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<\/p>\nSome hard choices have to be made when spring is just around the corner.<\/p>\n
Springtime always has me itching, either to go for a ride on my bike, or to buy a new one. This year it\u2019s the latter itch that needs scratching. I had bought a brand-new Triumph Scrambler 1200 in August 2021, but unfortunately that bike had to go less than a year later due to a change in my living situation.<\/p>\n
Well, my living situation has been resolved and is more stable now, and it\u2019s time to look at perhaps getting another new machine. Logic would dictate that I replace the Scrambler with another one, but I\u2019m not sure that\u2019s the way I want to go. Don\u2019t get me wrong: I loved that bike, and had I not sold it I\u2019d be loving and enjoying it still. But, considering that I already have two off-road capable machines \u2014 my ageing but rock-solid 2008 Kawasaki KLR650 and a small but oh-so-fun 2005 Yamaha XT225 \u2014 I think it might be time to get a more focused street bike. I do have a street bike already, a 1982 Honda FT500 Ascot, but realistically, I want something newer, more practical, and more powerful.<\/p>\n
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Now, when I say more powerful, I\u2019m not talking about a 200-plus horsepower sport bike. Anything making maybe 50 horsepower or more would make me happy, and it has to be more practical \u2014 and comfortable \u2014 than a supersport machine.<\/p>\n
While I like multi-cylinder machines, I do have a preference for those with fewer than four cylinders; I prefer the simplicity, light weight, and sound of twins. Any layout will do: V-twin, L-twin, parallel twin or boxer. This, of course, doesn\u2019t make the job of selecting one bike easy. I do have a shortlist of possible candidates, which I\u2019ll go through here in alphabetical order. The prices and styles of these bikes vary greatly, but I find them all desirable, and one of them will likely end up in my garage this summer.<\/p>\n
First up is the BMW R1250RS. While it\u2019s the sportiest bike in my selection, it\u2019s not an outright supersport machine, with a more relaxed riding position and a wonderful, 135-horsepower boxer engine with huge low-end torque. It can be used every day, and can also satisfy an occasional urge to put in some fast laps during a track day. I\u2019d have to really consider adding the optional dynamics package, solely for BMW\u2019s remarkable electronically adjustable suspension. The main reason I\u2019d shy away from it, though, is because of the added complexity of the system. The bike is among the priciest of my selection, starting at $18,195, though it comes with a very appealing three-year warranty.<\/p>\n
Next up is the Moto Guzzi V7 Stone. Yes, it\u2019s a big departure from the BMW, but I love its retro styling, and at $11,490, it\u2019s much more affordable. It has a torquey, great-sounding 90-degree V-twin, and a no-maintenance shaft drive. One potential deciding factor is a limited dealer network, though as I\u2019ve always done with all of my machines, I will take care of the maintenance at home.<\/p>\n
There are two potential Triumphs I am considering. The first is the bike formerly known as the Street Twin: the Speed Twin 900. I briefly owned a Street Twin, and there was nothing I did not like about the bike. It had a smooth, torquey parallel twin, a slick-shifting five-speed gearbox (the Guzzi one-ups the Triumph here with six speeds), and classic, Brit-bike styling, of which I\u2019ve become very fond. Even though the Speed Twin 900 has same engine as the Street Twin I had owned, it has 10 horsepower more, at 65 hp. At just $11,195, it\u2019s the most affordable bike on my list.<\/p>\n
The other Triumph on my radar is the 900\u2019s bigger sibling, the Speed Twin 1200. I\u2019ve ridden this bike, and like the 900, love everything about it. It\u2019s actually sportier than the 900, with an inverted fork, 17-inch wheels (18-inch front on the 900), bigger dual front discs and radial-mount calipers, and it\u2019s more powerful, at just a touch below 100 hp \u2014 I\u2019d certainly try some racetrack lapping on it. It also retained analogue gauges, which I prefer, as opposed to the 900\u2019s newer digital gauges. And, it has the simple, retro styling I love. Its price is also quite reasonable, starting at $14,295.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s one more bike I\u2019d consider if Harley were to make it: a sportier version of the new Nightster. I\u2019ve had Sportsters before, and I\u2019m hoping I will have one again soon, but the current lineup is too cruiser-ish for my taste and riding style. If the current bike had more appropriate cornering clearance and a sportier riding position and wheel sizes, it would be high on my list.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve narrowed my list to a handful of bikes, any of which I know I will enjoy immensely, but now I have serious thinking to do.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Some hard choices have to be made when spring is just around the corner. Springtime always has me itching, either to go for a ride on my bike, or to buy a new one. This year it\u2019s the latter itch that needs scratching. I had bought a brand-new Triumph Scrambler 1200 in August 2021, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":60304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2422,1877],"tags":[2179,2426],"yoast_head":"\n