No NT1100 . . . yet

[ChucksKLRST]

I also had a Honda NT700V for about 4.5 years. Nice bike did every thing one could ask but did lack in the get up and go when it came to passing. One had to plan their pass maneuver in advance. I put close to 33000 miles on the bike in that time. Called it my ST700. Sold it to my neighbor when I bought the FJR. Never did come to terms with that Honda V-twin firing frequency. My V-Strom V-twin motor was / is a lot smoother. The little Versys X-300 parallel twin that I own is so smooth, I sometime wonder it it is running. Called my NT my ST700. Got a lot of blank stares at the Honda dealers.

 

[Daboo]

Yeah...I might've had mine that long too. 30,000 miles in my case. I loved the bike when I had it, and that black color was drop-dead gorgeous. Then for grins, I went over to the local dealer and tried a FJ9 and the F800GT. I had no intentions of doing anything more than killing some sick leave after a dental appointment. A few weeks later, I found a barely used, but heavily loved GT.

I told a friend at church that I bought a "widow maker". He looked at me puzzled and ask what did I mean. I told him I bought a bike that had 50% more horsepower than the Honda and weighed 100 lbs less. He asked me why did I buy it. I replied, "Because it has 50% more horsepower and weighs 100 lbs less."

Chris

 

[the Ferret]

"Because it has 50% more horsepower and weighs 100 lbs less."

What a great line.... had me laughing and reading it to my wife who also laughed

 

[Daboo]

He didn't get it. Might be a factor on why he quit riding a few months later.

Chris

 

[Chris09]

I think that that the Yamaha tracer and MT09 might go down [at least in my mind] in history as the most sold bike; why is that everyone who buys these [and they're cool, in fact, if you know anyone that has one...] inline threes sells them; they are easily the shortest held bikes that I can think of / remember, I've never seen a bike so excited about and so quickly sold.
Hmm....

 

[Chris09]

... I'll give you eight grand!!! ... and not a penny more!!!!

 

[dwalby]

why is that everyone who buys these [and they're cool, in fact, if you know anyone that has one...] inline threes sells them; they are easily the shortest held bikes that I can think of / remember, I've never seen a bike so excited about and so quickly sold.

I had a 2003 Triumph Daytona 955 that was an inline triple and I loved that engine. About what you'd expect from that engine format, a little more grunt than an inline four of similar displacement, but a little less smooth. I preferred the little extra grunt over the slightly less smooth aspect, so for me it was a great engine, and smaller/lighter than an equivalent four cylinder. I rode it for a few years and about 30k miles, but crashed it twice, so the insurance company finally took it away.

I think I recall reading where the Yamahas had poor suspensions, so you either spent a fortune upgrading it, or just sold the bike and cut your losses.

 

[Daboo]

I think that that the Yamaha tracer and MT09 might go down [at least in my mind] in history as the most sold bike; why is that everyone who buys these [and they're cool, in fact, if you know anyone that has one...] inline threes sells them; they are easily the shortest held bikes that I can think of / remember, I've never seen a bike so excited about and so quickly sold.
Hmm....

Interesting that you should write this. I had some time to kill after a dental appt, and sick leave to burn, so I went to my local dealer. I was totally happy with my Honda NT700V. It did all I wanted it to do and I had no intention of selling it. But I'm like the rest of you...what is out there that I might turn to, if I were to not have the Honda for some reason.

The first bike I got on was the FJ-09. The reviews were great. The reality for me, wasn't. First, I'm short. It was tall. But not so much as to be a deal breaker. I didn't care for the styling in person. The dash, etc. didn't thrill me. Getting on the bike wasn't wonderful. And then when I drove away on the bike...I couldn't stand it.

At the time, I was still commuting in Seattle's rush hour traffic...that goes no where in a rush. There were many days when I'd been commuting for long stretches where I was slipping the clutch on the Honda to move at a speed I could more easily walk. On the FJ-09, the clutch friction zone seemed miniscule. It was like the throttle was either on, or off. There was no in-between area. I couldn't see myself doing that for any distance at all. I took the bike around the block, and if I could've worked it out, I would've left it halfway around the block and walked back.

But!!!...the bike will pop wheelies without needing the clutch.

Who cares if it doesn't work in real life.

When I sat on the BMW f800GT, it seemed like it fit like a glove. Mind you, it all depends on your dimensions. For me, it worked. For others... I stalled it when I was trying to leave the parking lot. The clutch friction zone was different than the Honda. Different, not bad. I could learn how to deal with it.

My first impression was how smooth the bike was. But I'd heard of hand-numbing vibration in the magazine reviews!?!?!? Where was it? Then as I went down the road, I came across a small hill that I would normally downshift for on the Honda NT700V. I didn't and it pulled just fine up the hill with no vibration. What???? This was not what I had expected at all.

I spent the next 30-45 minutes trying to find the faults the magazine reviewers talked about. I finally found the hand-numbing vibration at 60 mph in first gear on the freeway...but who rides like that?

For a bike that is livable on an everyday type riding, I find the F800GT great. It's just perfect in all I want it to do. But the FJ-09???...it didn't make it past the first block. Sure it'll pop wheelies without effort. Maybe the F800GT would also if you turned off the traction control. But if I want a bike that can do everything...I'd turn to the BMW. Not because I'm a BMW fan...but because it works for everyday life.

Chris

 

[the Ferret]

My 44 year old son fell for the hype surrounding the 900 triple when it came out, so he bought one. Kept it a year/13,000 miles and ended up trading it in on a MT 10 (I-4 which he loves). He said the FJ 900 was an "OK" bike but felt it didn't live up to the magazine tester's hype.