Great to see the younger ones getting into ADV riding...I had a XT660Z for a number of years, great bike, but awl too tall for my short legs. Use soft panniers on the side of the bike, and pack soft items in them, as cooking gear crushing on your leg is just as hard as a alloy pannier...Leave enough room in your panniers and top box, as after a few days you will pack not as neat and just shove the tent. A loaded bike will be heavy in bog holes....Trust the tyres....look ahead...have fun...ride with good mates....take the piss out of each other but help the other riders....use the same tools in the shed that you take with you....and there will always be a locked gate or short cut that takes hours longer than the long way....use the cornerman system at intersections....again have fun and enjoy the mud and dust.
@@tiniturbo It is expensive. Check MTB first which can also cost some bucks but not as much over time. Maintenance costs on an adventure bike over time will easily out strip initial purchase price of your bike.
@@Mikethebike-ov1yp I get what you mean, but to me thats not the same thing. I want to travel on it and you don't really get to do that with a mtb. I just bought myself a Honda Transalp from '96 so i'm getting there though!
@@Mikethebike-ov1yp If you are paying a workshop to do everything, yes it is expensive. My bike is still under warranty and I save heaps by doing everything myself. I did have to invest in a factory workshop manual but I already had all the tools. Good tools are an investment, they will save you money on your current bike, plus every other bike you will own for the rest of your life. Most of the scheduled services on my bike (2023 KLR650) are an oil change with filter, doohickey adjustment and air filter clean and re-oil, which costs me less than $60 including premium full synthetic Penrite oil. I fill out the service book myself, keep receipts for everything used and take photos of the job including the odometer reading.
Really great advice mate. I've been riding for 20 years and only in the last 6 months started with ADV on a 450MT. It's a different world but HELL is it fun! Spot on with your messaging dude. Thank you.
I am coming late to it, but this video really resonated with me. Particularly the part about road riding. I bought my ADV thinking it was a great tourer and I wouldn't need to be concerned about the occasional gravel road. The biggest transformation for me is now seeking more and more off road and resenting the time I have to spend on tar. If you don't like learning, dont get an ADV, but the surprising piece for me is that I have loved learning new things. Long way to go on that journey, but something new to pick up on each and every ride. Thanks.
THANK YOU for this... Just bought my first adv bike, never ridden off road and I'll admit, the T7 is a little intimidating because of what you said - height, weight, etc. This helps me a lot! I appreciate the time you took to put this together.
Been tracking your conversion to the dark adventure side.. you've come a long way. To increase your skills more, get a small cheap trail bike to trail ride if you can. Lighter and more forgiving and the skills you learn on that help riding the big bikes. Great channel!
Thanks mate. I’m attempting to suggest that I get my wife/son a smaller frame bike, because it would suit them…. Nothing to do with me taking it out every now and then!
Looking to get a t700 in the next couple of weeks. I can’t wait to get back on 2 wheels. I would like to take an adv class and street riding class just to stay sharp. I’ve had a bike off an on since 2004. I need a refresher
I am also a surfski paddler, and found that the balance you develop on the surfski helps a lot with recovery when a wheel slips out on you suddenly. Also, being a MTBer helps with choosing lines and keeping your eyes ahead on the road.
Cheers. I have been in the Himalayan mountains for the last 14 months. Awesome riding here. On an old 500 classic Enfield. A few years ago, I spent a year all over India and Nepal on a DR650. Again, lots of mountains. And bush west of Moruya and Batemans Bay on another DR. Steep Forestry and National Park Roads were challenging.
100% agree with road feeling a bit more boring. I was always an out and out road rider. Had sports bike for years and couldn't even imagine riding on anything other than tarmac. In October last year, bought my first adventure bike and it's opened up a whole new world. I've fallen off it, been challenged and loved every minute. I recently took my bike on a beautiful scenic all road ride, but no longer got the buzz I once did. I came back off that ride and the wife asked me how it went and I said it was boring. I have only done gravel trails, a little bit of compact dirt and 100 metres of sand (hahaha fell off so much), but it's fantastic. I even love looking at how dirty my bike gets after each ride. Great channel by the way. See you in May next year for the Sydney to Gold Coast.
Nice vid.like the content.1 thing,disagree with the standing turn.u want to turn left.dip the left heel putting pressure on the left peg and the bike will turn easily.but keep the body straight up.hope it helps.shiney side up if there is 1!
This. Keep upright, let the bike lean under you. This naturally keeps you on the outside of the bike, but it's not about weighting pegs, it's about body position, which then moves centre of gravity.
I appreciate your perspective. I'm moving into Adv riding after 15 years on a street cycle. As fun as that was, I want to learn more and meet a greater challenge, albeit carefully. Thus, my KTM 390 Adventure. ("Less is more.")
I only started offroad Adv riding 18 months ago and everything you have mentioned (well, almost everything) is 100% correct. I have risers on my Pan America and the riding/standing position has proven to be just right for me. However, after I installed risers on my KLX230, well, they just didn't work, it just didn't feel right and made things worse, especially on up-hills where I just couldn't get my upper body forward enough. Keep up the good work.
I've just bought my 1st real adventure bike and I'm loving it. I was going to go used but went new with the new CF Moto 450MT, I've had it about 6 weeks and love it. Slowly getting there with the mods. I ordered most through CF Moto but they are slow getting here. Some great advice in this video thank you.
@@MotoRidesAustralia been loving the channel. Mirrors much of my experiences. The Watagans looked like a good trip. Hopefully see you on the trails one day.
Very good video. You made it very simple. Great training video. I have been doing this for years so good to hear you speak about your experience. Thanks From Kiwi Dave living in Canada.
That was a great video. Do you think you could do a video on the Garmin and how to use it, how you use it etc. like the tracking and how to make a call/message when out of range? Thanks again
I really enjoyed that mate, really nicely edited and awesome well delivered info. I totally feel the not enjoying road riding as much, since I fell back into adventure riding I only ride road to get to the national parks. What year is that Xt?
My most important lesson. If you’re a beginner don’t buy a big heavy powerful bike. Keep it under 200kgs start with a 450-500 and work your way up. Or else you will smash yourself up and smash up your bike, that’s a fact.
Great video! One thing: The notion that the bike will drop is true. However, the frequency has a LOT to do with rider skills, which can be learned. A skilled rider might drop his bike once on the same adventure trip, while an unskilled (in trail riding) might drop the bike 10 or even 100 times.
Too true. I ride a lot solo off road in generally easy/medium going trails. I ride within my limits and employ researched skills. Have only dropped KLR 2 times in 3 years. Tip- go easy and when it's needed go hard. Avoid tracks if solo that you may not get out of.
Advice from a six decades Dirt road rider is very simply covered with number one tip, "don't get your ambitions mixed up with your capabilities !" Just because you saw some bloke do something on a 300kg bike, doesn't mean it's easy. Just because you can afford the biggest bike, doesn't make you an expert on riding one! Bikes will move around on dirt naturally, because that's how they work. My next and most important tip is, "don't hang on so hard". So if the bike starts "aquaplaning" on loose surfaces (gravel or sand), let it!! Trying to stop it or counter steer this will end with a bingle. Let it "float" and feed in a bit more throttle. You don't need the knobbiest tyres, you don't need a go pro, you don't need phone mounts and connectivity, you don't need multitudes of gadgets/accessories. You don't need most of the things you see on you tube either. What you really need is the common sense to ride to the conditions and go at your own pace. Don't forget to enjoy it! Happy trails.
Whoever taught you knew what they were talking about......................and now you do too! "When in doubt, gas it." It's easier to ride a moving motorcycle ✌
Great to see the younger ones getting into ADV riding...I had a XT660Z for a number of years, great bike, but awl too tall for my short legs. Use soft panniers on the side of the bike, and pack soft items in them, as cooking gear crushing on your leg is just as hard as a alloy pannier...Leave enough room in your panniers and top box, as after a few days you will pack not as neat and just shove the tent. A loaded bike will be heavy in bog holes....Trust the tyres....look ahead...have fun...ride with good mates....take the piss out of each other but help the other riders....use the same tools in the shed that you take with you....and there will always be a locked gate or short cut that takes hours longer than the long way....use the cornerman system at intersections....again have fun and enjoy the mud and dust.
Lots a solid advice there mate, thanks for adding to the convo. And extra points for calling us young!! 😜👍
I think a lot of young people would love to do adv riding but its just simply too expensive to get into it. Its what I am currently struggling with...
@@tiniturbo It is expensive. Check MTB first which can also cost some bucks but not as much over time. Maintenance costs on an adventure bike over time
will easily out strip initial purchase price of your bike.
@@Mikethebike-ov1yp I get what you mean, but to me thats not the same thing. I want to travel on it and you don't really get to do that with a mtb.
I just bought myself a Honda Transalp from '96 so i'm getting there though!
@@Mikethebike-ov1yp If you are paying a workshop to do everything, yes it is expensive. My bike is still under warranty and I save heaps by doing everything myself. I did have to invest in a factory workshop manual but I already had all the tools. Good tools are an investment, they will save you money on your current bike, plus every other bike you will own for the rest of your life. Most of the scheduled services on my bike (2023 KLR650) are an oil change with filter, doohickey adjustment and air filter clean and re-oil, which costs me less than $60 including premium full synthetic Penrite oil. I fill out the service book myself, keep receipts for everything used and take photos of the job including the odometer reading.
In all seriousness, I absolutely agree, confidence is huge. Going for it at times is sometimes much better than trying to finesse it!!
Really great advice mate.
I've been riding for 20 years and only in the last 6 months started with ADV on a 450MT.
It's a different world but HELL is it fun!
Spot on with your messaging dude. Thank you.
Great vid! Lots of good tips, appreciate the honesty as well!
Fantastic video! I think I learned a bunch in my first year, but the only thing I actually remembered was to buy knobby tires!😂😂
I am coming late to it, but this video really resonated with me. Particularly the part about road riding. I bought my ADV thinking it was a great tourer and I wouldn't need to be concerned about the occasional gravel road. The biggest transformation for me is now seeking more and more off road and resenting the time I have to spend on tar. If you don't like learning, dont get an ADV, but the surprising piece for me is that I have loved learning new things. Long way to go on that journey, but something new to pick up on each and every ride. Thanks.
THANK YOU for this... Just bought my first adv bike, never ridden off road and I'll admit, the T7 is a little intimidating because of what you said - height, weight, etc. This helps me a lot! I appreciate the time you took to put this together.
solid recommendations!
Been tracking your conversion to the dark adventure side.. you've come a long way. To increase your skills more, get a small cheap trail bike to trail ride if you can. Lighter and more forgiving and the skills you learn on that help riding the big bikes. Great channel!
Thanks mate. I’m attempting to suggest that I get my wife/son a smaller frame bike, because it would suit them…. Nothing to do with me taking it out every now and then!
@@MotoRidesAustralia nice plan.
Looking to get a t700 in the next couple of weeks. I can’t wait to get back on 2 wheels. I would like to take an adv class and street riding class just to stay sharp. I’ve had a bike off an on since 2004. I need a refresher
I am also a surfski paddler, and found that the balance you develop on the surfski helps a lot with recovery when a wheel slips out on you suddenly. Also, being a MTBer helps with choosing lines and keeping your eyes ahead on the road.
Great list, thank you. If I ever get over my fear of constantly falling I know I'd enjoy my ADV offroad much much more.
I Have been off-roading and adventure riding for a year now... Thank you very much for these insights.. they are spot on
one of the best motorcycle videos, off road especially
all the heart is there
Great advice and video
Thanks mate 👍😀
Your video is great
.You are 100% right in what you say.
Great video. Thanks!
Nothing beats ADV riding and great points! 🤙
Absolutely 😜😀👍🏍️
Great advice, looking forward to getting some adventures on my T7.
I want to know when ill be eating 😁
Cheers. I have been in the Himalayan mountains for the last 14 months. Awesome riding here. On an old 500 classic Enfield. A few years ago, I spent a year all over India and Nepal on a DR650. Again, lots of mountains. And bush west of Moruya and Batemans Bay on another DR. Steep Forestry and National Park Roads were challenging.
100% agree with road feeling a bit more boring. I was always an out and out road rider. Had sports bike for years and couldn't even imagine riding on anything other than tarmac. In October last year, bought my first adventure bike and it's opened up a whole new world. I've fallen off it, been challenged and loved every minute. I recently took my bike on a beautiful scenic all road ride, but no longer got the buzz I once did. I came back off that ride and the wife asked me how it went and I said it was boring. I have only done gravel trails, a little bit of compact dirt and 100 metres of sand (hahaha fell off so much), but it's fantastic. I even love looking at how dirty my bike gets after each ride. Great channel by the way. See you in May next year for the Sydney to Gold Coast.
It's natural to want to keep elevating ourselves and find the next challenge. That's what I love about adventure riding.
Sound observations. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks mate
Nice vid.like the content.1 thing,disagree with the standing turn.u want to turn left.dip the left heel putting pressure on the left peg and the bike will turn easily.but keep the body straight up.hope it helps.shiney side up if there is 1!
This. Keep upright, let the bike lean under you. This naturally keeps you on the outside of the bike, but it's not about weighting pegs, it's about body position, which then moves centre of gravity.
I appreciate your perspective. I'm moving into Adv riding after 15 years on a street cycle. As fun as that was, I want to learn more and meet a greater challenge, albeit carefully. Thus, my KTM 390 Adventure. ("Less is more.")
I feel ADV riding is all about risk management. Making decision that allow it to be fun with enough causion to make it last a lifetime.
Just awesome mate! Well put together!!
Thanks mate, appreciate that!!
"Less is more", immediately shows folding camping table and large cooker😁. Good Video though ,agree with your points.
Thanks mate. That was a subtle point there btw.
I only started offroad Adv riding 18 months ago and everything you have mentioned (well, almost everything) is 100% correct. I have risers on my Pan America and the riding/standing position has proven to be just right for me. However, after I installed risers on my KLX230, well, they just didn't work, it just didn't feel right and made things worse, especially on up-hills where I just couldn't get my upper body forward enough. Keep up the good work.
I've just bought my 1st real adventure bike and I'm loving it. I was going to go used but went new with the new CF Moto 450MT, I've had it about 6 weeks and love it. Slowly getting there with the mods. I ordered most through CF Moto but they are slow getting here. Some great advice in this video thank you.
Aus looks like an amazing place to ADV ride!
Certainly is!
Mindset is key! Not, why did this happen to me but rather thanks for happening to me (I am gonna learn something out of this)
That’s a nice way of point it Craig.
@@MotoRidesAustralia been loving the channel. Mirrors much of my experiences. The Watagans looked like a good trip. Hopefully see you on the trails one day.
Great tips, love your work mate, Keep it up!
Thank you 😀
Excellent video. Points well made.
Great video, thanks for sharing the learned experiences and tips.
Great video for the beginners like me. Thank you for sharing.
Glad it was helpful!
Very good video. You made it very simple. Great training video. I have been doing this for years so good to hear you speak about your experience. Thanks From Kiwi Dave living in Canada.
Mate, you sound advice of looking up really helped me yesterday doing some technical stuff 👍🏽
Awesome mate!! And thanks for sharing, that really made my day! 😀
Great words.
That was a great video. Do you think you could do a video on the Garmin and how to use it, how you use it etc. like the tracking and how to make a call/message when out of range?
Thanks again
Great idea!!
I really enjoyed that mate, really nicely edited and awesome well delivered info. I totally feel the not enjoying road riding as much, since I fell back into adventure riding I only ride road to get to the national parks.
What year is that Xt?
Great advice! Thank you!!!
My most important lesson. If you’re a beginner don’t buy a big heavy powerful bike. Keep it under 200kgs start with a 450-500 and work your way up. Or else you will smash yourself up and smash up your bike, that’s a fact.
DR650 is what you want. Low down torque, enough power, very light for its size.
Nice educational content.
Great video! One thing: The notion that the bike will drop is true. However, the frequency has a LOT to do with rider skills, which can be learned. A skilled rider might drop his bike once on the same adventure trip, while an unskilled (in trail riding) might drop the bike 10 or even 100 times.
Too true. I ride a lot solo off road in generally easy/medium going trails. I ride within my limits and employ researched skills. Have only dropped KLR 2 times in 3 years.
Tip- go easy and when it's needed go hard. Avoid tracks if solo that you may not get out of.
If you're not dropping it, you're not riding near the edge so you're not learning as much.
Great stuff ..
Advice from a six decades Dirt road rider is very simply covered with number one tip, "don't get your ambitions mixed up with your capabilities !" Just because you saw some bloke do something on a 300kg bike, doesn't mean it's easy. Just because you can afford the biggest bike, doesn't make you an expert on riding one! Bikes will move around on dirt naturally, because that's how they work. My next and most important tip is, "don't hang on so hard". So if the bike starts "aquaplaning" on loose surfaces (gravel or sand), let it!! Trying to stop it or counter steer this will end with a bingle. Let it "float" and feed in a bit more throttle. You don't need the knobbiest tyres, you don't need a go pro, you don't need phone mounts and connectivity, you don't need multitudes of gadgets/accessories. You don't need most of the things you see on you tube either. What you really need is the common sense to ride to the conditions and go at your own pace. Don't forget to enjoy it! Happy trails.
Great advice..enjoy!
My first mistake, ordered a new bike because I will never drop it 😂.
I'll get some crash bars before I go off road.
Thanks for tips. Keep them coming.
Whoever taught you knew what they were talking about......................and now you do too! "When in doubt, gas it." It's easier to ride a moving motorcycle ✌
What boots do you wear?
Number 6...don't get your drone stuck in a tree👍😂
LOL!! 😜🤣
" Be brutal with packing " cuts to a shot with a table LUL
Almost like it was done on purpose 😜