You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Fancy a new motorbike.
Can spend up to £3k, but happy to spend less. Don't care if its old.
I think the style I want is a Dual Sport?
I hired a BMW F650 once and rode all across Spain it. That's the kind of thing I'm thinking. Decent on road, can handle a fireroad too.
So not a scrambler....
What's good?
BMW?
Super Tenere?
I am pretty ignorant about this style of bike
Have a look at CCM DS404...its a top chassis with a Suzuki Dr400 motor. Strong and light.
KTM - best combination of off-road / on-road capability.
My mate has a Kawasaki 650 Versys and he loves it. Think it's a 2017 or 18 so better looker than the older ones, not sure about prices.
Versys too ugly
CCM too scrambler (riding will be 90% road, though mostly back roads)
Which KTM models?
Multistrada... Or Hypermotard?
At that budget a 650 v strom fits the criteria. Ugly though. You could find a 660 tenere just in that budget. I’d go for the strom and not look at it much
Can you get an Africa Twin in that price range? Or an old BMW GS or Triumph Tiger?
With motorcycles I'm shallow and they need have some kind of class/cool/je ne sais quoi
Versys and VStrom don't have it
I really liked the old F650 single I had the newer but the same on is
a G650GS. Slow but light and fun.
Triumph scrambler? Might be out of your price range tho
Triumph tiger, unless you want the classic look (and dont think you'd get one for £2k). The old 90s ones are pretty much as cheap as bikes get now (and i think look quite cool).
I had a versys and hated it with a passion, god only knows what possessed me to buy it. It lasted one decent ride.
I’d go old shape multistrada - it’ll probably break, it’s not the best looker but they’re a laugh to ride and fixing them is pretty cheap. Actually quite a simple engine.
Any old triumph tiger will have been to the moon and back. Personally I’d avoid
955 tiger. Best bike I ever had and I swapped that for 1050 model. Currently got a vstrom 1000. 650 version is a good call. 955 is fast enough, handles, is all day comfy and has a great tank range. Managed gravel roads on way to arctic circle but wouldn't fancy proper offroading on one
I've been looking for this exact kind of bike, now pretty much sold on the KTM 990 Supermoto. They're more towards the £5-7k price range though. I think you'll be hard pressed to find a KTM within budget, maybe an older Duke 690? If you're very lucky you might find an Aprilia Dorsoduro around the £3k mark but I think they tend more towards the hooligan street bike than the KTMs. Look the absolute business though.
For £3k I reckon you could do a lot worse than the Buell XB12 Ulysses that's on eBay at the moment.
Honda CB500x, not the most heartstring pulling of bikes but fantastic value. The bare bones nature, upgradability, simplicity and understatedness all appeal.
You might find a BMW 310 GS too for the upper range of your budget. Again lacking a bit of kudos but ride well enough by all accounts.
Just noticed it was the op mentioned about the bike having a bit of something special about it. Maybe not the best suggestions.
I had a Buell XB12STT
Great bike but impossible to get parts for now, so ended up selling for a 1050 Speed Triple. Do love those Triumph triples.
Wouldn't get another Buell
You could get one of those R1200 BMW's for 3 grand,not sure what state they would be in though.
You could always get a R100 for 2 grand & spend the change on 'Adventurising' it.
There's a few Yamaha XT 600's out there for that kind of money,Old School Tenere's or newer 660's.
I used to ride a ktm SMT. Best Road bike I've ever ridden, plenty of power and capable of riding 2 up comfortably.
Miht be a tad over the 3k limit
TBF, I'll probably end up with an rvf400...
Bustaspoke
You could always get a R100 for 2 grand & spend the change on ‘Adventurising’ it.
Good luck with that... 🙂
I just sold one for spares and repair and it got nearly £4,000. (It hadn't been butchered by trendies)
No competition at that price, if you want good on road, good off (within reason) reliable, economical, good looking (to my eye anyway)
Yamaha xt660z tenere. Flippin ace bike, bit subdued in the performance stakes but ace at everything else.
Had one, loved it. Bought a new tenere700 to replace it
Not sure you’d get a Super Ten for 3 grand. My money would be on an XT660 or a leggy 1150GS. You’d need more than 3k to get a decent early 1200GS
How much is a KTM SM 950?
I've got a 95 Transalp to my mind the quintessential version. The later model 650s just don't have that x factor.
I love mine, 19k miles kitted out with panniers and sat nav, heated grips etc it's the bomb!