Adventure bikes

[J Brown]

Anyone out there ride large adventure bikes, my wife and I are thinking of getting into it.

Not sure what to look for, and how much fun is it riding a 1000cc dual purpose bike on what seems to be almost trail riding.

Any views please? and what's a good club to join?[emoji1]

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[Scubbo]

Up north are

http://www.northerngraveladventureridersnz.com/


they do a lot of rides for the bigger bikes

[J Brown]

Cheers for the link

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[Eddieb]

http://www.adventureridingnz.co.nz/ for info and places to ride.

[Gremlin]

Depends on your definition of adventure. Your own level of stupidity is quite proportional to where you're going to want to take the bikes (mine for example is quite high :sweatdrop) but big bikes get to be hard work off road. Big bikes are heavier, sink in more, more power makes them more of a handful and being physically bigger makes them hard to handle in rough stuff (and inevitably pickup).

"Roads" still include everything like Motu Rd, Nevis, anything gravel, signposted etc.

I've taken my 1200 GS Adventure most places, but do draw the line at anything off road pretty much including trail riding, unless I've roped in a gullible mate (aka, an extra pair of hands).

[ducatijim]

If you stay off 'single track', and be very cautious joining 'organised adventure rides',( where the purpose of the organiser is usually to find the toughest way from a-b to try and please his hard assed mates) then there is a lot of fantastic places to be travelled 2up in a bigger adv bike.
Otherwise....get a wr250 and leave the Mrs home!

[Oscar]

Depends on your definition of adventure. Your own level of stupidity is quite proportional to where you're going to want to take the bikes (mine for example is quite high :sweatdrop) but big bikes get to be hard work off road. Big bikes are heavier, sink in more, more power makes them more of a handful and being physically bigger makes them hard to handle in rough stuff (and inevitably pickup).

"Roads" still include everything like Motu Rd, Nevis, anything gravel, signposted etc.

I've taken my 1200 GS Adventure most places, but do draw the line at anything off road pretty much including trail riding, unless I've roped in a gullible mate (aka, an extra pair of hands).

Yeah, what he says.
I was crashing (in the dark!) for the third time on a F800GS on the 42nd Traverse on a shitty winters day when I realised that:

I was very stupid.
I was going to kill myself.
I had been there and done that and I had nothing left to prove.
The owner of the bike was going to be pissed if I crashed again, and...
The idea of an adventure trail bike like a 530/450EXC seemed logical.


Don't get me wrong, my 950 is a great adventure bike for the Motu, Rainbow etc, but it's horses for the bbq I guess.

[J Brown]

Hmm, I have been trail riding my whole life, my last dirt bike was a cr 500 in a aluminium frame and I was still not satisfied.

I have also sold all sports bikes, for safety reasons, being wife thinks I'm mad, and maybe I am.

So I thought me go slower on big adventure bike.

Hoping she would come along, I have since realised that adventure riding is a bit more like trail riding.

So two up would be interesting, however I would like to find out if a bmw f800 is a good inbetween, I think I could handle it on my own and maybe two up.

I have done the Nevis pass by four wheel drive, and think a large adventure bike would be ok with that.

Would anyone consider two up riding on a ktm 690 if it hard a seat that didn't kill your ass? And would it take panniers.

I'm hearing all that have responded to my plee for advice, and thank you all very much, so far

Please feel free to respond, I'm trying not to make a momentous bike purchase mistake.


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[pete-blen]

I think the Tiger XC800 is about the best larger ADV bike
at the moment... but far from cheap...






.

[JATZ]

I think the Tiger XC800 is about the best larger ADV bike
at the moment... but far from cheap...






.

Naah :bleh:

F800 suits me just fine...ish, Sometimes I wish it was smaller, but for up to grade 3 tracks on the ReMote Moto site it's fine when I'm by myself I would take it on grade 4 or 5 if I had company (maybe :whistle: ) depends how I feel on the day.
For 2 up it's a good compromise, although the seat does need attention. I've done Rainbow/Molesworth/Sedgemere 2 up aswell as some other bits and pieces and it's been quite capable.

Hope this helps

[Gremlin]

So I thought me go slower on big adventure bike.

Hoping she would come along, I have since realised that adventure riding is a bit more like trail riding.

So two up would be interesting, however I would like to find out if a bmw f800 is a good inbetween, I think I could handle it on my own and maybe two up.

I have done the Nevis pass by four wheel drive, and think a large adventure bike would be ok with that.
If you consider 2up that important, then you better test ride with her on the back. If she's not comfortable, then you ain't buying it. While there is a little jest in that, if she isn't happy then I doubt she'd be coming along, so she really does need to be involved in test riding.

As for going slower on adventure bikes? Well, you won't get much temptation to do 200kph kind of stuff, but big adventure bikes with plenty of torque, wide bars for leverage and long travel suspension are no slouch. My 1200 has Ohlins suspension and is plenty capable when riding at the speed limit. The water cooled newer model adds even more power and sporting ability.

Depending on your size and hers, it's a juggling act between having a bike big enough to be comfortable 2up, but small enough to be nimble. My boss has this problem, being on the light side, he struggles physically with large bikes, but smaller stuff is too cramped (and isn't throwing gravel/adventure riding into the mix either). An F800 could be suitable, I chose the 1200 as I do more road than adventure, but considered an 800 if I did more adventure.

Did Nevis on the 1200, didn't even drop it :rolleyes:

[J Brown]

When we test ride the wife will be coming, we have looked at a f800 and yes the seat needs work.
I find it interesting that the 1200 gs isn't much heavier than the 800 but when sitting on it seems very large.
I have heard however that they are very capable bikes and surprisingly stable in the corners.
We are both around 5.8 and 90 and 65 kilos

good to know you did the Nevis on a 1200, it gives me some clues as to what might suit.

Have you looked at the motoguzzi stelvio? What do you think.

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[Gremlin]

good to know you did the Nevis on a 1200, it gives me some clues as to what might suit.

Have you looked at the motoguzzi stelvio? What do you think.
My riding is almost exclusively 1up, just so you know. Haven't tricked women into spending more time with me (and I've attempted to slow the drooling) :msn-wink: I'm 6'3, 100kg, so the 1200 suits me, but it is indeed a large bike. That said, for it's physical size I actually think it's quite light, when you consider road tourers are often over 300kg, and my R1200GSA is 230kg ish dry. The R1200GS is about 15-20kg lighter I think, and fully fueled the gap will be larger as the GSA is 36L+ of fuel.

Never seriously considered the Stelvio mainly because I know I need dealer support. I have a knack for breaking things no-one else does, so a good dealer is part of making the decision of which brand to buy into. Further, I didn't think the Stelvio quality would be that good, and I met a Stelvio owner a year or two ago that had quite a list of problems (yes, 1 doesn't make a rep, but I'd rather not be that one either :lol:)

The BMW isn't a Honda by any stretch, but I've put it through some stuff that would have broken lesser bikes... :banana:

[nzspokes]

Why do I keep wanting to put knobbys on the Bandit?

Could be a giggle.

[Gremlin]

Why do I keep wanting to put knobbys on the Bandit?

Could be a giggle.
TKC has been released in 120/180 sizes. Mate has a part worn set after we did a trip and he put them on his Hornet... (you know him).

[george formby]

Have you considered a Super Ten? Like this. http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/dual-purpose/auction-910072220.htm
Just sayin, I like to put cats and pigeons together. Looks like a pukka bike with lots of farckles. And I am a Yamaha fan.

[J Brown]

Yes George I have, I thought they were a bit on the heavy side.

I also looking at the 660 ten as well, I suppose its a hard compromise between weight and size and power, and comfort.

I will be test riding a number of brands and sizes very soon.

I was just looking for others experience with adventure bikes.

I will be test riding, f800 - Yamaha 1200 ten, - 660 ten - ktm 990 Dakar bmw 1200 gs and maybe the tiger 800

If you have anything else you know of that worth a look let us know.

Cheers


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[Bams]

I have both the bikes in question 1200 gs and f800gs . I first brought the 1200 to do what your thinking of 2 up and its the bike for it.
On gravel / trails its capable and fine ,on the road its "amazing" but 2 up when the real trail hits you wouldn't want to be 2 up it would be tough. You really need to be on your game in the rough the bike can do it sure! but but you really need to be the rider the trouble with the big bikes you can really do a lot of damage when you put it down and if some one stops in front of you they can be really hard to get going again the weight I a factor.
But the 800gs feels light and very capable after hopping of the 1200 the 1200 feels heavy and stable after hopping off the 800.
So To sum it up if your going to do 2 up and adventure "touring" 1200 but if your going to do mainly adventure riding with abit of 2 up which is probably the case then 800 would be fantastic and put a air cushion on the back for her she won't notice the difference its all about you mate.
But you could always do my trick buy the 1200 first do some touring then convince her we need to down size they like that and just never quite get around to selling the 1200 then you have it all.
My favorite bike to ride is still the 1200 you can't beat that smooth power

[dino3310]

anyone wanna swap a Tiger or Scambler for a rebuilt XR600:whistle:

[young1]

I rode the Nevis two up on my KTM 990 last year, a great ride. Bike was more than capable.

[That looks like fun]

Get 2 bikes :innocent:
Big is good :woohoo:
Little for when you want to get somewhere that big is not good for :Punk:

[JimmyC]

I'd recommend trying the F800 GS Adventure too. It sits in between the standard 800 and the 1200 in terms of weight, but for a little extra over the cost of the standard 800 you get quite a bit more. Better wind protection, much more comfortable seat (even more gel than the accessory comfort seat option for the standard 800), bash plate as standard, and the bigger gas tank of course. All makes for a superbly comfortable mile muncher.

I had the opportunity to test both the 800GSA and the 1200GS back to back last year which was quite the eye opener. Despite the extra weight, the 1200 seemed the smaller of the two. Lower seat and narrower through the middle. Fit like a glove when standing on the pegs, felt very agile, whereas the 800GSA felt like a really big, heavy dirt bike. Couldn't pick the better of the two for long rides to be honest, both had pros - cruise on the 1200, that seat on the 800, and cons - harsher ride on the 1200 over crappy back roads, perhaps too plush on the 800 in the corners...

Off road, again a tough choice. 800GSA just soaked up the bumps, that plushness again, whereas the 1200 referred quite a lot through the bars. Factor in a much taller 1st gear on the 1200 too if you're thinking about doing anything technical.

If money were no object I'd go the 1200GS 'cos I'd prefer the shaft drive and all the electrickery, but at $7k less I think the 800GSA is priced very well for what it offers, especially for the small increase over the standard 800.

One of them will be mine at the end of the year, but fwiw I'm also awaiting more news on the Honda Africa Twin...

[J Brown]

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[J Brown]

I rode the Nevis two up on my KTM 990 last year, a great ride. Bike was more than capable.
What year is your 990

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