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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! 😀
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 😂
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I’m glad you bring up the point of durability and ability to take a crash. I ride the NC700x, which is slightly less capable than the vstrom. While it can handle most off-road when things are going well, the biggest issue I’ve had is that when it goes down so many things break. The exhaust sticks out more than any protection. The pedals get bent every time. One ride I took a low speed fall on a rock bed. One rock smashed my alternator cover, drained the oil, and ended the trip. The ability to fall down, and get back up is important.
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.
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!
Abolutely agree with you. In the end it's up to you whether you are a fashionist or a real adventurer. If you are a real adventurer, you'll need the proper bike and gear, regardless of "the mainstream"... and you'll know what you need.
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!
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. 😬
Well said. Agree 100%. Riders need to keep honing their skills, and that's where the best adventure (and most satisfaction) is: Right near the edge, pushing yourself a little towards challenges, while not being stupid about it (like could happen on group rides). Be safe but not "too safe"!
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.
Back in the 90’s, there was a bandit trail area people would drive pickups, dirt bikes, all thru the two track trails and open fields of dirt and scrubland- I’d ride my 1984 GPz750 around there and had a blast. One day a kid on a dirt bike asked me what kind of strange dirt bike I was riding. Told him “it’s a KX750!”. I used to race MX, so it was not a problem handling that unsuitable bike off road. Adventure riding is what YOU make it…. (I ride a 2006 vstrom 650 now, and it’s seen some fun)
Good points, and as a BMW 850GSA rider I couldn't agree more with your comments about weight. It really is a double edge sword in that they are awesome on highways, gravel roads, fire roads, etc, but a real handful in tougher terrain. I recently was on some real trails, deep sloppy mud, ruts, narrow, the whole nine yards---and moving that bike so slowly through that muck was an exhausting endeavor at best. I managed to never actually drop the bike, but it was close. On inclines/declines where you were moving so slow and in such deep mud you had to keep putting your feet down, meaning you were off the rear brake a good bit, it was pretty much a controlled slide. Rider ability is huge, but mass is mass, and muscling a 500+ pound bike through these conditions wouldn't be possible for many riders due to size/strength. Just my two cents. Enjoy your channel, thanks for continually providing such concise content.
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.
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.
I’m late to the party with a comment…… 2016 Vstrom 1000 with mods for my 6’3 245lb frame. 2-up riding 75% (wife is a tiny 120-ish). 80/20 street to gravel road riding mix. Rain, snow (sometimes), cold, etc. doesn’t stop us from riding the roads of Ohio and West Virginia 80% of our time. We’re 60 years young who aren’t afraid to ride nor get dirty. Skill mostly will overcome the motorcycle’s capabilities (that and a good skid/bash plate). Having fun, knowing your own skill level, good personal gear, practice riding in all weather, bike protection mods, and not fearing dropping your motorcycle all add up to “your adventure”. The most important aspect is to get out there and do “stuff” so you can have experiences on whatever it is you ride. I hope to see you out there somewhere!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Again nice job with all the descriptions, my thoughts, Adventure bikes, go on a road trip like RVing, Duel sports , ride to your off-road destination and have fun in the dirt!!!!!
I've been watching the ADV bike segment grow and grow, which is a great thing. I live near the Skyline drive and I've been noticing more and more Big ADV bikes, and the biggest surprise to me is how they all look the SAME as I pass them on the road. And there are very few off road opportunities there. My Vulcan 750 and Nighthawk 750 can handle the hilly gravel roads around here! In my experience, everything from my CT110 and TW200 up to the elephant 1250GS can traverse most trails. And I'm suspecting that the more things change, the more we'll get back to the Steve McQueen scrambler style bikes in the end. I think the Himalayan is a scrambler in disguise. A DR650 or G650GS is as big as you need IMO. Curios to see where this all ends up.
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
You can have an "adventure" on any bike. You can have the best highway adventure on a road bike. You can have the best on-road-off-road adventure on a dual sport/enduro bike and the best off-road adventure on an off-road bike - - which gives us all a good excuse to have several bikes!! :) Thanks for the video.
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.
Perfect ADV bike for me is a less than 400 lb duel sport bike when fully loaded with camping & fishing gear and fully gassed up with 4 + gals and a small wind screen. Or better yet maybe a Beta 390/430 mounted on the back of my jeep filled with the camping & fishing gear.
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
Good video. I agree with all of your points. I would add one more: throttle response. When riding on my half mile gravel drive in NC my KTM 790 Duke is very hard to ride smoothly because of how sensitive the throttle is. Even in rain mode you are surging with every bump. My R1250GS is like a tractor, it just chugs up the hill, you don’t even have to give it any gas.
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.
Weight matters for offorad no matter how experienced You are. That is the fact. Walter Colerbach from Sibirsky Extreme wrote great article about it. For those who are not familiar this is the Guy who rides the Road of Bones in Siberia for more than one occasion. Keep up the good work. Nice video again.🙂
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!
There's a guy here on UA-cam that rides all over the world on a CT90. Another guy on one of the ADV forums that's done the same on a hardtail chopper. These guys epitomize the term "adventure". As you've said, we're all chasing the unicorn but the bottom line is we need to just get out and ride as any bike can be an "adventure" bike. That said, I really prefer my AT over my V-Strom and my KTM 500EXC over my DRZ400, only because I can. The Strom and DRZ were plenty capable and cool bikes. The better bike makes it easier for me to focus on the ride and not the terrain....Awesome content, keep it coming and thanks!!
Great video, thank you. I have a v-strom 650 xt now that I love. But in my younger days, I rode 4000 miles around South Africa on cheap second hand suzuki 250 x7. Its all I could afford at the time but it faithfully took me around the country. 60% paved , 30% gravel road, 10% how the hell did I get through that !!!!
The defenition of adventure riding is up for discussion, i think it is also personal. Last year i went for a trip of 2 weeks in europe, for me that was an adventure, but i did not leave the asphalt. It was a trip alone so that was outside my comfort zone.
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 :)
This is a great 101 on differences. I'm considering a new bike after many years. I've been looking at a few and know I'm looking street only, but like the position of being up and comfortable. This confirmed a few things I thought. Your explanation of thinks like why different tire sizes, or suspension angle are clear and easy to follow. I'll point more people to this video, it's well done.
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
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....
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 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.👍😁❤️
Another great video from the maestro. There is so much discussion of detail in the ADV community it is nice that the video takes us back to basics and to a philosophical conclusion.
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'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.
Hi. Awesome video. I do a lot of off roading in my Raptor and have it set up as overland rig. The question around camp came up last wknd. I ride a Harley and just purchased the huskavarna Norden 901 and my friends said ..What are adventure bikes. And or what defines it . Off roading has such a huge umbrella.. simple dirt road or single track .. I think now compare to years before manufactures are listening more and catering to every style of riding you want . Which is great . But the true adventure is the journey you take to the destination you desire . Like some of the guys said . Heck in other countries you take some 100cc bike and get it to go some places that you wouldn’t even imagine . Here in America we are spoiled a bit and do choose based on best gear and all analysis of what’s the best and what everyone is going for . At the end we share the same passion .. just get out there and enjoy the ride and journey. I Love everyone regardless of what your riding . Stay safe everyone 🤙🏼
Another informative video!. I picked my bike to do my adventures on because it checked most if not all the boxes for me... after doing lots of research, making check lists and cost including all the basic necessities being a primary factor .I purchased a 1st Gen WeeStrom to start with .. it has been a good choice so far .. time will tell on whether I go up down left or right or just keep it!.. it really doesn't matter what you have .. just adapt ..go ride and have fun!
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!
I've been thinking about this issue and that's what brought me to your video. I'm going to be 69 next month. Five years ago I moved from the US to Spain. I've been riding for about 50 years and my topic of interest is high performance bikes, especially those that are good on a drag strip. When I left the US I sold my ZX-14 but I brought my turbo Busa along in part because nobody offered me what I wanted for it. My US drivers license wouldn't exchange a Spanish one so I got to start from scratch. That meant two years with a restricted power license and bike. The roads are different here with lots of curves and some nice gravel and dirt mountain roads. Intellectually I decided that an adventure class bike would make the most sense. I ended up with an R1150 GS that I restricted to meet the power requirement. A lot of people love the GS. I found it to be big, heavy, tall and under powered. Not a bad machine, just not the right one for me. So within a week of my getting my A license I bought a 2021 1290 Super Adventure S. The KTM is a cool bike but despite it's ground clearance and suspension travel I've got reservations about taking it off pavement. It's not well protected, has cast wheels and cost a lot of money. But then while I could probably ride it across the continent it's not really a great touring bike either. It's actually a bit of an oversized sports bike with a lot of electronic magic that makes it more versatile in different conditions. KTM calls it an adventure bike and it will do some light off roading but is it really? Here in Spain I see lots of older guys in groups of GSs out for Sunday rides. I have to wonder if any of those bikes has ever seen any dirt. Funny thing is, I traded the old 1150 straight across for a 2006 K1200 GT. After a little work it may be a great touring bike that isn't bad on the twisties either. But it is kind of heavy. Now that I've had the KTM for about a year and a half and after spending some €20+k on it I'm not abandoning it just yet. I'm going to try some 80/20 tires and see how it does for some easy rides on those off pavement mountain roads. Perhaps then I can better decide if it is or is not a capable adventure bike.
Navigating city traffic, comfortably handling highway speeds for long distance, traversing back roads, fire roads, dirt trails to get to where I need to go (camp spots, fishing holes, hiking trails) With Out any serious off roading. I'm guessing a V-Strom 650xt will be my best choice.
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.
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.
"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.
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.
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.
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.
Most any bike will do ..you only need to keep the front light & the speed comparative with the terrain...you will get along most backcountry gravel type roads regardless of the amount of travel ..ride to the conditions .
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 have a CB500X with a full Rally Raid kit. I've ridden it in all stages of the build in dual sport kind of conditions. I'd say for me, suspension was the biggest issue in the stock setup. Not only lack of travel, but quality. The spoked 19 helps a lot in loose gravel and sand. I think part of that is the size, part the tires, and part the weight. A wheel is unsprung weight and it wants to keep going forward once it has momentum. I don't regularly ride in maybe as serious stuff as most people, but the cast wheel was never a problem for me in and of itself. Never damaged it. I kept a spare tube with me just in case, which I also have for the tubeless spoked wheels.
All is well said. I have owned a Super Tenere with the desire to do all…it just doesn’t work that way for most of us. Today I ride a CRF 250 L and a Vstrom 650. Both have Advantages and disadvantages, and I have taken trips on both, on road and dirt. I can tell you that my problem is not the bike, it’s me. We all have some “wanna be “ in us!
@@busyflyin Thanks for the reply! Thats what I figured. I have one and like it a lot. But, it is definitely heavy especially with crash guards and bags.
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.
I would say anything is an adventure bike if it can take you and your stuff to places you find interesting and your skill level allows. I currently have a second generation KLR, and while it's not the lightest, most powerful, and doesn't have the best suspension, it'll still get the job done if I do my part. Lots of people with the right skills have taken bikes successfully on some gnarly adventures the chosen bikes really had no business doing. I don't have that skill level as yet, in case anybody was wondering.
Very informative. And you had 3 different and unique bikes to drive the point home. Obviously it's not about hard core off-road. From this video I can be able to make informed decision when purchasing a bike. Ha! The BMW is the one to go for albeit the weight, price and servicing. Then Suzuki (this bike's silhouette mimic the BMW. I have learned you have to know more about your bike - its strength and weakness. The way you give information, you give detailed information. Cheers!
good points, and true for the most part, especially beginners. however, i dont agree with adv bikes not belonging on #3. it might take a bit more skill, but bikes like a multistrada enduro are just as capable on single track as a small beta, in the right hands that is. i know not everybody agrees with that view, but that's ok. ride your own ride and ride within your skill level. if to you that means no adv bike on single track, that's ok.
Well, yes but the Pan America with ARH Adjustable Ride Height, 2 position seat height and 3 different seats can go down to 30” at a stop for you so the height or inseam restriction has been virtually eliminated. Using it with lowest seat in the lowest position and having it drop at a stop 1”-2” allows a lot more shorter people to enjoy getting into Adventure riding and still be part of the Harley community. Now you can ride to Sturgis, then up Mt Rushmore and back down the other side just in time to get back to your campsite at Vanocker and make the wet T at Buffalo Chip.
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.
I like the light weight bikes for adventure, Have the DR 650 with a 20 liter gas tank and skid plate and rear hard bag, great for when the going gets rough but I do not go all that fast, also have a KTM 390 Adventure getting a better bash plate for it and have better hand guards, all so went with the Dunlop TrailMax Mission tires, and GIVI Trekker 33/46 liter hard bags. Just over 3200 Km on it but not much off road as waiting for the better bash plate, but great on the dirt & gravel roads and on road. the KTM 390 Adventure is quite light and feels even lighter than it is, only draw back is the 14.5 liter gas tank but can get well over 350 km before needing to find a gas station, but I mostly fill up at 300 Km and still have over 3 liters in the tank, I also like the instrumentation tells you all you need to know and not to hard to learn how to use. It comes with traction control you can turn off and 2 settings for ABS on road and off road, and adjustable suspension front and rear. Also the price is very good. Have not found any other bike to compare with it, and looked hard, The Versys 300 X close but rev way to high on the highway and starts to drink a lot of gas after 90 Km per hour, all so less power. BMW 310 but gas tank way to small and less power than the KTM 390, Honda CB 500 X better on the highway but lacking off road and getting on the heavy side. With every thing the KTM 390 Adventure come with for the price, don't think there is any other bike out there to compare, I have seen a video where the do the 390 and the 890 and the 390 will go any where the 890 will but at a much slower pace, and at 72 years old it is what I want, leave the fast off road to the younger people under 65. By the way great video, but should of put the KTM 890 Adventure in for comparison.
Love the channel. Keep it up. I was one of the first with Pan America. The Pan America isn't much of an ADV bike. I got a good 5000 miles out of mine before the engine blew. I got rid of the Pan America Special and kept the name. Bought a 2022 BMW GSA
@@BigRockMoto Yeah, at almost 5000 miles exactly, the bike started running hotter than usual. The bike's average temperature ranges were around 220 to 230 degs which seemed really hot given the bikes I have had in the past. But keep in mind that Pan America calls for 20-50 engine oil just like the air-cooled cruisers. Then in Tehachapi, Ca. riding a canyon with family and friends, the cycle started spiking to temps of 265 to 285. I believe the 270 mark is when the warning light starts coming on on Pan America. I gave the bike a break at a small country store and attempted to fill it with water to limp it back to town. It was challenging to get any more water in it, but I was able to get some by pumping the radiator hoses. I rented a U-haul truck and hauled the bike back to Northern Nevada, where I live. I dropped the bike off at Goldrush Harley Davidson in Elko, Nv. Their Mechs weren't willing to work on the bike there as they felt it was out of their league. After about a month, they brought the bike up to their sister store in Twin Falls. The Mechs there concluded that the Oil Pump Manifold came disconnected from the Oil pump and therefore wasn't getting any oil to the top of the engine. I did ask the Mechs if there was any other significant damage to the machine. They said that the Harley support hadn't instructed them to make any other tear down. Still, they ran a compression test on the engine, and the compression was significantly different between the two cylinders. So Harley sent a brand new machine to them from Wisconsin. After the engine was replaced and I got the bike back, it had major electrical issues. Some of the electrical problems caused the bike to just die randomly while riding, and also, the rear suspension was completely locked up. But not down like you would think but wholly extended. The suspension was caused by a wire going to the front left fork being melted. I have no idea what caused the wire to melt. The bummer about this wire was that it wasn't plugged, and play the electronic suspension on the Pan America was built into the front left fork leg. At this time, I contacted the dealership owner and talked with him about the situation where he offered to replace the bike with something like a new road glide or street glide. I told him that this wasn't the type of riding I was interested in doing at this point in my life. I don't remember the exact models he offered, but I believe they would have been a fair trade had I been interested. I told the owner that if he was confident that his Mechanics would fix all the electrical issues on the bike, he should make a fair offer, and I was willing to pay the remaining amount on my loan. The dealership owner paid the full MSRP of the bike, something like 21k, and some change. I did have quite a few accessories on the bike. Screamin Eagle Exhaust, Tank Bag, The Full Luggage, Tall Seat, Aftermarket Footpegs, and so on. I think I lost about $8k, counting the $1k I spent on renting the Uhaul to get the bike back to Northern Nevada for about 3 months of ownership. But for me, until I can make riding ADV bikes a full-time career, having a bike, I can jump on and ride out into the desert of Northern Nevada. Having a reliable bike is extremely important to me. At that point, I was really disappointed I had sold my 2016 Yamaha Super Tenere. I ended up driving down to Las Vegas 8hrs away and bought a 2022 BMW GSA. I kept the name I started my UA-cam channel with. The name came from what guys were calling the bike at its initial releases of the pics. When I referred to Pan America as the Adventure Glide, it made the salesman at the dealership tense up and corrected me every time I called it that. I do have a video showing all the electrical issues on my channel, but the video I have of the last ride on the engine, but I don't think you can actually read the temp gauge during the ride. I started my youtube channel on my ride down the Pacific Coast, and I wasn't even set up to record any helmet audio. So these videos are just riding footage and music made on my iPhone with the GoPro app. This is the video of my last ride on the Pan America having the electrical issues: ua-cam.com/video/jOz1MhQjQsQ/v-deo.html this is the video of the ride that the Pan America's overheating issue developed. There really isn't anything in the video to make you believe there was a problem: ua-cam.com/video/XktKPBBnlHc/v-deo.html
Imo the KLR650, DR650 KTM690, or BMW F650 are probably the most versatile adv bikes out there. They all have their pluses and minuses in certain categories respectively but they are probably the most likely to make it into and out of anywhere in the world. Furthermore they are usable to huge array of rider skill level. That to me is what makes a great adventure bike. It's a go everywhere do everything bike. That said I have a F800GSA. But my adventures on that machine don't include single track and do include more 2 up.
Thanks for stating clear that typically riding skills are the limiting factor and not the bike. It drives me nuts when people invest tens of thousands of dollars into a motorcycle, but literally spend nothing on improvement of their riding ability.
to be honest though there's a bit of roleplaying in it. Get the expensive bike, get the expensive gear, sidecases, tent, down to the last spoon, all to fit the marketed image/dream of an adventure rider. It's human nature I guess, modern consumerist human nature :)
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.
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.
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.
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
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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!
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 have to make adventure bike market, so it matters to me... Lol
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 😂
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
I’m glad you bring up the point of durability and ability to take a crash. I ride the NC700x, which is slightly less capable than the vstrom. While it can handle most off-road when things are going well, the biggest issue I’ve had is that when it goes down so many things break. The exhaust sticks out more than any protection. The pedals get bent every time. One ride I took a low speed fall on a rock bed. One rock smashed my alternator cover, drained the oil, and ended the trip. The ability to fall down, and get back up is important.
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.
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
Abolutely agree with you. In the end it's up to you whether you are a fashionist or a real adventurer. If you are a real adventurer, you'll need the proper bike and gear, regardless of "the mainstream"... and you'll know what you need.
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!
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. 😬
Well said. Agree 100%. Riders need to keep honing their skills, and that's where the best adventure (and most satisfaction) is: Right near the edge, pushing yourself a little towards challenges, while not being stupid about it (like could happen on group rides). Be safe but not "too safe"!
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.
Back in the 90’s, there was a bandit trail area people would drive pickups, dirt bikes, all thru the two track trails and open fields of dirt and scrubland- I’d ride my 1984 GPz750 around there and had a blast. One day a kid on a dirt bike asked me what kind of strange dirt bike I was riding. Told him “it’s a KX750!”. I used to race MX, so it was not a problem handling that unsuitable bike off road. Adventure riding is what YOU make it…. (I ride a 2006 vstrom 650 now, and it’s seen some fun)
Good points, and as a BMW 850GSA rider I couldn't agree more with your comments about weight. It really is a double edge sword in that they are awesome on highways, gravel roads, fire roads, etc, but a real handful in tougher terrain. I recently was on some real trails, deep sloppy mud, ruts, narrow, the whole nine yards---and moving that bike so slowly through that muck was an exhausting endeavor at best. I managed to never actually drop the bike, but it was close. On inclines/declines where you were moving so slow and in such deep mud you had to keep putting your feet down, meaning you were off the rear brake a good bit, it was pretty much a controlled slide. Rider ability is huge, but mass is mass, and muscling a 500+ pound bike through these conditions wouldn't be possible for many riders due to size/strength. Just my two cents. Enjoy your channel, thanks for continually providing such concise content.
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.
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.
I’m late to the party with a comment……
2016 Vstrom 1000 with mods for my 6’3 245lb frame. 2-up riding 75% (wife is a tiny 120-ish). 80/20 street to gravel road riding mix.
Rain, snow (sometimes), cold, etc. doesn’t stop us from riding the roads of Ohio and West Virginia 80% of our time.
We’re 60 years young who aren’t afraid to ride nor get dirty.
Skill mostly will overcome the motorcycle’s capabilities (that and a good skid/bash plate).
Having fun, knowing your own skill level, good personal gear, practice riding in all weather, bike protection mods, and not fearing dropping your motorcycle all add up to “your adventure”.
The most important aspect is to get out there and do “stuff” so you can have experiences on whatever it is you ride.
I hope to see you out there somewhere!
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.
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.
You always do a good job explaining things. Thanks. Keep it up and don’t let sponsors take away your sincerity when it comes to reviews.
1) Can it survive one or multiple crash, 2) Can you pick it up
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.
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.
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 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!
Again nice job with all the descriptions, my thoughts, Adventure bikes, go on a road trip like RVing, Duel sports , ride to your off-road destination and have fun in the dirt!!!!!
I've been watching the ADV bike segment grow and grow, which is a great thing. I live near the Skyline drive and I've been noticing more and more Big ADV bikes, and the biggest surprise to me is how they all look the SAME as I pass them on the road. And there are very few off road opportunities there. My Vulcan 750 and Nighthawk 750 can handle the hilly gravel roads around here! In my experience, everything from my CT110 and TW200 up to the elephant 1250GS can traverse most trails. And I'm suspecting that the more things change, the more we'll get back to the Steve McQueen scrambler style bikes in the end. I think the Himalayan is a scrambler in disguise. A DR650 or G650GS is as big as you need IMO. Curios to see where this all ends up.
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
You can have an "adventure" on any bike. You can have the best highway adventure on a road bike. You can have the best on-road-off-road adventure on a dual sport/enduro bike and the best off-road adventure on an off-road bike - - which gives us all a good excuse to have several bikes!! :) Thanks for the video.
Very true!
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.
Hey, I met you on top of Palomar with my R1100s and you were on the Suzuki 1050. This video was on my suggested feed. Im happy I found your channel!
awesome! glad my videos are hitting the feeds. see you up there again soon!
Perfect ADV bike for me is a less than 400 lb duel sport bike when fully loaded with camping & fishing gear and fully gassed up with 4 + gals and a small wind screen. Or better yet maybe a Beta 390/430 mounted on the back of my jeep filled with the camping & fishing gear.
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
Good video. I agree with all of your points. I would add one more: throttle response. When riding on my half mile gravel drive in NC my KTM 790 Duke is very hard to ride smoothly because of how sensitive the throttle is. Even in rain mode you are surging with every bump. My R1250GS is like a tractor, it just chugs up the hill, you don’t even have to give it any gas.
thanks good tip
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.
Weight matters for offorad no matter how experienced You are. That is the fact. Walter Colerbach from Sibirsky Extreme wrote great article about it. For those who are not familiar this is the Guy who rides the Road of Bones in Siberia for more than one occasion.
Keep up the good work. Nice video again.🙂
you are right, it matters a lot.
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!
There's a guy here on UA-cam that rides all over the world on a CT90. Another guy on one of the ADV forums that's done the same on a hardtail chopper. These guys epitomize the term "adventure". As you've said, we're all chasing the unicorn but the bottom line is we need to just get out and ride as any bike can be an "adventure" bike. That said, I really prefer my AT over my V-Strom and my KTM 500EXC over my DRZ400, only because I can. The Strom and DRZ were plenty capable and cool bikes. The better bike makes it easier for me to focus on the ride and not the terrain....Awesome content, keep it coming and thanks!!
Great video, thank you. I have a v-strom 650 xt now that I love. But in my younger days, I rode 4000 miles around South Africa on cheap second hand suzuki 250 x7. Its all I could afford at the time but it faithfully took me around the country. 60% paved , 30% gravel road, 10% how the hell did I get through that !!!!
The defenition of adventure riding is up for discussion, i think it is also personal. Last year i went for a trip of 2 weeks in europe, for me that was an adventure, but i did not leave the asphalt. It was a trip alone so that was outside my comfort zone.
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 :)
This is a great 101 on differences. I'm considering a new bike after many years. I've been looking at a few and know I'm looking street only, but like the position of being up and comfortable. This confirmed a few things I thought. Your explanation of thinks like why different tire sizes, or suspension angle are clear and easy to follow. I'll point more people to this video, it's well done.
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
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....
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
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.👍😁❤️
Another great video from the maestro. There is so much discussion of detail in the ADV community it is nice that the video takes us back to basics and to a philosophical conclusion.
Glad you enjoyed 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'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.
Hi. Awesome video. I do a lot of off roading in my Raptor and have it set up as overland rig. The question around camp came up last wknd. I ride a Harley and just purchased the huskavarna Norden 901 and my friends said ..What are adventure bikes. And or what defines it . Off roading has such a huge umbrella.. simple dirt road or single track .. I think now compare to years before manufactures are listening more and catering to every style of riding you want . Which is great . But the true adventure is the journey you take to the destination you desire . Like some of the guys said . Heck in other countries you take some 100cc bike and get it to go some places that you wouldn’t even imagine . Here in America we are spoiled a bit and do choose based on best gear and all analysis of what’s the best and what everyone is going for . At the end we share the same passion .. just get out there and enjoy the ride and journey. I Love everyone regardless of what your riding . Stay safe everyone 🤙🏼
Another informative video!. I picked my bike to do my adventures on because it checked most if not all the boxes for me... after doing lots of research, making check lists and cost including all the basic necessities being a primary factor .I purchased a 1st Gen WeeStrom to start with .. it has been a good choice so far .. time will tell on whether I go up down left or right or just keep it!.. it really doesn't matter what you have .. just adapt ..go ride and have fun!
awesome, agree!
I agree with the idea that you can have an "adventure" on any bike. There are enough videos on youtube to back that up.
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!
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!
I've been thinking about this issue and that's what brought me to your video.
I'm going to be 69 next month. Five years ago I moved from the US to Spain. I've been riding for about 50 years and my topic of interest is high performance bikes, especially those that are good on a drag strip. When I left the US I sold my ZX-14 but I brought my turbo Busa along in part because nobody offered me what I wanted for it.
My US drivers license wouldn't exchange a Spanish one so I got to start from scratch. That meant two years with a restricted power license and bike. The roads are different here with lots of curves and some nice gravel and dirt mountain roads. Intellectually I decided that an adventure class bike would make the most sense. I ended up with an R1150 GS that I restricted to meet the power requirement. A lot of people love the GS. I found it to be big, heavy, tall and under powered. Not a bad machine, just not the right one for me. So within a week of my getting my A license I bought a 2021 1290 Super Adventure S.
The KTM is a cool bike but despite it's ground clearance and suspension travel I've got reservations about taking it off pavement. It's not well protected, has cast wheels and cost a lot of money. But then while I could probably ride it across the continent it's not really a great touring bike either. It's actually a bit of an oversized sports bike with a lot of electronic magic that makes it more versatile in different conditions.
KTM calls it an adventure bike and it will do some light off roading but is it really?
Here in Spain I see lots of older guys in groups of GSs out for Sunday rides. I have to wonder if any of those bikes has ever seen any dirt.
Funny thing is, I traded the old 1150 straight across for a 2006 K1200 GT. After a little work it may be a great touring bike that isn't bad on the twisties either. But it is kind of heavy.
Now that I've had the KTM for about a year and a half and after spending some €20+k on it I'm not abandoning it just yet. I'm going to try some 80/20 tires and see how it does for some easy rides on those off pavement mountain roads. Perhaps then I can better decide if it is or is not a capable adventure bike.
As a kid it was our Honda 90, now my KLR has been my adult version
Navigating city traffic, comfortably handling highway speeds for long distance, traversing back roads, fire roads, dirt trails to get to where I need to go (camp spots, fishing holes, hiking trails) With Out any serious off roading. I'm guessing a V-Strom 650xt will be my best choice.
Just did a review of that!
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
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.
"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.
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.
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
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.
Most any bike will do ..you only need to keep the front light & the speed comparative with the terrain...you will get along most backcountry gravel type roads regardless of the amount of travel ..ride to the conditions .
The truth is those are 3 beautiful bikes. Everyone loves to have them
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 have a CB500X with a full Rally Raid kit. I've ridden it in all stages of the build in dual sport kind of conditions. I'd say for me, suspension was the biggest issue in the stock setup. Not only lack of travel, but quality. The spoked 19 helps a lot in loose gravel and sand. I think part of that is the size, part the tires, and part the weight. A wheel is unsprung weight and it wants to keep going forward once it has momentum. I don't regularly ride in maybe as serious stuff as most people, but the cast wheel was never a problem for me in and of itself. Never damaged it. I kept a spare tube with me just in case, which I also have for the tubeless spoked wheels.
i've always wanted a cb500x with a rally raid kit. nice ride.
All is well said. I have owned a Super Tenere with the desire to do all…it just doesn’t work that way for most of us. Today I ride a CRF 250
L and a Vstrom 650. Both have Advantages and disadvantages, and I have taken trips on both, on road and dirt. I can tell you that my problem is not the bike, it’s me. We all have some “wanna be “ in us!
Why did you get rid of the Super Tenere?
It was just too heavy for me, for anything other than roads. 570 lbs.
@@busyflyin Thanks for the reply! Thats what I figured. I have one and like it a lot. But, it is definitely heavy especially with crash guards and bags.
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.
I would say anything is an adventure bike if it can take you and your stuff to places you find interesting and your skill level allows.
I currently have a second generation KLR, and while it's not the lightest, most powerful, and doesn't have the best suspension, it'll still get the job done if I do my part.
Lots of people with the right skills have taken bikes successfully on some gnarly adventures the chosen bikes really had no business doing. I don't have that skill level as yet, in case anybody was wondering.
Very informative. And you had 3 different and unique bikes to drive the point home. Obviously it's not about hard core off-road.
From this video I can be able to make informed decision when purchasing a bike.
Ha! The BMW is the one to go for albeit the weight, price and servicing. Then Suzuki (this bike's silhouette mimic the BMW.
I have learned you have to know more about your bike - its strength and weakness. The way you give information, you give detailed information. Cheers!
thanks
This was a nice overview of what an adventure bike is. 👍
thanks
good points, and true for the most part, especially beginners. however, i dont agree with adv bikes not belonging on #3. it might take a bit more skill, but bikes like a multistrada enduro are just as capable on single track as a small beta, in the right hands that is. i know not everybody agrees with that view, but that's ok. ride your own ride and ride within your skill
level. if to you that means no adv bike on single track, that's ok.
Well, yes but the Pan America with ARH Adjustable Ride Height, 2 position seat height and 3 different seats can go down to 30” at a stop for you so the height or inseam restriction has been virtually eliminated. Using it with lowest seat in the lowest position and having it drop at a stop 1”-2” allows a lot more shorter people to enjoy getting into Adventure riding and still be part of the Harley community. Now you can ride to Sturgis, then up Mt Rushmore and back down the other side just in time to get back to your campsite at Vanocker and make the wet T at Buffalo Chip.
love it.
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.
sport (the engine?) adventure (tires/spoke wheels and ground clearance?) tour (fuel capacity?)
I like the light weight bikes for adventure, Have the DR 650 with a 20 liter gas tank and skid plate and rear hard bag, great for when the going gets rough but I do not go all that fast, also have a KTM 390 Adventure getting a better bash plate for it and have better hand guards, all so went with the Dunlop TrailMax Mission tires, and GIVI Trekker 33/46 liter hard bags. Just over 3200 Km on it but not much off road as waiting for the better bash plate, but great on the dirt & gravel roads and on road. the KTM 390 Adventure is quite light and feels even lighter than it is, only draw back is the 14.5 liter gas tank but can get well over 350 km before needing to find a gas station, but I mostly fill up at 300 Km and still have over 3 liters in the tank, I also like the instrumentation tells you all you need to know and not to hard to learn how to use. It comes with traction control you can turn off and 2 settings for ABS on road and off road, and adjustable suspension front and rear. Also the price is very good. Have not found any other bike to compare with it, and looked hard, The Versys 300 X close but rev way to high on the highway and starts to drink a lot of gas after 90 Km per hour, all so less power. BMW 310 but gas tank way to small and less power than the KTM 390, Honda CB 500 X better on the highway but lacking off road and getting on the heavy side. With every thing the KTM 390 Adventure come with for the price, don't think there is any other bike out there to compare, I have seen a video where the do the 390 and the 890 and the 390 will go any where the 890 will but at a much slower pace, and at 72 years old it is what I want, leave the fast off road to the younger people under 65. By the way great video, but should of put the KTM 890 Adventure in for comparison.
Great video explaining some fundamentals about adventure bikes and matters to consider. Thanks
Love the channel. Keep it up. I was one of the first with Pan America. The Pan America isn't much of an ADV bike. I got a good 5000 miles out of mine before the engine blew. I got rid of the Pan America Special and kept the name. Bought a 2022 BMW GSA
wow, can you share more? engine failure is bad
@@BigRockMoto Yeah, at almost 5000 miles exactly, the bike started running hotter than usual. The bike's average temperature ranges were around 220 to 230 degs which seemed really hot given the bikes I have had in the past. But keep in mind that Pan America calls for 20-50 engine oil just like the air-cooled cruisers. Then in Tehachapi, Ca. riding a canyon with family and friends, the cycle started spiking to temps of 265 to 285. I believe the 270 mark is when the warning light starts coming on on Pan America. I gave the bike a break at a small country store and attempted to fill it with water to limp it back to town. It was challenging to get any more water in it, but I was able to get some by pumping the radiator hoses. I rented a U-haul truck and hauled the bike back to Northern Nevada, where I live. I dropped the bike off at Goldrush Harley Davidson in Elko, Nv. Their Mechs weren't willing to work on the bike there as they felt it was out of their league. After about a month, they brought the bike up to their sister store in Twin Falls.
The Mechs there concluded that the Oil Pump Manifold came disconnected from the Oil pump and therefore wasn't getting any oil to the top of the engine. I did ask the Mechs if there was any other significant damage to the machine. They said that the Harley support hadn't instructed them to make any other tear down. Still, they ran a compression test on the engine, and the compression was significantly different between the two cylinders. So Harley sent a brand new machine to them from Wisconsin. After the engine was replaced and I got the bike back, it had major electrical issues. Some of the electrical problems caused the bike to just die randomly while riding, and also, the rear suspension was completely locked up. But not down like you would think but wholly extended. The suspension was caused by a wire going to the front left fork being melted. I have no idea what caused the wire to melt. The bummer about this wire was that it wasn't plugged, and play the electronic suspension on the Pan America was built into the front left fork leg. At this time, I contacted the dealership owner and talked with him about the situation where he offered to replace the bike with something like a new road glide or street glide. I told him that this wasn't the type of riding I was interested in doing at this point in my life. I don't remember the exact models he offered, but I believe they would have been a fair trade had I been interested. I told the owner that if he was confident that his Mechanics would fix all the electrical issues on the bike, he should make a fair offer, and I was willing to pay the remaining amount on my loan.
The dealership owner paid the full MSRP of the bike, something like 21k, and some change. I did have quite a few accessories on the bike. Screamin Eagle Exhaust, Tank Bag, The Full Luggage, Tall Seat, Aftermarket Footpegs, and so on. I think I lost about $8k, counting the $1k I spent on renting the Uhaul to get the bike back to Northern Nevada for about 3 months of ownership. But for me, until I can make riding ADV bikes a full-time career, having a bike, I can jump on and ride out into the desert of Northern Nevada. Having a reliable bike is extremely important to me. At that point, I was really disappointed I had sold my 2016 Yamaha Super Tenere.
I ended up driving down to Las Vegas 8hrs away and bought a 2022 BMW GSA. I kept the name I started my UA-cam channel with. The name came from what guys were calling the bike at its initial releases of the pics. When I referred to Pan America as the Adventure Glide, it made the salesman at the dealership tense up and corrected me every time I called it that. I do have a video showing all the electrical issues on my channel, but the video I have of the last ride on the engine, but I don't think you can actually read the temp gauge during the ride. I started my youtube channel on my ride down the Pacific Coast, and I wasn't even set up to record any helmet audio. So these videos are just riding footage and music made on my iPhone with the GoPro app.
This is the video of my last ride on the Pan America having the electrical issues: ua-cam.com/video/jOz1MhQjQsQ/v-deo.html
this is the video of the ride that the Pan America's overheating issue developed. There really isn't anything in the video to make you believe there was a problem: ua-cam.com/video/XktKPBBnlHc/v-deo.html
Imo the KLR650, DR650 KTM690, or BMW F650 are probably the most versatile adv bikes out there. They all have their pluses and minuses in certain categories respectively but they are probably the most likely to make it into and out of anywhere in the world. Furthermore they are usable to huge array of rider skill level. That to me is what makes a great adventure bike. It's a go everywhere do everything bike.
That said I have a F800GSA. But my adventures on that machine don't include single track and do include more 2 up.
Agreed
Thanks for stating clear that typically riding skills are the limiting factor and not the bike. It drives me nuts when people invest tens of thousands of dollars into a motorcycle, but literally spend nothing on improvement of their riding ability.
throwing money at things and hoping it will fix the problem and then blame the motorcycle when it doesn't.
Exactly. Why throw lots of cash yet you don't invest time to learn riding skills
to be honest though there's a bit of roleplaying in it. Get the expensive bike, get the expensive gear, sidecases, tent, down to the last spoon, all to fit the marketed image/dream of an adventure rider. It's human nature I guess, modern consumerist human nature :)
Absolutely!
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.
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.
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.
One day you need to do a review from your back porch so we can see that magnificent view!
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