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in India, Asia and Africa people go everywhere with tiny 125-200cc bikes, its the mindset, not the bike. and most of the time they are carrying a pillion and heavy luggage. yes they will be slow but will get to wherever they need.
Totaly with you 👍🏻. I think because of the much better & bigger highways in developed nations, unless you're ok with not being at par with other traffic, there's always going to be that internal conflict for adv motorcycles. Here in India 🇮🇳, you really cant go that fast on highways anyway. Been riding on 150cc for all my & treks in the Western Ghats (with pillion & luggage)...on dirt, gravel and even crossing dried up river beds.
Not only there, all throughout Latin America we ride small motorcycles, on my first ever off-road my friends took me to a trail they called "mild", as we were trying to go down a small hill full of fine dust a guy wearing rubber flip flops in a 125 cc messenger type bike with street tires just rolled up the hill as if he was on flat ground... 🤣 😂 😅.
For me it doesn’t matter how big, how small, how light, or how heavy, expensive or inexpensive…An adventure bike is any motorcycle you load yer gear on, ride it to your destination and return home under its own power…C90, TW200, T7, GSA, whatever. In the end who really cares as long as you don’t die in the process! 😀
But it DOES matter!!....I think people are confused on what exactly they intend to do....it's ALL compromise with Dual Sport and Adventure....... A BMW is Never going to follow a 450cc off-road, period......and a dirt bike is Never going to be a BMW on the highway. People need to understand What they are getting into. There is No "do it all" Dual Sport or Adventure bike.....it's compromise.
This is simply not true, there are many places where you won't go with a street bike at all. Try to gp with a goldwing on a steep trail and you will be down after 50 meters. If it is to ride in your garden, Goldwing is ok if you did cut grass b4.
Heck yeah for the C90 shoutout! This guy properly adventures on a bike that is actually 1200 CCs smaller than mine: ua-cam.com/video/_2LEgowbzSc/v-deo.html
I'm in the UK and your closing comments reflect a conversation I had with a newer rider yesterday. 40 years ago when I got my licence there were just bikes, they may have been British, Italian, Japanese, whatever but mostly they were all just bikes, now.... well, take your pick of category. To me, they are all still bikes and the people that ride them are biker's, I'll give a wave or a nod to anyone, if they choose not to wave back because I am on the 'wrong' bike then they have been taken in by marketing, cos when you boil it down, they are all just two wheels and an engine.
@Hello Me yes too shallow way to look at life but that's life u r right self-worth is based on ur pocket size, not your real potential, what actually u can do with the bike, ego is big not common sense
I agree with you. I recently changed my fancy triumph for an nc750 due to triumph reliability issues. I just wanted something that worked.. completely different attitude from other bikers on this bike to the triumph. I love adventure bikes for the practicality, for off road I would use something dual sport based. I can't see that a big heavy bike is for off road personally.. It's a bit like people buying range rovers and expensive 4x4 cars that never see dirt ☺️ Give me a crf250 anyday 😂
This guy is really good. Seriously. .... To your question at the end of the video - I'm nearly 80 years old, but I'm still interested in ADV riding. For me, it's all about weight & control. Luxury is not my highest priority. I think I'm down to say 300 cc's. I'd like something bigger, but just don't think I can deal with the weight. Reality. :-/
I agree John, I have been riding the large, BMW 1200 and 800GSAs the past 8-9 years. This summer I bought a 300 KLX. I’m having a blast on it. It is it for everything, including many 80-100 mile highway round trips. It is a blast on the forest roads.
@@dalecolegrove6652 same as mine but I just started riding last year. I am probably going the other direction as far as weight goes at least for a while (44) but planning on keeping the small one.
Have a 2019 V Strom 650XT and I consider it an adventure bike because it gets be where I want to go. The most off-road my bike gets is the odd forest road, so off-road capability wasn’t high on my list of needs. Comfort, reasonable mileage and reliability however were. The Strom may not be the most glamorous of bikes but its all the Adventure bike I need.
You are right. I would rather spend money for a big adventure than buy a BMW GS. These bikes are too expensive for me! You can get 2 v Stroms instead of one GS. Saving so much enables you to go on a long trip with the strom.
Great overview! I believe that adventure riding should be a personal expression of whatever your adventure dictates. So, if you want to ride a continent on the highway and someone else wants to ride it only on backroads, the ideal bikes will vary. Making your adventure differ from the rest of the pack is what an adventure motorcycle is all about.
After having the BMW 1150gsa and a 1200gs, and now riding the V Strom I can agree the BMW's are more capable for off road, but unfortunately am not, so the v Strom is just enough for what I can do. Thanks for sharing the video Cheers !
Ah! Thanks for leaving a nice post. I'm riding an r1200gs and want to buy a vsstrom1050xt. However, I'm worried about the 1050xt because I don't trust it. Would the 1050 be as good as the gs? You are the one who can answer me. thank you. If you ever see...
I’m 5’6” and 152 lbs. I pay a great deal of attention to weight and seat height. I wouldn’t ride a 1250 cc BMW if you gave it to me. When you play tennis, do you use a 10 lbs. racket? The idea of taking a 550 lbs. motorcycle off-road is ridiculous to me.
You guys sitting here talking shit about a 500+ bike. Grow up. I've had my KTM 1090 in more places than your pathetic 250 ever has. Not the rest of the world's fault your short and can not ride.
Short jokes from keyboard warriors, wow. Classy folks 😉. In my experience, shorter riders generally develop much better skills that serve them better in the long run, like significantly better balance. But of course, it doesn’t really matter anyway because it’s something we do for fun, no matter how we do it.
To each its own definition of adventure. For me, it's taking off on a bunch of twisty roads to arrive at the remote campsite at the end of day. Be able to carry enough gears but not too much. Be able to go down a gravel or unpaved road but it's not a necessity. At the end of the day, it's called touring and the most fun for me is riding twisty roads with great vistas as far away from civilization as possible while still able to pick up a few beers for the nighttime campfire.
Great video. I love your final comments on how the adv community is becoming like the Harley group. It is becoming exclusive in many ways including financially. I hope the inexpensive adv bikes make riding on / off road more accessible to people with average incomes.
Dave Reinhart I agree with you also. Dork in the road just gave a little rant about not being a stuck up snob to beginner riders and not so experienced riders. We all where beginners once and if we want to grow the sport we need to be welcoming to new riders and help them to get to be better riders. I am 70 years old and am thinking about buying a CRF300L because I can not pick up these big heavy bikes. I have a Honda NC700X that I have ridden off road a little bit put it is way to heavy for me to pick up by my self and I am alone on my bike most of the time. I also have a Honda CRF230L but it is very under powered for highway use.
My adventure bike is a Triumph Street Triple R 765. None of a dirt bike but I made a road trip end of last April from France to south Morocco crossing Spain. More than 3000 miles riding through mountain roads and to the desert. Great adventure riding experience with a street bike though!
Any bike is an "Adventure" bike, as every ride is an adventure! My 2 brothers and I are buying 125cc bikes (even though we all own big capacity "adventure bikes" a Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC, a KTM 890 Adventure S and my own Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT Tour) we are planning on doing a 500 mile wild camping trip later this year, I'm erring on getting either a Suzuki Van Van or a Honda Supercub 125. Who cares which clique is best, I don't ride my bike to look good, I ride it to feel good and have fun.
That is exactly what we did at home, I sold my Suzuki GSX 1250 FA and got a Moto Guzzi V84 TT and a Yamaha XT250, my partner got a Van Van and is really happy with it. I love my XT250. The Guzzi end up being my commuter bike, rides well, good suspension and cruise control, too big for me to take it on technical terrain.
My sinnis terrain has 17" front and back with 50/50 tyres and i take it off road for wild camping all the time. It handles all of the UK terrain that i throw at it beautifully.
I have a 2009 v strom 650 with crash bars, radiator guards, luggage and a good bash plate. The most important “limiting factor of this bike is weight. Ok for fire roads chancy on unknown single track. You can spend a lot more for a BMW and have the same limitation, to an even greater degree. I love the v strom, but if I get intomore serious ADV I’m gravitating to smaller bikes, cb500 x or smaller.
Excellent video and points!! I define an adventure bike as a bike that one adventures on. I did a lot of "adventure" riding on a cb750 although I didn't know that's what it was called at the time. Love it!
Same here, 68 Honda 350 scrambler. Knobby on the back, jumps, hills ,streams. Rode from OH to FL, OH to SC several times. Never forget the look on some real "dirt" bike guys, after blasting up a hill they all were all riding. Just didn't know any better back then
Regarding front tire size: I had an old suzuki gs 400 twin with narrow 18" rims front and back. I installed a 3.50/18 on the front and rode it off road. I then installed a 3.00/18 and it made a world of difference. So for all around front tire, I'd go with a 50/50 as narrow as possible. I have a 100/90-19 E-07 Mitas on my Versys x 300 but would be happier with a 90/90-19 if they made one.
Ian, kind hearted Ian, you know that your videos are of those few, one wishes they don't end! Very informative (I for one, almost completely, agree on what you say.) G.luck & keep them coming! Safe riding bro.
Any bike can be a Adventure bike, its not the bike it's what you do with it that counts, just ask Ted Simon or Ed March. Get out there and have fun, the only ones bothered are the poser's
Any bike can be an adventure bike. I have owned a few and currently own one. But I also took my FJR to Big Bend and took it off road a bit, that was more exciting than any adventure bike lol
On saturday 19/6-21 I drove 1000 kilometer in one day. From Bergen Norway, to Sävsjö Sweden, where my daughter lives. 10 ‘celsius in Bergen 05.30 o’clock in the morning. 7 ‘c on Gol with alot of rain. Mildly wetather in Oslo, an warmer and warmer towards Sävsjö.. Eight o clock in the evening, I was there, tired but Happy. And I could ride more…. I’m 54 year old, had my license for 4 years. My 2018 r1200GS, is AMAZING and goooood. The cruisecontrol is the most importaint thing. And I dont have ESA on my bike, but I have TFT and led. The motorrad app is amazing
Good narrative on a subjective subject... I have had everything from a 1200GSA and 800GSA to what I’m riding this summer, a Kawasaki 300 KLX. You are correct in that many of the riders that get hung up on specs, don’t look nearly as close at the rider, themselves and their abilities, to handle a challenging situation. As you know, many off-road adventures are manageable... until you hit that “section” that ya go. “How the heck am I gonna get through this”. Haha! That’s why this summer I’m having a blast on my 300 KLX. I miss the creature comforts of the GSA, but dang, my skills and confidence are at a very high level. Ride on!
Dave Barr, Ted Simon, Nathan the Postman and Teapot 1 have different ideas about what bikes "can" be used. For me, I'm going to ride my Versys 650 (bash plate, crash bars, ADV mirrors and Shinko tires) until the bike is holding me back. Right now I'm motorcycle hiking so any bike will do....though having dropped it a couple times, I'm thinking a KTM 390 adv might be way nicer to lift on my own :)
Good video. I like your comment about sheep, when I ride my Africa Twin all the adventure riders nod but when I’m on my Yamaha TW then I’m invisible to them. Remember any 2 wheels is better than 4.
@@TDub_ADV The world needs more TWs that will really go anywhere but I must say the Africa Twin is amazing for long and fast when mostly on good roads, or at least on roads or some kind. The TW is the winner when there are no roads.
@@irishflyer6377 100%, they both have their place for sure. I do take my Africa Twin off road but nowhere near the places i can take my TW. Its just too heavy.
Fantastic vid! You covered more in 14 minutes than most do in 40! As always, Your in depth information was spot on and I appreciated how thorough you were and also how you presented to dummies like me. My first 4 bikes were sport bikes and I took them everywhere, even off road where I shouldnt have. My last bike, a ktm super adventure 1290 R was my first 'Adventure ' Bike and there really was a big difference. I could easily doo a 500+ mile day with minimal discomfort. I could easily go offroad just about anywhere I desired due to the suspension, ground clearance, crash bars and skid plate. It really opened my eyes and my heart to True adventure Bikes. I still love my previous 4 bikes, but I realize now how lucky I was to not have any stories about how I ripped out an oil pan 20 miles from a paved road, or bent a rim, or cracked the side of my engine after falling.
I've had many bikes over 41yrs riding cruisers sports tourers etc etc however the best all rounder is my current gsa 2018 bmw 1200 brilliant at everything
If you’re going to buy an adventure bike to ride on unsealed road then learn to ride a dirt bike first. I came from dirt bikes to a triumph tiger 800 and only being 5’4” it has been an advantage to have experience on the dirt.
Great video. I own a GS150R from Suzuki, I have driven in crazier terrains and of course just like you said, there is more to the skillset than that of the specs. Honestly everything contributes to the experience. Hey, it's just about getting the job done. The tyres, the gearing, the wheel size everything matters, but there is always a workaround to getting things. It's just the skill that matters the most and the will of-course.
"Adventure bike". I dont think anyone can define it because so many people have different views on it. Do you need a bike at all to go on an adventure? With that said I think that is the main problem in a definition. To me, I think an adventure bike is simply a bike i would use to go on an adventure. Adventure: going places i havent been before to "see whats out there". That doesnt mean i need to be on some easy/difficult offroad trek. For some its the difficult places theyre looking for, which is what they want. I have a friend that walked the Appellation Trail. An adventure indeed.
Adventure people don’t need anything special to have a adventure , it’s a lifestyle and being comfortable and always adapting to the adventure, it helps to have experience and a list of things to survive but also you will always need something you don’t have so , I believe the perfect adventure bike is within you ! Haha 😂 or Yamaha t7 but man I have a African Twin that will work and do adventure plus
I'm lucky, I have two adventure bikes. Over the course of the next season when I section ride the North East BDR I will take the adventure bike that suits that part of the trail. My F850GSA for the easy to moderate sections, and coincidentally the sections I will ride the to on some major highways and through NYC. For the more technical sections, and the sections that I will reach by ferry and secondary roads, I'll be taking my KLX300. Both great adventure bikes, but both biased, obviously, to different adventures. The GS is a great touring bike that can capably take me off road, the KLX300 is a great off road bike that is just capable enough to get me to distant trails. Both ends of the spectrum but both are adventure bikes. As someone below said any bike you can load your gear on is an adventure bike.
Way back when, back in the days before Ewan and Charlie, an adventure bike was a rally bike, think Paris and Dakar, the original G\ S, Africa twin, Tenere, KLR, Cagiva Elephant, all based around rally bikes, so an adventure bike is a rally bike because there is no bigger adventure than the Paris - Dakar.
Great video. A couple of your videos have me considering buying the V Strom 650 in the future, once I get more experience (and money) since I only have less than a 1000 kilometers in the odometer of my first bike. Thanks for the great content.
Ian, I realize you've had this one out there a bit, but I've found it just as I am trying to answer the question, "what kind of riding do I want to do?" I've had a KLX that I put a big bore kit on--fantastic, fun bike, but I decided I wanted "higher performance", so I picked up a 300 2T that tries to kill me on a regular basis. I also picked up a DR650 and outfitted the Pig to do BDR type rides. The 650 is fabulous for those type rides, and my experience on the Idaho BDR makes me question whether I even want or need a dedicated dirt bike. But the DR does lack a bit on the highway. Riding highways from north Idaho to Southern Colorado or NM to do more BDRs isn't quite nightmare inducing, but doesn't seem all that fun, so I've been looking at machines with a bit more highway capability (twins and triples that won't vibrate your nervous system into jello). My problem is, I don't want to give up the more rugged "off road" capability of the DR, and I cringe at the weight of some of bigger bikes. I saw folks doing things on the BDR with GSAs that made me a bit queasy. I'm still very much up in the air--everything from the CB500X, to the V-Strom650 to the Tiger and Africa Twin seem like possibilities...but I really wish Triumph would put the 660 in a slightly more offroad capable platform!
You are right about adventure riders, the group attitude. I’m there…my confidence isn’t always, because I’m learning on a bike that’s almost too big for my age and strength. I don’t have the expensive gear yet, but you know I want it, and the protection it offers.
Well… IMO it Doesn’t really matter for what most casual adventurers do. Camping/occasional dirt roads/trails… Took my CB300R with road tires down loose gravel, water crossings, climbs and moderate dirt terrain. IMO, when you push the boundaries the more specialized the bike/gear needs to be. So, Do you need a cb500x with 50/50 tires or do you need a CRF450 to jump and clear obstacles? For me, I want to do a fair amount of everything so I sold the 300R and got a 300L. Awesome review!
Simple, ability to take if off-road on medium trails with enough ground clearance and protection for the bike to make it back out. This basically means at least 7-8” ground clearance, mid controls so you can stand on pegs and operate the bike in slippery conditions, bash plate, engine guard and with these, you can make many bikes ready for a bit of adventure. I did it with many modifications to the Harley Roadster and it did great on fire roads but after all was said and done, I spent as much as a base Pan America.
Great video! I’m trying to make an adventure sport unicorn with my DRZ400 SM and one day go moto camping. I don’t know how you take that BMW beast off-road! I have trouble picking up mine after a spill. Sand is definitely the hardest terrain to master for me.
@@4N2IN0JA sand: lean back to lighten the front and load the rear, really relax the grip on handlebars to allow front wheel to go it’s own way, keep up decent speed and don’t fight it. Do Not fight it.
Great editing. You're very good at explaining things in a way that a neophyte can understand, I appreciate that as a new motorcyclists. Do you rent out your bikes? Rideshare? What cameras do you use? What editing software? Thanks for the video.
I don't rent bikes (maybe someday?). I use a combo of Canon R6, M50, Go Pro 7, and a galaxy s20 on a gimbal, I like to have a variety of options. I edit with Resolve.
It would be a long day in the sand with less than a 21 inch front wheel, never seen anything less used in Dakar. As for the adventure bikes, I still use a 1986 Honda XLV750, very few bikes can follow it if road.
You lost me at the sheep comment. People copy the gear and the bikes for adventure riding because it works. I wear a klim jacket because it works. We are our own thing. I’m not a sheep but I’m glad to be a part of it. Great video!!
Any bike is an adventure bike. Remember when Triumphs were converted from street to dirt by the owners? Video floating around with a full dress golding mobbin on a singletrack and an Africa Twin ridden like a trials bike. Any bikes biggest drawback is THE RIDERS SKILL!
Great Video Ian as always.👍 I look at a Adventure Bike as something that’s capable of taking you anywhere you want to go. I’m not sure there is a Perfect Adventure Bike. You have to have something that’s Reliable and won’t Break Down in the middle of nowhere. You have to be able to Trust the Bike to get you there and back. It also depends on the Riders point of view. I don’t plan on taking my GS on Trails that are just Mud and huge Ruts, so it doesn’t have to be a Motorcross able Bike or Trials Bike. Or even capable of doing that I guess. I’m looking more at the Adventure Side. Just Cruising down Dirt Roads and decent Trails. Also Road capable for Touring comfortably at Highway Speeds or higher. Range, and Storage for Gear. Good Wind Protection. I have a 2006 R1200GS with about 38,000 Miles on it. I don’t have all the Bells and Whistles and it’s fine for me. I’m a Disabled Veteran so I can’t afford a High Price Bike. I actually Traded a Harley for it with no Money exchanged. I’ve never been happier. It’s so comfortable I can Ride without hurting. I have 4 Fusions in my Lower Back, and 2 in my Neck. I couldn’t even Drive a Mile on the Harley. Anyway, I watch all your Videos. I have learned more from your Videos about Bikes than any other Channel. You do a Great Job Ian, many Thanks for all your hard work.👍😁❤️
I Was doing this back in the 80s without a motorcycle 🏍 in my bike 🚲 following the cow 🐄 trails lots of fun 🤩 I need to get me a motorcycle 🏍 now in my midlife crisis.
Hi, I've watched your latest videos recently, great stuff! I've been riding motorcycles more than 40 years. I started with street bikes and for some years ago I changed my Ducati Multistrada 1000 DS to an older Honda Dominator (which I fixed up) to test out adventure riding, this year I stepped up and sold my Dominator and got a BMW 1250 GS. When it comes to mc gear I think good protection is the most important (I know from my own experience) Personally I invested in a top notch Rukka Realer dress, Schubert E1 helmet and Alpinestars boots. All gore-tex and high level of protection and comfort. Having an adventure bike gives a lot if freedom to ride routes that are more entertaining and wild. I live in Finland and this year a buddy of mine and I will drive up north following the Trans European Trail to Lapland. Stay safe and have fun!
depends on which type of 'adventure' you are going on which will define the features which conduce to you surviving or enjoying your adventure. if you're on a 50-day cross border trip riding mostly paved roads doing motel-hopping then bikes which have good touring capabilities like comfortable seating, large fuel capacity, sturdy and stable stature with an engine able to do steady highway speeds will be much better than a tiny 250-CC dual-sport bike that'll get tossed about in the highway crosswinds. and oh, look, the GS and V-Strom has some of these features. if your idea of an 'adventure' is to cross desert tracks on a 15-day trip doing mostly dispersed camping and not traveling great distances and possibly never sniff a highway then go wild with your high ground clearance large wheeled good suspension good choice of offroad tires engine tuned nice and low on the torque curve light bike. and they do have lots of bikes with those features too. pick the features to go with the job, and not any marketing spiel or what your friends are riding.
Sheep! I have always said this! I ride a 300L. Highways isn't adventure for sure. Less wind protection ride it's adventure. I have a crf 300l ant this is 200+th motorcycle I own. I had all kind of bikes in the last 30 years of riding. Adventure its all about 80-110kmh all tipes of terrain. Maximum 15kg gear on your bike, maximum 150-160kg bike+gear. More than this it's just a nightmare. 5-15days of traveling its just ok when you have family, alternating tent and accommodation it's the key. I tried to describe as much as possible my way what siuts for me.
Too me there is no one answer to what is an adventure bike? It's the spaghetti sauce discovery, people have different criteria that matter to them, it's just not a one size fits all. Because I consider cost, value long haul comfort, and want to go almost anywhere; I ride a DL650. If money wasn't an issue and I was image conscious I might be on a BWM. If I didn't want to travel long distances, and wanted to do more off road then the KLR or KTM or T700 choices would rank higher. This review does a great job of putting a framework around "adventure bike", but how you rank the qualities should really be done by an individual for their specific purposes. Sometimes that takes making a choice and realizing you could do better. Or maybe you find what you want changes over the years. Some day you just wake up and realized you're not immortal, in spite of that lifetime of evidence to the contrary.
Sir, you are most probably one of the most knowledgeable and experienced person when it comes to reviews and general topics that has to do with bikes simply because everything you say can always be backed by good science and that's the reason why I love watching your videos. Most of what I know about "biking" I got from following your good advice. Thank you so much for that. You are an excellent tutor and teacher.
In this video you showed the kind of riding I would do the first day on a ADV bike but everyone nags about weight and says the heavy weight bikes are too much for that kind of riding so does that mean one would really want a middle weight bike to ride it or is it like you said and guys with Hard Enduro skills are going to have no problem on trails like that because we ride much harder terrain most people can't walk up every day and the trails you showed wouldn't even require a dab on my EC300i but I admit it would be much harder on an adv bike and a whole new challenge. I understand my EC300 is a different machine/tool to that of a ADV but I am searching for an ADV that will take me across the country and I guess trying to narrow down those bikes best equipped for the worst "ADV" conditions off road if you were pushing an ADV bike to the limits of what an ADV bike can do off-road within reason because let's face it, I'm not gonna just send it on a ADV bike to get up a face the way I would my EC300 so I do understand they are different tools for different terrain and distances - I have no interest trying to cross the country on my EC300 that is for sure lol. From what I have been able to pick up an Africa Twin, Tiger 900 Rally Pro, T7 might be bikes to consider as they are good on road but better than others off road? We need more reviews for guys who have dirt backgrounds and want to push the bikes off-road and on road is just whatever it is. I will race anyone on dirt but as soon as we hit the blacktop you will be hard pressed to get me to break a speed limit because it's just pavement, anyone can ride fast on a road. Thanks again for all your videos, love the content you put out.
You don't need a Range Rover to drive gravel roads. That can be done with any car. Well maybe not an extreme sports car but most regular cars. You can do gravel on any bike. Want to do it good? Change the tires. Am MT-07 for example works fine on gravel with the right tires.
It’s mostly made up. To define an adventure bike you have to first define the adventure. And I guarantee if you ask ten people to do that, you’ll get 10 different definitions of adventure. Adventure bikes certainly look good though (by my own definition of course 😬)
My Adventure motorcycle must be able to tour long distances on the highway in good comfort. It must be able to ride with confidence on loose gravel, light sand, hard pack dirt, and cross 1-2 feet of rock bed streams. Have own R1250GSA's, 1290SA-R, FJ-09, and Tiger 900RP. For me the lighter weight ADV style bikes feel more stable off-road and fun to ride, but those bikes over 550lbs are more comfortable when riding long highway miles. As I have gotten older I have moved to the 450 lbs and under ADV bikes since my HWY miles are under 300 in a day and my off-road distances 50-100 miles.
You are absolutely correct, but I have to add, it is not the bike, but the rider that can make a street bike pass a GS offroad, and again, you have to have a lot of money to not care if you know all the dropping and damages you will cause on your street bike taking it offroad or damaging your GS regardless if it was not designed to do 40 degree incline hill climbs, but there are riders out there that will happily damage their expensive bikes and move on to purchasing another.
Not so facetiously, what distinguishes an adventure bike from other bikes requires a simple test: Take the bike in question off its stand and let it fall. If you feel bad, it’s not an adventure bike.
I think the most important thing is bike stability. So many bikes just feel squirrelly on even gravel roads. With stability you can relax and concentrate on other things.
I appreciate your discussion on what constitutes an adventure bike. I just purchased my V-Strom 1050 (std) largely based on a recent video of yours. I wanted to be able to ride on mild dirt roads, but mostly (90%) on the highway. I hadn’t considered the V-Strom until I saw it on your channel. I also wish to do my own servicing; modern bikes are a concern. Perhaps content on this?. Thanks.
Very good description. Extreme off roading like those trails you showed, is not someplace Id take a bike weighing 450+lbs. But gravel roads and some fire trails are. While I agree about low hanging exhaust etc...weight is definately the elephant in the room, and a GS is not something I'd ride with on much more than a crappy gravel road or very good condition fire trail. Laying that high center of gravity heavy weight monster down on a rocky slope, well, good luck getting it back upright, let alone back on the trail. A good friend has a Suzuki DR 650. Simple, light weight, single cylinder, air cooled, and nothing to break on it. You punch a hole in any adventure bike radiator, and you're screwed. The only problem with that DR is, it sucks on the open interstate highway. But it is very good on paved country roads. Long story short, I have 200k miles racked up on various motorcycles, and currently only own a touring bike. If I was going to do some extreme off roading, I'd buy a good enduro type bike in the 450cc range, and trailer close to where the off road trails start. There is no one good bike that does it all.
I am 62 now and bought the V-Strom 650 XT adventure sport 2020 model for the many attributes. Smooth power, comfort, long range, some off road abilities, long travel, looks good too. I have ridden motorcycle for my whole life from Goldwings to racing hare scrambles. I love this bike!
Thanks for a good explanation , but i think you forgot to mention óne important aspect of off-roading bike which is " the balance" of the bike. GSA/ GS might be "look"heavy but they are far easier to handle due to its boxer engine and low gravity than other top-heavy bikes like V strom KTM 1290 R and so on. Weight will be compromised with the engine positioning.
I don’t consider riders who copy others “sheep”. If so then every MX rider is a sheep. Each motorcycle category has specific riding gear that works best for its own situation. We all watch videos like yours to be able to get into the sport with the least waste of time & money with the wrong gear.
This was a very well done video with great points. Thnx. I do think we overthink the definition. Pick the tool for the ride is my philosophy. I'm commuting to work thru the city on my Africa Twin today. LoL
I HAVE THE ANSWER :0) (gasp).. consider a bike as a tool.. diff jobs..bolts..clamps ..rides require diff tools..the solution is simple ..you have to own more than 1 bike..mmm say 2 ,3,4..sure why not ? for myself on street jobs(rides) 2016 zuki Bandit 1250 or my 2018 V-strom 1000XT ....on dirt trails/fireroads lighter is always better.. I use my DR650..KLR650 in the past..aww yes grasshopper this is true.. baaaahahahaha :0) Thankx BRM you do good bike vids..cool
my thoughts exactly! I am 62 and bikes come and they go, but I will always have my dirt bike (current KTM 300 XCW) and a bike for street adventures (current 1200gs). Now I have my eye on the 701 husqvarna enduro.
Being an older guy (71) and getting back to riding after a 28 year hiatus till 6 years ago, all this made sense for me- reintroductions through a cruiser and retro (both 650 cc) to my present (890 cc) all terrain (well limited off road for me). All your points make complete sense. Riding solo is great for me especially getting in practice, then distance travel and finally going with limited grpups. Only the essential off-road, so the current bike is good for all three approaches. But how you feel is most important keeping in mind your physical capabilities in particular. Off all this, if you are enjoying yourself, then you are on the right bike for you.
Thanks very helpful reminder about building skills and practicing. I just bought A V-Strom 650 XT Adventure, however I did a lot of research before hand and knew that it was not ready to jump right into extreme off-road riding. I traded an HD Lowrider in for this bike because I wanted a different style of riding than my Goldwing. I'm set for long distance touring on the Wing, and I can see what it is like to ride around on a multi purpose bike like the V-Strom.
I have that Suzuki ADV bike because I am 6’3” tall. But like most people riding these bikes, I don’t take it off the beaten path. Have other bikes for that and that type of riding is more enjoyable on a single cylinder 650 or 250 dual sport. I wish ADV bikes haven’t become so mainstream and a fashion statement. Same with this trend to wire wheels. Why add the weight and harder cleaning of wire wheels when you don’t need it. Why I got my Strom with alloys. It’s great we have to option and some people do need the wire wheels, but most people are kidding themselves I think.
First define adventure. To some it's going for a coffee at star bucks on Sunday morning. For others it's riding in the himalayas for weeks. Or through the desert or round the world. My little Hero xpulse 200 in India is great . My AJP PR7 is also great. I would never rider a 200kg plus bike on my adventures. Adventure bike is a marketing slogan. Each to their own.
On my third AB. Did 70,000 on a 2003 V-strom which I liked but never took off road - I had a DRZ for that. Had a 2015 Multistrada which was an unreliable, untrustworthy POS and now have a 2020 1290SAS which I rate as a fine bike and have done some trail riding on it. I'm keeping my 2005 FJR1300 in case the KTM electrics go bananas, but so far so good.
I would like to have acquired, when younger, off road skills. At 82, that ship has sailed. I ride a Suzi GSX1250FA, a street bike with no pretentions to off road capability. Flat graded gravel roads aren’t a problem, but deeply rutted rocky roads strike fear into my heart. Alas my Garmin GPS doesn’t know the difference. 😬
Is just a marketing strategy. Most of the buyers of those adventure bikes hardly use them off-road, but they look cool. If I have the financial possibility, I would buy a KTM Adventure 1290 R, and for real offroad the KTM EXC 250, 2 stroke engine.
true, all bikes are good just need skills I learned how to offroad whit my Suzuki v storm 250 it wasn't the best rookie bike or capable but there was not much choice for me. I hated it sometimes but after some rock climbing, I realized the bike was good I was the fool that keeps trying things the same way. and now I am a good adv dude .but all will be better if I can effort a tenere 700 :D
My thoughts would be that it is mostly the rider that makes up ADV. Where are they taking their bike? Does it have to be off-road? What % of that riding has to be off-road? In my mind yes, there should be at least some gravel or dirt type riding, whether it is a fire road, Green Lane in the UK, or a single track goat path at some point in the life of the bike and rider. It doesn't have to be every ride. Long Way Round kinda launched the craze. Remember when the camera guy's GS went down and they bought him the inexpensive smaller bike? He rode the same path. His little bike became just as much an ADV bike as the GS's they used.
They tried to hide it cause they were sponsored by BMW to sell the big 1200 bikes, but you could tell they were jealous of the camera guy with the little bike. Big bikes suck when the trail gets too tough or muddy or super sandy. Much better to have a lighter bike to throw around. Picking up a heavy bike for the 4th or 5th time sucks and you get tired and your chance of injury or accident doubles or triples. Many experienced riders sell the GS 1200 and buy a 500 or 650cc bike. It’s an ego thing too I think. It’s funny that you can buy a used vstrom 650 for $3,000 USD fully kitted with all the farkles, it’ll run faithfully to 100K if you do minimum service and it won’t break down and leave you stranded. Shhh don’t tell anyone, big secret. Haha, fools and their money are soon parted.
Good job! Agree with you in many points. It was nice from you to divide off-road term on several categories, many of people are not doing it at all but it is huge different between the technical narrow trail and just the gravel road that almost any bike can get through. It really looks like there is a trend to have GS for example and being more adventurous and accepted among adventure riders than Versys rider will be, but in real life scenario both bikes are ridden on the street and despite the capabilities of GS in off-roading the majority of owners don't have enough experience and courage to take their luxurious bikes for off-roading. Marketing is playing huge role as well as the test ride reviews that are constantly pushing people towards bigger and more powerful and fancy bikes. Marketing makes us believe we really need all that power and fancy crap on our bikes. It is hard to admit that riding 1000cc sport bike won't make you Rossi as well as fancy GS is not you making off-road rider out of you, the practice is making you better and it is long way to go before you can say as a rider, yeah I need that 1000cc sport bike or GS to fulfill my skills in order to get even better. In majority case the limit is the rider not the bike but we are too bad and too blind to understand that.
Shit, I was doing adventure riding 50 years ago and we didn't even have knobby tyres. Any bike is an adventure bike, and any bike can go anywhere given time, skill, and a good attitude (sometimes good mates are also required for the laughs and the heave ho). Adventure riding is a challenge and a state of mind rather than a particular bike. A fair percentage of adventure riders are more interested in their man buns, their next cappuccinos, a display of wealth, and their image rather than the challenge and improving their skills.
I always rode small displacement thumpers, since 1975, but I always wanted a small displacement ADV bike, even before there were ADV bikes. We finally have small ADV bikes that are off road capable but more comfortable on road and with a rack to carry luggage, but the industry treats them as ADV Lite or intro/beginner bikes for the ADV lifestyle. I want tubeless tires on heavy duty spoked rims, quality suspension, ground clearance, aluminum bash plate, crash bars, high intensity LED auxilliary lights, durability and reliability. The biggest oversight - an ADV bike needs a 6+ gallon fuel tank. Yes, even the 300cc to 400cc ADV bikes.
Thanks for the Nice video .good explanations and points. I used to and still say...we dont need an adventure bike to become adv biker..what u need is juat a little bit of adventurer spirit inside. no matter what bike u ride...everytrip will become ur adventure....
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Well said
in India, Asia and Africa people go everywhere with tiny 125-200cc bikes, its the mindset, not the bike. and most of the time they are carrying a pillion and heavy luggage. yes they will be slow but will get to wherever they need.
Good point
Totaly with you 👍🏻. I think because of the much better & bigger highways in developed nations, unless you're ok with not being at par with other traffic, there's always going to be that internal conflict for adv motorcycles.
Here in India 🇮🇳, you really cant go that fast on highways anyway.
Been riding on 150cc for all my & treks in the Western Ghats (with pillion & luggage)...on dirt, gravel and even crossing dried up river beds.
Theres a UA-camr who travel the world with tiny honda c90
@@faridelfadani5404 ed marchi, c90 adventure
Not only there, all throughout Latin America we ride small motorcycles, on my first ever off-road my friends took me to a trail they called "mild", as we were trying to go down a small hill full of fine dust a guy wearing rubber flip flops in a 125 cc messenger type bike with street tires just rolled up the hill as if he was on flat ground... 🤣 😂 😅.
For me it doesn’t matter how big, how small, how light, or how heavy, expensive or inexpensive…An adventure bike is any motorcycle you load yer gear on, ride it to your destination and return home under its own power…C90, TW200, T7, GSA, whatever. In the end who really cares as long as you don’t die in the process! 😀
for me doesn't matter too cuz i do not have a bike:)
You are absolutely right on!
But it DOES matter!!....I think people are confused on what exactly they intend to do....it's ALL compromise with Dual Sport and Adventure....... A BMW is Never going to follow a 450cc off-road, period......and a dirt bike is Never going to be a BMW on the highway. People need to understand What they are getting into. There is No "do it all" Dual Sport or Adventure bike.....it's compromise.
This is simply not true, there are many places where you won't go with a street bike at all. Try to gp with a goldwing on a steep trail and you will be down after 50 meters. If it is to ride in your garden, Goldwing is ok if you did cut grass b4.
Heck yeah for the C90 shoutout! This guy properly adventures on a bike that is actually 1200 CCs smaller than mine: ua-cam.com/video/_2LEgowbzSc/v-deo.html
I'm in the UK and your closing comments reflect a conversation I had with a newer rider yesterday. 40 years ago when I got my licence there were just bikes, they may have been British, Italian, Japanese, whatever but mostly they were all just bikes, now.... well, take your pick of category. To me, they are all still bikes and the people that ride them are biker's, I'll give a wave or a nod to anyone, if they choose not to wave back because I am on the 'wrong' bike then they have been taken in by marketing, cos when you boil it down, they are all just two wheels and an engine.
@Hello Me yes too shallow way to look at life but that's life u r right self-worth is based on ur pocket size, not your real potential, what actually u can do with the bike, ego is big not common sense
I agree with you. I recently changed my fancy triumph for an nc750 due to triumph reliability issues. I just wanted something that worked.. completely different attitude from other bikers on this bike to the triumph.
I love adventure bikes for the practicality, for off road I would use something dual sport based. I can't see that a big heavy bike is for off road personally..
It's a bit like people buying range rovers and expensive 4x4 cars that never see dirt ☺️
Give me a crf250 anyday 😂
This guy is really good. Seriously. .... To your question at the end of the video - I'm nearly 80 years old, but I'm still interested in ADV riding. For me, it's all about weight & control. Luxury is not my highest priority. I think I'm down to say 300 cc's. I'd like something bigger, but just don't think I can deal with the weight. Reality. :-/
I agree John, I have been riding the large, BMW 1200 and 800GSAs the past 8-9 years. This summer I bought a 300 KLX. I’m having a blast on it. It is it for everything, including many 80-100 mile highway round trips. It is a blast on the forest roads.
And I’m 66
A 2021 HondaCRF 300L! Or a used CRF250L, like I did, for days when I’m (68) not up to the big bike.
Versys-X 300
@@dalecolegrove6652 same as mine but I just started riding last year. I am probably going the other direction as far as weight goes at least for a while (44) but planning on keeping the small one.
Have a 2019 V Strom 650XT and I consider it an adventure bike because it gets be where I want to go. The most off-road my bike gets is the odd forest road, so off-road capability wasn’t high on my list of needs. Comfort, reasonable mileage and reliability however were. The Strom may not be the most glamorous of bikes but its all the Adventure bike I need.
Less is more I love my vstrom 650🏍️👍
You are right.
I would rather spend money for a big adventure than buy a BMW GS.
These bikes are too expensive for me!
You can get 2 v Stroms instead of one GS. Saving so much enables you to go on a long trip with the strom.
Great overview!
I believe that adventure riding should be a personal expression of whatever your adventure dictates. So, if you want to ride a continent on the highway and someone else wants to ride it only on backroads, the ideal bikes will vary.
Making your adventure differ from the rest of the pack is what an adventure motorcycle is all about.
After having the BMW 1150gsa and a 1200gs, and now riding the V Strom I can agree the BMW's are more capable for off road, but unfortunately am not, so the v Strom is just enough for what I can do.
Thanks for sharing the video
Cheers !
Ah! Thanks for leaving a nice post. I'm riding an r1200gs and want to buy a vsstrom1050xt. However, I'm worried about the 1050xt because I don't trust it. Would the 1050 be as good as the gs? You are the one who can answer me. thank you. If you ever see...
@@younjooil Imo the v Strom is very reliable, a well documented engine, and is more easier on your wallet when it comes to maintaining it.
I’m 5’6” and 152 lbs. I pay a great deal of attention to weight and seat height. I wouldn’t ride a 1250 cc BMW if you gave it to me. When you play tennis, do you use a 10 lbs. racket? The idea of taking a 550 lbs. motorcycle off-road is ridiculous to me.
5’6’ 152lbs lol stick to a pee wee 50 mate
@@coomeallafellablk3858 I would ride circles around you.
You guys sitting here talking shit about a 500+ bike. Grow up. I've had my KTM 1090 in more places than your pathetic 250 ever has. Not the rest of the world's fault your short and can not ride.
@@98durangopack the terrain you're riding your 1090 on looks like a motorway dude. Get real.
Short jokes from keyboard warriors, wow. Classy folks 😉.
In my experience, shorter riders generally develop much better skills that serve them better in the long run, like significantly better balance. But of course, it doesn’t really matter anyway because it’s something we do for fun, no matter how we do it.
To each its own definition of adventure. For me, it's taking off on a bunch of twisty roads to arrive at the remote campsite at the end of day. Be able to carry enough gears but not too much. Be able to go down a gravel or unpaved road but it's not a necessity. At the end of the day, it's called touring and the most fun for me is riding twisty roads with great vistas as far away from civilization as possible while still able to pick up a few beers for the nighttime campfire.
well put
Great video. I love your final comments on how the adv community is becoming like the Harley group. It is becoming exclusive in many ways including financially. I hope the inexpensive adv bikes make riding on / off road more accessible to people with average incomes.
well said, i agree
Dave Reinhart I agree with you also. Dork in the road just gave a little rant about not being a stuck up snob to beginner riders and not so experienced riders. We all where beginners once and if we want to grow the sport we need to be welcoming to new riders and help them to get to be better riders. I am 70 years old and am thinking about buying a CRF300L because I can not pick up these big heavy bikes. I have a Honda NC700X that I have ridden off road a little bit put it is way to heavy for me to pick up by my self and I am alone on my bike most of the time. I also have a Honda CRF230L but it is very under powered for highway use.
With famous BMW R 1250 GS you can really go to places where only rescue operation with lot of people and equipment can bring home you and your bike.
My adventure bike is a Triumph Street Triple R 765.
None of a dirt bike but I made a road trip end of last April from France to south Morocco crossing Spain. More than 3000 miles riding through mountain roads and to the desert. Great adventure riding experience with a street bike though!
Any bike is an "Adventure" bike, as every ride is an adventure!
My 2 brothers and I are buying 125cc bikes (even though we all own big capacity "adventure bikes" a Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC, a KTM 890 Adventure S and my own Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT Tour) we are planning on doing a 500 mile wild camping trip later this year, I'm erring on getting either a Suzuki Van Van or a Honda Supercub 125.
Who cares which clique is best, I don't ride my bike to look good, I ride it to feel good and have fun.
That is exactly what we did at home, I sold my Suzuki GSX 1250 FA and got a Moto Guzzi V84 TT and a Yamaha XT250, my partner got a Van Van and is really happy with it. I love my XT250. The Guzzi end up being my commuter bike, rides well, good suspension and cruise control, too big for me to take it on technical terrain.
My sinnis terrain has 17" front and back with 50/50 tyres and i take it off road for wild camping all the time. It handles all of the UK terrain that i throw at it beautifully.
I have a 2009 v strom 650 with crash bars, radiator guards, luggage and a good bash plate.
The most important “limiting factor of this bike is weight. Ok for fire roads chancy on unknown single track. You can spend a lot more for a BMW and have the same limitation, to an even greater degree. I love the v strom, but if I get intomore serious ADV
I’m gravitating to smaller bikes, cb500 x or smaller.
Excellent video and points!! I define an adventure bike as a bike that one adventures on. I did a lot of "adventure" riding on a cb750 although I didn't know that's what it was called at the time. Love it!
Same here, 68 Honda 350 scrambler. Knobby on the back, jumps, hills ,streams. Rode from OH to FL, OH to SC several times. Never forget the look on some real "dirt" bike guys, after blasting up a hill they all were all riding. Just didn't know any better back then
well said
The truth is those are 3 beautiful bikes. Everyone loves to have them
1) Can it survive one or multiple crash, 2) Can you pick it up
Regarding front tire size: I had an old suzuki gs 400 twin with narrow 18" rims front and back. I installed a 3.50/18 on the front and rode it off road. I then installed a 3.00/18 and it made a world of difference. So for all around front tire, I'd go with a 50/50 as narrow as possible. I have a 100/90-19 E-07 Mitas on my Versys x 300 but would be happier with a 90/90-19 if they made one.
Ian, kind hearted Ian, you know that your videos are of those few, one wishes they don't end!
Very informative (I for one, almost completely, agree on what you say.)
G.luck & keep them coming!
Safe riding bro.
Any bike can be a Adventure bike, its not the bike it's what you do with it that counts, just ask Ted Simon or Ed March. Get out there and have fun, the only ones bothered are the poser's
Pretty much.
yep
Fully true.
Any bike can be an adventure bike. I have owned a few and currently own one. But I also took my FJR to Big Bend and took it off road a bit, that was more exciting than any adventure bike lol
Awesome educational video! I've learned more from this video than the two hours I spent at the bike shop asking questions!! Thanks for the info!
On saturday 19/6-21 I drove 1000 kilometer in one day. From Bergen Norway, to Sävsjö Sweden, where my daughter lives.
10 ‘celsius in Bergen 05.30 o’clock in the morning. 7 ‘c on Gol with alot of rain. Mildly wetather in Oslo, an warmer and warmer towards Sävsjö..
Eight o clock in the evening, I was there, tired but Happy. And I could ride more….
I’m 54 year old, had my license for 4 years.
My 2018 r1200GS, is AMAZING and goooood. The cruisecontrol is the most importaint thing.
And I dont have ESA on my bike, but I have TFT and led.
The motorrad app is amazing
Good narrative on a subjective subject... I have had everything from a 1200GSA and 800GSA to what I’m riding this summer, a Kawasaki 300 KLX.
You are correct in that many of the riders that get hung up on specs, don’t look nearly as close at the rider, themselves and their abilities, to handle a challenging situation.
As you know, many off-road adventures are manageable... until you hit that “section” that ya go. “How the heck am I gonna get through this”. Haha! That’s why this summer I’m having a blast on my 300 KLX. I miss the creature comforts of the GSA, but dang, my skills and confidence are at a very high level. Ride on!
Dave Barr, Ted Simon, Nathan the Postman and Teapot 1 have different ideas about what bikes "can" be used. For me, I'm going to ride my Versys 650 (bash plate, crash bars, ADV mirrors and Shinko tires) until the bike is holding me back. Right now I'm motorcycle hiking so any bike will do....though having dropped it a couple times, I'm thinking a KTM 390 adv might be way nicer to lift on my own :)
Good video. I like your comment about sheep, when I ride my Africa Twin all the adventure riders nod but when I’m on my Yamaha TW then I’m invisible to them. Remember any 2 wheels is better than 4.
Same here.... Funny thing is when it comes to "adventure" i can take my TW places my Africa Twin simply cannot go.
@@TDub_ADV The world needs more TWs that will really go anywhere but I must say the Africa Twin is amazing for long and fast when mostly on good roads, or at least on roads or some kind. The TW is the winner when there are no roads.
@@irishflyer6377 100%, they both have their place for sure.
I do take my Africa Twin off road but nowhere near the places i can take my TW. Its just too heavy.
I wave to those Can-Am trike riders….if I don’t, I feel as if I kicked a puppy.
Fantastic vid! You covered more in 14 minutes than most do in 40! As always, Your in depth information was spot on and I appreciated how thorough you were and also how you presented to dummies like me.
My first 4 bikes were sport bikes and I took them everywhere, even off road where I shouldnt have. My last bike, a ktm super adventure 1290 R was my first 'Adventure ' Bike and there really was a big difference. I could easily doo a 500+ mile day with minimal discomfort. I could easily go offroad just about anywhere I desired due to the suspension, ground clearance, crash bars and skid plate. It really opened my eyes and my heart to True adventure Bikes. I still love my previous 4 bikes, but I realize now how lucky I was to not have any stories about how I ripped out an oil pan 20 miles from a paved road, or bent a rim, or cracked the side of my engine after falling.
thanks for the nice words
I've had many bikes over 41yrs riding cruisers sports tourers etc etc however the best all rounder is my current gsa 2018 bmw 1200 brilliant at everything
If you’re going to buy an adventure bike to ride on unsealed road then learn to ride a dirt bike first. I came from dirt bikes to a triumph tiger 800 and only being 5’4” it has been an advantage to have experience on the dirt.
Awesome educational video! I've learned more from this video than the two hours I spent at the bike shop asking questions!! Thanks for the info!
Great video. I own a GS150R from Suzuki, I have driven in crazier terrains and of course just like you said, there is more to the skillset than that of the specs. Honestly everything contributes to the experience. Hey, it's just about getting the job done. The tyres, the gearing, the wheel size everything matters, but there is always a workaround to getting things. It's just the skill that matters the most and the will of-course.
"Adventure bike". I dont think anyone can define it because so many people have different views on it. Do you need a bike at all to go on an adventure? With that said I think that is the main problem in a definition.
To me, I think an adventure bike is simply a bike i would use to go on an adventure. Adventure: going places i havent been before to "see whats out there".
That doesnt mean i need to be on some easy/difficult offroad trek. For some its the difficult places theyre looking for, which is what they want.
I have a friend that walked the Appellation Trail. An adventure indeed.
well said
Appalachian
@@kevinkelley2313 my bad, should have looked that up.
Adventure people don’t need anything special to have a adventure , it’s a lifestyle and being comfortable and always adapting to the adventure, it helps to have experience and a list of things to survive but also you will always need something you don’t have so , I believe the perfect adventure bike is within you ! Haha 😂 or Yamaha t7 but man I have a African Twin that will work and do adventure plus
I'm lucky, I have two adventure bikes. Over the course of the next season when I section ride the North East BDR I will take the adventure bike that suits that part of the trail. My F850GSA for the easy to moderate sections, and coincidentally the sections I will ride the to on some major highways and through NYC. For the more technical sections, and the sections that I will reach by ferry and secondary roads, I'll be taking my KLX300. Both great adventure bikes, but both biased, obviously, to different adventures. The GS is a great touring bike that can capably take me off road, the KLX300 is a great off road bike that is just capable enough to get me to distant trails. Both ends of the spectrum but both are adventure bikes. As someone below said any bike you can load your gear on is an adventure bike.
This was a nice overview of what an adventure bike is. 👍
thanks
Fantastic. Crash bars for my 310 are coming this sat.
Way back when, back in the days before Ewan and Charlie, an adventure bike was a rally bike, think Paris and Dakar, the original G\ S, Africa twin, Tenere, KLR, Cagiva Elephant, all based around rally bikes, so an adventure bike is a rally bike because there is no bigger adventure than the Paris - Dakar.
Great video. A couple of your videos have me considering buying the V Strom 650 in the future, once I get more experience (and money) since I only have less than a 1000 kilometers in the odometer of my first bike. Thanks for the great content.
Ian, I realize you've had this one out there a bit, but I've found it just as I am trying to answer the question, "what kind of riding do I want to do?" I've had a KLX that I put a big bore kit on--fantastic, fun bike, but I decided I wanted "higher performance", so I picked up a 300 2T that tries to kill me on a regular basis. I also picked up a DR650 and outfitted the Pig to do BDR type rides. The 650 is fabulous for those type rides, and my experience on the Idaho BDR makes me question whether I even want or need a dedicated dirt bike. But the DR does lack a bit on the highway. Riding highways from north Idaho to Southern Colorado or NM to do more BDRs isn't quite nightmare inducing, but doesn't seem all that fun, so I've been looking at machines with a bit more highway capability (twins and triples that won't vibrate your nervous system into jello). My problem is, I don't want to give up the more rugged "off road" capability of the DR, and I cringe at the weight of some of bigger bikes. I saw folks doing things on the BDR with GSAs that made me a bit queasy. I'm still very much up in the air--everything from the CB500X, to the V-Strom650 to the Tiger and Africa Twin seem like possibilities...but I really wish Triumph would put the 660 in a slightly more offroad capable platform!
You are right about adventure riders, the group attitude. I’m there…my confidence isn’t always, because I’m learning on a bike that’s almost too big for my age and strength. I don’t have the expensive gear yet, but you know I want it, and the protection it offers.
How would you define an adventure bike? Does it matter?
Well… IMO it Doesn’t really matter for what most casual adventurers do. Camping/occasional dirt roads/trails… Took my CB300R with road tires down loose gravel, water crossings, climbs and moderate dirt terrain. IMO, when you push the boundaries the more specialized the bike/gear needs to be. So, Do you need a cb500x with 50/50 tires or do you need a CRF450 to jump and clear obstacles? For me, I want to do a fair amount of everything so I sold the 300R and got a 300L. Awesome review!
Simple, ability to take if off-road on medium trails with enough ground clearance and protection for the bike to make it back out. This basically means at least 7-8” ground clearance, mid controls so you can stand on pegs and operate the bike in slippery conditions, bash plate, engine guard and with these, you can make many bikes ready for a bit of adventure. I did it with many modifications to the Harley Roadster and it did great on fire roads but after all was said and done, I spent as much as a base Pan America.
In my opinion also has to do with how reliable and easy to maintain the bike is. I dont want an over complicated Electronic bike
Great video! I’m trying to make an adventure sport unicorn with my DRZ400 SM and one day go moto camping. I don’t know how you take that BMW beast off-road! I have trouble picking up mine after a spill. Sand is definitely the hardest terrain to master for me.
@@4N2IN0JA sand: lean back to lighten the front and load the rear, really relax the grip on handlebars to allow front wheel to go it’s own way, keep up decent speed and don’t fight it. Do Not fight it.
Great editing. You're very good at explaining things in a way that a neophyte can understand, I appreciate that as a new motorcyclists. Do you rent out your bikes? Rideshare? What cameras do you use? What editing software? Thanks for the video.
I don't rent bikes (maybe someday?). I use a combo of Canon R6, M50, Go Pro 7, and a galaxy s20 on a gimbal, I like to have a variety of options. I edit with Resolve.
I loved this video. Really interesting how you presented this one.
skills and tires, nice overview, cheers V!
A very refreshing and honest review, thank you
It would be a long day in the sand with less than a 21 inch front wheel, never seen anything less used in Dakar. As for the adventure bikes, I still use a 1986 Honda XLV750, very few bikes can follow it if road.
There is a song Death by misadventure.A bike that fails can be very relative.
You lost me at the sheep comment. People copy the gear and the bikes for adventure riding because it works. I wear a klim jacket because it works. We are our own thing. I’m not a sheep but I’m glad to be a part of it. Great video!!
i wear klim too. :)
Any bike is an adventure bike. Remember when Triumphs were converted from street to dirt by the owners? Video floating around with a full dress golding mobbin on a singletrack and an Africa Twin ridden like a trials bike. Any bikes biggest drawback is THE RIDERS SKILL!
Great Video Ian as always.👍 I look at a Adventure Bike as something that’s capable of taking you anywhere you want to go. I’m not sure there is a Perfect Adventure Bike. You have to have something that’s Reliable and won’t Break Down in the middle of nowhere. You have to be able to Trust the Bike to get you there and back. It also depends on the Riders point of view. I don’t plan on taking my GS on Trails that are just Mud and huge Ruts, so it doesn’t have to be a Motorcross able Bike or Trials Bike. Or even capable of doing that I guess. I’m looking more at the Adventure Side. Just Cruising down Dirt Roads and decent Trails. Also Road capable for Touring comfortably at Highway Speeds or higher. Range, and Storage for Gear. Good Wind Protection. I have a 2006 R1200GS with about 38,000 Miles on it. I don’t have all the Bells and Whistles and it’s fine for me. I’m a Disabled Veteran so I can’t afford a High Price Bike. I actually Traded a Harley for it with no Money exchanged. I’ve never been happier. It’s so comfortable I can Ride without hurting. I have 4 Fusions in my Lower Back, and 2 in my Neck. I couldn’t even Drive a Mile on the Harley. Anyway, I watch all your Videos. I have learned more from your Videos about Bikes than any other Channel. You do a Great Job Ian, many Thanks for all your hard work.👍😁❤️
I Was doing this back in the 80s without a motorcycle 🏍 in my bike 🚲 following the cow 🐄 trails lots of fun 🤩 I need to get me a motorcycle 🏍 now in my midlife crisis.
Hi, I've watched your latest videos recently, great stuff! I've been riding motorcycles more than 40 years. I started with street bikes and for some years ago I changed my Ducati Multistrada 1000 DS to an older Honda Dominator (which I fixed up) to test out adventure riding, this year I stepped up and sold my Dominator and got a BMW 1250 GS. When it comes to mc gear I think good protection is the most important (I know from my own experience) Personally I invested in a top notch Rukka Realer dress, Schubert E1 helmet and Alpinestars boots. All gore-tex and high level of protection and comfort. Having an adventure bike gives a lot if freedom to ride routes that are more entertaining and wild. I live in Finland and this year a buddy of mine and I will drive up north following the Trans European Trail to Lapland. Stay safe and have fun!
Awesome
Subscribed. Thanks for your information, experience and explanation. Cool stuff
depends on which type of 'adventure' you are going on which will define the features which conduce to you surviving or enjoying your adventure. if you're on a 50-day cross border trip riding mostly paved roads doing motel-hopping then bikes which have good touring capabilities like comfortable seating, large fuel capacity, sturdy and stable stature with an engine able to do steady highway speeds will be much better than a tiny 250-CC dual-sport bike that'll get tossed about in the highway crosswinds. and oh, look, the GS and V-Strom has some of these features. if your idea of an 'adventure' is to cross desert tracks on a 15-day trip doing mostly dispersed camping and not traveling great distances and possibly never sniff a highway then go wild with your high ground clearance large wheeled good suspension good choice of offroad tires engine tuned nice and low on the torque curve light bike. and they do have lots of bikes with those features too. pick the features to go with the job, and not any marketing spiel or what your friends are riding.
well said
Sheep! I have always said this! I ride a 300L. Highways isn't adventure for sure. Less wind protection ride it's adventure. I have a crf 300l ant this is 200+th motorcycle I own. I had all kind of bikes in the last 30 years of riding. Adventure its all about 80-110kmh all tipes of terrain. Maximum 15kg gear on your bike, maximum 150-160kg bike+gear. More than this it's just a nightmare. 5-15days of traveling its just ok when you have family, alternating tent and accommodation it's the key. I tried to describe as much as possible my way what siuts for me.
Nicely done V, a great overview.
Too me there is no one answer to what is an adventure bike? It's the spaghetti sauce discovery, people have different criteria that matter to them, it's just not a one size fits all. Because I consider cost, value long haul comfort, and want to go almost anywhere; I ride a DL650. If money wasn't an issue and I was image conscious I might be on a BWM. If I didn't want to travel long distances, and wanted to do more off road then the KLR or KTM or T700 choices would rank higher. This review does a great job of putting a framework around "adventure bike", but how you rank the qualities should really be done by an individual for their specific purposes. Sometimes that takes making a choice and realizing you could do better. Or maybe you find what you want changes over the years. Some day you just wake up and realized you're not immortal, in spite of that lifetime of evidence to the contrary.
Sir, you are most probably one of the most knowledgeable and experienced person when it comes to reviews and general topics that has to do with bikes simply because everything you say can always be backed by good science and that's the reason why I love watching your videos. Most of what I know about "biking" I got from following your good advice. Thank you so much for that. You are an excellent tutor and teacher.
Wow, thanks
Excellent Video.
In this video you showed the kind of riding I would do the first day on a ADV bike but everyone nags about weight and says the heavy weight bikes are too much for that kind of riding so does that mean one would really want a middle weight bike to ride it or is it like you said and guys with Hard Enduro skills are going to have no problem on trails like that because we ride much harder terrain most people can't walk up every day and the trails you showed wouldn't even require a dab on my EC300i but I admit it would be much harder on an adv bike and a whole new challenge. I understand my EC300 is a different machine/tool to that of a ADV but I am searching for an ADV that will take me across the country and I guess trying to narrow down those bikes best equipped for the worst "ADV" conditions off road if you were pushing an ADV bike to the limits of what an ADV bike can do off-road within reason because let's face it, I'm not gonna just send it on a ADV bike to get up a face the way I would my EC300 so I do understand they are different tools for different terrain and distances - I have no interest trying to cross the country on my EC300 that is for sure lol. From what I have been able to pick up an Africa Twin, Tiger 900 Rally Pro, T7 might be bikes to consider as they are good on road but better than others off road? We need more reviews for guys who have dirt backgrounds and want to push the bikes off-road and on road is just whatever it is. I will race anyone on dirt but as soon as we hit the blacktop you will be hard pressed to get me to break a speed limit because it's just pavement, anyone can ride fast on a road. Thanks again for all your videos, love the content you put out.
You don't need a Range Rover to drive gravel roads. That can be done with any car. Well maybe not an extreme sports car but most regular cars. You can do gravel on any bike. Want to do it good? Change the tires. Am MT-07 for example works fine on gravel with the right tires.
It’s mostly made up. To define an adventure bike you have to first define the adventure. And I guarantee if you ask ten people to do that, you’ll get 10 different definitions of adventure.
Adventure bikes certainly look good though (by my own definition of course 😬)
My Adventure motorcycle must be able to tour long distances on the highway in good comfort. It must be able to ride with confidence on loose gravel, light sand, hard pack dirt, and cross 1-2 feet of rock bed streams. Have own R1250GSA's, 1290SA-R, FJ-09, and Tiger 900RP. For me the lighter weight ADV style bikes feel more stable off-road and fun to ride, but those bikes over 550lbs are more comfortable when riding long highway miles. As I have gotten older I have moved to the 450 lbs and under ADV bikes since my HWY miles are under 300 in a day and my off-road distances 50-100 miles.
You are absolutely correct, but I have to add, it is not the bike, but the rider that can make a street bike pass a GS offroad, and again, you have to have a lot of money to not care if you know all the dropping and damages you will cause on your street bike taking it offroad or damaging your GS regardless if it was not designed to do 40 degree incline hill climbs, but there are riders out there that will happily damage their expensive bikes and move on to purchasing another.
Not so facetiously, what distinguishes an adventure bike from other bikes requires a simple test: Take the bike in question off its stand and let it fall. If you feel bad, it’s not an adventure bike.
I think the most important thing is bike stability. So many bikes just feel squirrelly on even gravel roads. With stability you can relax and concentrate on other things.
very good point
I appreciate your discussion on what constitutes an adventure bike. I just purchased my V-Strom 1050 (std) largely based on a recent video of yours. I wanted to be able to ride on mild dirt roads, but mostly (90%) on the highway. I hadn’t considered the V-Strom until I saw it on your channel.
I also wish to do my own servicing; modern bikes are a concern. Perhaps content on this?. Thanks.
great choice.. the BIG V-Strom is a blast to ride
servicing videos - great idea. noted
Very good description. Extreme off roading like those trails you showed, is not someplace Id take a bike weighing 450+lbs. But gravel roads and some fire trails are. While I agree about low hanging exhaust etc...weight is definately the elephant in the room, and a GS is not something I'd ride with on much more than a crappy gravel road or very good condition fire trail. Laying that high center of gravity heavy weight monster down on a rocky slope, well, good luck getting it back upright, let alone back on the trail. A good friend has a Suzuki DR 650. Simple, light weight, single cylinder, air cooled, and nothing to break on it. You punch a hole in any adventure bike radiator, and you're screwed. The only problem with that DR is, it sucks on the open interstate highway. But it is very good on paved country roads.
Long story short, I have 200k miles racked up on various motorcycles, and currently only own a touring bike. If I was going to do some extreme off roading, I'd buy a good enduro type bike in the 450cc range, and trailer close to where the off road trails start. There is no one good bike that does it all.
well said thanks
I am 62 now and bought the V-Strom 650 XT adventure sport 2020 model for the many attributes. Smooth power, comfort, long range, some off road abilities, long travel, looks good too. I have ridden motorcycle for my whole life from Goldwings to racing hare scrambles. I love this bike!
Thanks for a good explanation , but i think you forgot to mention óne important aspect of off-roading bike which is " the balance" of the bike. GSA/ GS might be "look"heavy but they are far easier to handle due to its boxer engine and low gravity than other top-heavy bikes like V strom KTM 1290 R and so on. Weight will be compromised with the engine positioning.
I agree it's why I own a GS
Good point about not being sheep. Heavy marketing can easily influence people, from products to politics.
ANY motor vehicle that has only two wheels, is an adventure bike.
I don’t consider riders who copy others “sheep”. If so then every MX rider is a sheep. Each motorcycle category has specific riding gear that works best for its own situation. We all watch videos like yours to be able to get into the sport with the least waste of time & money with the wrong gear.
My friend I believe you said it very well. Drop the mike!
Very good video, good information, i think price is another important factor.
This was a very well done video with great points. Thnx.
I do think we overthink the definition. Pick the tool for the ride is my philosophy. I'm commuting to work thru the city on my Africa Twin today. LoL
I HAVE THE ANSWER :0) (gasp).. consider a bike as a tool.. diff jobs..bolts..clamps ..rides require diff tools..the solution is simple ..you have to own more than 1 bike..mmm say 2 ,3,4..sure why not ? for myself on street jobs(rides) 2016 zuki Bandit 1250 or my 2018 V-strom 1000XT ....on dirt trails/fireroads lighter is always better.. I use my DR650..KLR650 in the past..aww yes grasshopper this is true.. baaaahahahaha :0) Thankx BRM you do good bike vids..cool
my thoughts exactly! I am 62 and bikes come and they go, but I will always have my dirt bike (current KTM 300 XCW) and a bike for street adventures (current 1200gs). Now I have my eye on the 701 husqvarna enduro.
Thanks for the video
I prefer taking a 650 dual sport and turning it into an adventure bike.
Being an older guy (71) and getting back to riding after a 28 year hiatus till 6 years ago, all this made sense for me- reintroductions through a cruiser and retro (both 650 cc) to my present (890 cc) all terrain (well limited off road for me). All your points make complete sense. Riding solo is great for me especially getting in practice, then distance travel and finally going with limited grpups. Only the essential off-road, so the current bike is good for all three approaches. But how you feel is most important keeping in mind your physical capabilities in particular. Off all this, if you are enjoying yourself, then you are on the right bike for you.
Thanks very helpful reminder about building skills and practicing. I just bought A V-Strom 650 XT Adventure, however I did a lot of research before hand and knew that it was not ready to jump right into extreme off-road riding. I traded an HD Lowrider in for this bike because I wanted a different style of riding than my Goldwing. I'm set for long distance touring on the Wing, and I can see what it is like to ride around on a multi purpose bike like the V-Strom.
Thanks for sharing!
I have that Suzuki ADV bike because I am 6’3” tall. But like most people riding these bikes, I don’t take it off the beaten path. Have other bikes for that and that type of riding is more enjoyable on a single cylinder 650 or 250 dual sport.
I wish ADV bikes haven’t become so mainstream and a fashion statement. Same with this trend to wire wheels. Why add the weight and harder cleaning of wire wheels when you don’t need it. Why I got my Strom with alloys. It’s great we have to option and some people do need the wire wheels, but most people are kidding themselves I think.
i hear you
First define adventure. To some it's going for a coffee at star bucks on Sunday morning. For others it's riding in the himalayas for weeks. Or through the desert or round the world.
My little Hero xpulse 200 in India is great . My AJP PR7 is also great. I would never rider a 200kg plus bike on my adventures.
Adventure bike is a marketing slogan.
Each to their own.
great points
On my third AB. Did 70,000 on a 2003 V-strom which I liked but never took off road - I had a DRZ for that. Had a 2015 Multistrada which was an unreliable, untrustworthy POS and now have a 2020 1290SAS which I rate as a fine bike and have done some trail riding on it. I'm keeping my 2005 FJR1300 in case the KTM electrics go bananas, but so far so good.
If you're speaking of "adventure riding" you should've picked Versys x-300 instead of 650. That's a perfect adventure bike.
I would like to have acquired, when younger, off road skills. At 82, that ship has sailed. I ride a Suzi GSX1250FA, a street bike with no pretentions to off road capability. Flat graded gravel roads aren’t a problem, but deeply rutted rocky roads strike fear into my heart. Alas my Garmin GPS doesn’t know the difference. 😬
Great overview! I'm interested in the Africa Twin, wish had had one for comparison. Although I know you have done other vids about it. Thanks!
stay tuned.... hint hint
Is just a marketing strategy. Most of the buyers of those adventure bikes hardly use them off-road, but they look cool. If I have the financial possibility, I would buy a KTM Adventure 1290 R, and for real offroad the KTM EXC 250, 2 stroke engine.
First thing a adv must be is reliable.If it breaks down ? Well then you would be better off on a 125 cg Honda because it would get you home.
true, all bikes are good just need skills I learned how to offroad whit my Suzuki v storm 250 it wasn't the best rookie bike or capable but there was not much choice for me. I hated it sometimes but after some rock climbing, I realized the bike was good I was the fool that keeps trying things the same way. and now I am a good adv dude .but all will be better if I can effort a tenere 700 :D
My thoughts would be that it is mostly the rider that makes up ADV. Where are they taking their bike? Does it have to be off-road? What % of that riding has to be off-road? In my mind yes, there should be at least some gravel or dirt type riding, whether it is a fire road, Green Lane in the UK, or a single track goat path at some point in the life of the bike and rider. It doesn't have to be every ride.
Long Way Round kinda launched the craze. Remember when the camera guy's GS went down and they bought him the inexpensive smaller bike? He rode the same path. His little bike became just as much an ADV bike as the GS's they used.
They tried to hide it cause they were sponsored by BMW to sell the big 1200 bikes, but you could tell they were jealous of the camera guy with the little bike. Big bikes suck when the trail gets too tough or muddy or super sandy. Much better to have a lighter bike to throw around. Picking up a heavy bike for the 4th or 5th time sucks and you get tired and your chance of injury or accident doubles or triples. Many experienced riders sell the GS 1200 and buy a 500 or 650cc bike. It’s an ego thing too I think. It’s funny that you can buy a used vstrom 650 for $3,000 USD fully kitted with all the farkles, it’ll run faithfully to 100K if you do minimum service and it won’t break down and leave you stranded. Shhh don’t tell anyone, big secret. Haha, fools and their money are soon parted.
I’m cool with my KLR650. When I drop it I don’t cry.
Good job! Agree with you in many points. It was nice from you to divide off-road term on several categories, many of people are not doing it at all but it is huge different between the technical narrow trail and just the gravel road that almost any bike can get through. It really looks like there is a trend to have GS for example and being more adventurous and accepted among adventure riders than Versys rider will be, but in real life scenario both bikes are ridden on the street and despite the capabilities of GS in off-roading the majority of owners don't have enough experience and courage to take their luxurious bikes for off-roading. Marketing is playing huge role as well as the test ride reviews that are constantly pushing people towards bigger and more powerful and fancy bikes. Marketing makes us believe we really need all that power and fancy crap on our bikes. It is hard to admit that riding 1000cc sport bike won't make you Rossi as well as fancy GS is not you making off-road rider out of you, the practice is making you better and it is long way to go before you can say as a rider, yeah I need that 1000cc sport bike or GS to fulfill my skills in order to get even better. In majority case the limit is the rider not the bike but we are too bad and too blind to understand that.
An adv bike must have offroad capability. What that means exactly is impossible quantify. So at the end of the day it is marketing, but that's fine
Shit, I was doing adventure riding 50 years ago and we didn't even have knobby tyres.
Any bike is an adventure bike, and any bike can go anywhere given time, skill, and a good attitude (sometimes good mates are also required for the laughs and the heave ho).
Adventure riding is a challenge and a state of mind rather than a particular bike. A fair percentage of adventure riders are more interested in their man buns, their next cappuccinos, a display of wealth, and their image rather than the challenge and improving their skills.
Very good explanation. Thank you very much!
I always rode small displacement thumpers, since 1975, but I always wanted a small displacement ADV bike, even before there were ADV bikes. We finally have small ADV bikes that are off road capable but more comfortable on road and with a rack to carry luggage, but the industry treats them as ADV Lite or intro/beginner bikes for the ADV lifestyle. I want tubeless tires on heavy duty spoked rims, quality suspension, ground clearance, aluminum bash plate, crash bars, high intensity LED auxilliary lights, durability and reliability. The biggest oversight - an ADV bike needs a 6+ gallon fuel tank. Yes, even the 300cc to 400cc ADV bikes.
Thanks for the Nice video .good explanations and points. I used to and still say...we dont need an adventure bike to become adv biker..what u need is juat a little bit of adventurer spirit inside. no matter what bike u ride...everytrip will become ur adventure....