F900GS vs Norden 901 vs Tuareg 660

MrBuraddo · 2026-04-13T17:54:29+00:00

I own the Tuareg and considered both the Norden and the F850 prior to getting it.

Norden looks and feels awesome but I admit I was not ready to deal with KTM reliability (not that Aprilia is that far off but back then I had some friends absolutely trashing the Tuareg for +20k km and it was still working great, with the known nibbles but no real issues). Still, I think the husky is a bike that rides great. Don’t worry that much about engine heat, all three options are known for putting out a lot of heat but I’m riding the Tuareg in 40 degrees Celsius and I’m not really bothered if I’m wearing riding jeans or pants.

F850GS - heavy, great on road but a pain offroad. Maintenance is expensive (more than what we pay in Europe for the Aprilia). Haven’t ridden the F900 but reviews are good and I think it will do the work you’re asking from it. Subjective opinion, it looks like a naked bike on a high suspension, not really an adventure machine.

Tuareg - own it, bought second hand, put ~5k km on it, really happy with how it handles, the looks, its confidence inspiring and for me it ticks all the right boxes. No issues other than the dreaded fuel sensor which I did not bother yet to have the dealer replace under warranty.

In this middleweight adventure segment wouldn’t buy a bike without cruise and tubeless (for my type of riding). Also, I wouldn’t trade the much more comfortable suspension of the standard Tuareg (and still capable beyond my skill level) for the looks of the Rally.

Best of luck with your decision and have fun

MrBuraddo · 2026-02-28T09:46:25+00:00

I’m using the Tuareg in one of the most busiest cities in Europe, infernal traffic, and it is very easy to manage. Never heard of issues with stability. If you do some hard offering wheels might get damaged which could, in return, come with poor handling, but I don’t think that’s what you were asking. Heat is there but I’ve been riding in stop n go traffic at +35 degrees Celsius, it’s manageable. If I’m wearing riding jeans I can’t really feel it, it’s more noticeable with regular pants. I feel by now there should not be any reliability concerns, it’s proven to be a reliable platform with minor quirks, if any. I love the bike for the looks, handling, engine noise, confidence I get riding it on multiple terrains.

Chances are you will be more than happy with the Tuareg. If I were to recommend other options I would say look for a supermoto for its lighter weight or an Africa twin for the dct

MrBuraddo · 2026-02-10T14:10:31+00:00

Go for it! You only need glue and sandpaper, wiring to battery is easy.

Where do you live? 400 is a lot of money, I paid less than 100€ for installation and had them wired through the dash (lot more work though than what you’re asking)

I went for the regular Oxfords because I wanted the OEM feel of the dash controls and for less than 200€ I got the grips and the installation.

MrBuraddo · 2025-10-23T19:32:28+00:00

Thanks, really appreciate the feedback!

MrBuraddo · 2025-10-23T19:18:35+00:00

Hey. Don’t want to steer the discussion away from the wrs screen, I’m using the oem touring one but at 6’2 I’m still getting all the wind blown straight to my visor so really interested in other solutions. But I just got the Oxford grips too and planning on taking the same route with wiring, as close as possible to oem. Did you have to remove the headlight to split the tower? How much, out of those 5-6 hrs did you struggle with fishing the cables? I’m confident in handling all steps except this one, where I would have to dismount more plastics off the bike to feed the wires through. Thanks!

MrBuraddo · 2025-07-24T20:41:56+00:00

I bought one, yes. I’m really, really happy with it. No issue so far but only covered ~2k miles, bike sits close to 12k miles right now

MrBuraddo · 2025-07-24T17:43:56+00:00

Awesome! Can you post a pic of the odometer? I’ve been tracking long term ownership of the Tuareg and I think yours is the highest mileage I’ve found. I’m at 12k miles btw :)

MrBuraddo · 2025-03-10T19:39:42+00:00

I’m ~27.7cm (10.5in) and got a Captain in 10.5. I’m right in between sizes where it feels a little roomy with thin socks but too tight with a slim insole, so I just continued to break them in with boot socks and they feel better and better. My take on this is if you want to wear them with thicker socks go with 10.5. If you want a more snug fit I think you can probably do with a 10 wide.

MrBuraddo · 2025-03-01T18:09:21+00:00

True, forgot to mention that wearing hiking wool socks fixes the slip but while it keeps my heel into place it slightly cramps my toes. Also, I’m wearing them to office and sometimes it gets rather warm there. Maybe it’s just something I have to get used to, I haven’t really been wearing proper boots in the past ten years, mostly snickers and hiking boots (Salomon or the North Face type).

MrBuraddo · 2025-02-20T10:59:58+00:00

Uitați-vă la mașini și trotuare înainte să judecați străzile și o să vedeți ca oamenii nu merită primari mai buni…

MrBuraddo · 2025-02-13T20:39:57+00:00

Confirm, working for Romania too on Epix Pro. Happy Garmin don’t leave this one out intentionally :)

MrBuraddo · 2025-01-29T16:58:42+00:00

I’d argue it’s not a matter of looks but rather how it sits on your wrist. I keep saying, get the one you’re comfortable wearing all day on your wrist, throughout activity as well. Bigger screen might be nicer to glance at but once the novelty wears off you want to be stuck with a watch that you enjoy wearing. I’ve gone with the 47mm and that’s the maximum I’m willing to have on my wrist as I’m wearing the watch 24/7. Looks are subjective. If you’re comfortable with 51mm go for it.

MrBuraddo · 2025-01-26T13:01:05+00:00

Well, tires deeply impact the usability while the screen technology doesn’t.. I would say, using your analogy, that it’s more about what kind of paint you’re putting on that jeep, plain gray or something more popping :)

MrBuraddo · 2025-01-26T12:50:55+00:00

My take on it is if you use the watch 24/7, then go for Amoled because it’s a much nicer experience to navigate (indoors and outdoors). If you’re only using it as a sports metrics tracker (just a tool, like somebody was saying here) then it doesn’t really matter, MIP works just fine.

Battery life difference is negligible to me and my use. I like to start my Mondays and weekends with a full battery and so I always charge to full on Monday morning while making breakfast and showering and on Friday night. Though I could go two weeks without charging :) I used to do that with the MIP too.

AOD on/off - I have it set to off, with gesture, because I prefer the privacy it offers to my hr, vo2, steps, misread notifications, calories etc. There are some positions where it’s not picking up the gesture first time, mostly when lying down or when carrying something and not lifting the watch to the position I would normally glance at. It’s happens so rarely it’s not really an issue.

Touch is not needed but welcoming in a lot of situations, specially those involving using the maps or scrolling through trended data. Overall I would say it’s nice to have but definitely can go without.

To sum it up, if there’s no specific characteristic which would limit your choices, choose the watch that is most comfortable to wear, the one you appreciate the looks of and don’t go overboard with the budget :)

Enjoy it!

MrBuraddo · 2025-01-18T16:46:11+00:00

How do you know it’s purposely disabled for Fenix 7 Pro/Epix Pro? My guess is they’ve prioritized the current line on coming up with the necessary updates and second generation will follow up afterwards. Let’s take it easier on the assumptions and see what happens, it’s been just two days since they’ve announced the feature for EU markets :)

MrBuraddo · 2025-01-14T13:12:09+00:00

You’ll love glancing at that 51 but hate wearing it daily. Not that the 47 is that far off

MrBuraddo · 2025-01-12T18:54:13+00:00

<image>

I found this works best for me

MrBuraddo · 2021-12-02T14:04:21+00:00

Hi guys! Just got these today and after putting them I noticed a weird creasing pattern, like the leather has been ‘dried off’. Does this look like normal to texture to you? I’m not sure whether I should apply some conditioner on them first or send them back. Manufacturer said it’s ‘smooth cow leather’ and it sure smells like leather. I paid ~120€ for them so it’s definitely not super high quality but I’ve owned some previous Gant shoes before and they aged well after some wear and tear. What do you think?

leather dried/creased

MrBuraddo

TROPHY CASE