NT1100 vs...

Igofar said:
What would you consider a BMW alternative?
Glad you’re having good luck with your BMW. After owning many airheads, and Rotax singles, I walked away from the brand when the oil heads arrived.
Spent many years around BMW service departments, the inside joke was always nobody ever wondered why they provided loaner bikes :rofl1:while I think some of the new moto guzzi bikes look nice, way too many recalls and issues to call a daily rider.
Now if Honda brought back the good old CX500 twin…..
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Despite BMW owners being more likely to report problems in surveys they are also more likely to buy another and are more likely recommend them to friends in greater percentage numbers than even Honda who leads the Japanese brands. Loyalty to brand speaks over owner surveys that are non specific in severity and frequency of reported problems. Thin paint gets the same attention as blown engines.
 
I treat surveys like I treat motorcycle reviews... They compose maybe 2% of my buying decision.

I don't typically keep bikes longer than 8 years - that was a ST1300.

My bikes don't go to dealers unless absolutely necessary, I do all my own work.

I've had Hondas/Kawasaki/Yamahas and now BMWs... The only issues I've ever had were with 1 Goldwing (TSB dash replacement) and 1 ST1300 (failed u-joint @50k miles).

So THAT Puts my current reliability list as:
1 - Yamaha/Kawasaki
2 - BMW
3 - Honda

Now, Hondas have comprised probably 80% of my lifetime miles so a couple issues doesn't really mean much.

You can twist my stats 20 different ways to make each brand #1 or #3...

It just doesn't matter...

Buy the bike that speaks to you and ride it.... if it has problems and you feel like it was a mistake... sell it or trade it in on something that may work better for you.
 
Daboo said:
This is an honest question. Not meant to stir the pot, just to understand what happened.

Ever since the NT1100 came out, many on this forum have gone nutso over the NT1100. It's like it is the greatest bike ever made, no one makes anything like this and the "I gotta have it" feeling comes through loud and clear. Why?

It isn't like there were no other choices to fill that niche. I'm more than a little partial to the BMW F900XR I have. It's been out since 2020? The Yamaha FJ09/Tracer, etc has been out for almost a decade. Suzuki has their GSX-S1000GT+. Kawasaki has the VERSYS® 1100 SE. And Ducati has the Multistrada V2. All seem to be trying to fill that same niche and except for the last two, are in the same ballpark price. All are twins with the exception of the Suzuki and Kawasaki. All designed to eat miles up and then hit the corners with ease.

Two of them, the F900XR and the Yamaha Tracer are less than 500 lbs wet. The others, including the NT1100 are over 500 lbs.

If it is reliability, I think the last comparison I saw on reliability had Yamahas at the top and BMW at the bottom. But I would venture to say they all are about equal now. I heard the electronics on the BMWs were the cause of their higher repairs back then...but all have about the same electronics now. And going by the BMW F800GT's history with me, I would say BMWs are not prone to breaking down any more than any other bike.

I buy my bikes based on their ability to check the boxes on my list of "must haves". The manufacturer's name means little to nothing to me. Well, unless it is Yugo. I might draw the line there. :D

Chris
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I totally understand what you’re saying. That being said, I have been riding Hondas my whole life and my first bike was at 6:50 nighthawk back in 84. I have owned Kawasaki and wrote other bikes that just don’t have the same tall gears and power bands that the Hondas have. You’re also on an ST owners site and you’re gonna find that we’re all pretty loyal to the Honda brand lol. I’m so glad there are other manufacturers out there that make bikes that performer as well or outperform the NT 1100. My girlfriend rides a BMW RT and loves it and it will. She will be a BMW person for the rest of her life. We are so lucky to have choices and I celebrate that. Just my two cents.
 
Igofar said:
What would you consider a BMW alternative?
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I haven't. Like BamaRider's comment below, I looked at what the current offerings where when I bought my BMW. Kawasaki's offerings didn't meet my criteria. Decent fairing? Check. Engine under 1000ccs.? Nope. Weight under 500 lbs? Nope. The Suzuki offering was just then being introduced and hadn't hit these shores yet in November 2023. I liked the NT1100, but it wasn't around back then. For me, it came down to the Yamaha Tracer and the BMW F900XR. Both with a fairing. Both with engines less than 1000ccs. Both weighing under 500 lbs.

Igofar, you sound like you really want a BMW. Come on, admit it. :D I'll bet you could convince yourself to buy one with a little more effort. :D ;)

BamaRider said:
looked at the Kawasaki and Suzuki as a matter of due diligence
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Yeah, looked around and as I wrote above, none of the models on the market fit my criteria in November 23. You can't buy wishful thinking. And this was the part that really kept nagging me in my mind. No one mentioned anything about looking at what was on the market and choosing the NT over all the others. It just seemed like the thought went "Oh my gosh! There's an NT 90 miles away. I gotta have it before it gets sold!" I've been told I'm one of those that researches everything about a purchase before making it. I suppose its true.


Bmacleod said:
Congrats on your new bike.
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Thanks, though it really isn't "new". The first F900XR was purchased on Oct 31st in 2023. I'd still have it, if I hadn't wrecked it last June. Nothing much had changed on the market, so I immediately went down and ordered a new one. I expect this will be my last bike, depending on how long I can keep riding.



So I'm off to Lolo Pass and then a bit south to stay outside Yellowstone. Depending on the traffic and crowds as to whether I go through the park, or by pass it.

@Mellow - Feel free to close this thread.

Chris
 
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