Thu Apr 10 09:14:24 1997 - Message No. 593
From: casci@ipp-garching.mpg.de (Federico Casci)

Subject: AT or not AT, this is the problem!


Hi everybody,
Let me introduce myself. I am almost 40 yrs old and, at the beginning of my
second half of life, I would like to go back to the love of some years ago,
namely enduro motorbike.
I have been driving a Yamaha XT550 up to 10 yrs ago (for approx.5 yrs) and
I used it especially in Italy for off-road tours. It was a very good bike,
as you know monocylindric 4-stroke.
Now that I live in Germany, but very often I go back to Tuscany (Italy), my
home region, I was thinking to buy a new motorbike. My problem is to choose
a good compromise which allows me to have the possibility to drive the 700
Km from Munich to Florence at a reasonable speed and without arriving there
trembling because of vibrations and at the same time I would like to use
the motorbike for some mild off-road tours. For mild tours I mean maily not
asphalted roads or paths on the mountain/hills of Tuscany. I know from my
previous experience that some manouvrability is necessary, although not a
lot (it is not motocross!), and therefore the weight is important.
I was considering a two-cylinder motorbike.
My first choice would have been Africa Twin, but I am rather scared by the
huge weight (I think 200 Kg empty). I am afraid that a small lateral
inclination will mean a fall.
I was also impressed to see in a film how deep in the sand was going the AT
during the ride through the desert if compared with a Tenere' or with a
Transalp.
An alternative with 2-cylider would be the Transalp or I would have to go
back to a mono-cylinder like the Suzuki Freewind or Yamaha Tenere' or The
Aprilia Pegaso 650.
Moreover how is the AT to drive? Do you think it could be a possibility for
me after my past experience or is it a too high step?
I hope that some of you could tell me your experience in this field and
help me in solving my doubts before the nice weather has gone.
Thanks in advance.
Regards to all of you and have a nice ride!
Federico

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Federico  Casci
        ITER Garching JWS   c/o Max-Planck Inst. fuer Plasmaphysik
               Boltzmannstr.,2       D-85748 Garching bei Muenchen
               tel: +49-89-3299-4237 ; fax:+49-89-3299-4313
               e-mail: casci@sat.ipp-garching.mpg.de




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