Our video man, Robin Haldane, doesn't mind the hefty price for the versatile BMW. It offers too many nice features to pass up.
Robin Haldane
Over 1000 miles in the saddle of four different bikes and you start to get a feeling for what's important to have with a touring machine. Comfort and ease of ride are way up top on my list. With its cushy seat, heated grips, adjustable seat position... the BMW is easily my favorite. While the pricetag is rather steep, I would say it's worth every penny. Out of the quartet, the BMW was the only bike I actually wanted to spend a long period of time on, no matter the conditions.
Tom Lavine
I suspect my two cents worth will surprise you. I'm in a different spot then the rest of our riders because I already own one of out test bikes, the BMW GS. Make no mistake about it I really like my GS for many reasons. It's comfortable (tall and has a great ride), durable, and can carry a bunch of stuff and most importantly it's a very capable ride meaning it can flat do it all (even if my off road skills are limited). I can ride this machine on the street as well as anything I've ever ridden, and probably better.
Even though he owns and loves his personal GS, Tom Lavine might have to spring for the sexy Triumph.
In addition to the GS being a wonderful motorcycle, something that is important to me is the durability of the product which is associated with the value the bike keeps over time. I love attending BMW rallies, their owners are a close nit group. I've met many wonderful and interesting people attending these gatherings. When is the last time you heard of someone attending a V-Strom rally? Heck, in a couple years they may not even be producing these things. The BMW GS on the other hand is the No. 1 BMW bike sold in the world. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is the GS is a total package. It's not only a motorcycle but it encompasses a lot of the good things in the motorcycle life!
But because I already have a GS and all the associated stuff, including T-shirts, I'll stay with it. If I had it to do all over again I certainly would consider the Triumph Tiger. Triumph (although not as big or organized as BMW) has clubs and organizations for their owners. In comparison to the GS the Tiger is faster and has incredible breaks. The Tiger is a shorter bike so can fit those riders who are vertically challenged. Not everyone can fit on a GS.
Another thing I really like about Triumph is the considerable number of items they produce for their bikes, so each owner can outfit their machine as they wish - pipes, tank bags and windshields to mention a few. While on the subject of pipes, the sound of a Triumph triple with some nice pipes is simply delightful.
Our photographer took a turn on the other end of the camera with one of his favorite bikes in the test. That's saying a lot considering he owns his own Beemer.
The cost of ownership of a GS will set you back another $5K compared to the Tiger also, something that is important for most riders.
So, next time around it's going to be a Tiger! Actually if the Tiger wasn't so closely related to the GS I'd buy one!
JC Hilderbrand
There's no question as to which bike I would purchase with my own money. Even though it's ugly as hell, the Suzuki is definitely the most attractive to me in other ways, primarily the amount of potential it has for the relatively small pricetag.
There is no denying that the Suzuki is far from perfect. In fact, it never earned a first-place overall vote and it didn't win a single category on our testers' scorecards except for value, which is a direct result of its dirt-cheap MSRP. Still, the V-Strom is one cool bike in my opinion. First off, of all the machines it feels most like a dirtbike to my off-road-lovin' butt. The biggest complaint in my book is the suspension which feels the softest of the bunch and really suffers on any semblance of off-road terrain. However, the thing is so inexpensive that I think I could invest some money in improving the suspenders and the bike would immediately improve ten-fold.
Nobody loved the way the Suzuki looks, but JC still found enough endearing qualities to help make it his 4MM choice. He thinks the 'Strom will take him on more adventures with only minimal upgrades.
Secondly, I really liked the motor characteristics of the V-Strom. Sometimes I would think it was almost boring, but it was really easy for me to ride for extended periods at a leisurely pace and was still willing to pick it up when called on. Also, since I'm not the most experienced street rider, the forgiving delivery made it easier for me to feel smooth and in control. The ergonomics are really comfortable as well except for the seat which is a bit too soft, but I'll deal with that for the tradeoff in excellent bar/peg placement.
I don't think Adventure Touring is about coming home from a ride and telling your pals about how great the tranny shifted or how bad the wind buffeting was. You're going to come back with tales of the places you went and what you did while you were there. The V-Strom is a little bland, but in the best sense of the word, and I think the Suzuki lets a rider do that more than any of the other bikes for exactly that reason. Besides, you'll be able to go a lot more places and create more stories thanks to the extra gas money saved in the purchase.
Back to the
2007 Adventure Touring Comparo II.
