Motorcycle shortlists for Max

Brief

The job to be done

This is the distilled version of the conversation: what actually matters, and what we learned not to optimize for.

What matters most

Upright riding position
BMW GS-ish vibe if possible
ABS is a real requirement, not a nice-to-have
Doesn’t feel fishy, neglected, or one ride away from a project
Reliable and easy rather than exotic

What moved down the list

Pure badge prestige if ownership risk goes up
Cheap old boxer GS bikes with questionable history
Older Transalps without ABS when ABS is non-negotiable
Listings with dealer/lease pricing weirdness
Anything that feels more “adventure cosplay” than honest bike

Style north starBMW GS silhouette, tall-ish and functional.

Ownership north starStarts, rides, keeps doing that, no drama.

Budget realityUnder €3k changes the bike mix a lot; under €4k opens nicer allrounders.

Dutch licence reality

Your full A licence changes the shortlist

We checked this because power started to matter once the more upright allrounders showed up.

Dutch licence limits

A1: max 11 kW ≈ 15 hp
A2: max 35 kW ≈ 47 hp
A (full): no power limit

Practical implication

You do not need to stay inside the A2 box.
The Versys 650, V-Strom 650, Deauville 700 and CBF600 are all fair game.
The CBF1000A becomes viable if you want a stronger bike without moving away from “easy”.

Important nuance Approximate horsepower figures below are model-level, stock-style estimates — the kind you use for shopping judgment — not dyno claims or what some seller typed after three coffees.

Idea 1

If you want the GS feel first

These are the bikes that most clearly match the upright, practical, GS-adjacent shape you were reacting to — while still looking like sensible used buys.

Best fit for you

BMW G650GS · 2012

€2,900 ≈ 48 hp ABS ≈ 62,850 km / 38k miles in ad Private seller · Barendrecht

Top match

Closest to the exact brief: GS vibe, upright, simple single-cylinder layout, and a seller pitch that reads normal instead of theatrical. It feels like the bike you imagined before we started overcomplicating things.

Why it works

Looks and feels properly GS-adjacent
ABS explicitly present
Lighter and friendlier than a big boxer GS
Usually easier ownership than an old R1100/1150GS

Watch-outs

The ad mixes miles and km; verify odometer story
Ask for receipts and valve/service history
Single-cylinder means less smooth than a twin

BMW F650GS · 2006

€2,950 ≈ 50 hp 49,000 km Private seller · Waddinxveen

Clean budget GS

The “I want a sensible allround BMW, not a shrine” option. The ad language is calm and the mileage is attractive for the age.

Why it works

Good km number for the age
Upright and very usable
Reads like an honest allrounder

Watch-outs

ABS not clearly confirmed in the structured attrs
Ask directly before driving over
Still older BMW age category: inspect carefully

BMW F650GS Hyperpro · 2001

€2,500 ≈ 50 hp ABS 49,242 km Groningen

Enthusiast buy

More character, more “somebody loved this”, and possibly more fun than the plain listings. Also slightly more likely to pull you into details and stories.

Why it works

ABS explicitly in title/story
Interesting upgrades, strong allroad identity
Mileage is still reasonable

Watch-outs

Feels more “enthusiast bike” than appliance
You need to verify what was changed and by whom
Private seller with an adventurous pitch

Kawasaki Versys 650 ABS · 2010

€2,995 ≈ 64 hp ABS 51,000 km Private seller · Almere

Best rational allrounder

Not as BMW GS-looking, but honestly one of the strongest “just buy a good motorcycle and ride it” options in the whole search.

Why it works

Very upright and genuinely practical
Enough power without becoming work
Kawasaki twin is a known easy-does-it package

Watch-outs

Less visual romance than a GS
Ask about brakes, suspension and charging system basics
Confirm ABS warning light behaviour in person

Why the old R1100GS / R1150GS bikes fell down the board They look right, but at cheap money they start to feel like “buying into maintenance history” rather than “buying a bike.” Older BMW ABS systems and old-boxer complexity are exactly where the brief said not to go.

Idea 2

Under €3k: upright, reliable, easy

This was the stricter filter, and it changed the answer. Here the smartest bikes are not always the most romantic ones.

Best under-€3k fit

BMW G650GS · 2012

€2,900 ABS Upright Looks like the brief

If you want to wake up and still like your own taste, this remains the most coherent answer.

Honda CBF600 SA ABS · 2004

€2,000 ≈ 76–78 hp 44,000 km Company seller · Hoogeveen

Best value

If you care more about easy ownership than adventure posture cosplay, this is absurdly sensible: low-ish mileage, ABS, Honda, upright-ish, and cheap enough to leave room for catch-up maintenance.

Honda NT700 Deauville ABS · 2006

€1,950 ≈ 65 hp 46,885 km ABS + handvatverwarming + cardan

Calmest option

The most grown-up answer in the room. Not sexy. Very likely to just work. The description explicitly says it runs, rides and shifts well, and the equipment list is exactly the kind of practical old-tourer spec you want to see.

Kawasaki Versys 650 ABS · 2008

€2,700 ≈ 64 hp 56,000 km Gel seat + top case

Smart cheap allrounder

This is the more budget-shaped Versys. Winter stored, extras that actually matter, and still inside the under-€3k line without looking too weird.

Suzuki V-Strom 650 · 2004

€2,000 ≈ 66 hp 60,000 km Private seller · Nijmegen

Honest mule

The V-Strom answer is always “less cool than you imagined, better than you expected.” This one reads like a tidy owner-maintained bike with consumables already being talked about.

Honda NT700V Deauville ABS · 2007

€2,850 ≈ 65 hp 2nd owner Vorden

Comfort pick

More expensive than the 2006 Deauville, but the ad reads trustworthy and grounded: second owner, reserve key, booklets, good rear tyre, no wild claims.

Idea 3

Because you have full A: stronger but still sane

Once the licence limit disappeared, the shortlist widened from “can I ride it legally?” to “what extra power is actually useful without ruining the easy-bike brief?”

Most power under €3k

Honda CBF1000A · 2006

€2,875 ≈ 98 hp 61,659 km Private seller · Barneveld

Power move

This is the strongest bike in the practical shortlist. If you want noticeably more shove without drifting into supersport nonsense, this is the grown-up full-A answer.

Honda CBF600 SA ABS · 2004

€2,000 ≈ 76–78 hp ABS 44,000 km

Sweet spot

In many ways this is the power sweet spot of the whole report: stronger than the Versys/Deauville/G650GS, but still normal enough to be friendly every day.

Suzuki V-Strom 650 · 2004

€2,000 ≈ 66 hp Upright 60,000 km

Adventure utility

Not a hero bike, but a very strong “just go places” machine. If the specific bike checks out in person, this is one of the most practical full-A options here.

Kawasaki Versys 650 ABS · 2010

€2,995 ≈ 64 hp ABS 51,000 km

Best allround shape

Slightly less raw power than the CBF600, but probably the more natural fit if you still want upright posture and allroad usability to matter.

Horsepower ranking of the main discussed bikes CBF1000A (~98 hp) → CBF600 SA ABS (~76–78 hp) → V-Strom 650 (~66 hp) ≈ NT700 Deauville (~65 hp) ≈ Versys 650 (~64 hp) → G650GS (~48 hp).

Decision table

One-table version

The short answer in compact form, optimized for a sleepy morning brain.

Bike	Price	Approx hp	What it does best	Main concern
BMW G650GS (2012)GS-style, upright, ABS, private seller.	€2,900	~48 hp	Most faithful to your original taste.	Confirm mileage unit/history carefully.
Kawasaki Versys 650 ABS (2010)51k km, upright allrounder.	€2,995	~64 hp	Best practical allround buy.	Less GS soul, more sensible twin.
Honda CBF600 SA ABS (2004)44k km, company seller.	€2,000	~76–78 hp	Best value and best power/ease mix.	Not really allroad-styled.
Honda NT700 Deauville ABS (2006)46,885 km, practical spec.	€1,950	~65 hp	Lowest-drama ownership vibe.	More tourer than fun allroad.
Suzuki V-Strom 650 (2004)60k km, topkoffer.	€2,000	~66 hp	Adventure utility with honest-bike energy.	Needs condition to match the story.
Honda CBF1000A (2006)61,659 km, private seller.	€2,875	~98 hp	Most power without being silly.	Heavier and more bike than the GS/Versys options.

Morning verdict

If I were you tomorrow

Three calls first. Everything else can wait until after coffee.

1. BMW G650GS (2012)

Best style match
Still practical
Feels like the answer you wanted to hear and the answer that makes sense

2. Kawasaki Versys 650 ABS (2010)

Probably the most balanced actual used-bike choice
Enough power, good posture, not weird
If the BMW disappoints in person, this is the safe pivot

3. Honda CBF600 SA ABS (2004)

Value is almost rude
Great if you decide practicality matters more than allroad styling
Also the cleanest answer to “I have full A, can I have more power?”

Wildcard: Honda NT700 Deauville ABS (2006)

Less exciting, more confidence-inspiring
Excellent if you want a bike that behaves like a sensible appliance
The one you buy if you’re done auditioning identities

One-line summary Buy the G650GS if your heart gets a vote. Buy the Versys 650 ABS if your head gets the deciding vote. Buy the CBF600 SA ABS if your wallet wants to feel clever.

Field guide

What to check before handing over money

Because the whole point was “not fishy” and “not falling apart.”

Ask before you leave the house

Is the ABS working and does the ABS light behave normally?
Cold start video possible?
Service history / receipts / valve checks?
When were tyres, chain/sprockets, brake fluid, coolant done?
Any drops, slides, parking damage, insurance history?

Check on the bike

Fork seals, steering head play, wheel bearings
Battery / charging voltage if possible
Brake disc lip and pad life
Chain alignment and rust, or cardan smoothness on Deauville
Uneven tyre wear = possible suspension or alignment neglect

ABS-specific sanity check If ABS is mandatory for you, don’t accept “I think it has it” or “it never gave trouble.” Turn the key, watch the dash, and make sure the ABS warning light behaves like it should.

Source note This page is based on a local, audit-friendly Marktplaats snapshot imported into SQLite, with live links preserved. It is intentionally opinionated: the point was not just to list bikes, but to reduce the number of dumb viewings.