Is the S10 the best value big ADV bike out there? Well, after a year of ownership I think it probably is.
I've just got back from a weekend on the West Coast of Ireland with the Irish tossers and the bike just does everything with no fuss or drama.
It took me a while to get the ergonomics, fuelling and suspension right but once that is done it's an almost perfect bike.
Over that last 3 days, I've done 892 miles on everything from the twisty A5 through Wales, the arrow straight N6 in Ireland and the nadgery and gravelly boreens beloved by tossers on the sceptred Isle.
As a mile muncher on motorways, there is little better as it just sits there on cruise control perfectly happy at whatever speed is set and the weight of the bike keeps is rock steady in the blustery conditions.
In the twisties, it's sure footed and solid as long as the tyre pressures are right. I've noticed that any drop in pressure on the front really unsettles it so you have to keep a regular check on it.
On the gravelly boreens and rough back roads, the suspensions soaks it up and with bar risers, standing up on the pegs is perfect and it just deals with it.
The whole weekend returned an excellent 54.4 mpg and I definitely don't hang around. I know it isn't high on the list of important things but with price of stuff, every little helps.
All the other ADV bikes out there have their plus points and will trounce the S10 in certain departments but overall and in the real world, the S10 can live with them and given the price of it (if you can get one), it has to be the best value on the market.
I refer to it as an R1150GS on steroids brought bang up to date and in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with that.
I've just got back from a weekend on the West Coast of Ireland with the Irish tossers and the bike just does everything with no fuss or drama.
It took me a while to get the ergonomics, fuelling and suspension right but once that is done it's an almost perfect bike.
Over that last 3 days, I've done 892 miles on everything from the twisty A5 through Wales, the arrow straight N6 in Ireland and the nadgery and gravelly boreens beloved by tossers on the sceptred Isle.
As a mile muncher on motorways, there is little better as it just sits there on cruise control perfectly happy at whatever speed is set and the weight of the bike keeps is rock steady in the blustery conditions.
In the twisties, it's sure footed and solid as long as the tyre pressures are right. I've noticed that any drop in pressure on the front really unsettles it so you have to keep a regular check on it.
On the gravelly boreens and rough back roads, the suspensions soaks it up and with bar risers, standing up on the pegs is perfect and it just deals with it.
The whole weekend returned an excellent 54.4 mpg and I definitely don't hang around. I know it isn't high on the list of important things but with price of stuff, every little helps.
All the other ADV bikes out there have their plus points and will trounce the S10 in certain departments but overall and in the real world, the S10 can live with them and given the price of it (if you can get one), it has to be the best value on the market.
I refer to it as an R1150GS on steroids brought bang up to date and in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with that.