Last year a friend and I were about to drop the hammer on a 1 1/2 to 2 month long trip to Europe. We both had work obligations this year but this summer we both have the time and want to get the ball rolling. The idea, ride and see as much as possible and ending up in croatia. For one would be really intrested to hearing what bike some of you guys would recommend for something like this. Pretty much if I could give you any bike to ride everywhere from lisbon, barcelona to amsterdam, berlin, alps, prague ending up in croatia what bike would it be? Any bike and the idea of travling as light as possible.

In all its about 3500 miles maybe 4000 in 2 months if you include some other spots but I think you get the idea. Any other thoughts are welcome of course but I want a couple ideas on bikes just to give me something to motivate myself and well, we all have SD's and I trust most wont be offering up a goldwing as a option. I'm 33 and dont want to tour europe on a something like that, I can do that as part 2 when I'm 55. I'm a intermediate / experienced rider and have plenty of canyon / trackday / even some race miles now under my belt now. Done trips up and down the california coast but thats on a 1198 and for storage options your just to limited and feel after the 1st week I might be second guessing my ride. Honestly I almost want to do it on a SD and not necessarily counting that out. What do you guys think? Here are a couple that came to mind

BMW K1200S
07+ SD all Kriega'ed out?
CBR 1000RR
BMW F800R

Thanks,,

ktm smr or t model... comfy as and a haul ass machine

Multi Strada, 07 08 or VStrom 650. Buy them, throw them away and not to worry about resale or miles piled one a bike that will go the distance and resale damn close to your purchase price. Something tells me the bike is the least of concern when your destination is not off the beaten path and the touring is about the places not the tarmac capability. Both skinny and nimble and twins so you will be happy with the torque curves and non buzzy behaviour. All day comfort on both when you need to stretch out some miles. options of hard bag packages for ease of travel. A Piaggio scooter would be a kick too?

SMT if you can afford it.

or motard and adventure

I like the idea SMR / SMT. Whats really the benefit of a SMR vrs. a Superduke? Tighter roads and some dirt/gravel roads? I've never ridden one. I thought about the adventure bikes but would rather a more street compliant machine for twisties and simply overall size. SMT looks good to but if an SMR could handle all the storage I need it looks like an awesome option. Anybody have much time on ether? Compared to the SD?

If you want a worthy bike get a BMW or a Multistrada.

If you want a boring trip get a VFR or similar.

If you want to be treated as a rockstar ride any ducati but get it numbered 46 and have some yellow on it.

Seriously, your trip to europe is determined by fuel availability. I used to own 2005 fireblade which was perfect to jaunt off to just about anywhere, except that when you got whereever you were going you always wished it would magically transform into the Superduke you left at home.

My vote, get an RC8 and and airhawk seat cushion...some of that Kreiga luggage / Ventura thingy if you must. Have dirty underwear and a trip to remember.

I personally would go for a BMW F800R. I rode one on a BMW demo day, had a ball and would love to have one at home. Just have a tail bag and a tank bag, bike is nice and flickable. Just down on power compared to your other listed bikes.

I completely forgot about the ring, kinda intimidated by it and the stories I've heard to be honest, but deff have to give it a wirl. I heard the future of it is quite uncertain at this point so better do it while you still can. Thanks for the reminder and the rest of the spots to hit, they will go straight to the list.

I never ridden a BMW let alone a F800R, I did mention it when I first posted because for some reason, people seem to put a shitload of miles on BMW's. I think maybe it has more to do with this type of person rather than the bikes. I guess the question is what does the F800R have that the SD or SMR dosent for something like this? Like Stupid Luke mentioned, you do it on a RC8 you just gained a hell of alot of badass, sure you lost alittle on storage but there is the tradeoff. You also with the RC8 get wind protection which turns into something rather nice after 6 hours straight on a road, and when your not straight well it can do that too. Damm Stupid Luke, why'ed he have to mention the RC8, fcking expensive but its a hell of a postcard in my head.

And you can pull the bars up higher have the pegs lower and keep the seat height low on the RC8 for a more relaxed touring position and then when you get to the ring you can drop the bars again, raise up the pegs and seat height with just a few bolts for some track action

Why not ship your bike there and back?
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/

Look under planning for shipping experiences + price for transporting bikes.

Bosnia

On the where to buy a bike question you have to look at the places where the taxes are good. Most of the EU is on about 20 % gst minimum but there are place where you can buy a vehicle without tax or lower tax. One solution is Andorra, Liechtenstein and so but I guess that is difficult. Another one is that you don't pay taxes and GST as long as you export the vehicle out of the EU. This will save you loads but you need paperwork and as mentioned you need to get rid of the bike outside the EU.

At RedZX about the BMW. I'm sure you can still trade in your SD for the beemer....

I would suggest the SMT also , although Luke's idea is top drawer
Nick sanders has been round the world a few times on his R1!!!

SMT or SMR is deffo a sensible option with a balanced approach to luggage, fun and comfort while retaining coolness. But gotta agree with SL that an RC8 would rock....as long as your wrists can handle it. If you still want to kick some ass, but need to sit upright a bit more, stick a touring screen and an SD and blast away! I did a thousand miles on my SDR with Ronin last year....admittedly we didnt carry luggage all day every day but for riding comfort it was spot bollock on! And we didnt soften the bikes at all....could have done if we were touring a bit more.

Ronin has also done kega miles round Europe on his old ADV R. Im sure he'll be along soon to comment on it.

Just make sure if you come to the UK, you let us know. We met up with TT roadhouse last year at the Ace in London before he head up north.

I would prefer I SD any day of the week. I guess the best thing for you to do is have a short list of say 5 bikes that you would be happy to ride, then it will make it easier to find a good one within your budget.

If I was given the option between a SD, SMT and the BMW for the alps, KTM would win every time, maybe the SMT just so it is something different from home.

Ronin and myself did about 3k around the Pyrenees over 8 days a couple of years ago. We carried our kit most days and it really wasn't a problem. 30l kreiga rucksack and 10l tank bag was plenty. You would have a great laugh on the SD compared to anything else.

For lots of bike for cheap money in the UK ... Aprilia Tuono

Just started researching export plates and what countries have them. Any of you UK guys know how long that permit or transfer plate for anyone from outside the country is good for when they pick up a bike in your back yard? Is it that they are riding on the remainder of your registration for that year? Germany has a export plate good for a year, Austria, Netherlands, I hear even italy but its impossible to get for the most part or not worth the time.

I know I could
1) use a friend in said country and simple as that it gets registered to them, they let me ride it. The only thing I find alittle scary about this is all the borders I have to cross on a bikes thats not in my name. Could this not be a serious problem?

2) Use a friend as address only for registration and insurance and get a letter or some form of proof I live there for some amount of time. Kind of like a 2nd home vacation house in another country.

3) Export plates, from whatever country that provides this, then you must provide proof the bike has left the EU within the year of the permit. This could work out seeing as the trip ends in croatia (outside EU at least last I checked). I guess I could be met with paying taxes at the border but I have no clue

As for bike, I know its not really the biggest part but I like the motivation. If it came down to it I would do it on anything that runs well. I must admit the RC8 would be awesome and not ness letting that little dream go but when I weight it all I think picking up 2 superdukes would be ideal. Its something I already know and that could come in handy, plus its just a sick bike, thats why we all have them.

I did check out Air freighting the bikes over, 1 its pricey when its all said and done using standard rates its 2700 to 3000 with paperwork a bike. There are other opprotunities in which shipper bid on your weight to fill empty space. As this could become an option I get a little uneasy about it. Showing up finding out you bike hasnt left yet, you have already paid, your fcked. There are a couple stories I have read where one guy waited for his bike for a whole fcking month and to top it off had to go to another country to get it. I will see, thanks again and if anyone has any tips on the legal side of buying let me know thanks

Just get the bike registered in your name at any UK address. I'm sure somebody on here would let you use their address, if not then you would be welcome to use mine. Most of the borders between European countries are notional, there are no checkpoints or paperwork checks at all thanks to a thing called the Schengen agreement. The only time you are likley to have paperwork looked at is between UK and the rest of Europe (although I have never had even my passport looked at in detail when getting off the ferry) and when leaving or re entering the EU. If the bike is rehgistered in your name at a UK address and on UK plates nobody will care about anything else.

When it's time to go home just flog the bikes on Ebay or Autotrader or whatever suits and leave.

Problem solved.

Have a great trip.

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no worries, a Tuono wouldnt be bad and they are a good bit faster but really the SD is more fun plus I trust the SD a hell of alot more, I have delt with a lemon RSVR in the past and it left quite a sour taste in my mouth concerning this era of Ape, the electrical is crap. The RSV4, well thats another story you can give me one of those, just not for the trip[/quote]

Well the sharp eyed may have noticed the bike behind the superduke in my avatar piccy .....is an aprilia ..a SL1000 Falco to be exact .. 2005 last of the run and i have to say one of the finest use every single day commuter bikes i have ever had it now has 45000 miles on the clock and has only once failed to get me home when a starter solenoid failed which i replaced with a yamaha item and has never failed since ((More than can be said for the superduke which despite only doing a fraction of the milage 500 this year has failed twice to get me home.. Terminal clutch seal issue and massive fuel leak when the tank split.. )) Its got a great fairing space for satnav heated grips and handles much better than most other sports tourers . I have 2 friends with/had tuonos one despatch rode one and racked up 80000 miles before he swapped it for a BMW 1100 a move he regrets .The other is still hacking his Tuono through Londons traffic rain or shine .So if i was doing a long tour to be honest i would take my aprilia.

Yeah I can understand some bikes just seem to break every chance they get while others are just rock solid no matter what you throw at them. I've had my SD for just under 11,000 and in that year and a half, no problems. I replaced the battery is the only thing I can think of other than the norm. Its always so strange when they are the same bike yet completely different bills of health, like some gimp snuck in assembled a couple.

you could buy mine RC8 in valencia spain its in the bike sale part.............

must say used UK prices are very attractive at the moment.