Featured Which bikes did you consider before deciding on your current one?

Discussion in 'Triumph General Discussion' started by Dougie D, Apr 10, 2016.

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  1. Dougie D

    Dougie D Crème de la Crème

    Jan 30, 2016
    10,664
    1,000
    Blairgowrie Perthshire
    I never normally bother with test rides, but last year when I was thinking about selling my Hypermotard because it was just too manic and sitting so high up always felt a bit weird to me,I was passing a bmw garage and decided to have a look at the s1000r I was in about 2minutes before the salesman asked if i fancied a test ride, They had a new demo with only 150 miles on the clock,when I asked what revs to keep it under he said don’t worry about that as long as you vary the revs.. you can even red line it it you want but don’t keep it there!!

    It had a really powerful engine a detuned s1000rr motor.. now “only” 160bhp! The brakes on it were out of this world really powerful,the quickshifter which I thought I wouldn’t like was a revelation and it had all the electronic gizmos that anyone who likes that stuff would want,I put it in sport mode or dynamic as bmw call it and it was a missile,it had a few bad points though the mirrors were useless you would have to be a contortionist to see anything apart from your arms and the suspension was rock hard and for a naked bike I found the footpegs way to high.your licence would be in severe danger with this machine!..so decided it’s not for me.. and that 4 cylinder engine is just so bland
    jk 003_edited-1.jpg

    When I took it back to the dealer I said it wasn’t quite what I was looking for, so he suggested the k1300r ,I’d never gave that bike a second thought, funny headlight, funny front end, I thought the looks might grow on me and was interested to see how the funny front suspension would be so i gave it a go..i didn’t know at this time that it had 173bhp! Again it had all the electronic stuff plus a quickshifter it also has shaft drive,I must admit I did like it although the suspension was still too firm and they had the same “mirrors” as the s1000r but it was just way too fast, faster than the s1000r, the temptation would have always been there and at my age it was probably a bad idea..so that was a no no

    jk 016_edited-1.jpg

    I’d been thinking about the 1200 monster for a while as it had been getting great reviews and I loved my Ducatis engine, so I phoned Ducati Glasgow and arranged a test ride,they had the 1200S as a demo and it looked gorgeous and it sounded great,it took me about 25 minutes to get out of Glasgow and I only had the bike for an hour,so I really only had 10 minutes where I could open her up a bit but that was enough time to find a major problem with it, the rear pegs are part of the frame and I kept catching my heels on it as I tend to ride on the balls of my feet and there is nothing you can do about it unless you change the frame!, it was really annoying as everything else about the bike I loved. They have since brought out a more powerful R version and they have sorted the problem with the rear pegs but the price is silly money
    14th aug 15 001_edited-1.JPG

    After that it got me thinking about a speed triple I’d loved my 2 previous triumphs..a 900 Daytona and a 955 Daytona.when they first done away with the round headlights on the speed triple I thought the new lights were horrendous, but now they have grown on me and I kinda like them now, a bit like Jamie lee Curtis or Sandra bulloch not your standard beauty's but there’s something really sexy about them! So i arranged a test ride from Shirlaws in Aberdeen i was convinced I was going to like the bike from the off and it didn't disappoint Unfortunately he only had an R model in white and I had my heart set on a black one, so after hunting all over Scotland without any success for a black R I eventually found exactly what I was after in the South of England. Happy days!

    jk 008_edited-1.jpg
     
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  2. Eyore

    Eyore Well-Known Member

    Nov 12, 2015
    93
    68
    Ireland
    I do love Ducatis too. Something about the character that really gets under your skin. Congrats on the new bike.
     
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  3. jonny

    jonny Active Member

    Mar 26, 2013
    142
    43
    sunny cheshire
    Chosing is made a bit easier for me. I don't really like new bikes, my legs are too short for an adventure type bike, i'm not a sportsbike person, i need it to be comfy for a pillion, comfy for my knackerd wrists,i like to do long runs and find a top box very useful. I really only like Kawasaki's and Triumph's (and maybe a couple of Yamaha's) so it narrows it all down easily. I suppose the downside is finding one that i like the sound of when it's been narrowed down that much.
     
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  4. crispey

    crispey crispey creme de la creme

    Nov 6, 2014
    7,194
    1,000
    Uk
    I persuaded my missus to let me get back into biking by saying we could get a bike that we could get out and about on as we did before we had our twins and I had my last bike written off, so o started looking at triumph sprints, nice comfy bike and good for 2 up. Any ways, bloke pulls into the carpark on a Thruxton and I've gone!!! I buy one , the missus says she's not going on the back of that! so now I've got a tiger aswell!!!:cool::cool::cool:
     
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  5. stew?

    stew? Member

    Feb 20, 2016
    28
    18
    sunderland
    After 16 years out of biking and with a dodgy back and knees I wasn't looking for anything too sporty, I've always loved the aprilia falco sl1000 and my last bike was a honda vtr. So it was a sport tourer v twin I was looking for ,but after looking for 2 month nothing come up within a hundred miles of me.
    So I decided to look at other alternatives, I had a look at speed triples and street triples and although they where very nice I thought the lack of wind protection would bug me on long trips. Then there was a benelli tre-k which at first I thought was quite ugly but after sitting on it and looking at it properly they are a stunning bike and get a very good write up. But my heart was still after the falco.
    So when one came up in Bradford I set off next day to have a look. They had just got it in the day before so hadn't prep it but it wasn't the best condition.
    Then I saw it another bike I had always loved the look of but dismissed it as I thought they where too sporty for my ageing body. A beautiful daytona 650 and the seating position wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, more relaxed the the aprilia. So I bought it there and then and have had it now for three months, and at first I was regretting not getting the benelli or my bream bike the falco but after having a good few long rides on it have have to say it is a fantastic bike. Very happy
     
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  6. carelesschucca

    Apr 9, 2016
    30
    13
    Kilsyth, Scotland
    Hmm, when I bought the Street, I wasn't even looking to buy one, I had my head set on getting a KTM 950sm or a Superduke. I went and tried the SM and it was fun, bonkers fun. The only real issue for me was stopping, my short little legs struggled. Oh, the ridiculous tank range both KTMs had was also a major factor.

    I ended up going to the Scottish bike show and sat on the Street and I felt comfortable straight away. Two weeks later I got a test ride and fell in love with the engine. The bike was bought after a second test ride with the gaffer on the back and she told me I had to buy the bike within five minutes.

    I hadn't looked at another bike till the Yamaha Tracer came out. But once I tried it I couldn't justify buying it as there was No love. Yeah it's a good bike but it's not Street Triple R.
     
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  7. FiftyCal

    FiftyCal Member

    Feb 21, 2016
    31
    18
    Birmingham, England
    #7 FiftyCal, Apr 12, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2016
    I had decided on a steel-framed sprint, trident or daytona , knowing it was going to get chopped up. All I had to do was choose between a 900 or a 1200. I road tested a jellymould 1200 trophy when they first came out, but always had a soft spot for the triples' unique exhaust tone.

    Having been told there wasn't much between them in terms of performance I was actually intending to get a triple. Ultimately I was unsuccessful in so many eBay auctions for triples I bought a trophy 1200 from a classified ad. As the saying goes, there's no substitute for cubes, and combined with the weight lost by ditching all the bodywork it's turned out faster than the XJR1300 it replaced. Also it's abusively loud at the moment thanks to the straight through pipes so I still got a unique exhaust tone out of it ;)
     
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  8. MrOrange

    MrOrange Guest

    Was going for a 1050 tiger, but sorry just didn't excite me. Then set my heart on a KTM 990 SMT, but couldn't find one at the right price or offering decent trade in on the gixxer. Then really couldn't decide.

    Found a very nice low mileage GSX1400 at local dealer, went down to buy, but had been sold previous night on ebay, not happy. Had cleaned the bike up ready for trade in, so was in new bike mood.

    Spent a week of my holidays trawling the net looking for inspiration and found a very tidy very low mileage and underpriced America. Dealer offered good trade in, so off we went, test ride and jobs done.
     
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  9. JOE180

    JOE180 New Member

    Apr 4, 2016
    2
    3
    broxburn
    This is the first time I've spent time really looking and not rushing in to things. Really fancied something I could chop about again if I felt the urge I have just had standard for the last few years (I miss my old chop). Had thought xs650, bonnie, sportster, enfield etc but then someone put the idea of a rocket 3 in my head. tried the rocket and the sporty - hated the Harley (used to have a streetbob but got rid coz i couldn't throw it around as much as I'd like), rocket 3 was phenomenal power but didn't love it. Saw that HO on here has a Bonnie for sale so went and test rode one at Two wheels Edinburgh. Unfortunately they also sent me out on a street twin. If I'd just ridden the Bonnie, HO's bike would now be in my garage, but I loved the street twin although felt it was a little small, preferred the size of the Bonnie, so now I'm trying to decide whether I get a new Bonnie or something cheap that I can scratch my custom itch with by ratting to mad max 2 standards and get a Bonnie next year (have said I won't buy another new bike after the ball ache with the Harley).
     
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  10. baldybiker

    baldybiker Member

    Mar 1, 2015
    64
    18
    Hertford
    I considered sticking with my Jawa 350 Classic but was looking for something to replace my Guzzi V7 which had been written off.
    I then considered a Bonneville for a short while but I had one in 2008 for about three years and absolutely loved it (more so than the Rocket III I had for two years). I didn't go for another Bonneville because I dont believe one can re-live the experience.
    It came down to the fact that I rally wanted a Triumph and I love the 865 engine. Just as when I chose the Bonneville Black SE, I picked the only bike in the range that I fancied the look of. I fancied a low seat and have always liked a more vintage style of riding position (upright).
    I have had my Speedmaster, with a few accessories, for just over a year now. It seems to be quite an adaptable bike. I like it's comparative simplicity.
    Should I need to do any two up touring, a slightly larger set of saddle bags and an America seat for pillion comfort with a rack and backrest perhaps, would do the trick.
    I still admire those fully loaded MZ 250's and Jawa's though but I'll try and let my Ural outfit continue to fulfil that sort of thing.
     
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  11. SamC

    SamC Well-Known Member

    Feb 21, 2016
    177
    93
    Hereford
    BMW s1000rr and a old barn find bonneville
     
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  12. Dougie D

    Dougie D Crème de la Crème

    Jan 30, 2016
    10,664
    1,000
    Blairgowrie Perthshire
    like it, from one extreme to another :)
     
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  13. Sceptic Al

    Sceptic Al Well-Known Member

    Had a C prefix BMW R80RT from new and went round the clock on it. Would have fallen in lust with another of the same if I could have found one at the right price. So I got a Honda Pan 1100, nice, but my bad back made it a bugger in the car park. Saw the Speedmaster, nice and comfy for my old bones and only had to top up the trade with 500 notes. Happy as pig in $#1te now.:D
     
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  14. Volksrat

    Volksrat Well-Known Member

    Feb 24, 2016
    71
    78
    Peterborough
    Nearly got a Ducati Monster 600.
    Still think it's a nice bike with tons of custom potential...


    [​IMG]
     
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  15. GaryM

    GaryM It's him, you know who. Him from you know ....

    Apr 28, 2016
    862
    500
    Patna , Ayrshire
    Had bought a Sprint GT SE as my last bike ( tended to buy sport tourers as good everyday bikes)
    Sadly needed the money so had to sell the Sprint.
    Money situation improved so went bike shopping.
    The only problem I had with the sprint was it was just too tall.
    So started looking at lower bikes. I had seen the Thunderbird Night Storm last year at the Wales Motorbike show and liked the way it looked.
    So was able to test ride a 2011 Thunderbird 1600 at my local dealers.
    Got a good price on it , added a few extras and now I have a Thunderbird :)
     
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  16. Clarkey

    Clarkey Well-Known Member

    Sep 28, 2014
    236
    93
    Before I brought my speed triple I had a 2008 fireblade which was a fantastic motorcycle but it had to go to save my licence !!!!
    I wanted a Ducati monster the dealer I called said they had one in stock come over he said ,so I did the following weekend only to be told it wasn't ready to be test ridden so I walked away ,he didn't get the sale
    I then went over to another dealer who had a triumph speed triple ,ktm super duke and a Honda cb100r
    Which he let me test ride back to back
    The ktm was a brilliant motorcycle but I think I would lose my licence ,the Honda was the best at everything but just a bit bland and the triumph well that's why I brought one and I am still very happy with it , I think this will be in my garage for a long time
     
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  17. dan1050triple

    dan1050triple Member

    May 31, 2016
    45
    18
    wirral
    z1000 is what i wanted but in the real world the 1050 speed was the better bike so thats what i got
     
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