Case For Base: K.I.S.S. Comes Standard

It's 2018. My phone rings. I answer to the voice of a somehow calmly excited friend telling me about a base model BMW sport touring motorcycle that I "just gotta see". I arrive to find not a base model but a fully loaded 2016 R1200RS, with only 500 miles on it, for sale at base price. Story goes that the previous owner is a newly licensed rider who's partner became pregnant, so now they don't ride.

Say no more. As I type this, that very same bike is parked out front with 103,704 109,071 miles on it, most of them more twisted than an uncooked brick of ramen alongside two "close but no cigar" iron butts. I love this bike and it owes me nothing. The ABS, DTC, ESA, TPMS, shift assist, cruise control, heated grips, riding modes, 3-piece factory luggage and "wonder wheel" integrated/detachable standalone GPS electives are hidden behind its angrily sleek, Darth Vadaresque sport touring profile. All of which gets put to use on the regular.

In 2016, the fully loaded model went for around $17k. Base price, with no fees attached, rang me in at just under $15k, so the decision was easy. I still smile each and every time I ride it. Thing is, there are a lot of gizmotrons sensing, informing, altering and situating behaviors on the machine that will alert me with a nag should they fail. Motorcycles being an inevitable market for unobtainium, eventually I won't have parts to feed that nag's appetite, which begs the question: would I ever upgrade to non-standard, add-on features at dealer price?

Base-ically, Yes & No

The history of my motorcycle's dealer service can be summarized in a single visit, namely that first free go of it. Beyond that, she's only received the at home treatment. Oil, tires, valves, brakes and diagnostics are all part of my personal routine thanks to hours well spent with mentors everywhere.

One great thing about a wash and detail, followed by systematic, mileage based maintenance is that these actions put OC eyes into deep scanning mode. Catching signs of wear at my hand grips, my immediate thought is "no prob, I'll order new gels". I then discover that my BMW's hand grips aren't serviceable. Nope. From what I've found, riders have to cough up $125+, per side, as it involves replacing the entire module (though these show some promise).

With more motorcycle manufacturers engineering what could be a circular headlamp as some trapezoidal exercise that mates quantum physics with origami, I'm reminded of my first bike and the black hole that was my wallet. With every landing paycheck, I'd buy and install the next 3rd party upgrade until "behold ... a financial vacuum which bringeth me smileage". That 1982 Yamaha XS400RJ Seca weren't no R1200RS but in 2011, it was my FJR1300.

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Now that I have the Beemer, knowing things can happen means reminding myself that no matter how much I love any bike, I'm always in the market for whatever comes next. A couple years back, that might've been Zero's SR/S. As of this article's publish date, gotta say I wouldn't throw the Suzuki GSX-8R out of bed for eating crackers.

But for a moment, let's pretend my current steed made its debut today and I'm seated, making the buy. The sales rep sits down, finishes their gibberish speech about in-house "of course you'll also pay" terminology (which I'll fight later). We then sift through the array of aforementioned options, bantering quickly back 'n' forth with the yay/nay:

ESA ... N
TPMS ... N
Shift Assist ... Y
Heated Grips ... N
Garmin Nav VI ... N
Factory Luggage ... Y

Everything else comes standard. Notice, the only two things I go spendy with are the shift assist (they're a little rough but make a nice, booming "POW!" whenever I change gears) and factory bags. The rest, with their registered trademark at Partz Ex-Stink Corp, can be easily substituted after the fact with equivalent luxuries that are replaceable, if not rebuildable (here's to you, Ohlins).

The Modular Aftermarket

Proprietary upgrades I'll forego in the future will be denied based on whether or not I know of a less invasive 3rd party product. Shift assist, for example, isn't something that I would trust buying from Al's Ebay Emporium or Ali Express. The mechanics and electrical interfacing involved means tethering right into my bike's nervous system, something I'd much prefer trusting to the source (BMW).

My other four "nays", however are fairly easy tasks to DIY.

Personal choice to cut ties with BMW's ESA (electronic suspension adjustment) points to the fact that these systems aren't rebuildable. That means once they're done, they're done and replacing them with a better, non-OEM suspension tells the ECU to tell me that I've removed them ... every time I turn the key. I'd rather have a truly excellent, fully rebuildable solution for a reasonable price, so that money is set aside.

Using Bluetooth™ or an independent display, tire pressure monitors are the norm. Many auto parts chains carry them. Yes, they're outboard, meaning they depress our spring loaded valve core but having used them in the past, I see no reason for suspicion where safety and reliability are concerned.

For the Beemer, my alternative is to buy either "OEM" (rebadged Schraders) for $230 each or phantom label knock offs. Their CR2050HR watch batteries, available locally or online for $5 a pair, are soldered in place under 1/2" of epoxy and therefore not serviceable. More troubling is that they're mounted on the inside of the rim, so when their batteries fail in six to twelve months, I have to pull wheels and unmount tires to replace them.

Onto heated grips, which I can source for under $25. They're easy on/off over grips that use industrial Velcro™ to fasten in place. Coax connections at the bars allow for easy plug/unplug. A color coded, single button controller offers three settings (lo, med, hi). All of this is better than the optional OEM upgrade!

As for navigation, I'm not against having a standalone GPS but the only thing I ever use mine for is finding abandoned gas stations. For real navigation, I use RWGPS on multiple smartphones with offline maps. Their software is easier to update, more informative and repeat after me: "My GPS antenna does not use data."

Best Current Base Model Options

"Which base model is best for sport touring?" ... whatever you damn well want! Seriously. When a motorcycle grabs your attention, there's likely a good reason for it and though I'd never tell anyone to dive in at first glance, throwing a leg over for a saddle test is always fun.

Trick is, should you end up in that chair across from a sales rep, know everything you can about the options so that when the terminology starts flying full mumbo jumbo, you're ears are ready. Same goes for any defaults that are known to cause trouble (for that year/make/model) down the line. Five year, fifty thousand mile paperweight mode and dealership/manufacturer indifference usually come standard as well.

Of course, for sport touring purposes alone, there are plenty of mid-priced, simply formatted showroom floor possibilities to think on. I mention Suzuki's GSX-8R as my current fav for its visual profile, minimal weight and headache free plastics (fully faired but with easy motor access). Other middleweight contenders might be Triumph's latest Street Triple R and even, dare I say it, Kawasaki's Ninja series between 600cc ~ 1000cc. New or used, these base models can be obtained affordably. With big years to each generation, you've got parts galore well into the future.

For top coin, however look to Honda's VFR, BMW's almost anointed '24 R1300RS, Aprilia's oh so sexy Tuono, Suzuki's ridiculously titled GSX-S1000GT+ (apparently the moniker's password requires a special character), Yamaha's still-elegant-even-if-long-in-the-tooth FJR, the list goes on.

But things get a bit more fun when we look at budget buys. Final mention, the base model GSX-8R rings in at four digits total, which is a song as new bikes go. I just considered a stagnating floor model, the tag reading $8500.

Royal Enfield weighs in pretty heavy with lightweight ideas, their Continental GT inspiring strange combination smiles (optimistic/pessimistic smirk). These visual throwbacks hide all of their modern amenities behind analog makeup. Buy cheap with plenty of cash reserves and point what's left toward a locally built fairing. Custom construction is something we see little of in the sport touring world. Maybe it's time we change that.

Again, any base model motorcycle you desire has the potential to be transformed into your ideal sport touring bike. Of course, whether it meets the criteria to be deemed ST by your peers depends on your meticulously detailed effort. If that effort exhausts you, you can always fall back on the 50% mindset factor.

Philosophizing Base Model Doom 'n' Gloom

Sounding old without even trying, 10+ years ago I bought a then 30+ year old motorcycle that was engineered by riders who remembered when motorbikes were simpler. The exit from this rabbit hole lands squarely on past great experiences in sport touring travel with far less ECU maintenance and nada/zilch/zero firmware. The idea of rear wheel spin as a benefit: antiquated common knowledge. Physically feeling for and identifying a button mid-ride, without any need to look at it directly is a rarity, now obfuscated by a pixelated box of light. Yeah, yeah ... old man yells at cloud.

On the flip side, science and tech's overspill into individual riding style comes from the great advancements we've made for both safety, efficiency and ease of wrenching. Having owned and (sort of) maintained several carbureted machines, I'll gladly go with electronic fuel injection. Yes, that means ECU and yes, I accept this. The ceiling at which I begin to question manufacturer intent comes with a concussion, slamming into contractually forced post-purchase obligations, aka "subscriptions", the worst being that infamous 8-bit wrench icon that can only be reset at particular increments by a brand certified Moe. Look, some of us (myself included) simply don't do service departments.

All of this has a domino effect. At what point does that bike we have our eye on become too self important to buy? My case for base alone won't rescue me from a yet to be discovered "comes standard" digital fiasco. Exhibit "A", our own Maggie Dean's 2016 Triumph Street Triple R has an EU required immobilizer at the ignition switch. That antenna is beginning to fail, regularly scrambled by RF interference or foreign metals, such as a key ring, shorting its ground circuit.

Triumph's garbled component has both changed our plans to begin a ride and stranded us hundreds of miles away during a ride.

At the same time, analog isn't always king, ABS and other computed fail safes having rescued the lot of us, sometimes without us even noticing. With that, and as a last sentence summary about today's base model market, it's up to us as riders to aim for simplicity, pick our platform and sculpt it by knowing which add-on features can be had after the fact and which standard features might single handedly change our buy into lawn art whence no longer in stock.

Overly Complicated Confusion Conclusion'

Choosing a base model machine is an art unto itself. Choice offerings today involve varying features and add-ons, each designed to enhance our riding experience in their own unique way. But big picture, it's not about how many bells and whistles our bikes distract us with. It's about finding one that speaks to us the most and obscures our maintenance schedule the least.

Embrace this philosophy and profit. Be steadfast against propriety non-essentials that can be had third party. Comfort, reliability and performance are the complete package. This doesn't mean settling for less. It means recognizing the value of simplicity.

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Go forth with confidence as you navigate showrooms full of shiny new models boasting their latest tech advancements. Remember that underneath all of those fancy gadgets, there better be a machine that's worth riding. When you find "the one", embrace its fluff free potential, determined not by high-end specs or cutting-edge technology but by the width of your smile every time you press the magic button.

Careful With That Axe, Eugene

This open letter of an article practically begs modern motorcycle manufacturers to keep simpleton bikes affordably available. Not all modern frills are bad, though. What are some of your favorite extravagantindulgencealities? Your input is invited. Leave a comment!