There are three rules to consider when choosing a bike for a 10000 km tour:
- Better the devil you know
- The bathtub theory
- Every bike works, until you need to fit in with a group plan
There’s a fourth rule, however, and it’s that little thought at the back of your head which says…
BOOOOOORING.
Me, I have a 5th problem and I think i’m unique in this respect. I have an unnatural-among-riders desire to be compact and efficient. I’ll come back to that, later.
This is the second installment in the ongoing adventure of my 10k tour and it’s 16 months until we leave, in May 2027.
Whether you think my Honda VFR800 can do a 10k tour or not (it can), for reasons that only motorcyclists know about I’m forced to consider buying a new bike. These opportunities don’t come along often so I iwill treat it with the seriousness it deserves.
The three rules in detail:
Rule 1 – Better the devil you know.
The underlying message here is to buy a bike early enough that you can learn to be confident living with it.
Personaly I need at least a season with a new bike new bike to shake it down, to test luggage, do some servicing and to feel confident. It took me a few years on the VFR.
I need to do this as early as possible because if a make a mistake, I won’t have much time left.
Rule 2 – The bathtub theory.
Don’t jump on a new engine, a new brand or a bike that hasn’t been shaken-down, at least by industry reviewers.
Things go wrong at the start and end of a product’s lifecycle and in my opinion, brand new is worse than old.
Rule 3 – Any bike is a good enough, unless you’re in a group of riders.
A group of four people can be a help and a hindrance but one thing needs to be made clear at the beginning of the planning – the riding style. I’ve been touring with these guys before and I know that we’re going to be in sports-adventure mode. We’re not hitting the TET but there will be KTMs!
There will be gravel though.
Personal rules:
Desire. I don’t need to explain this to the converted but, for the benefit of my family who might be reading this, it’s about having pride in what you ride (and it sometimes costs a little extra.)
KTM are out. This may upset my KTM owner (and dealer) friends that are part of this trip but I don’t like KTM’s approach to electronics. I get why you like them but I have to draw a line here.
Is this my last bike? In 10 years time you won’t find a new petrol-engined bike in a dealership. I can’t see myself buying an electric bike in the next 10 years and in ten years I could be done with motorcycling. This might be the last bike I buy so it’s not just for the 10k tour.
My sizes: 173 cm, 74 cm/ 30 in in-seam, 78kg,
Tour considerations
This is an adventure-tour, not a sports-tour. South east Europe holds adventure naturally within its landscape. It holds gravel roads, mountains and changing weather.
More rules:
- Budget: €10k with hard luggage. |Ideally less, of course.
- Servicing must be fairly easy
- Comfort is critical
- Manoeuvrability is a key consideration for me
- 80 litres of luggage sounds about right – having done tests with 70 liters of luggage.
- Serviceability and spares across eastern Europe
The best bike choices
The shortlist for the best bikes for a 10k km European tour, on paper, look like this:
Transalp XL750.
This is the cinderalla bike for a 90:10 on:off road tour. The ethos of the bike is right and it’s not too big or too heavy. 92 PS is a power level I would feel comfortable with. I like Honda and i’ve always loved the Transalp brand.
But, like many of the bikes below, it’s plain. It has rubed tyres too which, for 10000km of mostly road riding, isn’t the best choice.
It’s lightweight at 208kg and has an accessible seat height. The pricing isn’t high-value, but it’s fair.
€13079 new with a touring packet (side panniers). I’m seeing these for around €8500 second hand locally.
Suzuki Vstrom 800 RE
This is the one that, on paper, is the best. But it looks so, so boring. It has no soul and it doesn’t raise a single eyebrow hair. Those cast wheels look like something from 1980.
The RE is low, efficient and good value, which puts it way up the list of sensible choices. It’s efficient, too.
Suzuki VStrom 800 DE
Higher seat. Tubed tires. The DE looks like it means business but I fear it’s too big for me.
Because of the stance and spiked wheels it looks so much better than the RE.
Versys 650 tourer
The one that’s available second hand. Uninspiring but an absolute bargain.
Triumph Tiger sport 800 2025
The road-focused option with a 835mm seat height. The weight, 214 KG, is quite high. New cost, with luggage, is over my budget and there won’t be many of these around second-hand.
Triumph Tiger 850 Sport 2021-2024
Probably the best second hand option out there but…
Not available in Germany.
Torque, price, availability, accessories. It ticks so many boxes.
Other bikes to consider:
- Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 / 750 – I didn’t like the 450 when I tested it. Maybe the 750 (2026) is better. The 750 is expected to launch in November 2025]
- CFMoto 800MT – backed by KTM. I’m not a fan of these ultra-low-cost bikes.
- BMW F800S? F900GS. I don’t want to join the BMW club.
- Yahama Tenere 700 – 874mm seat height. Too high for me but I love this bike.
- Yamaha Tracer 7 GT – A really good looking option at a good price and hits the mark with luggage (40 liters total isn’t huge though), cruise control and decent wind protection. It won’t be the best on gravel roads but it will be way better than a VFR800 in that scenario! There’s a little bit of a boring factor and 72 hp might be tough when i’m used to 110 hp but I really like the looks of the 2025 Tracer 7 GT. (The Tracer 9 GT is less attractive to me, in multiple ways.)
- Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT, in Yellow! A reliable, proven solution. I had a soft spot for these, but that was before the 800 was released.
- Honda NC750X. I don’t know quite what to say. Frunk? I just cant, can I? 58 hp.
The scout in me
When I was a teenager, me and my friend Will used to create mini survival kits in tin boxes. I believe it comes from the scouting mantra of being prepared. I was a cub and a scout for many years.
In my thirties I took this idea to an extreme and designed (on paper) a Carrypad – a large-screen productivity-focused smartphone. I, literally, made it my business to research, report and publish information on this segment and key to the project was efficiency.
This efficiency mentality is the reason i’ve never made any wild choices in bikes or cars in my life. You can see it happening right here on this blog post – reasoned thinking. It’s a nightmare!
It’s this nightmare that leads me to the ultra-mobile and ultra-efficient options below.
Efficient bikes for a 10000 km European tour.
Honda NX500 / CB 500 X . Plenty of people have put this slightly boring but efficient and reliable bike through its paces on hugely challenging tours. Itchyboots is a prime example, There’s no sensible reason why you would not choose this motorcycle. It would, without a doubt be good enough.
The problem is power. 47 hp isn’t what I’m looking for.
Royal Enfield Bear 650 – 47 hp with no screen and a 14 liter tank. I absolutely love the look of the Bear 650 and know that it would be good for some rough roads and gravel but…touring? 47 hp.
The NC 750 X, I suppose, should be here. I hate that bike. It’s just so me, and I wish it wasn’t.
The devil I know – Honda VFR 800 RC46
There are two things I find attractive about the VFR. Firstly, I can prep it and kit it out for about €3500. Secondly, it has a bit of desire factor. The problem is that it’s heavy, hot and very sports-focussed.
An 18 year old bike can, of course, do the tour. There are spares around, knowledge. It’s reliable and, even after 75000 km, another 10000 km should be no problem but it’s not a bike for rough roads and slow-speed riding. It’s also tough on the back and shoulders. 6 hours in the seat is OK, but anything more than that is going to hurt. I learnt that on my 12 hour 6 country tour.
I can’t change the weight of the VFR but here’s a list of changes I could make:
- Higher handlebars. Helibars? €300
- Touring screen . €150
- Heated grips. €150
- Luggage. €500-€700
- Suspension check / upgrade?
If that works out then there are other costs ahead:
- Full service including valves. €1500. 24000 km until it needs to go into the workshop again.
- New tyre set. €250.
- Electrical system (rotor, rectifier) check and possible upgrade. €400
Total cost for prep is around €3500. It’s a big chunk of money but it’s cheaper than the other options, a project and far more interesting proposition than any of the other options above. I do love my VFR. I wonder if my co-riders love it too?
