I figure it's about time we shared a CanyonChasers tradition with all y’all. Something
we've been doing for almost 20 years now. So, starting in September, most all the motorcycle
manufacturers release their new models for the next year and Facebook and Telegram groups are
all a flutter as we share the exciting new models with our riding buddies, Right. So here's the
tradition. We call it The Steamroller Supposition -Aaaaah!!
- and it makes for great banter at social gatherings. The Steamroller Supposition asks;
suppose my motorcycle was hit by a steamroller? - Watch out!
- Aaaaaah!! -
What would I replace it with? Nothing is salvageable. It's a total loss,
but with the advantage that there were no injuries. Now, the rules are the replacement
bike has to be based in reality. Meaning we've received a realistic insurance payout for our now
pancaked beauty and any replacement bike has to be something we'd realistically be able to afford,
and it has to be something that could reasonably be obtained.
No Vincent Black Shadows or oval-piston NR750s or $50,000 CBR900RR’s… Wait. That can't be right.
Or $100,000 hand-built Vyrus Alyens, unless you can afford such unattainable beauties. We
get to look at, and consider, all the realistic bikes available, and see how they stack up to our
current bike, and daydream about possibly switching to a new style of riding. And
the fun part is, there's no wrong justification. Everything about the steamroller supposition is
totally and completely biased based on whatever you think is important.
So, I'll start. I have two bikes. My aging 2012 Multistrada 1200,
and the venerable 2008 848 Superbike. Both of which are getting long in the tooth and will not
last forever. The 848, honestly, I can't believe she's lasted this long. She owes me nothing,
and I'm strangely more attached to this bike than any other I've owned, largely because for almost
25,000 track-only kilometers, she's never missed a step. She's been as reliable as an anvil.
Because of my affection for this bike my criteria for replacement is pretty tight. I would love an
Aprilia RSV4 or V4 Pani-Gollie-Wally, but nobody needs 200 horsepower. Even on the racetrack,
I can't get anywhere near exploiting that much power. They gather speed
so rapidly you accelerate for a second or two, then spend the rest of your time slowing down
for the next corner. So, for me, that means the 848's replacement needs to be a middleweight.
I don't care much for 600s, but that doesn't much matter. Yamaha has basically discontinued
the R6. Honda has followed suit with my favorite of the 600s,
the 600RR, and is just selling off remaining stock in America and Australia. That leaves only the
ZX6R and Gixxer 6. But for how much longer? Middleweights are going to be the future.
The GSXR750 hasn't been updated since, I don't know, 1946? There's the Panigale 899/954, and
while I think of it as a liter-bike, it's still technically considered a middleweight.
Triumph 675 is becoming a 765, swapping the order around. Nice. We have the new Yamaha R7,
the Ninja 650, the CBR650. All of which make for better bikes, in my humble opinion,
because what they lose in horsepower they gain in torque and ride rideability. All
these middleweights are far more fun to ride than the 600 hypersports they leave behind.
So, that leaves what I consider to be the crown jewel of middleweights. KTM's RC 890. Yes, I know.
They are produced in partnership with Kramer, and yes, it's 30-Grand. And yes, they only made a
hundred of them and they sold out in four minutes. And yes, if you have the cash, which I don't, you
can still get them from Kramer; even though the Kramer version isn't quite as pretty as the KTM,
that looks exactly like an actual MotoGP bike. But as I was writing this script,
spy shots have emerged of KTM testing and RC 890 concept bike. Which means we may actually
get a more affordable KTM RC 890 in the future. In the meantime, if I had to replace the 848,
I'd probably go with the little Pani, but I'd rather have the bike they aren't quite making yet.
So, let's move on to the big bike then. I really love the Multistrada as a near
perfect sport touring platform, right? 17-inch wheels, reasonably lightweight, good suspension,
a bonkers motor with all-day long comfort. I, for sure, want to stick close to that platform.
What are the options these days? We have the Yamaha Super-Ten. This
is the bike that I really want to like. Yamaha reliability, shaft drive, tubeless spoke wheels,
reasonable price, looks good. But it barely makes 100 horsepower, and good lord,
it's heavy. 265 kilos, almost 600 pounds, no motorcycle should weigh more than 250 kilos.
So, when I set my weight ceiling of 250 kilos, and honestly a seat height that
allows me to actually ride the thing, a lot of bikes come off the list really quickly.
Despite how cool it is, no 34-inch high-saddle-tall Africa Twin for
me. Besides it has a 21 inch front wheel. The 35-inch-tall-seated KTM Super Adventure
is also out. I could probably make the new Triumph Tiger 1200 work, with its 33-inch seat.
And they claim to have lopped off almost 25 kilos, which is great.
Kawasaki has the Versys. Probably the most underrated bike in the segment
it has 17-inch wheels. But it's kind of expensive, 19 Grand. And it crosses the 250
kilo threshold when you put the saddlebags on it. The MV Agusta has the new Lucky Explorer,
which looks absolutely brilliant. Reminds me of one of my favorite bikes of yesteryear; the
Cagiva Elefant. Same thing goes for the new Ducati Desert-X. Despite how fantastic I think these new
bikes look, they are just not the bike for me. Other bikes get closer to what i'm looking for.
Now there is the KTM Super Duke GT. Seventeen inch wheels,
Single-Sided Swingarm, 175 freaking horsepower, a hundred and four torques. Yes! But wait. No
centerstand on a chain driven, travel motorcycle? Come on, guys. But, alright. Maybe. But then you
look at it and realize it has to be the ugliest motorcycle ever made. How can KTM make some of the
most spectacular looking motorcycles on the market today, but then give us this? I don't want to feel
nauseous every time I walk into the garage. And talk about ugly and uninspiring;
a 25-year-old motor eeking out barely 100 hrsprs. Sub 250 kilos, yeah. But, I'm sorry. No. Suzuki,
I know the Strombone is a solid bike, but what were you thinking?
There's the new Harley Pan America, right? It kind of ticks all the boxes. But have you
noticed that you've never seen a photo of the left side of the bike. There's a reason for that. Also,
one came to do a track day with us this past summer. How long do you suppose it lasted? Half of
one session. I'm not kidding. Half of one session. Now, if you've ever thought to yourself;
I like my Ducati, but the dealer network is just too darn accessible. Well then, a Moto
Guzzi might be the bike for you. And they have two cool bikes for me to choose from. The new Mandelo,
I think it's super crazy-cool. But what do we do if I run into a problem in the middle of Montana.
Which circles me back to Ducati. But honestly, I'm not really excited by any of the V2 Multis
and their 19-inch front wheel. What made the original Multi so fantastic was they were
essentially superbikes with comfortable seating positions. But they keep chasing that sweet BMW
GS market share. And as a result, it's just not as cool to me as it once was. Plus, valve adjustments
on the variable valve timing is a bear of a job. So there's the brand new Pikes Peak. Yeah baby! V4
awesomeness! And it has a proper sized front wheel. But what is it with companies taking
away a favorite feature then bringing it back and charging you extra for it?
A V4 Pike's Peak Multistrata is the only 17-inch front-wheel Multi but will set you back $30,000
bones. I love motorcycles, but I'm not sure I can justify 30 grand.
So, you're probably thinking; what about BMW. They have the S1000XR. Surely that's the bike for me.
It's such a great bike that I find tediously boring to ride. It has
no soul. No character. No X-factor. A new motorcycle needs to be exciting. Not an appliance.
So, that means, if my multistrada were hit by a steamroller, the bike I'd probably replace it
with would be a base model GS 1250. I love the boxer motor. They are so charming. Shaft drive,
no chain maintenance, no fork seals. It's only 215 kilos, less than 500 pounds,
and they keep fixing niggling issues with the GS. Like, they finally moved the exhaust pipe to
the correct side of the bike so you don't burn yourself when you put it on the centerstand.
The BMW dealer network, in our experience, has been really great at helping us when we have a
problem on the road. They seem to understand that A) Women ride motorcycles too. And B) People still
tour on motorcycles. Not to mention, the GS is currently on top of the Daily Rider Board at
Revzilla. They really are a lot of fun to ride. Just two things I don't much care for. First,
the 19-inch front wheel; I'd rather have a 17. At least the rear tire is a 180. But that stupid
Telelever front end. The comment section is about to alight, but I have no love for the Telelever.
Trail increases when the forks compress! Which is opposite of every other motorcycle on the planet.
Yeah, yeah. I know. This only means that I don't understand, and that I'm
not worthy to own such a perfect motorcycle. But compared to a well-sorted cartridge fork,
the Telelever is so vague and reluctant to turn. It's a great concept, and they could engineer it
to behave perfectly. But, at this point, if only they just put a real fork on the thing.
However, BMW is supposed to be releasing a 1300 GS within the next year. We've seen the spy shots
already. We also know they've registered the name M1300GS, which we kind of have to assume will be
a high-performance version of the bike. All rumors, right? But they also commissioned
Karrdesign to make this rendering. Look at that!! 17-inch wheels! A normal fork! Stonking-strong
front brakes. That peach of a boxer motor, that in its current form, turns out over 105 pound-feet of
torque. So, I gotta hope the old Multistrata can stay out of the path of steamrollers for
just a bit longer. And I gotta keep wishing for BMW to make this version of the GS.
Look, I think the motorcycle industry is more interesting than it's been in
nearly two decades. You'd be hard-pressed to buy a bad bike. And there are so many
really, really cool bikes coming out. And for the first time since the ‘80s,
there's a lot of really, really cool bikes that are new-rider friendly. So, I'm going
to mention a few that I think are just super cool, because they are finally putting good suspension
and brakes on entry-level bikes, which makes them interesting to new and experienced riders, alike.
The Yamaha MT-09 SP jumps to the top of the list for how cool and affordable it is.
Same thing with the MT-07 and the badass MT-03. Listen, the whole MT lineup is just on-point.
So is the KTM Duke 890R and the Duke 390. They look fantastic, and are a gas to ride.
So much goodness there, too. Honda is finally making good-looking CBs for the first time since,
what, the ‘70s. Then, Kawasaki gives you the choice between futuristic and Retro-Sport
with their Z-bike lineup. Triumph is doing the same sort of thing. And let's not forget Royal
Enfield. From the sporty Continentals to the adventurey Himalayan. As riders we have more
choices than we've had in a long long time. It's so much fun, and a great time to ride.
So, have you fallen victim to the Steamroller Supposition? Perhaps not by steamroller,
but theft or something else? Tell us the story, and what bike you chose. Or do you play this
game already? If so, what's your answer? If not, now is your chance to play for the first time.
If you don't own a bike yet; you're shopping or dreaming of your first one. I want to know what
bike is spinning your wheels, and is currently the background image on your phone or computer. Let me
know why you are excited about it. Basically, I'm curious to know what bike or bikes you're excited
about. Maybe you'll even convince me that your steamroller bike should be my steamroller bike.
Real quick, before you head off to watch your next youTube video; I'd just like to say,
thank you to you guys. And in reading the comments over the last few years,
only the coolest of the cool kids watch our channel. That you!
I especially want to thank our newest Local CanyonChasers, who have decided to join us.
Tiffany, David, Redbynight, Douglas, Jaehyok. I hope I pronounced that correctly. Thank you,
so much. Here's to everyone having an epic 2022. We'll see you next time, and ride well.