My pel soek ook n bike.
He likes all the Pics I send him on my little trips, with the old bikes and the tentjie and the vuurtjie, and me camping solo.
Hy wil ook "bietjie wegkom".
He has no biking experience, but likes the whole concept of adventure biking, for a night or 2, as above.
His Ouboet has a 1200 GS, and he likes my old GS.
So, last week, he asks me what bike to buy.
My thinking (as a relative newbie...I did the bike think till about 30, then nothing, and sort of took it up again at around 50):
1.....what do you want to do with a bike?
Occasional 500 or 1000km weekend camping trip, like I do, and maybe a Sunday Clarens and back on gravel, like I do?
2......you want 80% gravel and 20% tar, or the other way round?
3.....how good can you ride?
4.....solo or always with a mate?
5.....
So....we got talking.
About a GS, he likes the GS, but I suspect he only likes the "GS hype".
I told him a 1200 or 1250 GS is a 80% tar, 20% gravel bike AT FIRST, as you grow accustomed to the thing, maybe attend a course etc etc, that 20% "capability" could become 30/40/50%, maybe even more....there are Guys that ride these things like plastics (but wont be the case here).
OR go for a 700cc (or thereabouts) ligter, "easier" Dual Purpose.
You immediately have that 40/50% capability...its light, the whole thing is just easier to handle on gravel than a heavy bike.
BUT that "light" Dual Purpose will only ever be THAT good on tar.
Let's take 2 "examples" here.
1250 GS and T7.
Let's take an experienced rider.
The 1250 will do 70% (??? Maybe less??) What the T7 can do....if you take gravel etc etc into account.
The T7 will also actually do 70% what the GS can do, if you take tar into account.
......??
Its like a 4x4....
A new Amarok will eat up the tarmac to that 4x4 destination, once there you'll be jealous of your pal's Cruiser v8.
BUT your Pal will be jealous of your Amarok too..on tar and good roads.
.....??
He likes all the Pics I send him on my little trips, with the old bikes and the tentjie and the vuurtjie, and me camping solo.
Hy wil ook "bietjie wegkom".
He has no biking experience, but likes the whole concept of adventure biking, for a night or 2, as above.
His Ouboet has a 1200 GS, and he likes my old GS.
So, last week, he asks me what bike to buy.
My thinking (as a relative newbie...I did the bike think till about 30, then nothing, and sort of took it up again at around 50):
1.....what do you want to do with a bike?
Occasional 500 or 1000km weekend camping trip, like I do, and maybe a Sunday Clarens and back on gravel, like I do?
2......you want 80% gravel and 20% tar, or the other way round?
3.....how good can you ride?
4.....solo or always with a mate?
5.....
So....we got talking.
About a GS, he likes the GS, but I suspect he only likes the "GS hype".
I told him a 1200 or 1250 GS is a 80% tar, 20% gravel bike AT FIRST, as you grow accustomed to the thing, maybe attend a course etc etc, that 20% "capability" could become 30/40/50%, maybe even more....there are Guys that ride these things like plastics (but wont be the case here).
OR go for a 700cc (or thereabouts) ligter, "easier" Dual Purpose.
You immediately have that 40/50% capability...its light, the whole thing is just easier to handle on gravel than a heavy bike.
BUT that "light" Dual Purpose will only ever be THAT good on tar.
Let's take 2 "examples" here.
1250 GS and T7.
Let's take an experienced rider.
The 1250 will do 70% (??? Maybe less??) What the T7 can do....if you take gravel etc etc into account.
The T7 will also actually do 70% what the GS can do, if you take tar into account.
......??
Its like a 4x4....
A new Amarok will eat up the tarmac to that 4x4 destination, once there you'll be jealous of your pal's Cruiser v8.
BUT your Pal will be jealous of your Amarok too..on tar and good roads.
.....??
