What would you replace your Rockster with??

[riceburner]

As something to fill the idle hours I often wonder what bike I could replace my Rockster with, and it's not an easy choice.
I bought my bike because I wanted a shaft-drive, unfaired, "sit-up" bike with good reliability and very easy home-maintenance. Character in spades was also a pre-requisite. Basically I didn't want a race bike with lights (most Japanese sports bikes), nor an uber-tourer. I wanted a bike that was totally at home on the road, and up to the rigours of a 100 mile a day round trip to work, including motorway and inner-city traffic. The Rockster fufilled that brief to the letter - and also showed itself reasonably up to the challenges of Track-riding, and Off-roading, to my delight!

But - given the above criteria (my commute is now a lot shorter, but I still do ride in inner-city traffic enough to prefer a bike that's good at it), what else is there out there??

The "easy to maintain" bit tends to preclude water-cooled across the frame in-line 4 engines: if you have to take the tank off, then the airbox, then the frickin CAMS to adjust valve clearances then I don't call it "easy home maintenance"!! Which points us at BMW and Guzzi (and maybe Royal Enfield!)

Similiarly there's very few shafties about - I loathe chain-drive with a passion these days, it's dirty and vulnerable, and I don't care that it's a small percentage more efficient than a shaft, this is the ROAD, not the RACE-TRACK I ride on - it doesn't make enough of a difference to bother me. But changing the fricking thing twice a year despite a properly functioning Scott-oiler DOES bother me!

Sit-up, unfaired and character though, do give us plenty of options, but again - tends to discount IL4s.

So, what have you seen out there that is similar?? Cruisers simply don't "do it" for me (and the riding position damages my back), I'm not a huge fan of big off-road lookeylikely bikes like the R1200GS and Varadero, V-Strom type of thing.

The more I look about, the more I think my only real choice in the event of the Rockster going west is a Guzzi 1200Sport, or an R1200R. Has to be said as well - I absolutely love riding with Telelever forks - that could well be the deal breaker for anything non-BMW.

[jas]

Another Rockster

[sweatmark]

What would you replace your Rockster with??

Have often considered that same questions. There are few alternatives that meet the criteria you've described:

Guzzi? Maybe, but dealers/parts/community are rare, even compared to BMW.

F800ST or F800R? We don't get the latter option in USA. Do like the motor and general execution, based on riding my wife's F800S. Wish it had a bit more grunt. Has belt drive, which I've warmed to following 5 years of Buell XB ownership.

Speaking of which, the Buell XB has merits, along with deficits. Including defunct factory. But it's hard to find a simpler machine to work on, nor an air-cooled motor with combination of low maintenance (hydraulic lifters) and character (if the 45 degree v-twin speaks to you). Really a shame that the XB wasn't developed a bit more to produce a larger, stronger two-up version besides the Ulysses.

And since the topic's Buell/H-D... Shame that there's no real "rider's" bike amongst that firm's motorcycle options. The XR1200 is still too much Harley Sportster and not nearly enough Buell XB, given advantageous Buell technology that H-D still owns. H-D, like BMW, is a marque whose ridership is aging, witness H-D's factory trike! Can't believe I'd ever say this, but if H-D built a Buell-ish Sportster - essentially an XB12 (Buell motor configuration, frame, swingarm, underslung muffler) in Sportster guise, with longer wheelbase & stout rear subframe for pillion and hard bags - then I'd seriously consider such a bike.

<edit> Have been thinking about the XR1200 Sportster this week, even stopped to look one over at H-D dealership. Appears it would be easier to convert a Buell XB12S (long frame) into a Sportster model, rather than vice versa. There's too much "all show and no go" built into the XR1200 as currently offered. Too much form over function. Bike is heavier than need be. Shame that the opportunity is lost.

For a Brit like you, I'm surprised you're not already shredding about on Speed Triple. Perhaps with aftermarket belt drive?

[rockstercliff]

Anniversary Edition F800GS, like it a lot, but hope I am never faced with that decision as I am liking the Rockster a tad more every year.

[sweatmark]

The more I look about, the more I think my only real choice in the event of the Rockster going west is a Guzzi 1200Sport, or an R1200R. Has to be said as well - I absolutely love riding with Telelever forks - that could well be the deal breaker for anything non-BMW.

Burner, based on the Tele-lever-lover thing, you might be "stuck" with one option: R1200R.

Must be some way to make the R1200R "Rockster-ish"?

[riceburner]

The more I look about, the more I think my only real choice in the event of the Rockster going west is a Guzzi 1200Sport, or an R1200R. Has to be said as well - I absolutely love riding with Telelever forks - that could well be the deal breaker for anything non-BMW.

Burner, based on the Tele-lever-lover thing, you might be "stuck" with one option: R1200R.

Must be some way to make the R1200R "Rockster-ish"?

Aye - the issue there is $$$.

[hetkind]

Well, my wife like my Rockster so much, she got the next best thing, the K1200R...

Howard

[riceburner]

Well, my wife like my Rockster so much, she got the next best thing, the K1200R...

Howard

Hardly "easy home maintenance"!

I've had the use of a K12R - too much power for me, nice though!

[jobooth321]

well, I replaced a R1100RT with a Rockster, so I don't count cause I NEVER want to replace this one!

[Rog(UK) - Yorkshire Dales]

The 'smile-factor' which a Guzzi brings with it just has to be experienced. I like my Rockster, but I love my Guzzi.

As it happens, I haven't ridden my Convert very much because I am uprating the wiring, but my last bike was a Spada 3. That bike had a huge smile-factor and was a real 'sweety'.

The machine I will probably buy next will probably be a 90-92 Guzzi Strada which is the unfaired version of the Spada 3 - I prefer unfaired bikes because I know when I'm going fast! The Strada has, in my opinion, the best engine of all the earlier Guzzis - 36mm carbs and nid-size valves. It is a very sweet engine and ridiculously easy to work on. OK it only has 72 bhp as opposed to the 85 of the Rockster, but it was certainly fast enough for me.

Of the modern machines, I am attracted to the Vstrom because of the relaxed riding position (and especially the uncramped leg position) - Ah yes; ......it's also a V-twin.

Rog

[Grey Thumper]

Well, if it helps any, even Bee Em Vay hasn't come up with a replacement for the Rockster. I suppose the R1200R makes the most logical sense, but - and apologies to owners are due - I think it looks sooooo boring. Not ugly, mind you. It's got good, classic proportions, but it's just a bit too conservative and uninspired. Of course, it's nothing a good paint job and a few aftermarket farkles can't fix . . .



Lots of $$$$ though, at least more than if this was a factory-offered edition (like, er, the Rockster).

[marc.wolters]

A new R1200R, pimped by AC Schnitzer......

http://www.ac-schnitzer.de/en/bmw-motor ... eral-info/


Gotta love that....

Cheerz, Marc

[Maitre]

Honda Goldwing.

[boxermania]

Being that I'm growing old and feeble I would say a 2011 Cadillac CTS-V sedan, unfortunately it is beyond my means, however, I'm open to contributions from my friends in this board.....ANYONE......ANYONE?????

[BigCat]

If the price would come down by a factor of 3, i would try one of these:
T-800CDi Diesel Motorbike

[sweatmark]

Current options I'd consider:
F800ST
R1200GS
990SMT
FZ1
... and keeping Rockster is 1st choice.