Am I doing the right thing?

[Brit Bike Nut]

Hello and thanks for letting me onto this great website. I hope this will be the begining of a slight turn in the nationality of my bike collection. I hope you can help?

I was in Southern France on holiday a few weeks. I watched with envy the guys (and girls) riding their bikes around the Maritime Alps while I was with my family (yet the MIL was there as well) in a rented (but never the less clean, cool and quiet) Peugeot 307. My face must have said it all, and my wife could do little else than take pity on me. To my amazement she suggested that next year she would the kids on 'SleasyJet' and I could ride a bike!
Great...which one should I take? Over the years I have managed to aquire (and restore) a Triumph, a Sunbeam and a Norton. All of them are very close to my heart (at one stage the cost of the monthly restoration bill exceeded the mortage!) but non of them will offer me comfortable touring to the Med. So, I have been looking...and looking and looking and the only classic that shines out head and shoulders above the rest it the R80/100GS.

Am I right? I am looking for a large tourer with a little bit of offroad capability that has mechanics that can be fixed at the roadside but is unlikely to be need it.

After trawling the net it appears that the UKGSers might be able to cast some light on the best type, to get and where I might find one. I was considering an 1150GS but decided that, as I love to service and set up bikes myself the older R80GS or R100GS was the better option.

Any thoughts? Any bikes around? I have knoticed that there are some on the website but felt that a little bit of advice would be helpful so that I dont appear to be a tyre kicker.

Thanks.

 

[mikepg]

Yes - you are doing the right thing!

The 80 and 100 will be really easy to service - and if you can get a good one, you will be quids in.

I don't know about serving the 1150 - always had enough cash to be lazy and get it done for me, but I'd bet it's a fairly straightforward thing to service too.

 

[Brit Bike Nut]

Thanks Mike. I don't supose you have a view on monolever vs paralever?

 

[(RIP) Proff]

Mono's rule

I am EXTREMELY Biased
I wouldn't entertain a Paralever, Mono's are the easiest to work on and I like the way they handle.
Only thing missing are BRAKES
I have 8 old Beemers but I'm always riding the R80g/s....

Check through the Airhead threads, It's the Elite Section

 

[Trippy]

Only thing missing are BRAKES

Cheeky old duffer my 80G/S has very good brakes

 

[(RIP) Proff]

g/s not G/S you dippy bugger !

Cheeky old duffer my 80G/S has very good brakes

FFS !! Trippy
It's an 80 g/s not G/S
little letters my friend, little letters

 

[Twotter]

After trawling the net it appears that the UKGSers might be able to cast some light on the best type, to get and where I might find one. I was considering an 1150GS but decided that, as I love to service and set up bikes myself the older R80GS or R100GS was the better option.

There's quite a few of us who service and set up our 1150's as well you know

 

[mikepg]

Thanks Mike. I don't supose you have a view on monolever vs paralever?

Not really............it's horses for courses. The more complex, the more time you will be spending tinkering than riding, which is fun in itself.

The newer bikes handle better and brake better so it depends on your riding style and what you want at the end of the day.

I have just sold my old R80RT mono - I loved it to bits, but spent more time restoring it than I did riding it and when I did ride it, apart from the sound it made, it handled like a bag of nails, stopped like a tub of jelly and on a hot day, I thought I was going to suffocate..........in comparison to a 12GS, and in car term, it was like driving an old Austin 1100 compared to a new (any new) car. The Austin had charm, easy to fix, and 30mph felt like 60mph (especially with crap brakes and old fashioned suspension)

I'm sure you will make the right choice in the end and good luck.

 

[Brit Bike Nut]

I like slow that feels fast...the Sunbeam is a classic example. You cant even corner too fast as the crosply tyres twitch, you can't accelerate (it only produces about 24bhp) and the breaks....it is more effective to drag your heal on the ground! Seriously - No ECU is important...I just see them as a time bomb waiting to go off. Electronic ignition is good. Hefty alterator to run QH lights and sensible breaks. I am never going to be producing an endo at the traffic lights.

I have found an '83 R80GS that has had a few mods (four pot caliper on front, Siebenrock 1000 cc conversion, progressive springs, WP Shock etc...(?)) It has done 40K and appears to be in really good nick. My problem is trying to set a value for it. The guy is asking £3.4K and I feel that this is a lot. Any gut feeling?

 

[(RIP) Proff]

I like slow that feels fast...the Sunbeam is a classic example. You cant even corner too fast as the crosply tyres twitch, you can't accelerate (it only produces about 24bhp) and the breaks....it is more effective to drag your heal on the ground! Seriously - No ECU is important...I just see them as a time bomb waiting to go off. Electronic ignition is good. Hefty alterator to run QH lights and sensible breaks. I am never going to be producing an endo at the traffic lights.

I have found an '83 R80GS that has had a few mods (four pot caliper on front, Siebenrock 1000 cc conversion, progressive springs, WP Shock etc...(?)) It has done 40K and appears to be in really good nick. My problem is trying to set a value for it. The guy is asking £3.4K and I feel that this is a lot. Any gut feeling?

Mick DB1 sold a 80g/s modified for good FUN for half that price !!!


he also has another he might be selling drop him a PM

 

[oblertone]

You could do worse ...

... than look here

 

[ChrisG]

South of France

One question, how long do you envisage taking over your journey, or how long will SHMBO let you have for your trip. I ask because this might have a bearing on the most appropriate bike.

Calais - Nice is about 800 miles by the direct route, does not sound far does it but, I've done Calais Geneva (500 miles) many times , you can do it in around 8-10 hours if the weather is good, but this assumes that you'll take the Autoroutes and you can maintain a good cruising speed with few fuel stops. It is a long long day in the saddle, and frankly I prefer to break the journey into two days if I can.

I have also done the South of France on a bike less suited to high speed touring (Ducati) taking the intesting routes and it took us four days.

If you need to tour quickly then I would put in a vote for the 1150 which is a superb mile eater for such journeys.

Cheers
Chris

 

[Vern]

... than look here

Iwas going to point you at that one.I had it before MMC,and it's an absolute belter and nees nothing.

Go for it

And welcome of course