interesting black and white paint/stickers. Almost immaculate, for a 23 year old bike. Juts two owners. It's needed an MOT. Passed, just two advisories. So far I've not spent anything on the bike. But I am planning for top boxes, panniers, maybe crash bars. I go to sleep at night imagining riding to loch lomond, loch ness, etc.
There are good bargains to be had if you've got realistic goals.
...and when you get to Loch Lomond continue up the west coast to Ullapool. Then after you have treated yourself to a night in 'The Ceilidh Place' ride the next day 'over the top' hugging the coast until you reach Thurso/Wick. Scotland has so much to offer for a biker....Good luck in your newfound 'hobby'.....I have been riding since 1979 and in 2025 am planning to ride to Tromso.
Great bike, wish I still had mine.
Freddie I read the other day that John Bloor the owner of Triumph payed himself £13 million, perhaps he could plough some of the money into the spare parts department and look after the customers who've made him so successful.
Having met John bloor many years ago when triumph was just starting up again I think that after all these years he can pay himself a bonus.
13m isn't that much of a bonus when you see others like footballers get more than that.
After all NO John Boor = No triumph motorcycles "
@@rowlyhull-hk4qgwould that be a loss
I read that Triumph had made 74 million and the owner had taken £13 million out of the business
Well that's how you run a company I suppose and not suggesting he has done anything wrong, but I am sick to death of the brands making bikes in different country's and still asking ridiculous prices for there bikes
£13 million you say. Wow. No wonder bikes are so over priced these days.
@alexmorgan3435 well its his money and he can take it if he wants
But when you go into a dealership and they tell you there's no wriggle room on price it leaves a bad feeling in your guts to see 74 million profit
Freddie...once again..enjoyed that. From 1968 to 2023 I have ridden many bikes... . my needs changed over the years so did my 'perfect' bike. Happy now to potter about on my Bonnie 865.
The best bike is the bike sitting in your garage as you read this comment....whatever bike it is.....
I like this
Timely comment, especially as I’ve been looking at my next bike! I have one which ticks all the boxes, so looking is pointless. You’ve saved me some money 😂
I have worn that Tee-Shirt myself many times. Indeed only this week I have been looking on Auto-Trader as I consider a new bike. Lord knows why as I have a barely run in Gen 3 Hayabusa in my garage...@@stoatsngroatsuk5012
Fantic Caballero 500
Bold of you to assume people have a garage in this economy lmao. But yes i agree ;) taking out my FZ6 again today.
You can get a motoguzzi v85tt with sub 10k miles for just over £6k. I just bought a 2023 model. Air cooled simplicity, 80hp, can carry up to 70 stone, extremely reliable, off road capable, handles like a dream on road, low seat, so comfy for pillion, italian styling, so much character from tranverse v twin, shaft drive, cruise control, power modes and able to set custom with abs and traction off, rarity factor, tubeless spoked wheels (better for puncture repairs), 23 litre tank for long range. Great luggage options. Monica would love it!
I would not call it a low seat though. I have R1250GS which definitely feels lower for me to sit on. Just had V85TT and yes I love it too. Would definitely consider the updated 2024 version as next bike. Only hate is the basic windshield which creates massive noise turbulence on my helmet which is inexcusable for me being exactly average size man, with 177cm height.
I tested a v85TT with just over 900 miles on the Odo for an afternoon in Northern California recently. Loved it, zero turbulence from the easily updated touring screen (I am 5 ft 9 / 175cm), ample power with character, seat height easy to manage and comfortable... colour me impressed. Shortlisted on my future bike options list.
What a lovely Christmas Tree!!! 🎅🎁
Simple and elegant (Monika made sure I get it in the shot🎄)
I do like that F800 . Adventure bikes seem to be the thing now , you get the best of both worlds .
My brother in law has the w800 , he loves it . Old style modern parts .Bullet proof .
I have watched David Jay's channel. I was thinking about buying a CL500 back then.
Best bike to ride around the world? I wouldn't go on a BMW, and I did 91,000 miles on an R1100GS. I remember a group of lads doing 40,000 miles around the world in the early/mid-'90s, all on Suzuki DR350s. That size makes sense to me if you're going off-road. If you aren't, I'd ride a Honda NC750X DCT. A Canadian bloke in Thailand had done, at the last count, a few months ago, a staggering 280,000 km with absolutely nothing going wrong. Nick
Hope you are feeling better Freddie. Another great video, still surprised at the low subs compared to your other channel, totally worthy of more, hope they rise to where they should be! Thanks for the bringing together of so many useful insights and stories.. awesome.. keep up the great production sir!
Didn’t even realise he had more than one channel
2020 W800 Café, best bike I have ever had for experience on two wheels. Love this bike
I have a 2014 Yamaha Super Tenere 1200. I bought it new in March 2015. It now has 168,000 kms of basically trouble free kms. It is not a popular bike but has severed me well on several multiple month trips including a 6.5 moth 45,000 km trip from home in Mexico City to Alaska and back. It is so overlooked and underrated.
I've been looking at one of these as my first big bike wasn't sure but your comments about reliability and longevity has pretty much sold it to me
Excellent episode. I do agree the Africa Twin looks to be an excellent bike. Really like the look of them and the colour options.
Thanks for the mention Freddie .... I wondered why I had gained a few subs in the past 24 hours !
Great content from you as usual ... your travel video's in particular are stunning . All the best to Monika and yourself , Dave.
Ive owned a B M W K75c for 15 going on 16 years never had any probs with it except a starter relay being replaced .
I've had many bikes, mainly sportsbikes... seem to only use three now lately... Kawasaki Versys 650 GT... Honda ADV350... Royal Enfield Classic 350...
I test rode the Benelli TRK502X & loved it. The engines sound like mini BMW GS’s (360° crank). Lovely ride, big bike feel & plenty of space for panniers & top boxes etc. The only reason I didn’t buy one is because it wasn’t the right time to get out of my current bike at the time (2017 Suzuki V-Strom 1000). Currently ride a 2021 BMW C400GT. I bought one as I had never owned a big scooter. Love it, but hardly used it, only 2,400 miles done in just over 2 years. Will be selling the scoot’ in March ‘24 & will look for my next steed from then 👌🏻👍🏻
thanks for the lovely video again, always appreciate the discussions! :) i like to think that videos like this slowly bring the motorcycle community together, hearing stories of everyone’s adventures, struggles, and preferences
For my needs my current bike is my blinged up Honda Monkey, out of 25 bikes i have owned, half at least have been mini 125s, nothing else has give me as much joy except a modded Yamaha tmax i had years ago, the quirky oddball bikes really tick all my boxes.
I have owned a ton of bikes over the years but the one I enjoyed most was a simple f650 Funduro. What a bloody brilliant thing.
My husband and myself have been riding Yamahas for over 20 years. I once fell for a Benelli. Had it for about one year. It began with the TFT display failing (speed, then fuel indicator). Was exchanged by the shop. After about half a year, the rear brake got stuck for no reason. On that point, I stopped touring on my own with this bike. The final straw of me not enjoying the Benelli anymore when I did mod my seat. What I looked at the seat shell, I was shocked. It was so thin that I had to reinforce it with resin at two point as after pulling out the clamps it teared. At that point, my husband fell in love with the then new Ténéré 700. The next summer, he did a test ride and was sold. I took the chance to happily trade in my faulty Benelli for a Tracer 700 (I did not feel comfortable on the tall ADV). Best decision motorcycle-wise I ever made. Three years trouble-free for both of us. Out daughter got herself a MT 125 (we are German).
Conclusion: if you want something really reliable - maybe no Italian beauty. Looks great in the garage, but be prepared to have a trailer at the ready.
Thanks for another interesting episode. I especially liked the bike of the week.
I was in Gran Canaria the other day in a shopping mall, there on display were four new Morini motorcycles, absolutely gorgeous and the build quality looked to be first class, I was shocked to read a small sticker that said 'Made in PRC'.
I've had my Bonnie for 17 years now and it's been as faithful as an old labrador.
Probably cleaned it twice in all of those years (It's a mode of transport in my mind not an object for shining).
It lives outside under a motorcycle cover where the local cats use it as a tent and apart from the yearly M.O.T and a service that's all the nurture it gets.
Wouldn't swap the old girl until she finally expires. I'm 81 by the way and have enjoyed many years of riding since 1960.
Owned a CFMOTO 300SR for commuting into London 3/4 days a week (1h 15 min door to door into Sussex either way) and absolutely no issues. Yeah quality could be better here and there but no issues in terms of reliability.
Hi! Recently completed a west coast ride between 3 states - Karnataka, Goa & Maharashtra. A lot of trail riding along the western ghat forests and then along the coastline of the Arabian Sea. Was wonderful. On my return to Bangalore I realised my Tiger 800 numberplate hanger had cracked due to the load of the soft luggage system used on the rack. Since my motorcycle is a 2017 model, the parts are not available here in India. I immediately got onto World of Triumph website early Friday morning and ordered the part. Was stoked to get a mail from them this evening that the part has been shipped. - Percy
The "weestrom" 650 has been on my Rader as my next bike, and likely will be when I finally settle down enough to actually but one 😅
I test rode one. I found it to be gutless.
@@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOneGutless or dependable? I test rode one and would think about if if I wanted that style of bike.
As an owner of a 2020 Vstrom 650xt i can endorse the sentiments of the Vstrom lobby in your survey. I've never owned a transalp. I had a string of Hondas in the 80s but when they tried to block grey imports from being serviced at their dealerships in the 2000s I vowed never to spend another penny on Hondas. The only thing I'd say is that I love VTwins so I'm biassed. My prevous 3 bikes were Triumph Daytona 955, Aprilia Falco SL1000 and Benellli Trek Amazonas. A VTwin sandwiched between two triples. All great bikes. The Aprilia is probably the best bike I've ever owned. I don't like triples because having tired Europe in summer, the engines run far too hot. I guess the middle cylinders don't get the chance to chill down easily. I rode the VStrom more in a few months than I did with the Benelli in a year. Those late Italian Benellis had crap components and were poorly assembled. I saw on the Benelli forum there were lots of people decrying the build quality of Chinese Benellis. There's have to be really badly built to be worse than mine. Soluble relays installed in such a way that they collect water are ludicrous. I'd be wary of the Benelli until it's been around long enough to prove it's longevity. Btw my strom was just under 6 grand with hardly any miles done in 18 months from new. An absolute bargain.
I ran a transalp 600 for 8 years and 25000 miles. It was still purring like a kitten when I sold it with over 50000 miles. I now ride a Honda deauville 650. It's a big improvement over the transalp being shaft drive and having tubeless tyres and improved brakes it does 65 mpg and is stone reliable. Best bike I ever owned enough power for to get my rocks off.
Oh how i can tell you about the Honda 650 Transalp Freddie. In 2007 I bought a brand new one, spent a year riding it round Africa and back & still own it with 93,000 miles on the clock. In all those miles it only left me stranded once briefly with a broken clutch cable. It's an Uber reliable tank of a bike, but before you run out & buy one, I must also add that it rides like a tank. With a 19 liter fuel tank sitting as high on the bike as Honda could get it it's incredibly top heavy and it needs that big tank because it only gets 45 miles per gallon. ( The BMW F800 GS is a far superior design with a 16 litre tank under the seat and averages 62mpg). I do love my old Transalp for it's reliability but I am getting ready to retire it & the bike I'm replacing it with?. A 2013 BMW F800 GS with 9,300 miles on the clock. I don't expect the BMW to be as reliable, but riding them back to back it's like night & day. They weigh about the same, but the BMW feels & rides like a much lighter, more agile & engaging bike. I hope I don't regret it, but having ridden the BMW I'm ready to take my chances with it. 🤞
I bought a f800gs I was looking at the transalp but put off by so many things. The normal way up forks, the mild steel exhaust that would have needed replacing before long or just put up with watching it go rusty, when it went twin discs on the front they looked punny as were so small. I believe the xl700v was 217kg so heavier the the f800. No electric gizmos just ABS. Did it even have a fuel gauge ?
@@chrishart8548 yes mine has fuel gauge, but don't rely on it !. At half a tank it says it's 3/4 empty. I think most bikes do this though?. I just love it that it never really broke down on me. I got used to it,but it never grew on me.
replace it with the NEW transalp !
I brought a bandit 650 with 21k miles and now it's got 60k miles, it was only £1800 😂
Honda Deauville. Unburstable engines, shaft drive, built in panniers, comfortable.
I ride the Honda NC750X (RC72). It is far away from being boring. For me it is the best bike to travel around the world.
Shame no belt or shaft drive. I have to say had a 21 plate and sold it after 3 months due to quality of the bike. Very nasty swing arm in Particular. Despite acf50 was corrosion everywhere. My 21 yr old VFR - still immaculate when sold. Think Honda accountants have interfered
I follow a couple of Adventure motorcyclists and Africa is full of these things. Usually barrelling along a dirt track 3 up.
Bajaj Boxer stands for strength, endurance, ruggedness and durability. A motorcycle that can take on any road across the globe. A bike that has been the single largest selling bike across Africa and one of the most preferred bike in more than 30 countries. Known for its reliability, Boxer is extensively used as a moto-taxi by riders popularly known as Okadas or Boda Bodas in many African countries. Not just that, in places like Egypt & Iran, Bajaj Boxer is considered as a dependable motorcycle.
Many years ago I worked as a DAS instructor. Our workhorse instructor bikes were high mileage Transalps, a new V Strom 650, several high mile ST100's, a 1000 Varadero and a BMW 1200GS. We rode these bikes 6 days a week, 8 hours per day in all weathers. The big bikes were thirsty on fuel and tyres, more expensive to maintain and required a lot more concentration in any slippy, soft or awkward terrain. The V Strom and the Transalps were virtually faultless, supremely comfortable, effortless to ride and easy and cheap to maintain. The only thing I'd say against them was the lack of shaft drive. The V Strom was brand new and never gave any issues, the Transalps were all well North of 50,000 miles and the only issues were these. One had a rotted allow front engine mount bracket. It's an aluminium alloy plate that connects the front downtube to the engine and is hidden behind the bash plate. Over a long timescale it corrodes. Just unbolt what's left and replace it. The fuel taps can sometimes give grief but are easy to refurbish. And most serious we had one very high mileage Transalp where the gearbox output shaft had worn making the front sprocket wobble. That's a serious repair but I only saw it on one bike.
Great episode thanks Freddie!
I owned a BMW K100 in college and it was rock solid but sold it at graduation. Now 30 years later 57yo I purchased a used 2017 Africa Twin and love it more than the BMW.
I have f650gs (800) 2012 this is my first bike and I love it. I traveled from Russia to Afghanistan and didn't have any troubles with the bike despite the roads were really bad and I had zero off-road experience. Bmw made a really reliable bike
Totally agree on Japanese and its not just bikes almost every functional product i own is japenese bikes, cars, phones, hifi, tv, kitchen stuff - all are well made. Brits do make the best proper bitter though but that's about it.
Hi fred have you seen one man and his bike on here 70 yr old on v strom 650 uk currently in Senegal😳😳😳. What a man what a bike, wild camping mostly unbelievable
‘Their DNA is reliability! ……. and I will wrap it up there!’
You are so right - nearly all motorbikes can be fun but they have to be working reliably, otherwise just buy a pretty artwork and polish it in a heated garage ( or the sitting room 😮🤦🏼♂️) ….. so the next bike will be a Honda? After all you meet the nicest people on a Honda.
Hey Freddy, in some states of Australia if you're a repeat offender or get caught commiting a bad enough case of "hooning" (driving recklessly) they can straight up take your car and crush it, which for many people would hurt more than seeing your pride and joy simply auctioned off.
Haha I didn’t think the word “hooning” was used anywhere else! There’s a huge world wide crackdown on big speeders that I was oblivious to😳
“Report Hooning”signs on roadsides 😂
I used to own a W800 which I bought new. It was beautifully made and looked good but I found it just didn't produce enough power to make overtaking carefree, and its single disc front brake did not inspire stopping confidence, so it had to go.
Unfortunately that’s my issue with the W800. I adore the aesthetics but it’s just a bit wanting on power…
Just saw an article about the danish law against reckless driving…
Since the law was introduced 2.5 years ago more than 2,400 cars have been confiscated.
The penalty for breaking the law is (without casualties): car confiscated right away regardless of who owns the car (borrowed, rented or whatever), at least 20 days imprisonment and at least 3 years without the right to have a drivers license (and a fine I imagine)
Ohh Freddie, another brilliant podcast ⭐️ Thanks
I rode a Suzuki GS750 taking it from Adelaide to Melbourne then to Sydney. I used it commuting to work in Sydney for 2 months then took it to Brisbane and finished 100 miles north of Brisbane. I also worked 7 weeks on a farm that was 250 miles from Sydney inland. It had done over 80000 Kms and kept going. I only had to open up the points gap and did minimum maintenance like chain adjustment. Amazing bikes those 2 valve per cylinder GS engines and had an 850 shaft and that did over 85000 miles and GS1000 that went round the clock. I sold it to a friend he sold it a few years later and to another mate who had it over a year . It was 15 years old and it had done well over 120k miles. I never paid over £700 for the 1000, £500 for the gs850 and 750 Australian dollars or £320 for the gs750. They never ever broke down. Only tyres would wear out and chain and sprockets, brake pads and just oil filter and oil changes. The best Japanese bikes I ever had. The Kawasaki 1977 z650 custom was great too and quick for its day and £375 with 25000 miles on the clock. Yamaha XT500 were very cheap £175 each and a few XS 650 , one had 85000 miles on it when I bought it. Also had an XS2 650 yam from 1973. These 1970s jap bikes were simple tech and built like tanks and for me far better than the later, more complicated bikes. Yamaha 600cc Fazer was really good too.
I've had Honda vfr750 and 800 too but voltage regulator, rectifier units packed up on both of them and the 800 went through 3 of them in 19000 miles until I bought a electrex MOSFET one that was very reliable and superb but at £110 at the time double the price of the rubbish Honda one.
I cannot believe the Zzr 1100 or 1200 is not on this list mind blowing I clocked 44000 miles and no problem travelling Europe
I started riding in 76 and Japanese machines were then the dominant force. The Benellis in particular seem to be well made and very capable. I can see Chinese bikes possibly hiding behind western brand names taking off. Don’t forget many Japanese low capacity bikes are made in China
The two cheap and ultra reliable bikes,Suzuki 650 Vstrom and the Honda Transalp series,well I'm there with one of them I've just bought a 2020 DL650 Vstrom and though not the TA my NT700 Deauville which has the same engine plus shaft drrive,is as reliable as the sun rising tomorrow morning.
After 30k miles of ultra reliability of my Honda CB500X,I'm looking forward to the same with the Suzuki😊
B b boriiiing!
@@allistairneil8968 One man's boring is another's enjoyment,it wouldn't do for us all to be the same now would it?
Finding your riding style is an interesting topic. I bought 4 totally different bikes in the past year and I find myself constantly changing which one I am in the mood to ride almost daily. The four are: 2023 Aprilia Tuareg 660, 2023 Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled, 2022 Ducati Diavel 1260S, and 2020 KTM 390 ADV. I found that on any given day, my tastes change. Some days I want the raw power of the Diavel, it is a missile on two wheels. Some days I want the comfort of the Aprilia, it has a great windscreen that creates a little cocoon of still air while riding. Other times I want the hooligan feeling of the Scrambler. And lastly I like the KTM for running quick errands to get a pizza, or a bit of off-roading; we don't have the tailored and groomed "off-road' routes that I see on YT. Ours is harsh rugged desert riding where often there are near unridable sections that are sure to leave a mark ;) Yet, even with these 4, I find myself browsing the classifieds for something different, the unicorn bike.
A lot of people just want a bike.
@@Roger-go6jc It only requires a little hard work, patience, making good financial choices, and eventually you can achieve that goal.
Hi Freddie.
I've been following you for a while.
Sorry for you bonnie.
I'm a Triumph fan and I have a Bonneville Street Twin 2017. I think it's a very reliable bike. Just do the service in time, put gas and ride it.
You know what it is!
Hugs from Portugal.
Please clarify the "engine out" job on the NC750. I'm an owner and you've got me worried 😮
Same...why would you need to take the engine out? 🤔
I owned an NC750. It's news to me. Furthermore you see them for sale with way in excess of 100k miles on them. I think they are the number one most versatile bike BAR NONE.
I’ve heard there’s some sort of washer that can only be replaced from inside the engine maybe? These bikes look to be great value but is the 47hp? Is that right? Is it enough for motorway speeds without the engine screaming?
@jerhughes500 it's about 54hp. The newer models are 58, I think. The gears are very long, you can spend all day in second without having to change (if you like). Excellent on motorways, very efficient on fuel.
@@BettiRebel I think I'll need to test rode one, as I said, there's some great deals right now.
Yamaha Tenere should be mentioned here also
I think either a Honda Africa Twin or Yamaha Tenere. Basically old, relatively easy to fix, and easy to get parts for bikes are a good choice. Certainly not a new BMW or new anything TBH.
I have to say freddie. I buy Japanese Bikes , but all my accessories ,touring windscreen , crashbars , highway pegs , extenders for my front and rear mud guards and many other parts all from China. The cost is a fraction of the original manufacturers cost and the quality I've found is sound.
Hi there, I've owned shed loads of bike and....it has to be a honda now, knocks the socks off anything else..
Honda trannie, the best, the very best, I've had 3 and if I could get longer legs ( 27 inch!) I'd have another.
Stop mucking about and get yourself a nonda...
Great chanel, love it, all the best, Mick.
1:22 How the heck did he find out that the parts being sold were from his stolen bike?
Hi Freddie, Have you ever read ( or even heard of!) Jupiters Travels by Ted Simon? The only bike to ttravel the world is a Triumph. or may be a BMW, but thats a later book.....!
If you really meant “round the world” you should be looking sub 300cc. The availability of tyres alone would be a problem for bigger bikes.
Freddie, what about a Yamaha fazer, more directly a fz6 s2. Awesome bike for 2k!
I ❤ your channel
The F800GS is a nice bike… if you’re 6’3”! The 890mm seat height is way too tall for most riders. Smart buyers plumped for F650GS - same engine with a lower state of tune, so smoother and better fuel economy, and a far better road bike without the tubed wheels. And it’s cheaper! As for reliability - all brands have issues. Yes, even Honda. The only real issues with the 650/800 were terrible paint application (take a look around the sump, if there’s actually any paint left!) and a hot start issue due to under seat tank venting. The enduro seat is well known as torture device but easily changed. If I were to pick a bulletproof cheapish new bike it would be the Honda NX500 (was CB500X)
Well said. I tried one in a dealers last week and in spite of being a touch short of six feet tall I found it impossibly high. However, my brother lent me his F800ST and that was a terrific machine.
Well done … with that Kawasaki ZZR ♥️👍♥️
Haha, my dream bike was always a Transalp
Re: the Suzuki in remote areas, carry a stator (OE). It's the only failure I've ever suffered. The new ones are better made.
Wow...100kph is only 60mph ! Of course 60 in a 30 zone might get you into a fair amount of trouble here in the US too. Hey, how about the Suzuki SV650? That's a nice little all-around ride.
Pillion? V strom same engine
I have a £1k bmw f650 funduro. Very reliable bike, enough power for two up and motorways
At the minute i own a 93 honda cbr1000f which i payed £650 in reasonable condition withh 77k and would trust it to ride anywhere modified bars for extra comfort total budget touring machine thats reliable i just cant justify spending thousands on a bike its just something else to worry about i think the uk in general are obsessed with having the latest bikes and cars ect and my wife would go mad if i spent £6k on a bike.
I have to agree with the comments regarding the growth & quality of the Chinese bikes now coming into the country. I almost bought a Benelli trk502 but instead bought a Honda CB500x because of the availability of parts and access to dealers throughout the U.K. and Europe.
Regarding the quality though I use too sell Chinese 125s 10 years ago, and the quality was to say the least awful. 10 years on and certain brands are now just as good as the Japanese bikes. I can only see them improving year on year. But the parts availability might still be the biggest problem.
Vstrom all day long
Here in Germany, if you speed on the Autobahn there allways will be someone else who is faster, so dont worry.
😂
South Africa has spiders the size of motorbike wheels. If yours break, you can freeze dry them to get you home.
🤣
Hmmm I sold my 650 v Strom , for my $$ , I'll get around the world on my RE classic 350 😊, don't like going over 70mph anyway 😂. I also love my Dr 650 .
Hi all. Chinese products and quality. International companies often outsource parts to be made abroad. They do however insist on their own quality control. The reputation Chinese products have for being substandard appears to mainly relate to in-house products not outsourced items. It's up to the buyer to decide if they want to make these purchases.
Looks like the V-Strom has mag wheels. Easy for fixing flats.
Freddie, I received an email from the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride about next year’s date. I am happy having my wife and I join our local Triumph dealer’s “team”, but I was thinking that it might be fun to have YOU have an international team (is that possible?). Perhaps this is silly, but do you have any demographics about your US subscribers or just watchers (shame on them)? If you were to start a team, and I was able, I would join, and I think a lot of your watchers would. Just a thought after a long days work.
Suzuki Vstrom 650!!!
Suzuki Hayabusa...!!!!
Buy a honda 90, you'll be able to keep it going no matter where you are in the world..... the Toyota Corolla of bikes 🤗
Sounds like you have been watching Ed March's C90 adventures.
@kbarnbrook4993 😁 no need to reinvent the wheel....
I know I am the village idiot and sorry for that but I just love your pod casts because you are so so honest and to the point... I only wish I could be the same!!!! To the point that is ..Take care both and have a lovely time over the next few months !!
The danish law mentioned is fairly new and it was made because of those who drive recklessly. There had been several cases of killed pedestrians, including children, where the drivers had fled the scene.
The Danes have it right.
@@alexmorgan3435 Just saw an article about it…
Since the law was introduced 2.5 years ago more than 2,400 cars have been confiscated.
The penalty for breaking the law is (without casualties): car confiscated right away regardless of who owns the car (borrowed, rented or whatever), at least 20 days imprisonment and at least 3 years without the right to have a drivers license (and a fine I imagine)
🤔 8 years to find the bike 🏍️ you liked; would be nice to hear about the bikes you have had from your first one to your Bonnie and new choice?
If you are off around the world ,its got to be a Honda C 90 , A Suzuki V Strom Yamaha Tenere or old classuc BMW boxer twin.pre 1990 .
The African Twin is far to heavy for any serious off road, and if you like to take corners fairly briskly on road (I know that's not what its made for) you will keep loosing the front end.
Have you ever watched Toni Bou?
Any bike is capable off road.
It all depends on the rider and the skill!
(Part 2) Toni Bou extreme maxi trail Honda Africa Twin CRF 1100L
Freddie great video the 650s will do the same thing as the 1000 but it's all up to you in the end just some thing to think about. 🐀 rat😊
I want a motorbike that is reliable, cheap to maintain and will put a smile on my face. I would love to buy British but they don't tick all the boxes. I have 2019 Moto Guzzi V7 and while I love it, it isn't reliable, it has electrical problams which is just so annoyong. My go to bike that ticks all the boxes will always be a Honda.
If you want to go around the Far East, apart from India, most people are on small Hondas. If you're not Ewan and Charley, with a camera crew and a truckload of mechanics, you need something light, simple and reliable. Power and weight are hard on the components, and those big aluminium boxes aren't particularly aerodynamic. Something easily fixable anywhere, great worldwide parts availability, been in production for over 30 years with sales numbers into 8 figures.
Can you tell what it is yet?
The Honda CG125. Aircooled, pushrods, up until recently a fully-enclosed chain, consumption around 95mpg. You're not going to be breaking any land speed records, but I've seen one of these do five countries in a day. Cheap as chips, and if you come home with an extra 30,000 miles on the thing, you'll still be able to get what you paid for it. If the journey is more important than the bike you use to do it, the CG125 is your only man.
Tdm 850, cheap to buy reliable and great bikes
The header on this and the comments left me thinking I had loaded the wrong video.
What a waffle.
I thought there was going to be a mention of a Honda ‘postie’ bike and maybe other gems of similar abilities and cheap cost.
Instead it’s mostly a high price jerkfest.
I think there is a big difference between a uk/USA designed product and manufactured in China (any Asia to that point) and something which is claimed to be a Chinese Manufacturer
Freddie, I think you might find that the BMW f800 engine was made in China
I have to agree with the gentleman on the Chinese bikes, Freddie. I always hear the argument about Apple devices or the Japanese brands back then, but that's a bit ingenious comparison. Apple may very well manufacture their devices in China and Taiwan, but it's not really the same as state-controlled companies doing industrial espionage, price dumping or buying European brands for fake heritage clout. Most consumers don't care about these things, specially in a difficult economy, but we should be more conscious about the power of voting with our wallets and when possible get to understand more the impacts of our purchase choice have in the World. Personally, I avoid any media when it's advertising any Chinese brand, even the heritage brands that hide their Chinese origins, the same way I avoid consuming Nestlé brands, to give an example. I don't expect most of us would even consider worrying about the origins of the chocolate we are about to eat. I also understand why these Chinese brands are gaining in popularity. The Japanese brands have proved their quality and reliability over decades! Nothing so far has given me hope that these Chinesium-made bikes won't crumble in rust and e-waste in a few years. We worry about saving a couple grands in the short term, compromising our long term investment.
This is an important point to make. It’s a very very different thing to compare an American company that has their products built in China with stringent QC standards to a Chinese company building their own products.
I don’t say this to be rude or racist but a decade of business dealings with China the fact is their culture of taking shortcuts or “good enough” is everywhere, on every level. Making the comparison to Japanese built bikes comes off as disingenuous as the culture of quality is the polar opposite of China.
TL:DR: A Kawasaki engine built in China and a CFMoto motorbike do not make a well thought out comparison.
Any Honda built in Italy.
Love Hondas, Harley brakes get custom calioers or get them rebuilt locally six months...
Who says anything other than their bike has been faultlessly reliable when selling it? ‘For sale, an absolute nightmare. If it can go wrong it will, I’ve spent thousands, the bike has spent half it’s life broken’. Who’s buying that?
I live in Finland you only lose your license in Finland for speeding if you are repeat offender, and your speeding fines are connected to how much you earn. If your unemployed or on a low wage your fine will be small. So the Finnish guy who lost his license for 6 months isn't being completely honest with you.
Very interesting, thanks for the insight🙌🏻
@@tuesdayatdobbs repeated traffic infractions and traffic offences,
causing a traffic hazard in a manner indicating gross negligence,
operation of a vehicle without a licence,
driving while intoxicated abroad,
driving while intoxicated and aggravated driving while intoxicated,
causing a serious traffic hazard,
transport of dangerous substances offence.
You really have to be a complete jack ass to get a driving ban, endangering lives, causing major road traffic accidents. But as you can see speeding isn't just speeding once, it's habitual. And I've known people who have had multiple speeding offences and been let off a ban because they needed to drive for work. You really need to be some kind of ass hat to get a ban for speeding. That he was fined €2000 means he's a rich ass hat.
For a round-the-world bike I'd certainly choose a Japanese bike because they're the most reliable (especially electrics) and parts are easier to obtain.
You want simple and easy to maintain. Royal Enfield Himalayan. Itchy boots travelled the world on hers.
a KLR 650 might fit the bill as well. Cheap, nuke-proof.
Older v strom
What help the Japanese bike's was smashing the island of man TT race.
First year they did terrible missed a year. The rest is history history.
👍👍
I owned a 2016 CRF1000L for a few years, I went to the top of Norway on it, its close to the perfect bike ... However, the somewhat minor but fatal flaw is the wind buffeting, you can't live with it and its why I had to sell it. I tried all sorts of screens and different helmets but nothing worked and it's a dealbreaker.