It's time to start looking for another bike....
 

Because I just passed this today:
http://a.imageshack.us/img163/9586/dscf0149f.jpg

Current contenders are a Buell Ulysses XT
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/photog...s_XB12XT_7.jpg

BMW RT1200 RT
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/7...rt20062vc1.jpg

And of course, a Ducati MTS 1200
http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/8...trada20101.jpg

Not going to buy anything till 2012 anyways

The Ducati is one of the ugliest bikes I've ever seen, but aside from that I think it's an awesome machine. The other 2 will be lightyears ahead of your 'Cane in the suspension department, but sloooooooowwwwwwwwww in comparison. And Buell is dead, I've heard it already takes forever to get parts.

TRAITOR!!! :mad: ...jk haha

whats wrong with 90k???

i choose none of the above.

My 3 big concerns:
Buell: supported by Harley for how long?
BMW: final drive and electrical gremlins eventually
Ducati: it's Italian and expensive to fix

Have you considered the Triumph Tiger 1050? I've heard that triple is the best of both worlds in terms of torque and top-end.

What about a Blackbird ? - same basic design as the 1000F with a turbine smooth motor.

That's the way I went and with a pair of VFR800vtec bars fitted it's as comfy as the 1000F.

A Honda motor is only just run in at 90,000km....lol. I agree with Deano. I have a 2003 Blackbird and it is essentially the same as the 1000F with more grunt but just as comfortable if you do the handlebar mods. I wouldn't go anywhere near any of the other bikes but hey thats just me. I have an Airhawk on my BB and have done 1000km days with no problems. Cheers.

That looks to me to be 90,000 miles, which is more like 140,000 km.

Well mine is at 135000kms , it stills runs superb but thinking about a blackird as well...

blackbird is my next bike..

Yep, that's 90k miles.

Those would be a few of my concerns, too. :)

The blackbird isn't a bad idea at all. I'd likely look at the FJR, too. My friend has one and likes it a lot.

+1 on both these bikes. They both would be on my short list.

without all those saddle bags some of those bikes would be on my list too, including the FJR.

im just not a touring bike guy at heart. ;)

VFR 'Fugly' anybody??:D. Seriously though, for the kind of $$ the Duke or the BMW cost you'd just about have the choice of anything you want. A triumph ST Sprint would be on my list for a drive, maybe a 'Bird. I'd probably try a VFR800 too just to see if I liked it. Or just another CBRF with low miles?? There still seem to be quite a few around that people just haven't ridden much from new.

I was gonna mention the sprint, too. I've never ridden one, but I'd like to.

The newer VFR800 is also on my very short list. Not so much the new 1200, though. It kinda upsets me that it's so frickin' ugly because I was looking forward to it's release... :(

Especially when you see pics like this:
So much potential....

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M79IizPQA0...a+vfr+2010.jpg


And then we get this:
(WTF??)

http://www.techlocation.com/files/20...s-Tourer-1.jpg



Why didn't they just find a way to stuff the 1200 motor into an interceptor.... give it a better seat and bigger tank.... lower the pegs a tad... raise the bars an inch..... and call it a day.
Hell, I could have drawn the whole plan out for honda with my crayons and construction paper. :D

I tried a few bikes before I moved from the 1000F to the Blackbird.

VFR's tend to have big miles on them cos they are all day long comfy.
VFR800 - Nice to ride but almost the same weight as Blackbird with much less power
VFR800vtec - Similar to VFR800 but Horible engine, vtec kicks in at the wrong time round a corner and unsettles the bike.
VFR1200 - Out of price range - very nice to ride but small tank and far too technical for much DIY.
Blackbird - Fuel injection - after a carb bike this felt too snatchy at low speed - needs a power commander and a tweak.
ZXR900 - big and heavy but very comfy to ride.
ZX12R - bigger and heavier - lots of grunt but didn't feel right for me
ST1050 - nice to ride but not as smooth at a straight 4
BMW K1200S - This almost got me buying - Very nice to ride but the indicator system is awful.
BMW K1300S - When funds alow - this will be high on the shopping list - smooth, fast & quite nimble - and they sorted out the indicators ( lets hope they sorted electrics too !! )

Then came the Blackbird - carb model.
Engine - All that the 1000F was and so much more - fluid smooth - very flexible and and adictive warp drive from 7K - and the bonus of CCT change in only 15 mins !

Ride - A more sporty ride than the 1000F but very similar. Forward lean can be changed by using VFR800vtec bars so it feels more like a 1000F.
OEM screen is not clever so I used an MRA Vario Touring - works well.

Weight - All I have changed is the bars, screen and the exhaust - On a local weigh station my blackbird is only 10kg heavier than a VFR800 and 40kg lighter than my 1000F.

Brakes - DCBS with larger 310mm floating discs up front, single fixed rear disc.

Fuel Economy - I get about the same 180 miles to a tank as I did on the 1000F

Tyres - Blackbird is factory standard on the popular 120/70 and 180/55 sizes - Only issue is that you have to use the "C" rated tyres like a BMW tourer.

Maintenance - this was one of the big deciding factors for me - the Blackbird has been almost the same bike since it's introduction. All panels fit all bikes. The stainless injection downpipes fit the carb bike. And everything is available for the Blackbird.

I feel that the Blackbird ( for me ) was the perfect step forward from the 1000F.

Since buying the blackbird it has had a couple of tweaks - Racetech gold valves and JAWS springs up front, K-Tech rear shock, 6mm shim over rear shock.
Now it is all the bike I would ever want for the road.