Pedro

"Keep it small and light" works, it works for offroad and short distances, but if you plan on putting on some distance it fails to work, unless you have a long time to do it.

My bike would love you too, if you got to work on the exhaust's corrosion and caked dirt

You ingrates!

Well, it was your choice! That kind of public clerks aren't easy here either, but they are usually better and helpful in small out of big city places. Whenever my admin employee needs something from social security or whatever public service, he calls a small rural town clerk instead of the local big city service. He gets 5 minutes of chat time and then he's their best friend and gets shit done, instead of the "computer says no" reply.

Here you have to have tax residency, and then a couple of forms, an inspection. Used to be 500€ for bikes, now I think it's over 1000, don't know how much. I've never done it, but it's easy, otherwise you wouldn't see so many imported bikes on the second hand market.

What the issue with legalizing it? Being a standard bike you wouldn't have any issues bringing it to Portugal. Do you pay taxes in Spain?

We had that one in this forum too, Pete!

One GS for touring, one GS for offroad, and ... I don't think my way is cheaper

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChWHkOm8ZDUQ8XzdHkbM9ng

"If I am going to pay you these 10 quid, I will get a tear out of you!"

Do you make her kneel on her shins to make it extra painful?

I found that guy on my youtube recommendations a few days ago, some of them are hilarious. The one in which he finds someone hiding in his car escaping from england to Ireland just after brexit was announced cracked me up.

I wouldn't mind using a valet to give my bike a proper clean, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Sadly, never did as I recoil at the sight of a power washer. Those tiny hands would have come in handy once, @Bruce, when I found a small bird squashed between the top of the cylinder and the telelever arm. Already dried up and over cooked, took me forever to fish it out.

It got heavier with the 850, but still everyone that tests them say they are better offroad than the previous 800, which would be a choice for a 50/50 touring bike if buying something smaller and used: The previous F800GS, at 207kg wet with 15 liters and 80Nm, still with the fuel in the rear:

Trying not to hijack Michelle's thread anymore, @XTreme, about the 850: This is a current F850GS, wet weight is 229kg with 15 liters of fuel and 92Nm This is a 2017 R1200GS Rallye, wet weight is 244kg with 20 liters of fuel, and 125Nm A 2011 R1200GS, wet weight is 238kg with 23 liters of fuel and 120Nm, Looking at the weights and the torque, I fail to see the advancements. I know they're all twice the weight of a 60s Yamaha DT1, but still, I don't think the 850 is a better bike, obviously apart from price. The thing with a 850, or a T700, or whatever, is that although probably quite easier off tarmac, they just don't really do it for me. I love starting my bike in the morning, and the engine for just going along country roads. When I really feel like mine needs another one to ease on the wear I will be taking a look at a second bike, for now I don't think I will. The idea of something less precious to me that could be cruised down proper dirt roads with less emotional worries sure is appealing though.

Indeed

I often go internet window shopping for another bike, sometimes starting with a faster road bike better for motorways that I often ride on, or something just pretty, or something touring more offroad oriented like a T700 for a proper trip, but eventually I realize what makes "sense" is another GS to go with this one

And that is how a bike should really be bought, something you want to ride. Otherwise it's like buying a washing machine or a water boiler.

In motorcycles, I agree

Yes, just what she needs!

Do you feel like you should buy a new one? I don’t know the market there. I would buy a new one knowing what I wanted, if I were planning on keeping for a while.

I think you'll get fed up with the 500 on longer road trips.

Would this be the bike for a trip across Canada? I would say get the bike you want for that trip and get used to it, you're capable enough to handle whatever you want. A Honda 600 or 650 4 cylinder is all the bike one needs, they last for ages here, and are so smooth and easy to ride. I wouldn't doubt of choosing one out of the Honda range for a middleweight road bike, it'll take you all over smoothly and fast. I get attached to machines that are there for you, and in this way the Honda will. If you have the chance to try one, I would go for a ride on a BMW R9T, either a scrambler or the really road one, although it weights more they're a peach to handle. Also they've got BMWs best boxer engine ever, to this day. A previous generation R1200R would be as nice but maybe a little less easy to handle stopped. The R9T scrambler is all the road bike you need with good tires while being capable enough to handle dirt roads if you decide to take them on a trip. Maybe too expensive, though? My heart goes to the Z900RS as far as new japanese road bikes go, just on account of it's looks and feel, have never ridden one though. If I were to buy a sunday-morning-coffee-run-road-bike to have next to the GS I would go try one out, but knowing myself probably still buy something with two cylinders, maybe opposed