TICK - another one!

[Steve T]

A "Minty mint thing"???????

Wasted on you then Phil

Hope you find the time between feeds to enjoy your new ride

And the same goes for V

Steve T

 

[Philwhiskeydrinker]

Cheers all, yep new shape dl650, I must resist temptation to lather it with waxoil but then being a Suzook that may be the best thing to for it!
Nice to scroll through the trip & see 70mpg ave over the last 750 miles

 

[Lutin]

Nice one! Very interested to see what you think of it compared to the Transalp. They are fairly similar on paper, but what will a real world comparison show up?

No hurry.

 

[Philwhiskeydrinker]

Nice one! Very interested to see what you think of it compared to the Transalp. They are fairly similar on paper, but what will a real world comparison show up?

No hurry.

Will keep you posted, I have had a couple of shortish test rides & been impressed, kind of like a more modern, peppier, lighter, more fuel efficient Transalp but one thats fitted with a hydraulic preload adjuster from the factory.
Of course time will tell once the niggles become apparent.
The screen is noisy so no boubt that will be an ongoing saga

The old model has been reliable by all accounts, fit and finish does look decent & with new (quite basic) bikes available from around 5 1/2k & 4yrs interest free they won't break the bank either (of course, that is waaaay above my budget )

 

[Paul-S]

My Bro in Law's had one since they came out

Nice and spritely

Quick

You'll have to buy proper stuff for it now Phil

None of this tea tray rack and bashplate stuff !!

 

[Philwhiskeydrinker]

My Bro in Law's had one since they came out

Nice and spritely

Quick

You'll have to buy proper stuff for it now Phil

None of this tea tray rack and bashplate stuff !!

I recall you mentioning that, as for the new add-ons, you should know that that goes against the grain

 

[Philwhiskeydrinker]

Had a great day out on the Gents do Lunch, covered 120 miles on a mixture of roads.
I was properly & deliberately 'exercising' the 800 mile engine as the previous owner hadn't had it above 5k...
What a nifty entertaining bike, plenty of poke, agile, stable & comfy. Wind noise is poor above 69mph ( )
Other than that, a big thumbs up.

Economy looks promising too.

 

[Lutin]

Sheesh - 800 miles! No wonder you described it as mint! Has it even had its first service yet?

Looks like you bagged a good 'un there, Phil.

 

[boboneleg]

Hmmmmmmm,

you're making me think now Phil, how much does it weigh? and would I be able to touch the floor with both legs at the same time (insert Hudders joke). My KTM is a bit much for me now, perhaps this could be a replacement?

 

[Ian Porter]

Sheesh - 800 miles! No wonder you described it as mint! Has it even had its first service yet?

Looks like you bagged a good 'un there, Phil.

positively worn out,

my incoming stead is two years old and only has 576 miles on the clock - I bet I double that in the first couple of weeks

 

[Lutin]

Sheesh - 800 miles! No wonder you described it as mint! Has it even had its first service yet?

Looks like you bagged a good 'un there, Phil.

positively worn out,

my incoming stead is two years old and only has 576 miles on the clock - I bet I double that in the first couple of weeks

Is this going to degenerate into a "my new second hand bike has lower mileage than yours" kind of thing?

 

[Philwhiskeydrinker]

Sheesh - 800 miles! No wonder you described it as mint! Has it even had its first service yet?

Looks like you bagged a good 'un there, Phil.

Yep, first service at 580 miles last June, trouble is it's due another just for the warranty but changing the oil after a few hundred miles just seems wrong!

Hmmmmmmm,

you're making me think now Phil, how much does it weigh? and would I be able to touch the floor with both legs at the same time (insert Hudders joke). My KTM is a bit much for me now, perhaps this could be a replacement?

I think they are about 215kg wet, std seat height is similar to the 650 Alp but a low seat is available (which also came with my bike) as are lowering links.
The suspension is decent for a budget bike but is quite taut & prob not great offroad.

Sheesh - 800 miles! No wonder you described it as mint! Has it even had its first service yet?

Looks like you bagged a good 'un there, Phil.

positively worn out,

my incoming stead is two years old and only has 576 miles on the clock - I bet I double that in the first couple of weeks

Pah, there's always someone ready to steal your thunder

 

[Ian Porter]

positively worn out,

my incoming stead is two years old and only has 576 miles on the clock - I bet I double that in the first couple of weeks

Pah, there's always someone ready to steal your thunder

LOL,

there seems to be quite a few stupidly low mileage bike out there when you start looking doesn't there,

it amazes me how some sub 2000 mile bikes can be quite tatty too though

looks like you found a good un there Phil

 

[Philwhiskeydrinker]

You never know until you view, in this case it was quite literally like new - not a spot of tarnishing anywhere, it could have been different, imagine a bike stood in a damp garage for 18 months or a few winter rides & left unwashed

The seller showed me the original purchase invoice - he paid full price & lost virtually 3k in 1 1/2 years & 800 miles!

C'mon Ian, what ya gettin, a late 1200gs?

Phil

 

[Ian Porter]

C'mon Ian, what ya gettin, a late 1200gs?

Phil

couldn't be further out Phil

 

[Lutin]

Not that you'll know the answer to this question just yet - but what's the pillion provision like?

 

[outrunner]

An absolute bargain there Phil, has V had a go yet?




Andy.

 

[Philwhiskeydrinker]

V hasn't been on it yet but she will, I'll pop the low seat on & get some peace

 

[Philwhiskeydrinker]

Not that you'll know the answer to this question just yet - but what's the pillion provision like?

The seat is firm but seems well shaped, by all accounts the pillion perch is quite comfy & spacious.
For some reason, I can't see us doing much 2 up for the forseeable although Toby has plenty of growing room in the top box, 3 up could be an option

Basically, take your 650 Transalp, modernise it, shed a bit of weight, give it quite a bit more oomph (and better economy) make it a bit more road biased (cast wheels, tauter handling) & you are somewhere near the mark.
The new xt version has tubless spoked wheels & small beak.

Unfortunately, Honda don't have anything that fits the bill (the nc700s I tried had horrible suspension, small tank & silly location for the filler.) The DL caught my eye as a sensible option at the nec last year & just looked & felt 'right' without being gimmicky. A few test rides proved it to be a great allrounder.
Fit & finish appears good but I dare say the finish will need plenty of tlc.

 

[Lutin]

Not that you'll know the answer to this question just yet - but what's the pillion provision like?

The seat is firm but seems well shaped, by all accounts the pillion perch is quite comfy & spacious.
For some reason, I can't see us doing much 2 up for the forseeable although Toby has plenty of growing room in the top box, 3 up could be an option

I thought that you'd not find out in a hurry. But when you do get the opportunity, it would be nice to know.

Do you think that you'll be keeping the V-Strom and the Transalp? Are they different enough to hang on to both?

Sorry - questions, questions. I'm sure that you've more important things on your mind.