My takeaway from watching my beloved Africa Twin do so poorly, is that we are in an adventure bike golden age. If I am happy on the 2nd worst bike, then it must be pretty hard to go wrong right now.
Don't forget this is one persons preferences. The best bike is the one we are on today. The decision to get there was not just to go in and buy it, but to look at what was on the market, maybe test ride a few and chose the one that met what you would like and that would do what your required of it. The Africa Twin esp. DCT ES is awesome, without doubt.
Also depends on how much you value certain attributes. For me, the look of the bike ie WAY more important than it's ground clearance for example, so to me the Africa Twin and Multistrada win hands down, same with the X-Factor, the Africa Twin has incredible road presence. AT is near the top of by next bike wish list.
I just think he's had a very bad day when testing the AT. Funny...apparently worst comfort on the bike with not just (likely) the most suspension travel, but the most sophisticated electronic suspension adjustment system. Doesn't make sense. I've watched many reviews on it. This one is special.
Some of these are very advanced but the differences between them are also huge. In terms of systems, we are very far indeed yet when it comes to riding dynamics, it can go from huge excitement to the lack of will to ride in certain conditions.
@@smeghead61 Base model (not Adventure Sports) Africa Twins that are naked (no DCT, no quickshifter and no electronic suspension) have had 0 reports of problems on the forums.
I had several bikes, the current is an KTM SAS ‘22. Excellent in every field - there is no perfect bikes, maintanence and good driving (and luck sometimes), now with 37600 km and 0 issues. Cheers fella
Reliability must be a factor when considering a bike used for touring . When doing hundreds if not thousands of miles at a time you don't want to spend most of your time repairing something on your bike, and strange enough, these reviewers all have the same thing in common besides promoting the European bikes, which is they hardly if ever at all put Reliability and value for money as a category in these comparison videos. If they did, you'll see the Japanese bikes destroy the European bikes.
You might've missed it but there's a value for money category reviewed here. The thing is that the results depend on how much money one has got. As for reliability, I skip it as I've got no reliable data on it and it's not available anywhere where I could find it. It requires a deep research into motorcycles serviced by the dealers with all the data collected. Even so, we still miss the part of how, where and how often they are ridden and taken care of daily. I don't believe that there's a way to assess that properly right now. It's still challenging even in the car industry where there are so many more cars and so much more focus. In the end of the day, one unit may break all the time while another be perfectly fine, but riding experiences should always be the same hence we can talk about them with more confidence. I hope this explains the reasons well.
True. Two words (and I have triple authority to talk about it): SuperTenere. It’s the true tank of the adventure bike world. Never has an issue with them. I trust the most that any other bike out there. If you’re a long way from home in Africa trust me when I say reliability is the number 1 factor. Handling is amazing etc but not to break is much, much more important. From all of those I would choose two: the Africa Twin or the VStrom (only missing the shaft drive which is a blessing when you travel very long distances).
Thank you for putting in the time, care and effort for this review. This was easily the most unbiased, comprehensive and easiest to follow review and grading system I had ever seen for bikes or cars. I wish more people did it your way. I encourage you to do this for all bike styles/classes. Would love to see this for Cruisers. Great work again.
In conclusion, the answer to, what’s the perfect bike? One of each! Motorcycles are so subjective, especially when it comes to comfort. I’m sure there are more then a few owners crying in the corner instead of understanding it’s your personal conclusions. Plus, a budget rider can’t compete with someone with an unlimited budget. Thanks for your assessment.
As far as the KTM twins fuel tanks, this is only half the story. I've seen several other comp vids against the BMW and the Ducati where the KTMs MPGs were waaayyy better than the other 2. The Ducati was horrific, needing refueling after not much more 115 miles, whereas the BMW usually got nearly 200 miles of range (which is obviously much better), and the KTMs walked away from them both, easily getting between 220 and 250. That is VERY significant. Thank you for taking the time to make this video. We know a LOT goes into them. Thanks also for spotlighting some love for the Triumphs. It always seems like they dont get the live they deserve.
Hey V, that was a fantastic review. Thanks for your huge effort on this. So many great bikes and breaking it down to how u r going to ride and what you'll do with it 99% of the time, this comparison makes it just that much easier to make ur own short list. So, thanks again. Kind Regards.
I bought a MS V4 Rally a fe months ago after riding a 1200/1250 GSA over the last 7 years. 2 days of testriding on the MS and I was convinced and never looked back. I put on the Akro full line ... my god that power and sound is addictive!
If you prefer what it provides over the idea that GS presents, then it clearly is a better choice and that's how it should be. All the best with your V4 Rally - it's a pretty rare motorcycle, so even better. I like that direction myself.
I really enjoyed this episode and I think you have put a lot of work and time into doing this. What I think is maybe, instead of having the S1000XR in the comparison the Super Tenere would have been a better choice to compare. My personal opinion dont really land the 1000XR as an adventure bike. Not the Versus either. The Tiger GT, Vstrom are borderline. Good job, keep it up. Liked, watched ads and comment.
Thanks and I appreciate the input. S1000XR isn't as capable on loose tracks but for 95% of riders I believe that it can serve the same purpose as the rest. But surely, it's sort of outside, sort of inside this segment. BMW recently moved it out and to "Sport". Super Tenere has been discontinued years ago here. I rode it nearly 10 years ago I believe but cannot recall much and have no notes from that time. Let's hope Yamaha jumps back into the game soon! Cheers!
In Australia 1250GS ended up being $10k more than 1290R with all touring fittings... Also if you are climbing very steep shale roads and fire trails, I find shaft drives just do not lock in and tend to bounce the rear end around.... owned 93 bikes so far. Killed several shaft drives... chain drive is so simple and easy maintenance... takes me 30 mins to change it all. When the shaft drives went, the bike was of the road for weeks... Also I managed to crack 1 shaft drive housing... very expensive.
Yep Ninety three... just a bike slut I suppose... I tend to do high kms too... Had a Multistrada for 3 months and covered over 35,000kms. I have 11 bikes in the fleet now but 3 are undergoing restoration.@@VToldsMotoShow
I only every rode a friends about 1500kms so only a general feel for them. Very good long distance bike. Personally found it a bit top heavy compared to big KTM's and Africa Twins. Never heard of any shaft issues. Definitely comes across as an excellent buy for a heavy adventure bike, especially for reliability and cheap maintenance.@@bseidem5112
Very extensive comparaison, well done! 👍 Coming to a choice, it all depends what you do with it. Personally, I went for the KTM SAR... what a beast! Way too much power, but this is addictive 😀😀😀 Despite this, it is amazing how well it goes slow as well, KTM really nailed it !
I'm glad you enjoyed and that's right as we make extremely emotional choices here and simply like different things. But yeah, it would right now be my choice too ;)
Wow lots of useful information there thanks for the time and effort in putting all that together. Looks like the V-Strom looks the great all rounder. Easy to maintain, low cost ,super reliable and parts anywhere you stop ( well in Australia anyway )
Panie Witoldzie, rewelacyjne porównanie. Jednakże na końcu zabrakło jak dla mnie (ponieważ rozważam zakup właśnie motocykla z tego porównania: BMW R1250 GS lub KTM 1290 SAS) zestawienia liczbowego. Dodanie siedziska komfortowego np w KTM-e zmienia dużo w punktacji. Bardzo cenię sobie Pana testy, opinie i życzę dalszych równie owocnych, ciekawych filmów. Mr. Witold, a fantastic comparison. However, at the end, for me (because I am considering buying the motorcycle from this comparison: BMW R1250 GS or KTM 1290 SAS), there was no numerical summary. Adding a comfort seat, e.g. in a KTM, changes a lot in the scoring. I really appreciate your tests and opinions and I wish you further equally fruitful and interesting films.
Dziękuję i to dobry pomysł - mógłbym gdzieś dodać np. PDF z finalnym zestawieniem. Pamiętam ten komentarz z wcześniej, a w międzyczasie robiąc nowe porównanie już uwzględniając nowe BMW R 1300 GS znów wypadło mi to z głowy w pośpiechu. Pozostaje teraz tylko opcja dodania linku w opisie z plikiem do pobrania. Zmiana siedzenia i też szyb to chyba zawsze dobry pomysł w tych motocyklach.
Thanks, I'm glad that you like the video. I've published an updated comparison of the R 1300 GS versus the top motorcycles from this video here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gS79frKXUDU.html
I have driven KTM 1290 SAS, BMW R 1250 GS, Ducati Multistrada V4S, Suzuki V-Strom 1050 and Honda Africa Twin 1100 AS (DCT). I agree with your opinions and order in almost every category (in my opinion Ducati is better than KTM in terms of engine and best in braking). For me best choice for money is R 1250 GS, best choice for me is Multistrada 1290S. I have to test Tiger 1200 GT since our perception of riding adv bike is very similar. Also I would love to have Suzuki V-Strom 1050 ten times better than Honda Africa Twin 1100 which was really disappointing for me. I don't even want to ride it anywhere in the future.
All you have to do is look at the title , ADVENTURE BIKE !! you take the wrong Bike on a serious ADVENTURE and you may have trouble getting back with it !! It is not good advise to recommend a KTM 1290 s or R for a serious Adventure , it WILL BREAK DOWN , As will the Ducati , not to mention parts and fuel !! Some of the others are not capable off road for Adventure !! Everybody has tried these bikes but only some have OWNED them !!
@@gatti493 every rider has different definition of adventure. I don't believe you have to go offroad to find it. Im my opinion offroad is too demanding in terms of designing chasis and suspension to fit both road and offroad capabilities in a bike. I really don't understand manufacturers that prioritize offroad in heavy adv bike over its road capabilities. I believe that good adv bike takes more from sport touring than from offroad. And when it comes to fixing - believe me, every bike will eventually brake.
@@wtchr_ Eventually and imminently are poles apart , You simply can not deny Honda reliability especially when you take into account the amount of bikes they put out !! BMW are not as reliable as Honda but have proven themselves worthy of being called an adventure bike beyond doubt !! The Suzuki although is not really a capable off road bike it is capable enough and reliable enough for trust !! You say interpretation of ADVENTURE BIKE is personal ??? This is true but twisted as some of these bike are REAL ADVENTURE BIKES and some are not much more than distance bikes or touring bikes ! Once you are including REAL RELIABLE on and off road "ADVENTURE " bikes it is simply wrong ! Not to include reliability in the mix , as this is what makes professional Adventure bikes stand out ! Like the difference with a Black & Decker drill and a Milwalkee drill , both will drill a hole but only one will FINISH THE JOB ! KTM are track bikes , great for a while then problems!! And if your only thinking about roads then where are all the big reliable touring bikes that are built for long distance road ADVENTURE ?? AM I MISSING SOMETHING?? These are supposed on and off road bikes for serious adventure, or why are they here ?? What is the point to the review ??
@@gatti493 I agree - if you want reliability you go for japanese bikes, not gonna argue about that. But there is much more in riding than just reliability. This review is not about reliability of course because this is unmeasurable. You can't blame whole brand if one testing bike fails at something in tests. You are trying to defend Africa Twin but in my opinion it is just not the best bike and I would not buy it after I had it for a cople of days (twice). When I tried KTM and Ducati I didn't feel I have to "relearn" how to ride a bike. When I tried BMW I didn't feel I have to be cautious when it comes to low speed maneuvers. But when I rode AT I was always questioning myself and the bike. Its vibrations, windnoise, low power for 2-up riding with luggage, clunky DCT changing gears on wet roundabout, brakes and the worst in the group suspension (this is all subjective, please don't shout at me). It didn't even came to reliability because we ride the bikes for how good they are and not for their reliability. I don't want to hate the bike but then pat myself on the back that this bike is great cause it's cheap in service. According to the debate what adventure is and what not, again, it's all subjective. You can ride all day long with R1250GS without even touching unpaved roads and it will still be great bike that gives you best time of your life. And, surprise, most adventure riders never leave paved roads.
Agree that this was quite a comprehensive comparo, but it just goes to show that no matter how comprehensive, it will always be totally subjective. What you love may be exactly what someone else hates and vice versa. Fun to go along with you on this video ride, but in the end everyone has to do their own subjective comparo ;)
Yes, definitely that's right! Always there can be some useful indication here and there. There are universal aspects like heat management and a few others but it's a very, very emotional choice here :). Cheers!
Indeed subjective. It won’t be easy for me to understand that AT with DCT does poorer in city traffic riding than a Ducati (with its heat). Regardless, thank you for this comprehensive review.
Would be interesting where you will put the Yamaha XT 1200 Super Tenere in tour list. Didn’t you forget that bike? In Europe it’s not new sinds a few years but in the USA the can buy it still as a new bike. 😊
Nobody seems to care about that bike anymore, even here in North America. It's a very solid and underrated bike though. I've seen some dealerships still trying to get rid of '22 models.
I've ridden one years ago but it's no longer offered by Yamaha where I live. I think that it's discontinued by Yamaha in Europe for some reason, maybe emissions. Despite having ridden it, it was so many years ago that I don't remember much and there are no notes nor a review left. Let's wait for the new one :)
I have a GS 1250 and I was inclined to swap for the new GS 1300. After a short test drive around the city, I decided to keep my 1250. The results obtained in your evaluations show that I chose the best option, I think.
It's a different style that may not suit people who like R 1250 GS I believe. Let's wait and see the Adventure version then - assuming that it will be launched.
Good job, thanks for posting. It would be interesting to see the score of the new Africa twin with the 19 inch wheel. Will have to wait until next year though.
Excellent review except for one very important chapter you forgot to mention, dealing with Adv. bikes: the offroad capabilities..! It doesn’t have to be ranking the “motocross highest jump“, of course, but how good they could reach that isolated beach in those last 10kms offroad after a 200kms of road trip. That is why I did trade my beloved 1000XR second gen for a 1250GS... Now waiting for your GS 1300 scores..😎
I included that ground clearance category to touch upon that briefly. It doesn't represent any sort of real capabilities and for example low speed handling and feeling of weight would tell us more on that. Here's the 1300 included: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gS79frKXUDU.html
@@VToldsMotoShow Ground clearance..? That’s it..? No joke…, that doesn’t say much without considering suspensions working off-road, and the low speed handling in the city, what I do think is quite interesting, has again very little to say about off-road possibilities. My humble chapters suggestion: 1- city, 2- touring, 3- sport, 4- off-road. You are welcome.. And please, be careful about “design”, it is way more than just subjective, it is, again in my very humble opinion, totally unnecessary… Anyway, thank you for answering..
Best bike on first place... That is what I was expecting 😉 But for sound... Use a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde exhaust, never thinking about another bike sound 😂 But in the engine category so low? So much torque in every situation... In the alps you kill everyone with this engine.
The torque of R 1250 GS is great - plenty of it and accessible but the manners of how it's served is not my cup of tea. Maybe if it had that exhaust, it would make a bit of a different impression but stock is just feeling tired and telling it straight into your face.
Muy buen trabajo, ando indesiso entre tres de estas motocicletas, la KTM1290R, la 1290S y la ATS por su fiabilidad y desing . A ver si en 2024 puedo estrenar alguna de ellas. Saludos!!
Tenere 1200 is not offered in Europe for years. I've ridden one a long time ago but it's been too long to even remember any details other than my legs not fitting and knees pushing against its fairing.
Kim reliability is very bad. I had 2 1290 - SAR and SDR. They really really bad. Had also EXC 500 and it had no issues. Conclusion - consider KTM only if it has less than 3 buttons on the handlebars.
I know you don't like the Tiger, but ranking it below a VStrom and only slightly above a Versys, is ridiculous. RU-vid is an ocean of opinions. I just watched another comparison where the Triumph came out on top. Of course the KTM and BMW people had their collective hair on fire over that, let alone the Ducatiste! 😂 I know you put a lot of work into this, but I think your bias is clear. My only surprise is that you didn't rank the Ducati a bit higher.
Wait, in the final rank there's still a division between the Rally and GT, and while Rally is a different animal to me than GT, this GT is super-awesome to me. The story with the Ducati is that I've ridden the updated 1200 S which is such a brilliant motorcycle (as opposed to the first 1200) that then jumping on the V4... Well, it feels like a significant downgrade in terms of riding impressions compared to a model that's 5+ years older. In terms of handling and engine, I'd score the 1200 S and 1260 higher than this current V4. And hey, it's still above the average in the largest number of categories and perhaps if we were to take this as a main indicator, it would mean that it can be a number 1. Anyway it can be to anyone who wants to put their money on it ;)
@haydengrant8327. I don’t put down any bikes at all, I truly love the differences in all of them. With that being said my preferred brand has always been BMW. I’ve ridden them 30 years and to be honest I’ve never had one fail on me. They also hold their value pretty good. I would be lying to you if I said I haven’t come very close to trying a super tenere. Be safe out there!!
Yeah, I agree and they should be there but it depends on what device you’re watching. Just in case they don’t appear on the video’s timeline itself - there are the timestamps in the description. I hope this hint helps.
Having owned an Africa Twin I disagree with practically all of your analysis of it. Therefore I must also assume your evaluation of all the bikes listed is incorrect also.
The xr the best looking bike. Its completly out of place and looks like a sports bike on hydraulics. Its a very ugley bike. Africa twin clear winner in that. The xr should of been higher with preformance. Its basically a different mapped pedigree of the 1000r. Its so advanced. I dont understand. Its not sluggish low down power. Proberly didnt ride it hard. 😅
If you mean segment of motorcycles, then likely right - it's a personal choice. But in terms of specific categories, I believe we can define which bike does what better. Then how important that is to every single one of us is indeed a whole different story. Some categories like design or sound are purely and super subjective and it's mentioned in the video. There's no way for me to reach everybody's mind but having ridden them all, I believe I can put those experiences into explaining why I value one over another in a fair way.
I call bullshit. Top 4 are European bikes and the first Japanese bike appears at No5. If you want to go into into the outback, take a European bike. If you want to come back, take a Japanese bike.
I didn't even notice that but there definitely is a pattern, so the question is whether I create the pattern or these motorcycles simply feel this way.
Im not a blind lover of africa.. if i have to choose one... I will go through AT,GS,Multi and tiger rally... I have watched his reviews.. only thing i observed is.. he hates africa twin. And he scores one of the most selling and liked motorcycle on the red list. I think this is so biased. Which a reviewer shouldn't be. Because i watch other reviews of all bikes, they say their best pics and good things in other bikes too.
Interesting but would have been worth to add a score on reliability what is important and what pushed me to leave KTM (still love the engine) toward my beloved AF honda standard. :,)
I'm afraid no one can score that and we'd have to conduct a long-term research including hundreds or thousands of units of all these models and monitor how they're being services, how they're being ridden, where and how the owners store them (garage/outdoors) and record all the malfunctions, their costs and frequency to come up with any conclusions. I've only had a V-Strom 1000 that's similar to V-Strom 1050 long-term and it broke down a few times. Is it reliable or not? I don't know as I only had this one.
Great work! Would be nice if you could at some point integrate this video with another one on the new R 1300 GS showsing us where it would pleace in each cathegory and final chart :) Thanks
After watching this I feel like taking a sledgehammer to my kawasaki versys one thousand. I mean I loved that bike until I watched this... I'm Primarily a pavement rider and I prefer it to the africa twin Adventure sports That I had as well as the bmw r twelve hundred gs. Well obviously there's something wrong with my head so I think I'll light my Versys on fire. I mean how could I like this thing? I must be insane. Thanks for the crisis of confidence l o l. 😂😂😂😂😂
Don’t be taken in by these reviews. Like you I have a Versys 1000 (SE GT), and I’ve done 14,000 very happy and totally reliable miles on it. It’s all opinion and a bit of bias towards the exotic names like BMW and Ducati, who have successfully marketed themselves into a niche beloved by journalists and RU-vidrs. I have no desire to own a flat twin engine from before WW2, or an unreliable overpriced Italian racehorse. It’s a big Jap four for me!
It's the golden age of motorcycles and hard to go wrong with any of these dream machines. You did a fine job articulating the ergonomics/qualities(pro-cons) of all these bikes. I've owned 57 motorcycles and have experienced all these manufactures. I'd probably have given a similar over ranking as you did. I'd like to thank you for taking the time to produce this fine content. Thank you, I enjoyed watching every minute of it!
The BMW is not in the class that it was before. These BMW's are great bikes but they don't beat the KTMs of today. I believe there's a strong bias towards the BMW in this review. All the reviews I've seen, BMWs are lacking and are behind the rest of the the pack.
It is interesting that there is often comment about the KTM reliability. Having road thousands of miles touring around Europe (always in groups) I found that the bike that broke down most with electrical problems was the BMW. Perhaps I just happened to be with a number of the unlucky ones! Who knows.....
I live on about 100kms of really rough dirt roads in Australia, including shale, mud, creeks and bulldust. I would say my suspension ratings would be opposite yours having ridden all those bikes with the exception of the Triumph GT. I ended up with KTM 1290R, KTM 1290S and an Africa Twin DCT to cope with the really rough stuff... also they are just so competant all round... I found the BMW and the big triumph just too top heavy in the mud and bulldust.
I've been going on all kinds of moto trips, including cross country and cross continental trips, with my brother, wife and with my close friends for 13 years now, on many, many, many different bikes. If there's one thing that I learned, it is that if you ride only weekends and do small, sub 300km trips, it really doesn't matter which bike you pick - just pick whatever you can afford to maintain or if money is no object, just pick whatever you like the most, the features you want the most and so on and so forth. For you and that type of riding, it really doesn't matter what you pick. However, if you actually use or plan to use your new adventure bike for real travel/adventuring, then you will have to prioritize reliability>safety>comfort (in this exact order) above all else - again, I've been on many, many different bikes before I bought my very own and my first adventure bike, so with that I learned which bikes are good for exploring/adventuring and which... Aren't so good... And yes, I learned that the hard way... Reliability is something that new and/or inexperienced ADV riders either fail to take seriously or don't take seriously enough. With that said, if you fall into this rider category, as much as you might like them and despite their amazing performance and riding capabilities, you WILL WANT TO completely eliminate KTM, Ducati, Triumph, Harley and even BMW from your ''possible buy'' list. Yes, I've met plenty of KTM, Ducati, Triumph, BMW..., riders over the years, who traveled the world without any issues, but I've also met ten times as many KTM, Ducati, Triumph, BMW..., riders who faced the reality and consequences of owning lower reliability bikes and had to fly/drive back home, leave their bikes in the shop and rent ones to continue their trip, cancel their trips, spend thousands on rescue services, spend thousands on mechanic costs and bike parts and so on and so forth... So yeah... As much as everyone, including myself, loves the idea of owning and riding the Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally through the European backroads and nature landscapes, sadly the reality says that you will want to sacrifice the urge to buy a Ducati and instead buy a bike that offers reliability, safety, comfort and more - if you want to have a relaxing, successful adventure, just as you planned to... A bikes reliability, build quality and the ability to fix the most of the core parts on the bike by yourself, on the go, in the middle of nowhere, is unfortunately overlooked and/or not prioritized enough by new, returning and even experienced riders. With all that said, for anyone that made it through this wall of text, to get to the point, the only three brands that I've NEVER and I mean NEVER had any issues with when it comes to reliability, were Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki... (So far, knock on wood...) I would also like to mention that BMW is the only exception, I would MAYBE, just MAYBE include BMW in the list too but the issue is that they can be pretty hit or miss... People either make 400,000km on them without any issues or they end up spending upwards of $15,000 on repairs and mechanic fees over the years...
I appreciate all the time and effort you’ve put into this comparison, very insightful. I live on an island that doesn’t have a Ducati or Triumph dealer, so these bikes are out for me. I’ve been undecided now for awhile whether to get the 1250 GS BMW, wait for the new 1300, or the KTM super adventure s. The V Strom and the Versys is more expensive here than the KTM right now due to the current KTM promotion. BMW is significantly more expensive than KTM here.
Your a brave man vtold doing this comparison , a bit like jumping into a hornets nest . It’s normal and lucky that people disagree otherwise we we would have a choice of 1 bike . Thanks for a thorough independent comparison .
Oh definitely but being on a mission forces me to such actions and if there's someone who is actually interested in choosing one of these, it seems like one of potentially very few sources now. Took me a while to get to this point but here we are. Thanks!
Clearly to me it's on the last. It's trouble in case the bike never breaks - then 100% of your time on it is wasted as you could've been riding a nicer bike all that time. But then there's peace of mind so a psychological aspect that I can understand that may really be important.
@@VToldsMotoShowYes and no. If I ride on track or my town only, it's not big problem. But if I go to North cape 7000 km in one way and going back with bus, than my time is wasted on that bike more than driving less nicer bike .if reliability is on last yo should check CF moto 800 mt :)
The low speed handling / city riding was a major factor in my decision to go with the BMW R1250GS. For X factor, I got the Triple Black variant with the Akrapović pipe. Sounds great. I suppose it would be something that I would get used to eventually but the Tiger was particularly uncontrollable to me at low speeds mostly due to throttle response. Also, the braking - much too harsh on the Tiger, and very much in control on the BMW. Thanks for the detailed review. Obviously a lot of work went into this video.
I'm glad you enjoyed and all the best with the GS! Triumph is a solid contender with this current Tiger 1200 but still, in some areas there are clear downsides.
@@VToldsMotoShow The Tiger has poor wind protection, the grips vibrate above 5000 RPM and will make your hands numb and the fueling and clutch require perfect modulation at low speed, or you will stall. I've been in bumper-to-bumper traffic all 3 cases and my wife with me on my 1250 GS and I'm comfortable in traffic. HWY open up and we can float down the freeway at 90 MPH like nothing. We've been caught in rain; again NO PROBLEM on the GS!
V-TOLD; fantastic work and your enthusiasm come through in the video!!! Well, I ride a R 1250 GS and it's absolutely AMAZING!!!!! I was out ridding today, and it was 46 degrees Fahrenheit. Had my heated gear on and heated seat and heated grips. My comfort level was a 9 out of 10. ZERO interest in any other adventure bike unless a test ride of the R 1300 GS makes me change my mind. Right now my 40th Anniversary is phenomenal!!!!!
Thanks! It's cool to see that you're happy with the current 1250 and enjoy it. There are certainly reasons for it. Let's then see how the test ride of the 1300 turns out. Cheers!
Thank you for your insightful comparisons. I've owned the GS, Ducati, KTM and Harley over the past 6 years. I'm in the market again, so you've reminded me of things I liked and didn't like about each of the brands. Triumph for whatever reason has never excited me. I too would want the GS handling with a KTM engine. Thought having a chain was no big deal until I bought the Harley. It's a pain to clean, oil and keep everything else clean. Have a deposit down on a BMW R1300GS. Looking forward to your comparison of it to the other bikes on this list.
Thanks for sharing and I'm glad that this video was useful to you. Cleaning the chain cannot be avoided unfortunately and I also could never get it out of my head. I hope you'll enjoy the new R 1300 GS. All the best!
LOL at all the guys saying the reliability to be hundreds of miles off in the middle of nowhere in Africa is the MOST important thing. Bahaahaa!! I have ridden to every corner of the US, plus a fair bit of Canada, a brief dip into Mexico, and some time in Europe, from Germany to Spain. Reliability is important. But, being able to fix problems yourself is also important. Historically, the weak spot on KTM SA's has been the fuel pump. You can easily carry a complete spare and the necessary tools and change it out yourself in well under an hour, on the side of the road, if needed. As such, the potential "unreliability" of that part doesn't worry me that much. Similarly, with a chain drive bike, you can easily carry a spare chain and sprockets and the tools to change those. In contrast, as another example, historically, a weak spot on BMWs has been the shaft and final drive. Sure, they last WAY longer than a chain and sprockets. But, good luck carrying a spare with you. For that matter, don't carry spares. Good luck getting a broken shaft/final drive fixed if it breaks down while you're on the road, versus getting a broken chain/sprockets fixed. And, in the end, I think the vast majority of the people (in the U.S., anyway) who are buying these big ADV bikes are simply NOT (ever!) going to be in a position where if it breaks down it's going to be anything more than an inconvenience. For pretty much all these bikes, if you do proper maintenance before any big trip, it's going to be perfectly reliable for the whole trip. Even if you're taking two months to ride across the country and then up to Tuk. And if you're REALLY worried about it, get an ACR ResQLink (personal locator beacon) and carry that. It will be useful if you break down truly in the middle of nowhere and also if you crash and are too injured to continue riding. V-Told may not care about actual weight and only want to talk about "perceived" weight, but I think actual weight matters, too. It affects everything about the bike. How it handles, fuel mileage, how easy it is to move around when it's not running, and, more importantly, how easy it is to deal with if you fall off. Can you (or a buddy) get it off you if it ends up on top of you? Can you (and/or a buddy) get it back up a slope/hill if it ends up laying in a ditch or down a hill? For me, this comparison yields some pretty easy winners and losers. An adventure bike (for mostly road with a bit of off-road - I DO agree with V-Told's criteria on that) wins when it has: - the most power and torque - the least weight - top shelf handling on-road in the twisties - easy to change suspension for single rider vs w/luggage vs w/passenger, and easy to change for sport riding vs comfort vs offroad - big enough gas tank (6 gallons minimum, 8 gallons ideal) - electronic cruise control minimum, adaptive cruise control strongly preferred - chain drive for easy field repairs and ability to change final drive ratio as desired. Lighter weight is a bonus I would not knock a bike for stuff that is easily fixed and that most riders change anyway. I would not knock a bike for: - an uncomfortable seat that is easily (and relatively cheaply) made comfortable - crap tires from the factory - wind screen, which is highly dependent on rider height and which is easily and cheaply changed When I evaluate all the info, there are 5 I would be choosing from: KTM SAR, KTM SAS, Triumph GT, BMW GS, and the Harley PA. The KTM SAR does not handle well enough on the road. The BMW GS is too heavy, down on power, and also shaft drive. The Triumph is shaft drive. The Harley is less HP and torque and significantly heavier (than MY winner). And the Harley is marginal on gas tank size - not as big as I would want (when I'm traveling, I regularly run 250 - 270 miles between stops with my 8 gallon/30l tank). That knocks all of them out of contention (to ME). Leaving, what I think is the clear winner: The KTM 1290 SAS. The Triumph GT would be my second choice, despite its shaft. ps. Knocking the SAS because it came with crap tires and was spinning the rear is just .... ridiculous. pps. The GS/Telelever handling is really, really good... for normal street riding. But, there is a reason you don't see it on top level roadracing machines: A good telescopic fork setup yields better handling for the riders with enough skill to take advantage of it. In other words, when really hauling the mail in the twisties, I'd choose a KTM SAS over a BMW GS every time - and wait for you and your GS at the next turn. More power, more torque, lighter weight, and better suspension for serious sport riding means equal (good) riders are going to be faster on the KTM every time.
