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For sure. Since watching F9 on Youtube I’d consider something like a V Strom as a future desire, but only since I’d already been pining after a Royal Enfield Himalayan every time I went past the dealership.
I’d gone in some months ago to just feel out prices, and it looked way too big, the Continental GT and Interceptor looked more like my kind of bike. However already I’m wondering about those extra dirt roads I could one day travel, that my low little bike won’t survive.
The little GN125 is certainly a baby-sized cruiser. If I tour it’ll be like when i cycled to Berlin, with every gram considered. Going solo, after spares I’d only want a few kg of luggage strapped down tight. I don’t see the point in carrying a house.
Gonna stick some Hayabusa stickers on the 125.
pdlouche-
The V Strom is a lot of bike too. If you like travelling light it's probably way bigger than you need. You'll also need to think about singles, twins, v-twins, straight 4's etc. I've only really owned twins because I prefer the torque lower down and don't like to rev an engine hard.
Sounds like you've got a good fit with the GN already.
Airhead
The litre bike will come :) Modern litre bikes are insane though, there's really no need for it away from a track, it's almost impossible to use fully use them on the road now they can break the national speed limit in 1st.
You'll find out what you want a bike for and that cuts the choice down a bit. Unless you end up needing 2 or 3 to cover the bases which is pretty legit if you tour, commute and like track days.
When I bought my crack den bike it was because my neighbour was smoking it and thought I might be a touch for a few hundred on christmas eve. It was his junky mates bike. The deal went down at 10pm christmas eve in a dark garden in Battersea, not a traditionally busy time for bike dealers :) I had to pay for that bike per ride, every time I got off it it needed something replacing! Still loved it with a passion though.
The 400cc class is great. Main weakness with small bikes for touring that I found was weight carrying. They can have issues with the suspension if you load them 2 up and luggage. It's nice to cruise at quiet rpms on the larger bikes but that's a real expensive luxury. Ask most bikers for a touring story and it'll be the time they went to Spain on a 250cc that broke down every day, not last summer when they did it on a GS.