Kawasaki Research Meeting tonight?

[wozza]

Plenty?
There's only two, the Deauville and the Guzzi V7 at a sensible engine size.

And i believe of the Deauville is no longer in production either I'm afraid.

[wozza]

Sorry! I have to disagree with StephenC when he says don't go big. Who would say no to a 900 or 1000cc scooter with a shaft drive and real touring capability and most importantly a real reason to .

Honda has already designed a prototype called an E4-01 a high performance 900 shaft drive triple scoot, but unfortunately they won't put it into production. The price would probably will make it impossible to sell in any real numbers.

[Dave Weller]

I got one of the last Deauvilles, had to pay full price (£8600 but had top box and large lids), the value has dropped like a stone, but soon hopefully will recover as it is a most practical tourer, The price of a new Pan-European is £15000, Honda's only other tourer.
The Integra 750, with cases and top box, is now a good option and worth considering, but for now I'm happy enough with the Deauville, maybe Kawasaki could come up with a faired W800 with shaft and Givi could design, good luggage for it.

[MrGrumpy]

[

Think outside the box a bit, the Honda Crosstourer and Honda Crosstourer Highlander are one litre shaft drive tourers even though they're dressed up as adventure bikes. There's also a number of under one litre shaft drive cruisers available that are very capable tourers.

To be pedantic, they are 1200cc. And monstrously heavy, and not cheap, though you can get DCT versions

[gn2]

Plenty?
There's only two, the Deauville and the Guzzi V7 at a sensible engine size.

And i believe of the Deauville is no longer in production either I'm afraid.

A shame that they didn't replace it with another shaftie tourer instead of the abomination which is the Integra.
That's a car name ffs.

[irev]

Sorry! I have to disagree with StephenC when he says don't go big. Who would say no to a 900 or 1000cc scooter with a shaft drive and real touring capability and most importantly a real reason to stick two fingers up to the sports bike wankers? The ONLY criticism I can find in my TMAX? I wish it was bigger than a 500. go big, go very big.

As we've discussed in the past, and seemed to reach a consensus, about 500cc is the sweet spot. If the engine is bigger, so must be the mechanicals that support it - and then you won't get the 100mpg, or the storage (SRV850, minimal storage space, heavy and only around 55 mpg: My Volvo V40 D2 has 335 litres of storage space in the boot, seats five, and returns better than 70...).

What we really could do with in a scooter is a version of a mini turbo-diesel, tuned for torque to work with a `normal` CVT. With that, lighter weight and improved suspension quality we'd have a mode of transport that could easily carry people to work and back, and then tour at the weekends.

But my wish for Kawasaki is bugger the comfort, build a steamingly fast supersports scoot with extreme light weight, advanced aerodynamics, around 400cc and about fifty horse, expressly designed to piss on the Tmax.

[smeghead]

Talking of mid capacity bikes and as we are scooterists so do not have preconceived and biased views, what do we all think of this: http://www.wkbikes.com/650cc_motorbikes_wk-650tr.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
They are currently on offer at £4899 + OTR
It looks like a real bargain to me.

[gn2]

A training outfit in Aberdeen have been using two of the unfaired model for direct access.

[wozza]

Talking of mid capacity bikes and as we are scooterists so do not have preconceived and biased views, what do we all think of this: http://www.wkbikes.com/650cc_motorbikes_wk-650tr.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
They are currently on offer at £4899 + OTR
It looks like a real bargain to me.

I did look at one at the bike show in Birmingham last year. I'm sure it's a good bike overall, but the fairing plastics looked....err Chinese quality.

[bikerdezzie]

I agree with irev, like any other type of bike, I am willing to sacrifice some of the bigger scooters practicalitys in favour of some oomph and style on a lightweight bike, said it many times before, that aprillia ditech 500 concept from years ago seemed to tick the boxes, still chunky though but seriously, surely there are some folk bright enough to design a lightweight, really fast scooter that you can fit at least 1 full face lid under the seat that is good on fuel!, There probably is one but they will build aspects of them in dribs n drabs for years to come until maybe the year 2030 where we actually get the whole bike as requested!