Are you a one bike man?

Calboy

Active member
I never had more than three bikes at the same time. About a month ago, after being down to only two bikes, I sold my Yamaha FJR1300 being convinced at the time that the R18FE would be totally okay as the only bike.
A few weeks ago I started getting the feeling that I had made a mistake in doing so. I realized that I can't really go to the R18 for all of my riding needs. I am looking to buy an adventure bike again. Probably a Super Tenere because I used to have one and I liked it a lot. Put about 50,000 miles on it in less than four years.
What is your take on the subject? Do you guys feel the same way I do, or do you embrace the r18 as the only bike?
 
One bike is never enough for me. I like have a beautiful bike for short dinner lunch type rides so a Harley softail or the R18FE are great bikes for that purpose. For long distance canyon curving week or long weekend riding I prefer the R1250RT. I enjoy cleaning/polishing and outfitting the cursers with eye pleasing customizing. I enjoying farkling the sport touring bike with functional and comfort additions. Of course this is all personal opinion/preference. There is no reason whatsoever that R18FE could be a long distance touring bike. For instance there is no reason your pickup can’t be your date car.
 
Its not like being married...have as many as needed to make you feel good. I am uncertain if there ever will be a single bike that fits all needs and desires :)
For me, having only test ridden for a bit an R18 and a TC I would not want a R18 as my only ride. The R18 to me is more of a cruiser around town bike. Maybe for shorter longer trips if kitted out right. Then again, I am not a cruiser rider that would take such a bike cross State lines to begin with. I would need the kitchen sink and fairing setup for that duty.
 
I never had more than three bikes at the same time. About a month ago, after being down to only two bikes, I sold my Yamaha FJR1300 being convinced at the time that the R18FE would be totally okay as the only bike.
A few weeks ago I started getting the feeling that I had made a mistake in doing so. I realized that I can't really go to the R18 for all of my riding needs. I am looking to buy an adventure bike again. Probably a Super Tenere because I used to have one and I liked it a lot. Put about 50,000 miles on it in less than four years.
What is your take on the subject? Do you guys feel the same way I do, or do you embrace the r18 as the only bike?
No! Unless it's a GS.
 
It is much more fun having two bikes than two cars. Had 3 bikes for a spell, but 2 has been the case for the last ten years.
 
I currently have 5 bikes and an e-"bike".

I am fortunate enough to be able to own, maintain and ride multiple bikes so I do it.
They all do different things. Of course there are overlaps.
If I had to go down to one bike, it would be a mid or large adventure bike such as a R1250GS. For the versatility.

Current rides:
R18 - shorter chill, cruising type rides. "Dress up" rides.
Norden 901 - long, more remote rides with unclear road surface conditions. Offroad rides in which I've already scoped out a bit. Explore - road biased.
WR250X/R - I use to do aforementioned scoping. Heavier offroad rides. Explore - offroad biased. Rental for friends.
890 Duke R - short distance sporty rides. Canyon carving. Urban exploration. Motogymkhana. Trackdays.
RC390 - Track days. Rental for friends.
Surron - extreme offroad / exploration. Neighborhood puttering / exploration.

The only niche I am unable to fill at the moment is for long distance high speed distance rides. But then I'm not very interested in doing those rides. If I were to do more of those... I would love to get a TC or an RT.

Of course these are the primary uses for each bike but I've crossed used bikes for different purposes as well. For example, taking the R18 on long distance NYC food/exploration ride.
 
I feel the same CalBoy, I have a Bmw R27 for local rides and an R18FE. I certainly miss not having an adventure bike in my garage. I am a GS man I guess, the GS ticks all the boxes if I’m honest.
Recently did all six passes in the Lake District (U.K.). and my O my, the R18 was a handful!
But then again it wasn’t designed for doing mega steep inclines and tight switch backs was it?
I just needed to see if the R18 was a ”one stop, do it all motorcycle”…..unfortunately it isn’t.
Horses for courses.
The issue is, do I put another GS in my garage or look elsewhere for a change…
 
I feel the same CalBoy, I have a Bmw R27 for local rides and an R18FE. I certainly miss not having an adventure bike in my garage. I am a GS man I guess, the GS ticks all the boxes if I’m honest.
Recently did all six passes in the Lake District (U.K.). and my O my, the R18 was a handful!
But then again it wasn’t designed for doing mega steep inclines and tight switch backs was it?
I just needed to see if the R18 was a ”one stop, do it all motorcycle”…..unfortunately it isn’t.
Horses for courses.
The issue is, do I put another GS in my garage or look elsewhere for a change…
Look for a Yamaha Super Tenere. It is not a GS but it's a very capable bike in its own rights. Find a 2014 (second generation) and up and you'll be a happy man at the end of the day.
 
It would be much easier to have one bike but no. If I was truly a one bike owner, I'd have to swap bikes every 12 months and I'd always be stressed about riding the crap out of them during that one year. I have one too many bikes right now (5) but New Hampshire is a weird state. They have no sales tax but even if you buy a used bike, you'll pay hugely the first 4 years of ownership in annual registration.

First year registration for my R18 - $750, second year will be $600 then $450 and it'll bottom out around $100 a year. So if I bought a used R18, that'd still be what I paid the first year. So while insurance does give me good pricing for having multiple bikes (total 12 month premium on 5 bikes is $550), the state is not kind to me and my habit of buying a new bike every 24 months and selling an old one.

  1. 2018 GSA
  2. 2019 F750GS
  3. 2020 Husky 701 LR
  4. 2022 R18 Bagger
  5. 1995 K75 RT
I'd like to add a 2-stroke Beta X-Trainer to the fleet and the wife wants a 300/350 KTM or a KLX dirt bike. The Husky can go almost anywhere that a 2-stroke can go considering how I ride and where the R18 stops, the GS Adventure picks up in the touring department. The K75 and R18 are pretty close in riding styles (around town and day trips) so the K75 is currently listed for sale but if I sell it, I"ll start eyeing airheads as the next restoration / project bike.

So I think I'm always destined to have 5 motorcycles.
 
My highly modified r18 FE is my run in the sun cruiser. My r1150 GSA hack is my latest off-road hero. Now I need a do everything daily driver; RT of course.
 
I've been riding GS's in one form or another since 2004 and I still have my 2021 40th Edition R1250GSA which I love and recently traded my R9T for the R18 Classic which I absolutely can't get enough of :cool:

I've only had it a week and a half and I had to stop riding it as hit 575 miles o_O It's having its running in service tomorrow so a nice chilled 80 mile ride through the Cotswolds to the dealer (y)

Jon
 
I feel the same CalBoy, I have a Bmw R27 for local rides and an R18FE. I certainly miss not having an adventure bike in my garage. I am a GS man I guess, the GS ticks all the boxes if I’m honest.
Recently did all six passes in the Lake District (U.K.). and my O my, the R18 was a handful!
But then again it wasn’t designed for doing mega steep inclines and tight switch backs was it?
I just needed to see if the R18 was a ”one stop, do it all motorcycle”…..unfortunately it isn’t.
Horses for courses.
The issue is, do I put another GS in my garage or look elsewhere for a change…
Another vote for CalBoy's reply. I think the BMW GS series is a great all-around bike, it's my favorite and the choice of many of my riding friends as well. I have also heard very good things about the Super Tenere and would check into one of those as well. My ONLY concern with the BMW, here in the States, is dealer availability as compared to Yamaha's, IF you happen to need it. Support from the GS forum community has been superb and I assume the Yamaha community would be the same
 
I feel the same CalBoy, I have a Bmw R27 for local rides and an R18FE. I certainly miss not having an adventure bike in my garage. I am a GS man I guess, the GS ticks all the boxes if I’m honest.
Recently did all six passes in the Lake District (U.K.). and my O my, the R18 was a handful!
But then again it wasn’t designed for doing mega steep inclines and tight switch backs was it?
I just needed to see if the R18 was a ”one stop, do it all motorcycle”…..unfortunately it isn’t.
Horses for courses.
The issue is, do I put another GS in my garage or look elsewhere for a change…
@Alf , I have been a GS/GSA rider for years (first of a long line of them was a new R100GSPD I bought in the mid 90's). This spring I bought a Yamaha Tenere 700 so I could get to places in the deep beach sand we have off-road here in Michigan that I could't (read didn't want to) go with the GSA. Between the R18 Classic and the T7, my 2021 R1250 GSA wasn't getting much use, so I sold it a couple weeks ago. I was gutted letting it go, but haven't missed it a bit. With the GSA gone I'm lacking a two-up long distance all-roads rig. If my wife rode with me more, selling the GSA would have left a bigger gap in my stable. At this point I love scratching the adventure itch, and hustling the b road twisities, for less than half of my GSA spend (and Ive done a lot of mods to my T700).

As much as I love the GS/GSA platform, I may have owned my last. If you can find one, the Tenere 700 may be a good option for you if your adventure bike doesn't have to double as a tourer, and you're satisfied with moderate acceleration.
 
Another vote for CalBoy's reply. I think the BMW GS series is a great all-around bike, it's my favorite and the choice of many of my riding friends as well. I have also heard very good things about the Super Tenere and would check into one of those as well. My ONLY concern with the BMW, here in the States, is dealer availability as compared to Yamaha's, IF you happen to need it. Support from the GS forum community has been superb and I assume the Yamaha community would be the same
Great group of guys. Very helpful, very knowledgeable.
 
Picked up this awesome looking ride yesterday.
2004 BMW R1150GSA
I used to have a 2002 1150GSA, same colour, same set up.
I love it!
 

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