General views of Dakar/Sertao

Hi all,

I've been registered on the forum for quite a long time but have made a habit of occasionally lurking and not much posting, but it's a great resource so maybe need to change my habits and start asking a few questions and being part of the conversation!

I'm going through a bit of a clear out of current bikes with a view to replacing everything with a single bike that can do everything I enjoy. This is primarily bit of road riding, a bit of trail, camping etc. etc.

I've always talked with friends about a Dakar or Sertao being the ideal choice for me, but for some unfathomable reason I've never made any serious attempts to actually own one of these models.

I have to say I have slight preference for the Sertao based on styling alone, but understand that they're very much the same underneath?

I'd be interested in people's views on these models, and any weak points that I should look out for when buying as well as any upgrades that are really worth doing.

Cheers,

Steve

Ive had the Dakar and now own a Sertao. I found the Dakar agricultural and not as smooth as the sertao .I didn't own the Dakar long as I couldn't get on with it. Ive recently bought a Sertao which I find to be much more smooth and refined. My vote is on the Sertao as its more modern in looks and design. The Dakars hold their price but I don't think you get value for money when you consider that a decent one will sell for over £3500 .My Sertao is a late 2012 with 4k miles and stands me 3700 with full luggage recently serviced and new tyres.
The only down side for me is that im still trying to get comfortable on the Sertao. At 6ft 2in tall and a 33ins leg I need to drop the pegs ( I do have back problems so im not as flexible as I used to be ) If I can solve the comfort problem im very happy with it .If not its off to ukgser sales and wants.

I know what you mean about the comfort thing - I used to have a high end road cycle and had an ergonomic fitting for it. I thought I just had to get used to the riding position on it but after the fitting and a few small shims here and there, plus tilting the seat by just a couple of degrees, the world of comfort changed (as much as a carbon road cycle could ever be considered 'comfortable'!).

I'm a little shorter than you at 5'10", and am quite comfortable on my current CCM 604 - I actually prefer the riding position over my R100 which you would think would be the easier riding position of the two.

I have a Sertao, the finish is poor and at 8000ish miles there is rust all over it, particularly the frame and thats despite copious amounts of ACF50 over the years, but it is used all year and is my go too winter bike so is exposed to salt a lot.

Needs a taller screen for me at 6`3" so fitted a Givi, uses bugger all fuel expect 60/70 MPG, check for recall work the earlier sertaos would not start when hot so there was a fix for that also the front axle and the beak mount flapped about so was changed. The chain and sprockets are made of cheese, change them if its still standard, for a decent heavier model DID or similar.

The battery is an old lead acid type and buried under the fake tank, I assumed it was a sealed gel type being a GS, so when it died i found it dried out and proper knackered, now replaced with a Gel Motobatt.

Apart from the above it just plods on, is quick enough, lightweigh and handles well, they are also cheap as chips.

Dont rule out the standard G650GS not a lot of difference and even cheaper, mate just got a fully farkled one with 2k miles for £3800, as a newer bike they have heated grips, ABS and other add ons an older F model wont have, so better value in my opinion.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Well, I got myself a peach from Stan Bell on this very forum. Picked it up last week and enjoyed a fairly wind lashed ride back down through my home town of Hartlepool and back to York.

I went out yesterday with MarkJackson for a bit more of a flat up to the Dales, taking in a few nice roads on the way to Pateley Bridge and then up onto the moor where we picked up the trails. Bit different off road to most of my previous bikes and I was a bit nervous on the loose stones of dropping it, but remembering that I did the same route on a 955i Tiger on worse tyres, I got through it.

It's rapidly becoming my favourite bike so far - just enough get up and go to be fun without being over the top for a relative newby (where the Tiger was certainly too much and all my other off roaders have been a bit too focused as endure machines to be considered anything like nice to ride anywhere but the deepest of plotters mud).

That's Hartlepool in the distance look!

And if you look in the 'Yorkshire' part of the forum, it turns out that it was 2Gses and his trail muckers that we met at the gate!

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/454026-TRF-weekend

markjackson said:

That's Hartlepool in the distance look!

Click to expand...

Middlesborough sir