Which bike?..Please help

[Hayden]

Hi to all
Please indulge a potential newbie..
I`am looking to buy a `sports tourer` and have narrowed it down to one of three, a Triumph sprint ST, a Honda VFR 800 ( pre Vtech) and a R1100S.
I suspect the R1100S is the one but do I settle for a `standard` bike or stretch a little to a Boxer Cup Rep.
I quite like the ordinary R1100S ( black would be nice) so what more does a BCR offer me for the real world other than the obvious paint scheme and gaudy stickers?
Also, of the two BCRs I prefer the later one, colour wise ( the Randy Mamola one looks a bit bling!) is there much to choose between the two?

Any imput much appreciated

Hayden

[herrman]

Hi Hayden,
Real world the BCR offers no more than a std S apart from a higher ride height, Shocks are no better quality just longer. Late BCRs (Red/White & Blue) are even taller due to thicker seat padding. Well worth keeping your eye on the For Sale section as some well sorted bikes---Better Shocks/Exhausts/Filters and maybe a PC do come up for sale at realistic prices.

HTH Regards Peter.

[Dog Tyred]

and gaudy stickers? Hayden

Gaudy stickers!

[Blackal]

Peter - are you sure about the ride heights?

I thought the Mk 1 BCR was the same ride height as the R1100s, with the Mk 2 BCR being app 15mm higher, due to longer shocks/shorter torque arm?

I know that the Wilbers that Andrew S and I ordered were both for the Mk 1 and they were shorter than my original Mk 2 fitment.

There are some nice standard paint schemes, but I do think that the BCR models (both) give the bike less of a "bulky" look around the fwd end

Al

[herrman]

Hi Al,
Pretty sure that Mk1 BCRs are taller than std as is the early SS. BMW messed around with shock and torque arm lengths quite a bit in the early days. Some SS models have a shorter rear shock than std but with the short arm end up being taller.

Peter.

[Hayden]

and gaudy stickers? Hayden

Gaudy stickers!

No offense Nu2....but yeah, its like a chav getting a perfectly good 3 series BM and sticking chrome arches and a drianpipe exhaust on..!

Anyway, I ve just got off a Sprint ST, not at all bad but very much looking forward to trying an R1100S at the weekend, weather permitting.

[Gromit]

Much as I really like the BCR bikes (I owned an '04 myself) in my experience the best financial sense re buying an 11S is to get a standard one and do the various mods which everyone does - ie short torque arm (raises rear ride height), shocks (if you're flush) and junking the cat and replacing with a Laser or Remus mid pipe.

You could buy a good standard S, do all (or some) of those mods and still have loads of change compared with a standard BCR.

[herrman]

Much as I really like the BCR bikes (I owned an '04 myself) in my experience the best financial sense re buying an 11S is to get a standard one and do the various mods which everyone does - ie short torque arm (raises rear ride height), shocks (if you're flush) and junking the cat and replacing with a Laser or Remus mid pipe.

You could buy a good standard S, do all (or some) of those mods and still have loads of change compared with a standard BCR.

Agreed, Std S with Lazer/Remus or Zach mid pipe and a decent pair of shocks takes some beating!!

Peter.

[cc mac]

You are right to consider a black one, they look really classy. You can always upgrade the shocks for E=MC Endurance for about £550. I've had my black one for four years now and I still think it looks tasty.

[oyster]

Of the three it's down to personal preference.
VF800, great torque, good tourer, tough bike, early model was best.
Triumph Sprint, probably best all round tourer (big debate coming up I suspect) if you consider all aspects. You want the luggage on it from factory.
R1100S - great style, easy to maintain, good tourer. Slightly slower than the Triumph. And my preferred choice.

[Gromit]

VF800, great torque.

In all honesty having owned a VFR800 the last thing I'd say it had was 'great torque'. I found that to get any real swift progress I had to rev the tits off it like you would a 600. The ST and the 11S leave it for dead in this respect.

I agree though in that I'd have the 1100S out of these - the VFR8 is one bike I'd never own again. The 750 however was lovely.

[Dog Tyred]

No offense Nu2....but yeah, its like a chav getting a perfectly good 3 series BM and sticking chrome arches and a drianpipe exhaust on..!

Anyway, I ve just got off a Sprint ST, not at all bad but very much looking forward to trying an R1100S at the weekend, weather permitting.

No offense taken. I suggest you buy a VFR

[eggcup]

Just bought a 07 1200 GSA knocks spots off the BCR if you want comfort and distance this is the only way to go wish I tried this before buying the BCR although it did fall out of a bloody big ugly tree.
ian

[Blackal]

Just bought a 07 1200 GSA knocks spots off the BCR if you want comfort and distance this is the only way to go wish I tried this before buying the BCR although it did fall out of a bloody big ugly tree.
ian

I've got both, and love both of them. Sure the Adv carries more, further - but we'd all be driving Landrovers if that was the only criteria for choice................

It's about "enjoyment" also...................

Al

[eggcup]

Just bought a 07 1200 GSA knocks spots off the BCR if you want comfort and distance this is the only way to go wish I tried this before buying the BCR although it did fall out of a bloody big ugly tree.
ian

I've got both, and love both of them. Sure the Adv carries more, further - but we'd all be driving Landrovers if that was the only criteria for choice................

It's about "enjoyment" also...................

Al

Thats the trouble with pigeon holeing bikes or anything else as soon as you say Sports/Tourer loads of bikes fall off the radar.
All I know is the GSA is real world faster than my BCR, and I still love my BCR just in a different way.
ian