Interstate \ Highway travel

[SapperWing]

I'm about a year away from buying an adventure bike. Suppose it's a great time, as the field is plush with entrants. However, for those who are often saddled with "paralysis by analysis," it's a bit more of a struggle..... 

 

I've been riding since 88' and owned a number of bikes. Currently, a 2015 Honda F6B and a 2018 KTM 300XC (they were both "easy" choices, because I feel, still today, they're the best at what I need them to do). 

 

What I'm looking for in my next bike (without giving up my other two):

1) All weather riding. I live at 7500' in Colorado Springs - and on a dirt road. The F6B is the ultimate road bike - I'll never sell it (till I buy my next 'Wing), but it's very hard when my road is muddy, slushy, snowy. The only time I've had to pick it up was trying to get out of my neighborhood on slushy ice. I'll ride below freezing as long as I can get it to the asphalt (which is rare in the winter). 

2) I do quite a bit of solo motocamping on the F6B - and I like to be comfortable (read: overpack (Exped Mega 10 strapped to the back.... )). The problem is fireroads \ gravel roads are very, very difficult on the F6B. I do it - but here in the Colorado mountains.... ain't easy. (Also, I'll never ride 2-up; she hates bikes....)

3) I also like highway comfort. I ride day \ night, rain\shine, freezing\blistering hot - so I go for the Heated grips, alternator power output, music, large fairings, Madstad shields, highway pegs, large - low rpm engines, cushy seats, etc (you get the idea....). I can ride that F6B 7-8 hours a day and enjoy every second; absolutely love it. My days of "buzzy" high rpm bikes - and stopping every hour to massage my hands is long past me.

4) For offroad, I have the KTM and I'm in the Colorado mountains every weekend as long as the trails are open (in the winter I'll go to some pay as you go riding areas). I don't really need a light, dual sport to get that fix - but I would like the ability to do the BDRs.

 

So, sadly, I'm torn between the ST and the T7. I was (and, quite honestly, still am) sold on the ST due to the highway capability - and I'll muscle it through the BDRs if I have to (I've picked up a 900lb F6B on dirt - a ST would be easy!!). It is hard to ignore the hype of the T7. But I think, in the lifetime of this bike, it would be 80% highway, 20% dirt. I'm also 45 miles from Ft. Carson, so it'd like be on a lot of daily commuter duty....

 

Perhaps think of it as 10,000 highway miles a year, 500 dirt miles a year + 1 BDR a year. (This doesn't really add up to 80\20...)

 

I feel like that pushes me towards the ST, but - dunno. Again, hard to ignore what people say about this T7.

 

(The local Colorado Springs dealer is a bit stingy on the length of the test drives, or I'd know more about the T7).

 

Just musing I suppose..... 

 

Cheers!

Edited January 21, 2021 by SapperWing

[SapperWing]

Does one reply directly to their own topic?

 

Anyhow...

 

If a F6B fully comfort modded (fairings, Madstad, heated gear, good suspension, etc, etc) is a 10 in comfort at 80 mph on the interstate \ highway. 

 

What is a fully comfort modded ST? 8 or 9? 9.5?

 

What is a fully comfort modded T7? 5? 7? More?

 

Guess it's in the ass of the beholder, but... kinda gets at what I'm wondering about.... 

[Insane rider]

Looks like you need a ST
The 19 inch front wheel will be enough for you with knobbies when you need to go offroad.
It's also tubeless

On almost all of the difficult BDRs sections there is some bypass

[Marc]

I’ve owned 2 STs and want a third but I’ll tell you this, the weight drove me to the T7. Picking up an S10 with a full tank and some cargo will challenge the best of us. I know the F6B is a heavy bike but the weight is carried completely differently. When I traded in my 2015 ES for the T7, the dealer came back from riding it to back of the shop and said, “I forgot how big those bike were!”. I regeared the T7 to 16/42 and the highway miles just click by. My back has never felt better : )

[jdk2man]

I live in Colorado Springs. I've owned an ST and now I have a T7.

From what you describe on what you want to do, get an ST. I loved my ST. Just didn't ride it enough.

I took it on a lot of dirt roads. actually one of the first was Engineer Pass. And I lived and never dropped it.

Though, it was heavy. 

I got the T7 for nimbleness and its lighter weight. I plan to do more technical trails. The ST is just too top heavy.

But for road trips the ST is a lot more comfortable than the T7. Better wind protection. More comfortable, etc...

 

Don't get me wrong. The ST is very capable off road. Even technical trails. But it is over 600lbs before gear.

I set it down (didn't get the kickstand all the way down) at a campground in Yellowstone. I had to remove the luggage to pick it up. I've also set it down in the mountains (kickstand sunk in the dirt) and was able to pick it up (no luggage).

 

And for the price of what you can get a used ST for these days, you should be able to get a killer deal.

 

[jdk2man]

6 hours ago, SapperWing said:

Does one reply directly to their own topic?

 

Anyhow...

 

If a F6B fully comfort modded (fairings, Madstad, heated gear, good suspension, etc, etc) is a 10 in comfort at 80 mph on the interstate \ highway. 

 

What is a fully comfort modded ST? 8 or 9? 9.5?

 

What is a fully comfort modded T7? 5? 7? More?

 

Guess it's in the ass of the beholder, but... kinda gets at what I'm wondering about.... 

I would rate the ST as a 9 at least. I drove straight from West Yellowstone to Colorado Springs. Average speed in no mans land Wyoming was around 90. No problem what so ever.

The T7, from my limited experience, a 7. Maybe a 6. At 75mph, you can feel the wind really well. I'm still working on the windscreen. But it does feel like at 75, it's getting to the top end. I am sure others will bash me on that. And maybe because it's still under it 600 miles. But there is definitely a difference between the ST and the T7 at 75.

Though I am still going to do road trip from Colorado to Key West and back this year. 

 

[cstatman]

its obvious - you need a Hodaka! 

(SuperTen from what you describe)

[Jalamajohn]

Just sold my S10 after getting a T7 and riding it for a couple of months.  I did 3 BDRs on the S10 and it is amazing on the highway and climbs in the dirt like a mountain goat.  In the spirit of simplification however I will focus on making this T7 do everything for me and I think it will do a good job.  I will miss that cruise control though.

[Louis]

2 cents worth; the ST is a similar bike to the F6B but miles apart from the XC 300. As you intend keeping both your other bikes. The T7 sits kind of midway between your 2 existing bikes. You already have a tourer and a dirt bike, the T7 is a hybrid SUV so to speak. Just don't expect the T7 to match the attributes of either of your other bikes in their natural environment.

It is a compromise between the two of them. It may require enhancement in some areas (tyres, screen, suspension, crash bars, racks) to function better for your personal usage, I know that I have changed much on my T7 to satisfy my needs. Remember that "you can't have your cake and eat it". 

[MikeCMP]

I’d we on the super Tenere.  I had one for several ears, I got a killer deal on mine, and I absolutely love it. I traded it in on a t7, I think I did the right thing but the wi d protection was significantly better on the st, so he highway miles will be more comfortable.

 

the extra power and fuel will be better too. 
 

I took my ST on all the challenge sections of the MABDR plus a road that had a 4 foot ditch running down the middle of it. The bike can go where you want it to.

 

other little things add up too, the shaft drive, tubeless rims, and ability o carry more luggage and weight. 
 

if you can’t tell, I miss mine a bit. It was a 2013, the first off roading I did was at March moto madness, and I hydrolocked  the engine in a river   A couple oils changes later it ran like a top, and I put 35k miles on it before I traded it in. 
 

Mike