minkys three grand varadildo .. first ride

minkyhead

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for the last two weeks ive been getting the vara ready to tour

full service mich pilots swopped with the gs...i aint going off road ...not on purpuse anyway

anyway the main problem was the screen ..just not tall enough like the gs and loads of others ..test rode a fjr 1300 and it was the wosrt screen ever ...considering the technolagy involved
the main problem with the 02 bike is that the angle of the screen is set wrong so out with the jig saw and carve up an old screen off the old gs

spend a few hours ok more than a few hours messing with heights and pitches using cardboard and gaffa tape

after the umteenth run up to 100 plus mph an optimun pitch and height achieved

just bear in mind chaps i dont care what it looks like as long as ot works
i just kept the original screen in position and placed the cut one in front

two rubber door wedges exactly matched the pitch of screen i needed

more engerneering types could gey somthing out of aliminium or nylon to make it look a lot neater

i never cut the original down ..again would look neater cos two grommets for the 6ml holes and no ones going to bother when i sell the bike

any way it works very very well ..you can flip the front of your helmet up at 120 mph and if it were posible light up a cigerette not far off

ive bolted on my paintanted map holder by using a cross peice on the handlebars it has a handy compartment fo phones change mp3s autocom two way radio ect money whatever keeps your pockets clear and stops you going int the luggage everytime ...still working on that .... bid in for full givi 220 quid ..fingers crossed
motorax heated grips 39.99 and a scotch block and earth..warm hands sorted
so out for the first proper ride after selling the gs

m6 35 miles a6 to penrith a686 to aliston middleton ..kikby stephen hawes devils bridge m6 30 miles home .. good mix of motorway fast a roads and twisty hairpins [read a686]

first impressions very comfy very protective fairing keeping soulders and arms out of the air flow .............. strong engine
motor is a little slower low down but from about 4 thou it pulls way stronger than a gs from 70mph in top gear bye bye stronger it is ultamatly faster in a streight line ..the odo still only reads 1800miles from new so im expecting a little more as the miles go by ....

touring mode 70 to 90 sweeping bends very very nice softly sprung suspension .. alittle too soft over all ..but makes this type of riding very pleasurable
the linked brakes ive used before [blackbird]not as powerful as the gs but a little more feel and feedback through the conventional forks
this set up works very well two up though strangly use the rear just before the front none emergency that is ...
the gs will stop very quickly and sooner and with abs ...but haveing had brake failure on mine [ sad but true ] i think maby the conventional direct route is for me

when the bends tighten it is still suprisingly agile but this is were the gs would pull away into a tight bend it is quicker sterring and out it the initial pull is superier a combination of long wheelbase 40kgs more and soft suspension would restrict it to 2nd place however if there was a long streight after you would make some back
but given what i was expecting you can hussle the big lump around a t avery respectable volcity
the soft suspension soaks the bumps so much better in touring mode as the gs front is very harsh indeed
stopped at the hartside cafe for lunch and set off for aliston and then middleton fast roads with some twistys in ..no hairpins i was cruising 70 to 90 and found the bike tracked well and was not unduly worried by the odd bump when leant over and overall tracked well just using 5th and occasionally 4th and riding the tourque of the sweet engine

its a liitle lumpy sounding lower down but the fuealling is spot on and has some really seriuse pull in the imprtant play areas
on to the a66 turn for hawas kirkby stephen fuel light comes on a t 184.5 miles and i have not been hanging about ave consumtion 41.7 mpg happy with that onward to devils bridge and a ice cream with hundreds and thousands very nice

can i live with this big ugly mother ? yes i can i actually quite like it ..i tour most of the time ie not riding like ive got a rocket up my ass .. so it fits that bill very well its going to be alittlle slower in the very tight stuff.. but never embaressed ... i was thinking its like riding a soft armchair with a firestorm engine in it .. its a lot more capable than ide hoped

on to the m6 for the last 35 miles ..cruise 85 visor up sun shining just twithcing the throttle now and again to get past and make space that engine is brill on this sort of road
on to the back roads to home its now 755 pm and dark ...strange thing but i can see where ime going the headlamps are really very strong on the gs they were at best marginal and when the brake servo kicked in the dimmed about 20 percent ...not good at all these are like ww2 searchlights in comparison
.... home 357 miles not one fly has touched my visor happy bunny and seven grand better off
ultamatly the gs is abetter all round machine.. given weedyish [higer up the range ]engine and reliability apart ..ahemm... my honest opinion......
but for a touring machine the vara has a lot going for it which will do me for now

result yes ...... subject to reliability ime waiting for the new one
if they can shave 30 kilos off retain the comfort and bolt on 15 or twenty bhp it will be some machine ...
could be along time though ..knowing honda
top tip dont take the wheels off and leave one propped up on a paint can
the gs never crushed it you can guess the rest ....

regards to all ,...steve
 

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That GS exhaust looks just like mine...... Ah! :)

Glad you and the Honda are getting along fine.
 
Dinger said:
That GS exhaust looks just like mine...... Ah! :)

Glad you and the Honda are getting along fine.
hi dinger hope all is well makes a great noise doesnt it???mine sound like a bleedin sowing machine may have to go int noisy bastard mode again soon
just waiting at the moment dont want to be selling another system after 6 weeks ?? :spitfirethre is a seriuse growl in there waiting to get out ...wont really match the fat bat image though
 
Excellent unbiased report-pleased your enjoying the varaderio, by the way looking at the picture the grey tank looks like it would carry enough petrol to go round the world twice without a stop?? :D
 
Nice report. Sadly the Varedero is again missing from Honda's North American listings for 2007. I'd have one in a heartbeat.
 
SQD8R said:
Nice report. Sadly the Varedero is again missing from Honda's North American listings for 2007. I'd have one in a heartbeat.
you never know we live in hope two wheels is better than four whatever you ride
 

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im getting one of these.
just traded down my 1150gsa. :(
really couldnt justify having so much dosh tied up in a bike when i can have two for a lot less :rolleyes:

still it is a wrench getting rid of the beemer.
good report minky :thumb
 
kyle said:
im getting one of these.
just traded down my 1150gsa. :(
really couldnt justify having so much dosh tied up in a bike when i can have two for a lot less :rolleyes:

still it is a wrench getting rid of the beemer.
good report minky :thumb

ok kyle nice one heres a link to the varadero forum if you dont already have it .http://www.honda-varadero-uk.org/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=7158852edf2ad1316125889c080fb9f3;.
..note the absence of the word breakdown as you brouse ..ive done just over two thousand miles now and really like it mine a older carbie version ..
the suspension on these is alittle soft but have cured it by fitting hypro progressive springs front and rear 168quid still got 6500 quid change as well :thumb
if your doing pillion id recomend them its quite ok one up without them but the ride quality after is a lot better also in tight turns there is a big difference
if you have the fi version the suspension is said to be better

very nice engine though certainly has charicter as well

what you wont miss is the silly gear spacings between 1st and 2nd 5th and sixth mine only has five gears and pulls like a train in top may be alittle less on the 6 speed version i dont know ..6th gear on the old 1150 was a little frustrating just twist to go now ...

enjoy i really like it id tell you if i didnt ... cheers

http://media.putfile.com/pigs-cant-fly
 

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i assume the forum's not much cop though? :confused:

ps. i enjoyed your film but there's a good reason james blunt has entered the rhyming slang dictionary :D
 
cookie said:
i assume the forum's not much cop though? :confused:

ps. i enjoyed your film but there's a good reason james blunt has entered the rhyming slang dictionary :D

looked at the forum,not great. :nono

got the bike home this pm minky :thumb

it was lashin and dark :eek: but even though it was only my second time on it i felt more comfortable in those conditions than i would on the gs :rolleyes:
is it just a headology thing,knowing that if you do bin it, it's a much cheaper bike so less expensive to fix?? :nenau
it seems to pull better than the gs also.
dont know how they compare weight/power wise.it deffo feels lighter.
looking forward to gettin out in dry daylight on it :D
 
cookie said:
i assume the forum's not much cop though? :confused:

ps. i enjoyed your film but there's a good reason james blunt has entered the rhyming slang dictionary :D
ok cookie judging by your status in the forum and your posts im going to have a job on here but

ive tried to give the gs a good hearing the 1150 i owned inspired me to buy the 1200
two 1200s 6 breakdowns later i just lost the will to book a ferry
the 1200 gs is a fantastic peice of kit
with a weedy engine from 85 upwards true
... if you had my expieriance on those two bikes you would quiestion your will to ...ride i just got to the stage where i didnt want to commit to any distance because it was breaking down
i accept that my experiance is in the minority but still it is what happened

do i feel bitter ...too right never so much for so little relaiabilty

is the vara a better bike ... well overall no

is it 8 grand cheaper than a 1200gs loaded ..well yes more probebly

am i enjoying it ...well yes very much so its new [to me]and quite nice really

yes because i have more confidence in it to get me there and back i can service it ive upgraded the suspension i feel more a part of it cos i look after it .. hands on i really like that bit ???

i have owned over twenty different bike over the years .. and hope to own twenty more before i finish

if the gs was everything it should have been i would have moved on eventually like i will from the vara ...
any way like me or loathe me im on two wheels and that ait goin to change
still similling see you on the road
tunnel vision is not the best thing to have as they say ... so many roads so little time l
whats the wheather forcast were me map ??? :thumb :thumb :D
 

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kyle said:
looked at the forum,not great. :nono

got the bike home this pm minky :thumb

it was lashin and dark :eek: but even though it was only my second time on it i felt more comfortable in those conditions than i would on the gs :rolleyes:
is it just a headology thing,knowing that if you do bin it, it's a much cheaper bike so less expensive to fix?? :nenau
it seems to pull better than the gs also.
dont know how they compare weight/power wise.it deffo feels lighter.
looking forward to gettin out in dry daylight on it :D
its not great kyle but there not so many on it so with reduce traffic it aint as good as thjis one but then again welcome to the minority que puns

the bike ...the engine and comfort are its stongest points and belive it or not it has charictar [ bland honda charictar ..yawn ] if you could get that v twin in the gs it would be a peach of a bike which in truth is the gss weakest point
the gs is very good low down but very weedy from 70 80 up unless you thrash it

let us know how you get on
ive got my eye on afew options with the change [money not age ]but am pretty sure the vara will stay for a while alongside ..given the milage and cost of buying
it really has blown me skirt up high enough to stay in the garage
 
Hi Minkyhead. Good to see your enjoying the Vara. The carb one was pretty good, but make sure you garage it if you can over winter. Carb icing played havoc with mine. Think your'e definitely right in praising the engine. Even with 5 gears it felt more powerful than my 1200. However, got to say that I prefer the 1200. Lower weight makes a hell of a lot of difference to the handling compared to the Vara. And I definitely dont miss the chain.

I found their forum very helpful, and they always gave great advice and banter in equal measures.

I think the 2007 Varadero justifies me switching to the 1200. All I can see is a slight weight increase and a attempt to improve the styling at the back. In a couple of years it'll just be a slim Pan. IMHO

Agree with what you say as a secondhand buy though, it makes more sense.

:thumb
 
minkyhead said:
ok cookie judging by your status in the forum and your posts im going to have a job on here but

ive tried to give the gs a good hearing the 1150 i owned inspired me to buy the 1200
two 1200s 6 breakdowns later i just lost the will to book a ferry
the 1200 gs is a fantastic peice of kit
with a weedy engine from 85 upwards true
... if you had my expieriance on those two bikes you would quiestion your will to ...ride i just got to the stage where i didnt want to commit to any distance because it was breaking down
i accept that my experiance is in the minority but still it is what happened

do i feel bitter ...too right never so much for so little relaiabilty

is the vara a better bike ... well overall no

is it 8 grand cheaper than a 1200gs loaded ..well yes more probebly

am i enjoying it ...well yes very much so its new [to me]and quite nice really

yes because i have more confidence in it to get me there and back i can service it ive upgraded the suspension i feel more a part of it cos i look after it .. hands on i really like that bit ???

i have owned over twenty different bike over the years .. and hope to own twenty more before i finish

if the gs was everything it should have been i would have moved on eventually like i will from the vara ...
any way like me or loathe me im on two wheels and that ait goin to change
still similling see you on the road
tunnel vision is not the best thing to have as they say ... so many roads so little time l
whats the wheather forcast were me map ??? :thumb :thumb :D

wasn't having a pop at your choice of bike, but the fact you're still having to talk about it on a GS forum, not that there's a problem with that :D

if i'd had so much grief as you from my bmws, i would be on a honda now.

...and your right about the top end go, or lack of :)
 
to work on the vara today.
jays but its comfortable.
the suspension on mine seems firmer than the 1150adv :nenau
the only thing i dont like is no center stand :eek:
they can be had from honda for around £120.
heres a pic of what i got for under £4000.
 

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minkyhead said:
the 1200 gs is a fantastic peice of kit
with a weedy engine from 85 upwards true

If you had said that about the 1150, I would agree with you, but I wouldn't describe the 1200 as weedy above 85mph.
 
cookie said:
wasn't having a pop at your choice of bike, but the fact you're still having to talk about it on a GS forum, not that there's a problem with that :D

if i'd had so much grief as you from my bmws, i would be on a honda now.

...and your right about the top end go, or lack of :)

your rigt cookie theres not so may owners so the chat is very slow so im in quite a few just doing the biky talk stuff the gs forum is very good
thats why ime still lokking

forever is along time but if they sort out their problems i may give them another go in the future
the two black birds i ran before the gs did over 120thousand mile s between them total problems ..i rectifier both sold on in exelent working order as well thats the sort of service i expect from a bike ..especially a premium brand
keeping an eye on this forum will tell me how things are progressing

its just things like the fuel pump failures i and dozens of others have suffered
they knew about it from 2004 ..what have they done ..nothing ...thats why i am put off ..i /we should not be suffering with this nearly three years on the other aspect is when somthing does go wrong you are completly stuffed to try and fix it yourself or find a local garage or bike dealer to help
its bmw assist ..man in car arrives checks the fual pump
calls out a tow truck ...trust me i know the drill ... i just think some of the technolagy ...not just bmw mind ..is complicating what could be a simple thing so for now any way back to low tech
whats next .. dont know but its good fun trying to decide
may just be a gxr 750 to run alongside may be the gtr1400 but may be too dear may be the tiger / i really dont know
but when it comes to touring you need somthing like the gs vara pan or whatever any way see you around the forum ill tell when ive got me next toy
 


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