old - Fazer Owners Club - old
General => General => Topic started by: stevierst on 11 May 2015, 10:10:17 pm
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We'll I took the missus on a road trip on Sunday aloft the gen 1. A 150 mile round trip on a mix of roads into the lakes. When she got there, she could barely move her legs!
She's hinted over the last week or two that she wants to do a bit of European touring, and until Sunday I was hoping to use the big Fazer. Ain't going to happen really.
She said "why don't you get a tourer?" And then for the bombshell. "Dont sell the Fazer and the R1, let's just buy a tourer!!!!!"
I was gobsmacked! And in true man form I was straight on it, and I've been looking at a shortlist of potential distance machines.
The list so far is:-
Pan European
Fjr1300
BMW 1150/1200 rs/gs/rt
ZZR1200
Tiger 1050
ST1050 GT
If there's any personal reviews of these bikes, good or bad, I'd love to hear them :P
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Have had / got a few of these for the charity...
Pan - superbly capable, reliable, comfortable, handles well, great weather protection, strong motor. But doesn't stir the soul at all.
Fjr - rocket ship, definitely the sportiest of the ones I talk about here. Engine is blinding, riding position more forward than the others. Worst weather protection (and probably least pillion comfort). For the flagship model, suffers dreadfully with corrosion ( including on top of the motor, where you can't see it, and the rear suspension linkages wear fast if not stripped and greased each service).
RT - avoid like the foccing plague! Comfy, great weather protection, but ours had so many electrical failures, recalls etc etc, I lost all confidence...
One not on your list, triumph trophy. Great weather protection, comfy, unsure so far on longevity. Dead easy to ride, fast or slow, but does weigh a ton, and you can tell in the twisties. The weight is low though, it's easy and confidence inspiring when slow control is needed (unlike the RT!) Engine is grand, gearbox ok, unsure about the final drive. Have heard from a few folk that have had to have theirs replaced.
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Thought about a Triumph Trophy 1200 SE from 2012. Big, comfy, 300 odd mile range and packed with features. Just my 2p.
Good luck and does your Mrs have a sister 'cos she sounds perfect.
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Only had 2 of your above list...
FJR...was only on loan for about 6 weeks, but I found it too heavy for general town work etc but when I took on the open road it was well up for it and pulled on twisties no probs what so ever.
R1200gs... Was my favourite bike I've ever had :) can't praise it high enough. Done everything I asked of it, although looked heavy, was very easy to ride anywhere and that boxer engine just went on and on and on. Could keep up with all those so called sports bikes on the bends and would just sit there cruising all day long, what more could you want. Can load hundreds of stuff onto it and it won't be fazed. if two guys can take it 1/2 way round the world with very few mishaps even after dropping them all over the place, what more would you want? Only thing I'd say is get a comfier seat, not that original is bad, just to 'sit' more into the bike if you know what I mean.
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Tourer?
There's only one.
That's my missus when we were in the Picos mountains 2013.
Heated seat/backrest kept her toasty in -3 degrees in Scotland too, no complaints.
Don't knock it 'till you've tried one.
Suspension mod's transformed it for me (progressive front and rear) and she won't entertain anything less.
And I can't blame her.
Neither will you.
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Have a look at the Tenere.
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Ive ridden the following.
Pan European. Tourquey, smooth, stable and comfy as long as you fit, some people have problems with where to put their knees, apparently when sitting on the bike people of a certain height/leg length have a lump of fairing just in the natural position for their knees to be in. Test ride one first.
Fjr1300. I couldn't get on with the FJR, maybe it was a bad one, It was comfy enough but I never felt confident in the handling, it always felt vague. I'll have to borrow another one for a few days.
BMW 1150/1200 rs/gs/rt. 1150GS, not impressed with the boxer motor, at 85mph I felt like I was stressing the engine, drop down to 75 and it felt much happier. Maybe it was just me and I'm used to having a lot more revs in hand at that speed. My mate has got one and he swears by it. They handle well enough though.
ZZR1200. Too much of a sports tourer for me and the wife, legs a bit cramped, bit too much weight on my wrists, went like a Foccer though!! But maybe that's why my wrists ached.
Tiger 1050. Nice bike, not as comfy and neutral as the 955, but better than the post 2011 Tiger/sport which was bloody uncomfortable. Id have a late model, low mileage 955i Tiger and spend the cash saved over the 1050 on another tour.
Overall, I would choose the Pan. I fitted no problem, the wife loved it, it can hustle when it needs to, good tank range, comfy and quite cheap really.
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I have ridden the FJR the BMW and the Pan
Definitely the Pan (1300) was the best of the 3 as an outright tourer.
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One to consider is the DL1000 GT. I picked mine up for not many beans.
Good points;-
Engine, torque, engine!!
Cruising speeds
Fun
Comfort
Luggage
Can't really feel a pillion
Costs of servicing/insurance/ running
Purchase price
Brilliant handling
[size=78%]Bad points;-[/size]
Screen wind protection (changed for a touring screen)
Can get a bit juicy if making progress
Looks (not the prettiest bike)
My other half loves it, she is a slim hipped tall lady and even with a big old unit like me on the front we can do 300-400 miles a day without trouble.
Worth a look if like me you think Gold Wing= might as well get a car :rollin
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How about a Kawasaki GTR?
Me and the missus have been looking at these and it gets her seal of approval.
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Appreciate all the feedback guys, this is good info!
Forgot to mention, it's going to be a sub £4k bike, so the goldwing is out of the question ^-^ and I've only got a normal size garage, so it won't fit:P
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Appreciate all the feedback guys, this is good info!
Forgot to mention, it's going to be a sub £4k bike, so the goldwing is out of the question ^-^ and I've only got a normal size garage, so it won't fit:P
Foccin hell, your going to struggle to get a good yin for less than 4k, and your garage wouldn't take my new suggestion :rolleyes
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Now that looks like my missus is sat in it ! !
And I've never bought a bike for more than £4k in about 300,000 miles of riding.
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You're going to need her on the back of some of them mate - the Tiger and ST1050 for example are going to be little better, if at all than the FZS1000 in either leg room or seat comfort. The 1050 I've done some miles on and it isn't too bad (for a young and flexible-ish 23 year old) - but the seat slopes downwards so you're permanently sliding forward and there's not excessive leg room!
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Any good as an example
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triumph-Trophy-T312-2001-A-superb-machine-/171699712238?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item27fa19b0ee (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triumph-Trophy-T312-2001-A-superb-machine-/171699712238?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item27fa19b0ee)
Review + specs http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2001models/2001models-Triumph-Trophy.htm (http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2001models/2001models-Triumph-Trophy.htm)
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I had a R1100RS and it was the most comfortable bike I've ever had. Heavy but fine underway and more than capable of a ton plus. The reason I got rid of it was that I was doing a lot of commuting on a road that was too narrow for filtering and I was worried that I'd cook the clutch. Clutch replacements are expensive if you don't do them yourself and it involves folding the bike in half or something. Beyond my tools and capabilities anyway.
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That triumphs a big old bugger! Never thought of one of those.
I've had a tiger 1050 before, but I used it solely for everything, which it wasn't very good at. Mile munching on the other hand it was pretty Damn good.
The RS has been one of my possible tourers for a while, they're a bit different, and I'm led to believe good at 90% of riding.
My favourite two at the mo is the fjr1300, and the 1200gs. Gotta have a go on a couple of them and see!
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My favourite two at the mo is the fjr1300, and the 1200gs. Gotta have a go on a couple of them and see!
Just remember and take the missuss or it'll be a waste of time and a lot of :uhuh
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My favourite two at the mo is the fjr1300, and the 1200gs. Gotta have a go on a couple of them and see!
Just remember and take the missuss or it'll be a waste of time and a lot of :uhuh
That was the plan!
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Worth a look if like me you think Gold Wing= might as well get a car :rollin
:rollin Ooooh, LMAO never heard that one before! :lol :z
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrMQ3QwyPo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrMQ3QwyPo)
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Brilliant :lol
Love that, was it only me who's head was going from side to side as you watched that video?
That 'car' can move somewhat :)
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For 4k it would be a tidy pan 1300. If you had a bit more you could look at a bmwk1300gt, supposed to be fast but has bmw funny front end and reliability. I do like the fjr but it feels like a long lazy fazer. Not really much better comfort or weather protection over a fazer thou.
Top of my wish list for touring is the bmwk1600gt but your talking 11k for the oldest ones.
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There is a few ST1300's on ebay for less than £4K.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-ST1300-Pan-European-ABS-/121642786465?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c52799ea1 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-ST1300-Pan-European-ABS-/121642786465?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c52799ea1)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONDA-ST1300-Pan-European-very-low-milage-FSH-/271864828201?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3f4c681129 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONDA-ST1300-Pan-European-very-low-milage-FSH-/271864828201?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3f4c681129)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/52-HONDA-ST-1300-PAN-EUROPEAN-/271867298538?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3f4c8dc2ea (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/52-HONDA-ST-1300-PAN-EUROPEAN-/271867298538?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3f4c8dc2ea)
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Brilliant :lol
Love that, was it only me who's head was going from side to side as you watched that video?
That 'car' can move somewhat :)
I'm glad someone else admits to doing that with their head, every time I watch a bike video I find myself doing it.
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I'm glad someone else admits to doing that with their head, every time I watch a bike video I find myself doing it.
Your not alone slappy, your amongst friends here, you can talk openly about your problems :rolleyes :rollin
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I'm glad someone else admits to doing that with their head, every time I watch a bike video I find myself doing it.
Your not alone slappy, your amongst friends here, you can talk openly about your problems :rolleyes :rollin
Same here........fell over at one stage :D
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Hi Guys,
I don't do much post these days ... but the words about Long Haul trips caught my eye. Distances have never been a problem for us and we (Mrs Polar Bear and I) covered some very big numbers of miles over the years on all kinds and everything on two or three wheels (I've had over 50 bike in more than 60 years)
The Gen One, Fazer FZS 1000 was by far the very best total all-rounder that I have ever thrown my good side gammy leg over. We had three of them ... 2001, 2003 and 2005 ... bad case of more money than sense.
At one stage I thought I would go for a Big Fat Tourer and of course the Honda Pan European loomed bright on the horizon :o) Well ... we got a new one and right after the first service we set off to ride down to Mallorca ... only about 750 miles... call it two days easy :o) I gradually realised that I had dropped one hell of a clanger ... in short the Pan was 12.5 STONE heavier than the Gen One ... without putting a single Hair Dryer in the Port Side wardrobe!
I struggled on ... for 23.000 miles in eleven months before doing another straight swap for another Gen 1 Yessss ! joy at last ... and I could even get it up onto the main stand by myself :o)
For the record I'm not a little bloke ... in those days I was 5'11" and 16.5 stone on my socks ... but these big Tourers really are a handful to maul around ... any doubts ... go and ask a Bike Cop. Think On peeps ;o)
Stay Safe Trev The Polar Bear in Mallorca.
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Thanks Trev, much appreciated there buddy.
Looks like that ever distant touring horizon isn't quite as rosy and comfy as first expected.
And yep, I've picked up a fat police bike once or twice, 300+kg of BMW1200 RT. There's a knack to it, but my chiropractor has never thanked me for it!
That's one reason why the big comfy BMW is off the list to be honest. :D
So short list has got a little shorter.
Fjr1300.
1200gs.
All the rest are a bit Lardy and single minded.
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Stevie.....loads of lads in my Rospa group have the GS and swear that they're the best bike they've ever had.......it does everything.
I just can't get on with the aesthetics, I think they're dog ugly :lol
a few points to look at
1. if you're going to get one, go for the adventure for the massive tank range (think its about 400m)
2. beware the finishing.....one lad has one that's less than 12 months old and the welds on the engine bars are rusting
3. check out the tyres and if buying new then insist on the tyre of your choice at no extra cost, if buying used then fit Pirelli p4's (lads swear by them, unsure of the tyres on some of their bikes but listening to the talk, they have no confidence in them on the bends (try a GS site for more info)
if you're buying private fine, if you're going to a stealer then let me know and I'll ask the lads were they go for theirs and chase up the tyres question
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Cheers maddog, against all my preconceptions of the BMW stigma, it's pointing more and more at the GS as the days go by.
Going to have to dig deep for one though, cheap they aint!
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cbf1000
f800s/gt/st
800xc
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As a matter of fact my CBF1000 is on EBay right now!!
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How about this? :lol
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had a triumph gt1050 comfortable fast good value and frugal and you can pick early ones up for good value with panniers etc. Lighter than the buses that pass for Tourers with good handling ....If I was going to do lots of 2 up touring again I'd have another.......
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How about this? :lol
What the Hell is it? Looks like it's powered by clockwork!!!!
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How about this? :lol
What the Hell is it? Looks like it's powered by clockwork!!!!
Only info I've got is... "Custom motorbike fitted with a Ferrari V8 engine"
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just got myself a pan European for my Euro trip this year.
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Have you considered VFR 1200 and 800? Supposed to be pretty good machines.
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The 800 is a bit small really, and its an s/t.
And I've only got £4k, so the 1200 is out of the question.
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As a bit of a wild card how about a ST1100, I had one for a few months, swapped my first Fazer in for one as I wanted to do a bit of touring, got shut as it was my only bike at the time and I didn't like/enjoy commuting on it. However as a mile muncher with pillion and loaded up it may be worth a look and for that sort of money or less you should be able to get a minter.
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Appreciate all the feedback guys, this is good info!
Forgot to mention, it's going to be a sub £4k bike, so the goldwing is out of the question ^-^ and I've only got a normal size garage, so it won't fit:P
pity you you limited to £4k as there is a really nice pan ST1300 in bike shop where they just repaired my bike £4999 for an 08 with 44k on clock and well spec'd and extra's.
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Well I've been constantly studying, and asking about which one of these bikes will do us the job. Even been out today and swung a leg over a few.
Here's the list of today's bikes I had a look at.
R1200GS adventure.
Tiger 1050 and 955i
V strom 1000
Fjr 1300
Sprint GT.
The 1200 GsA is enormous! And I could barely lift it off its side stand!
Tiger 1050. The luggage was that big that there was no room for your pillions feet!
Same with the Sprint GT.
Vstrom was a bit lardy, and just looked wrong!
Tiger 955 looked too old hat!
Fjr. It felt Light even when stationary, loads of room for pillion and me. It's looking favourite so far.
Also went out with 17yo daughter for a ride to the lakes this afternoon on the gen 1. Her backside was killing her after about an hour into the 150 mile ride, and she seized up almost solid by the time we got there!
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Stuff touring :evil
Stuff pillions :evil
It's your hobby...let them get their own hobby that doesnt involve moaning at you about pain lol :evil
Get your daughter through her bike test & get her a :faz ....then she wont criticise because she couldnt, being female, possibly be in pain that was self induced....jobs a good'ne
Buy an MT09.....you deserve it....take the pillion pegs off for weight reduction :evil
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Well I've been constantly studying, and asking about which one of these bikes will do us the job. Even been out today and swung a leg over a few.
Here's the list of today's bikes I had a look at.
R1200GS adventure.
Tiger 1050 and 955i
V strom 1000
Fjr 1300
Sprint GT.
The 1200 GsA is enormous! And I could barely lift it off its side stand!
Tiger 1050. The luggage was that big that there was no room for your pillions feet!
Same with the Sprint GT.
Vstrom was a bit lardy, and just looked wrong!
Tiger 955 looked too old hat!
Fjr. It felt Light even when stationary, loads of room for pillion and me. It's looking favourite so far.
Also went out with 17yo daughter for a ride to the lakes this afternoon on the gen 1. Her backside was killing her after about an hour into the 150 mile ride, and she seized up almost solid by the time we got there!
No ST1300 then? You can get 'em for less than £4K!
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Noggy, your a brutal man, but funny as f#ck :D:D
And an st1300. I sat on one a couple of weeks ago, and it felt good even at a stand still. The competition is close!
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Stuff touring :evil
Stuff pillions :evil
It's your hobby...let them get their own hobby that doesnt involve moaning at you about pain lol :evil
Get your daughter through her bike test & get her a :faz ....then she wont criticise because she couldnt, being female, possibly be in pain that was self induced....jobs a good'ne
Buy an MT09.....you deserve it....take the pillion pegs off for weight reduction :evil
:rollin :rollin :rollin
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The 955i Tiger may look a little old hat but just go for a 20 minute ride on one before you discard it as a possibility, you will be surprised how good they feel and how well they handle. The money you would save over some of the others could pay for the tour!
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Well I've only gone and done it. Bought myself another tiger 1050, complete with all the touring toys.
Anyone want to buy a gen 1 with all the tuning mods?
Offers of £2k will do it.
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Forget sales
wheres the pics of the new bike? :useless
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Avoid the CBF 1000 mk1 like the plague , unless you want to carry a spare stator, good bike but sadly let down by regular stator failures.
Ask on the www.cbf1000.com (http://www.cbf1000.com) if anyone doubts me, if you can stretch your budget a bit you may find a CBF1000 Mk2 and they maybe boring but are bullet proof, nice comfy bike but not a rocket ship. Or look for a Mk1 Kawasaki Versy 1000, ugly as sin but comes with nice riding position , big comfy pillion seat and traction control.
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Here she is.
Complete with all the comfy bits for the other 1/2 so we can go for long rides :P
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she looks nice Stevie 8)
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That's a lovely bike..and in the best colour :thumbup . Now just got to find £2k to lose my old Tiger ;)
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What model Stevie, i think there are 8 varieties,, sport,ect
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Shes the standard 1050 model afaik, but the guy has put just about every conceivable touring mod I need on it.
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Shes the standard 1050 model afaik, but the guy has put just about every conceivable touring mod I need on it.
Are they really that different from an FZS in general comfort levels/touring ability? I'd always thought they were pretty comparable!
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Yep, the ergo's are quite a bit different for both rider, and more importantly pillion.
Pegs are lower/further forward for both, and the standard tiger seat is way cosier. This one also has a dual gel seat which felt like sitting on a giant marsh mallow.
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It's not as sporty as the fazer though!
If I wasn't going touring, I'd easily keep the Fazer any day.