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Honda CRF1000L-Problems


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At least they are an option and you can get your favorite boxes. I always thought the aluminum looked the best but also would be the hardest to keep sealed or repair, unbend after a wreck. The Gobi boxes I have are kinda ugly but they're pretty darn tough. I've fallen on them multiple times and holed one, repaired it with JB Weld, and they are still working great. Plus if you want, they have a water jacket for emergency fluids.

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At least they are an option and you can get your favorite boxes.

Hey Gorman, nice to meet you.

 

Yeah, thank god for that! What baffles me is: HONDA, one of the greatest if not the greatest bike manufacturer on the planet. Why would they even bother to produce such horrid panniers? Didn't they test them somehow?

About Alu panniers, yeah, I love them. I had the genuine BMW ones on the GSA1200, and my father has the SW-Motech ones on the Stelvio NTX. Both very good products!

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  • 9 months later...

It has issues, like any other bike. That's not the problem.

The problem is a whole bunch of people that insist on defining this bike as some kind of special unicorn, when in fact it's the most common and uninteresting thing in motorcycling in a long time. (isn't it funny how magazines, unable to say anything great about it, were praising the fact that it's a "balanced" bike?).

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7 hours ago, Dragos Stefan said:

It has issues, like any other bike. That's not the problem.

The problem is a whole bunch of people that insist on defining this bike as some kind of special unicorn, when in fact it's the most common and uninteresting thing in motorcycling in a long time. (isn't it funny how magazines, unable to say anything great about it, were praising the fact that it's a "balanced" bike?).

You know, that might be why I wont pull the trigger on it.  I have looked and looked at it.  I have a 2014 BMW F800GSA, and I am wondering if I just get a suspension upgrade will I have a better bike? 

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If you're not fully in love with your BMW, you can always sell it and buy another BMW.

I agree with Dragos, but I have to ask; Where were all these forums and social media outlets when I bought my brand new 1989 Honda Transalp??? :)

Many moons ago I listened to these babbling forum feeders and passed on a deal on an 04 KTM 950. 3 or 4 weeks later I found it on eBay, called him up and bought it anyhow. On the way home all those comments lurked in the back of my head, "high strung, high maintenance, not refined, yada, yada..." I actually kind of babied it for a couple weeks then one day I just said F-it! I started hammering the crap out of it. 120,000 miles later, I still love it, I still beat it with zero regrets.

Speaking of Honda's, I finally drug that Transalp out of Winter storage and rode it to work. It's old, old technology, seen better days, but it's still a pleasure to ride.

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You know, that might be why I wont pull the trigger on it.  I have looked and looked at it.  I have a 2014 BMW F800GSA, and I am wondering if I just get a suspension upgrade will I have a better bike? 

Dude. Now you're talking. I did that and only smiles on my ride. It's like getting a totally new bike.
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12 hours ago, MGorman said:

Sorry Jason, that should have read...

"If you're not fully in love with your BMW, try the Honda, if you don't like it, you can always sell it and buy another BMW.

I think the only thing I am really not in love with is the suspension.  Between me (250lbs) and the bike with 6 gallons of fuel it really wears me out on whoops.   I can't seem to get any speed to stay upright if the terrain is soft.  

Otherwise, I love my bike.  

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From what I understand, the AT is a pogo stick out back so you're probably better off sending your suspension to a reputable tech. If you are on Advrider, send a pm to Flagger, he put parts from another brand/model in his BMW, Don't recall the outcome. If you're truly a dirt guy, keep an eye on the new 1090, KTM just kitted them with the same stuff that's on the XCFW/EXC Line up. The KTM ergo's are very Off-Road.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have a hard time thinking Showa would screw up on a fork size they've used for decades on a variety of bikes from a variety of manufacturers.  I wonder why Honda would use a 45mm fork on such a heavy motorcycle.  It appears they haven't used that small of a fork since the 90's on off-road bikes that weigh a half of the CRFL's weight.  KTM uses the same basic 48mm open chamber fork on every XCW motorcycle from the 125 all the way up to the 1190 since around 2004 to current.

How many guys are coming from primarily street riding and are new to Adventure riding who bought the CRFL, don't realize you need to take extra care in keeping the sliders clean so dried dirt doesn't prematurely eat away the seals?  I've seen seals go for years, even decades (My Transalp) and never weep a drop yet I've seen other fail in short order.

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On 6/27/2017 at 9:15 AM, Jason R said:

You know, that might be why I wont pull the trigger on it.  I have looked and looked at it.  I have a 2014 BMW F800GSA, and I am wondering if I just get a suspension upgrade will I have a better bike? 

Different strokes, but my buddy had an 800GS and had the suspension fully worked (about your weight or more), but never really liked it.  He now has an AT and loves it.  He has had it for about a year, first one in our state and has had no issues with it.

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