Opinions on a 990

[Bozwan]

Thanks. The only advantage the 1090 has over the 1190 is stiffer wheels and PDS rear suspension. Also it's more of a basic bike feature wise. The 1190S will have electronic suspension that's supposedly pretty darn good, and some Bosch sensors that help the rider aids. Didn't read of any failures. The 1190 advantage is more hp/torque. It's almost a 1290 as far as specs, but lighter.

Maintenance wise it's 9k miles for oil. It is a tear down for air filter as its under the gas tank. Long duration though, so it's not often. Unless you ride it like a dirt bike, then you really should do maintenance like a dirt bike, so I've read.

 

[xr-nut]

Actually I haven't, I've been around a couple, but what I could tell is they sound amazing, and seem very capable. At least, if the rider has the skills. My heavy bike for the last 9 years has been a DR650, So quite the step up if I get one.

How close to st joe missouri are you ? I have one you could throw a leg over.

 

[Gravelcruiser]

How close to st joe missouri are you ? I have one you could throw a leg over.

Not that far actually. I'm a few miles north of Chillicothe.

 

[xr-nut]

Not that far actually. I'm a few miles north of Chillicothe.

At the moment there are two in my garage. My youngest sons bike is home for the winter. Head over, you can ride mine and Ill ride his or my 500 and we can beat around my area a bit and see if you like it. I suppose I should first ask "how tall are you"? These are not for the short inseemed among us, unless you are jimmylewis caliber rider.

 

[Gravelcruiser]

I think I'm tall enough to ride this ride. 😁 36" inseam. Actually the one I was looking at sold, but still sounds like a good time to check out the area with a good guide. Haven't ridden in that part of the state yet.

 

[Shiryas]

Its a hell of a hooligan bike and way more capable off road than my R1150GSA was and more civilized than the my 640Adv.

Its not without its drawbacks.

• Keeps Taking Maintenance
• Thirsty, even with the Rade tank I am on fumes to get 225mi
• It runs HOT, not talking about overheating. The air from the radiators flows onto your legs, the pipe warms up my R toe a lot. The engine radiates heat into the fuel tanks, if i can not find dino fuel and have to run ethanol blend the tanks boil in technical riding.
• Its a tall bike in R trim, I am not
• Known issues of: water pump shaft, clutch slave, maintenance, clutch master, cush hub bearings, maintenance, cannisterectomy, flappendectomy, side stand cracking engine block, did I mention maintenance?
• In order to do most of that maintenance you need to remove the fuel tanks . . . after you have taken off the lower fairing sides and the crashbars before that.

I do not find it that comfortable for long slab distances. The wind protection is not that great, I have tried a couple of different screens, best for me so far is the Rade.

Still, it gets me where I need to be.

 

[Richard]

$7K is quite a bit more than I'd be willing to pay for a 10 year old bike. Even with 50K on the clock.

My 2010 990R has just shy of 90,000 miles. When I finally stop riding I'll sell it and it will be cheap. But, it will also have more than 100,000 miles on it.
And nobody will want it.

If I were looking for a new bike there are a lot to choose from. I'd be torn between the Tenere' 700, the KTM 890R and maybe going full crazy big with a 1290R.
A friend bought a 1090R a couple years old and used. I rode it about a hundred miles total, all freeway in the Southern California heat. I thought it was pretty nice.