Touring: CB1100 vs. F800GT

[Stichill_imp]

You look perfect on the CB1100 However, you need a different color riding suit. This one just washes you out.

You should see me shopping for helmets with that perfectly round head of mine!

I was thinking more along the lines of the 1200 VFR,....

I think there may be deals on the Norge, check out the WildGuzzi forum, they have a Classifieds area too. With so many good bikes to choose from, once you find one that fits you I think you'll be set. Was at the GoAZ dealer in Scottsdale this afternoon, oiy! So many nice bikes!

They look awesome, in fact my CBR250R has similar "layered look" styling that I find appealing. However I have never seen one in a US dealer showroom with manual shift. They all seem to have DCT pushbutton automatics. I know that manual versions were made because I've seen them in Germany. I guess one of the main raps on the 1200 is big thirst + small tank = limited range...and high price.

The VFR800 is often called the first sport touring bike or "the gentleman's sportbike."

[rboe]

I guess I consider the Griso my gentleman's sport bike then.

[Stichill_imp]

I'd like to thank all of you for your freely offered personal opinions. There's no right or wrong when it comes to individual preference in motorcycles. I think every post offered me a lot of value. You guys are a class bunch!

[rboe]

Most of us have had a lot of bikes (some more than others) over the years and know that even for ourselves, different bike scratch different itches at different times in our lives. Today, it's very hard to point to a bike and "that is a POS, avoid it!". Most bikes are very good for their intended purpose and there are too many good ones to choose from.

There is a thread over the Guzzi forum, of all things, a guy is looking for advise on Buying a Hyosung 650. Basically a Suzuki SV650, it would be a good choice for someone on a budget. Or someone looking for an inexpensive but good second bike. By the way, most of us advised him to go for it if it fit him.

Let us know what you get! (If you are near Phoenix, there is a good used one for sale at GoAZ!).

[Cormanus]

I simply don't have the experience of all the bikes other members have mentioned. Indeed, I don't have years of motorcycle touring history, but I have done a couple of serious tours on my CB1100. I have no fairing or screen and a top box. I also have an AirHawk seat cushion! For the rest I heave a duffel and, where necessary, camping gear on the seat and off I go. It's been just fine. It cruises comfortably at Australia's speed limits all day, the additional weight doesn't seem to make any difference to the performance and it remains a delight to ride.

I'm sure there are bikes that are way better for extended touring, but I can afford only one bike which I want to use for the occasional tour. The CB1100 does me just fine.

By the way, your CB250 looks just great.

[emptysea]

Yeah... "A couple of serious tours". There's an understatement if ever there was one. Cormanus may not have as much general motorcycle experience as some folks here, but he has as many CB1100 touring miles (or kilometers) as any of us, or nearly so. He knows this bike.

[Ghis_imp]

First off..BS on the 250 not being a highway machine. It's not without drawbacks as noted, but it works just fine on the highway. I rode mine all over the place before I got my CB. While we're at it, BS on screens, fairings, saddlebags, as requirements to tour on the CB. Oh, and one more thing, never noticed buzzing over 65, never felt like I was being blown off it, and I got used to the seat. I have 15,000 miles on mine with no windscreen. Two week long trips to NC/Tenn, Two weekend trips to Wisconsin, and another week planned to the Ozarks. Most folks like a screen for touring, but it's fine without it. I'll let someone else comment on the ergos, the chain, and the maintence, but none of them have been a barrier to my travels.

I'm not trying to talk you into it, but it's a wonderfully versatile bike. Strap a good sized waterproof duffle on the back and take off for a week. There are better touring bikes and you may already be riding a better around-town bike right now. Someone said of this bike that it's not great at anything (except turning heads), but it's very good at almost everything and isn't bad at whatever's left.

I hope you're keeping the CBR. Love that bike.

Any reliable motorcycle is a good fit for touring. A 250cc bike gets excellent gas mileage, and might even be more suitable than bigger bikes with lesser range. The only thing that can make a bike non suitable for highway riding, is truly the sitting position. Standard position is ideal, and even often better than cruisers with forward controls. All Harley touring rigs have a very conservative sitting geometry. Nothing with rear set controls, and clip on bars will ever do. People tour on scooters, and have a great time. To me a motorcycle should be reliable, fun, and cheap. Both my Triumph Scrambler and my CB1100 are just that. I have a harder time justifying $15k-20k bikes, for a set of hard bags, and a fairing. It's nice if you have the money, but IMHO way over rated. Any bike over 800cc will do find for 2 people and gears. Anything bigger is just ice on the cake. I would love to tour the world on a Kawasaki KLR650. Its a 651cc bullet proof, water cooled, fuel injected single, that gets around 50mpg on a 6.1gl tank. People do it all the time.

[Stichill_imp]

I simply don't have the experience of all the bikes other members have mentioned. Indeed, I don't have years of motorcycle touring history, but I have done a couple of serious tours on my CB1100. I have no fairing or screen and a top box. I also have an AirHawk seat cushion! For the rest I heave a duffel and, where necessary, camping gear on the seat and off I go. It's been just fine. It cruises comfortably at Australia's speed limits all day, the additional weight doesn't seem to make any difference to the performance and it remains a delight to ride.

I'm sure there are bikes that are way better for extended touring, but I can afford only one bike which I want to use for the occasional tour. The CB1100 does me just fine.

By the way, your CB250 looks just great.

This is so encouraging! I think there's something to be said for "clean air". I have ridden the CB1100 and a Hawk GT...in both cases I never objected to the wind blast. However on my own 250 I did find it necessary to deflect the wind higher to get it off my neck. Maybe unfared bikes are underappreciated? Perhaps the choice should be between "naked" and "fully fared batwing"?

I simply don't have the experience of all the bikes other members have mentioned. Indeed, I don't have years of motorcycle touring history, but I have done a couple of serious tours on my CB1100. I have no fairing or screen and a top box. I also have an AirHawk seat cushion! For the rest I heave a duffel and, where necessary, camping gear on the seat and off I go. It's been just fine. It cruises comfortably at Australia's speed limits all day, the additional weight doesn't seem to make any difference to the performance and it remains a delight to ride.

I'm sure there are bikes that are way better for extended touring, but I can afford only one bike which I want to use for the occasional tour. The CB1100 does me just fine.

By the way, your CB250 looks just great.

Thank you...it's a keeper!

First off..BS on the 250 not being a highway machine. It's not without drawbacks as noted, but it works just fine on the highway. I rode mine all over the place before I got my CB. While we're at it, BS on screens, fairings, saddlebags, as requirements to tour on the CB. Oh, and one more thing, never noticed buzzing over 65, never felt like I was being blown off it, and I got used to the seat. I have 15,000 miles on mine with no windscreen. Two week long trips to NC/Tenn, Two weekend trips to Wisconsin, and another week planned to the Ozarks. Most folks like a screen for touring, but it's fine without it. I'll let someone else comment on the ergos, the chain, and the maintence, but none of them have been a barrier to my travels.

I'm not trying to talk you into it, but it's a wonderfully versatile bike. Strap a good sized waterproof duffle on the back and take off for a week. There are better touring bikes and you may already be riding a better around-town bike right now. Someone said of this bike that it's not great at anything (except turning heads), but it's very good at almost everything and isn't bad at whatever's left.

I hope you're keeping the CBR. Love that bike.

Any reliable motorcycle is a good fit for touring. A 250cc bike gets excellent gas mileage, and might even be more suitable than bigger bikes with lesser range. The only thing that can make a bike non suitable for highway riding, is truly the sitting position. Standard position is ideal, and even often better than cruisers with forward controls. All Harley touring rigs have a very conservative sitting geometry. Nothing with rear set controls, and clip on bars will ever do. People tour on scooters, and have a great time. To me a motorcycle should be reliable, fun, and cheap. Both my Triumph Scrambler and my CB1100 are just that. I have a harder time justifying $15k-20k bikes, for a set of hard bags, and a fairing. It's nice if you have the money, but IMHO way over rated. Any bike over 800cc will do find for 2 people and gears. Anything bigger is just ice on the cake. I would love to tour the world on a Kawasaki KLR650. Its a 651cc bullet proof, water cooled, fuel injected single, that gets around 50mpg on a 6.1gl tank. People do it all the time.

My CBR250R's fuel economy averages 69 mpg (3,46 L/100km) in spirited backroads riding. However, out on the superslab at 85 mph with the mill turning 9,000 rpm...it drops to around 53 mpg (4,44 L/100km). With a 3.4 gallon (12,87 L) tank, that is not a lot of range. In my group I compete with the Harleys for who needs to stop for fuel first.

[rboe]

I rode out Wickenburg way last Saturday. Wind was gusty and going west I was into it. Doing mostly 65-70mph it felt better to put the feet on the rear pegs and lean into the wind. This worked until my left leg fell asleep! Couldn't shift!

Coming back, with the wind, was a bit easier.

I've toured with and without a windscreen; it's easier with. But I know guys that prefer without so pick your poison.

Posting the speeds and rpm's brings back memories; one of the main reasons I kept upgrading bikes was to get the rpm range down at freeway speeds. This was back when the national limit was 55. At 55 a windscreen is really not needed except to push off cold air and the rain. 9000 rpm is pretty darn high for cruising at. The bike can probably take it but I bet it would last longer if you limited it to much less than that and got a bigger bike that turned 4-5K at those speeds. E.g. My Griso, in 6th at 5K will be doing about 110mph. Same for the Norge. They do like to spin up; with most cruising between 4-5K rpm. I think the CB is in the 5K range on the freeway.

[the Ferret]

Rboe on the 6 speed 80 is turning 3750 rpms. The Dlxs fuel tank is good for about 230 miles before pushing. I average about 55 mpg. (but I don't ride 80 very often, that's at 55-60 mph which is 2500-2750 rpms in 6th)

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