Best all around bike ever? (if there is such a thing)

[sidmonsters]

About the Stelvio and the Enfield....dealer networks are a problem for this Northeast Ohioan, so maybe not frontrunners.  And I love the look and specs on the V85TT, but seriously--with all the sorting and years of it to get on top of the Stelvio deficiencies, until there is a track record for the new TT, hold that nomination please.  Uh-oh, am I going to get the  for maligning the marque again ?

[JohninVT]

John,

numbers of sales do not have anything to do with "all around" usefulness.  Accord may sell by the millions, I don't know.  I do know that while they're popular in suburbia, they're a lot less popular in places where Jeep, Subaru, and other SUVs are most commonly found.  You can drive a Jeep to the mall, but can you drive an Accord from Ouray Colorado to Lake City Colorado over Engineer Pass?

Honestly, the best "all around" vehicle I've ever owned or driven was a Chevrolet Suburban.  It could carry seven people and their gear comfortably over long distances.  It could haul and tow what an equivalent pick up could.  It could quietly and comfortably cruise the interstate at any speed.  It could go off pavement.  It could commute to work.  I currently have two vehicles that have replaced the Suburban, a 3500 pick up for "truck duty" and a V6 Ford Fusion for "car duty".  I'd trade them both for another Suburban or Yukon XL.

Exactly, and just like the adventure bike class, SUV's are the most popular vehicles sold in America.  Ford is getting out of the sedan market completely.  Walk through any parking lot and SUV's and trucks out number sedans by a huge amount.  Soccer moms aren't going 4 wheeling, they just want a vehicle that's easy to haul kids with, has a commanding view of the road and 4 wheel drive is considered a safety feature.  SUV's replaced the family truckster wagon.  ADV bikes are the same.   

[molly]

Than was easy:

 

[inditx]

Great responses, thanks so much for the dialogue.
I purposely didn’t try to quantify rather just left it at "best all-around bike”.

It seems the GS and the Vstrom hold sway with this audience.
Although the Stelvio for some and the V85 for first adopters get honorable mention.

inditx aka Jack

[LowRyter]

Exactly, and just like the adventure bike class, SUV's are the most popular vehicles sold in America.  Ford is getting out of the sedan market completely.  Walk through any parking lot and SUV's and trucks out number sedans by a huge amount.  Soccer moms aren't going 4 wheeling, they just want a vehicle that's easy to haul kids with, has a commanding view of the road and 4 wheel drive is considered a safety feature.  SUV's replaced the family truckster wagon.  ADV bikes are the same.   

so I guess your needs and location determine what is best All Around.....shocking  !

Personally, I don't want to compromise my primary use of a vehicle for the possibility of doing something else.  I want a car, I could care less about going up Engineer Pass, in fact I rented a Jeep to do exactly that I chickened out and turned around. 

If I wanted a reliable go almost anywhere bike, it would probably be a 650 V-Strom.  But I don't plan to ride everywhere and I don't want a WeeStrom.  Mostly I enjoy a comfortable sporty ride that has good balance and performance and carry enough stuff get me by for weekend.  If I ever got it on a dirt road, it wouldn't be planned but I could ride it until I was back on pavement.

If two-up was my primary mission I'd look at a 'Wing or RT.  If I wanted to camp & off-road maybe a GS.  Oddly enough, my EV does all that pretty well for limited going.  And I can tell you it's more fun to ride than a GS or an RT.

But the all'round for me is that little red bike with the bags.  It's comfy, quick, handles, balanced, light, pretty and a great combination of doing all the good stuff I like. 

[rocker59]

Great responses, thanks so much for the dialogue.
I purposely didn’t try to quantify rather just left it at "best all-around bike”.

It seems the GS and the Vstrom hold sway with this audience.
Although the Stelvio for some and the V85 for first adopters get honorable mention.

inditx aka Jack

It would be hard to find a better "all around" motorcycle than a base BMW R1200GS.  Plenty of fuel range, suspension travel, luggage capacity, passenger accommodations, a good dealer network, and a large aftermarket full of farkles.

There are several similar bikes out there, and yes, Guzzi's Stelvio and V85TT rate right up there, as do versions of Triumph's Tiger and several similar bikes from the Asian manufacturers.

[rocker59]

so I guess your needs and location determine what is best All Around.....shocking  !

Personally, I don't want to compromise my primary use of a vehicle for the possibility of doing something else.  I want a car, I could care less about going up Engineer Pass, in fact I rented a Jeep to do exactly that I chickened out and turned around. 

If I wanted a reliable go almost anywhere bike, it would probably be a 650 V-Strom.  But I don't plan to ride everywhere and I don't want a WeeStrom.  Mostly I enjoy a comfortable sporty ride that has good balance and performance and carry enough stuff get me by for weekend.  If I ever got it on a dirt road, it wouldn't be planned but I could ride it until I was back on pavement.

If two-up was my primary mission I'd look at a 'Wing or RT.  If I wanted to camp & off-road maybe a GS.  Oddly enough, my EV does all that pretty well for limited going.  And I can tell you it's more fun to ride than a GS or an RT.

But the all'round for me is that little red bike with the bags.  It's comfy, quick, handles, balanced, light, pretty and a great combination of doing all the good stuff I like.

John,

It's not "needs and location".  It's capability.  A Jeep can be used in downtown Chicago, or on Engineer Pass.  An Accord cannot.

Face it.  You're not in need of an "all around" motorcycle.  Or auto, apparently.  No biggie.  Live your life. 

No need to argue the definition of "all around" just to argue. 

Enjoy your Ducati.

[JohninVT]

so I guess your needs and location determine what is best All Around.....shocking  !

Personally, I don't want to compromise my primary use of a vehicle for the possibility of doing something else.  I want a car, I could care less about going up Engineer Pass, in fact I rented a Jeep to do exactly that I chickened out and turned around. 

If I wanted a reliable go almost anywhere bike, it would probably be a 650 V-Strom.  But I don't plan to ride everywhere and I don't want a WeeStrom.  Mostly I enjoy a comfortable sporty ride that has good balance and performance and carry enough stuff get me by for weekend.  If I ever got it on a dirt road, it wouldn't be planned but I could ride it until I was back on pavement.

If two-up was my primary mission I'd look at a 'Wing or RT.  If I wanted to camp & off-road maybe a GS.  Oddly enough, my EV does all that pretty well for limited going.  And I can tell you it's more fun to ride than a GS or an RT.

But the all'round for me is that little red bike with the bags.  It's comfy, quick, handles, balanced, light, pretty and a great combination of doing all the good stuff I like.

I wasn't arguing.  I was explaining the appeal of SUV's and ADV bikes.  It's a perception of capability thing.  Many Walter Mitty types ride giant BMW's festooned with electronic gizmos they can fingerf**k constantly while riding 15 miles to get a latte.  I've gone through hardcore sportbikes and sport tourers and Japanese standards and vintage Brit bikes and a cruiser and ADV bikes.  Yes, for me a middleweight standard fits my needs as the best all around bike but that's only if I'm limited to one bike.  However, these types of threads are purely about opinion and everyone has one.  Doesn't make anyone more right or wrong when they differ.     

[Tusayan]

Great responses, thanks so much for the dialogue.
I purposely didn’t try to quantify rather just left it at "best all-around bike”.

It seems the GS and the Vstrom hold sway with this audience.  Although the Stelvio for some and the V85 for first adopters get honorable mention.

Re “the GS”, the model has changed so much over 35 years that there is little commonality in either technology or purpose between the first GS and the current model.  My view of the current model is that it’s too big, too complicated and has no character...  when I told my wife that her response was a deadpan “the same as a lot of people today” which seemed insightful to me    Regardless newer GSs are not anywhere near the top of the list for me personally.  The R100GS is at the top of my list, a completely different bike in every way.

What I think many people see in the V85TT is a modern version of the early GSs, and that’s why it’s so appealing to me and I suspect others in contrast to the grey elephants that BMW sells today.

The V-Strom is a Japanese version of the same concept, clearly a good bike and also closer in spirit to the original GS than what they make now.

[oldbike54]

 Robert Edison Fulton could have made a pretty good argument that a 680 CC Douglas L Twin was a really good all around motorbike .

 Dusty

[rocker59]

Re “the GS”, the model has changed so much over 35 years that there is little commonality in either technology or purpose between the first GS and the current model.  My view of the current model is that it’s too big, too complicated and has no character...  when I told my wife that her response was a deadpan “the same as a lot of people today” which seemed insightful to me    Regardless newer GSs are not anywhere near the top of the list for me personally.  The R100GS is at the top of my list, a completely different bike in every way.

What I think many people see in the V85TT is a modern version of the early GSs, and that’s why it’s so appealing to me and I suspect others in contrast to the grey elephants that BMW sells today.

The V-Strom is a Japanese version of the same concept, clearly a good bike and also closer in spirit to the original GS than what they make now.

You sorta had me until the last sentence.  How is the V-Strom related to an R100GS, in any way?  V-Strom is a streetbike with some off pavement pretentions.  The R100GS defined the ADVmarket in its day.

[JohninVT]

You sorta had me until the last sentence.  How is the V-Strom related to an R100GS, in any way?  V-Strom is a streetbike with some off pavement pretentions.  The R100GS defined the ADVmarket in its day.

Except that their spec's are awfully similar.

They're both 460lb twins with 60 and 66hp.  They both have 6 gallon tanks.  The wheelbases are similar.  The V-Strom has a lower seat height and slightly less wheel travel.  The GS has more front travel but some of that is down to the front wheel being 21" vs the Strom's 19".  I agree that the original defined the market but the market has moved.  The two bikes are a lot alike and very, very different from the current GS or the KTM offerings that supposedly define the niche today. 

I don't think the Strom has pretensions.  I think it's been an honest bike that is an all-road tourer and was never meant to be an offroad bike.  Other than the 21' front wheel the R100GS doesn't have a lot over the Suzuki in terms of measurable performance....exce pt for resale.  R100GS values have skyrocketed and they're being faked routinely.   

[rocker59]

Except that their spec's are awfully similar.

They're both 460lb twins with 60 and 66hp.  They both have 6 gallon tanks.  The wheelbases are similar.  The V-Strom has a lower seat height and slightly less wheel travel.  The GS has more front travel but some of that is down to the front wheel being 21" vs the Strom's 19".  I agree that the original defined the market but the market has moved.  The two bikes are a lot alike and very, very different from the current GS or the KTM offerings that supposedly define the niche today. 

I don't think the Strom has pretensions.  I think it's been an honest bike that is an all-road tourer and was never meant to be an offroad bike.  Other than the 21' front wheel the R100GS doesn't have a lot over the Suzuki in terms of measurable performance....exce pt for resale.  R100GS values have skyrocketed and they're being faked routinely.   

Yeah.  I guess I can see that.  Just never was a Strom fan.  Lots of people like them, though.

[Steve Scott]

[LowRyter]

You sorta had me until the last sentence.  How is the V-Strom related to an R100GS, in any way?  V-Strom is a streetbike with some off pavement pretentions.  The R100GS defined the ADVmarket in its day.

650 VStrom wins hand down.  Much more reliable and cheaper.  Lighter and more fun to ride.  More comfortable, better handling.  Go ahead and install a 19 inch front on it.  And if you drop it you ain't gonna cry.

Yes, I suppose the V Strom 650 is the best All Around motorcycle, there is no rational disagreement, but I don't own one and really don't want one. 

[LowRyter]

Yeah.  I guess I can see that.  Just never was a Strom fan.  Lots of people like them, though.

It sounds like a personal "needs and location" situation to me.   

So far as a jeep?  Really, since I don't wanna go offroad, I'd rather drive my Accord to Chicago. 

SO far as the "best all around motorcycle"?  Find it in your own garage.  That must be it.

[Kev m]

Seems to me the OP posed the question and said he purposely left it open, meaning the semantics defining "all around" as limited by personal use or desire would remain arguably just as relevant.

If the argument is to be limited to all possible use, then I think Dan solved it on the first page. Most Jack-of-all bikes are master of none. Therefore the "best" all around at everything bike might be meh at just about everything.

If a person never rides dirt or never rides street then the "best" all around bike to him/her will likely look very different.

Personally I don't ride dirt or gravel roads (on purpose) and the best all around bike for me doesn't look anything like an ADV bike for largely that reason.

Now if you want to limit the discussion or nudge it to all possible conditions, then fine, but don't pretend the op specified that's what he wanted to hear since again he purposely left it open.

[antmanbee]

650 Vstrom does not win it for me. I am not an off roader, but I don't want to be on a 476 lb bike when I get into some soft sand.
I'm close to Scud in my thinking but prefer a more street type of bike maybe with some dual purpose tires.
And this thing still looks like a motorcycle.

This is what I would go with if I only had one bike.



362 lb wet
69.5HP and 48.7 for torque

[Tom]

Seems to me the OP posed the question and said he purposely left it open, meaning the semantics defining "all around" as limited by personal use or desire would remain arguably just as relevant.

If the argument is to be limited to all possible use, then I think Dan solved it on the first page. Most Jack-of-all bikes are master of none. Therefore the "best" all around at everything bike might be meh at just about everything.

If a person never rides dirt or never rides street then the "best" all around bike to him/her will likely look very different.

Personally I don't ride dirt or gravel roads (on purpose) and the best all around bike for me doesn't look anything like an ADV bike for largely that reason.

Now if you want to limit the discussion or nudge it to all possible conditions, then fine, but don't pretend the op specified that's what he wanted to hear since again he purposely left it open.

+1 

Yeah.....but can you motocross/tour with that?   

[LowRyter]

DL1000 then?


 

[Tusayan]

  Other than the 21' front wheel the R100GS doesn't have a lot over the Suzuki in terms of measurable performance....exce pt for resale.  R100GS values have skyrocketed and they're being faked routinely.   

What the R100GS has that the V-Strom doesn’t have is the reason it is appreciating today and the V-Strom will never do so... a tough exterior, infinite life with parts availability that won’t end and somewhat easier field serviceability - 30 minute valve adjustments being one easy example.

Other than that they are quite similar in concept, but I think the V85TT is even closer to the R100GS while having better performance than either.

I paid $3000 for my latest R100GS in 2006, it’s since carried me all over the map, has 104K miles and is good to go for many more.  It’s also worth more than I paid, as were the last two when I sold them.

[Tom]

I think the R80 G/S surpasses the R100 G/S.   






fixed. R59

[Darren Williams]

Last year at this time I had DL650 that I thought was comfortable and setup for me. I spent the better part of a year buying bit's and bob's to make it something it never would be. After going on a ride with a group of folks in the mid-Atlantic region I could keep up in the twisties but going up mountains or on flats they'd walk away from me. With the DL I was constantly up and down shifting. When I got home I started shopping for another bike and decided it was time to try a BMW GS series bike. I found an 99.5% stock (different foot pegs and bar risers) 2006 with low mileage and extremely clean for the same money I had into my DL650. Wife and I drove to the dealership and bought it w/o even riding it. In fact I had never even ridden a GS. I got it home sat on it and it felt like a broken in set of work boots. Ergonomically everything was where it was supposed to be. Hit the starter went for ride and after just a few miles it was like I had ridden this bike all my life.

A few days later I got around to posting my DL f/s and in a few days I had someone that wanted to come and see it.  When it came time to meet them I hopped on the DL and it felt absolutely foreign. I hit the starter and started down the street hit the brakes and compared to the GS they were anemic. Suspension was just flat out crappy and the bike just felt like the budget bike it is.

Just a few weeks ago I did the same ride with the same folks this time on the GS and I was amazed at how confidence inspiring it was. I didn't realize how much work I was putting into the DL to get it to do what you wanted where the GS just did it.

The DL is a great bike in its own way mostly affordability but at low prices expect low spec components. Also as much as people thing the DL is off road worthy its more like 80/20 DS tires. Its an 80% pavement bike and 20% groomed gravel roads.

To me the DL is not even near the top when it comes to the best all arounder.

As for DL being cheaper on initial purchase yes. But like most you end up adding another thousand or three to it to try an make it something it'll never be. So if you factor in total cost its not a whole lot cheaper.
 

I had a 2012 DL650 Adventure for a short while and now have a 2007 R1200GS.  Agree with your assessment.

[LowRyter]

 

[Scud]

650 Vstrom does not win it for me. I am not an off roader, but I don't want to be on a 476 lb bike when I get into some soft sand.
I'm close to Scud in my thinking but prefer a more street type of bike maybe with some dual purpose tires.
And this thing still looks like a motorcycle.

This is what I would go with if I only had one bike.



362 lb wet
69.5HP and 48.7 for torque

^ That Husky 701 motor is a result of some dark magic. I have not ridden the Svartpilen, but with some knobby tires that scrambler would probably be and excellent all-around bike if you do not care about difficult, technical dirt-riding. 

For me... the 701 Enduro lets me ride the street and then tackle rocky single-track, deep sand, water crossings, etc. This is instead of loading a dirt-bike into the truck and driveing to the riding areas. The fueling on these Husqvarnas is perfect. And I mean from sea level to 10,000 feet. Compared to bigger ADV bikes, the 701 sacrifices the mile-eating comfort of the BMW GS, Stelvio, and others, but it starts to show its advantages as a sport bike on bad asphalt... and it's no-contest in true off-road environments.

[Tusayan]

I think the R80/GS surpasses the R100/GS.

It probably does in terms of durability, but for twisty road riding paralever plus Marzocchi fork is (vastly) better performing.

[tpeever]

Moto Guzzi 1200 Sport comes close!

[molly]

What clinches it for me when it comes to the R1200GS is the  front suspension. The telelever set up is simply sublime for soaking up rough road sufaces.
 I regularly ride a country road that overtime has developed a wash board type surface. I have ridden dozens of bikes down this road and nothing comes close to handling  the lumps and bumps like the GS.
The latest GS models have become over complicated tieing owners ever closer the dealers apron strings, which I hate, so my intention is to ride the V85 over my test road soon because it would hopefully be a less tech laden replacement for my present GS.

[Darren Williams]

"I have ridden dozens of bikes down this road and nothing comes close to handling  the lumps and bumps like the GS. "

And when it gets on smooth pavement curves it surprises a lot of people with how well it will flick back and forth and carve a tight line. My Stelvio was similar in that regard as well, with the steering just a tad bit heavier.

[Dilliw]

650 VStrom wins hand down.  Much more reliable and cheaper.  Lighter and more fun to ride.  More comfortable, better handling.  Go ahead and install a 19 inch front on it.  And if you drop it you ain't gonna cry.

Yes, I suppose the V Strom 650 is the best All Around motorcycle, there is no rational disagreement, but I don't own one and really don't want one. 

And everyone I know who's bought one has sold it.  One switched to a Super Duke, one went green with a Versys, another went to a Yamaha XT250.  If you hang out in the middle you're going to get run over.