Choosing an adventure bike! [Archive]

wetdog

2nd March 2009, 18:02

Waihou Thumper

2nd March 2009, 18:38

Hi Folks,

My first post here and, I'm glad I found these forums.

Well, I'm getting back into biking after 5 years, and decided an adventure bike would be good to have in NZ. Previously I had for a short time a TDM850 in the UK and loved the comfy position rather than the cramped sports bike's I've owned.

I've had my heart set on a KLR650 recently, but after searching on trademe I've seen a few BMW F650 Dakar's. My budget is around $10,000. So a new KLR650 is all good, but the other option is a 2001/2002 F650 with km's from 2k to 36k, for around the same price.

Mostly I want a bike that will cruise on the road at 100kph pretty comfortably, and have the ability to go on gravel/dirt but nothing technical. Also something that is droppable a bit, as I have zero off road riding experience, only smooth tarmac for me so far!

Any comments of the new KLR650 vs and older F650 Dakar would be welcome. I've none to test ride here in Whakatane which is a shame:weep:

Thanks,

Joe
Go KTM, wait for the 690 Adventure, or pick up a great second hand 640A....
Look, this has been done to death here, there is a wealth of preferences, bikes, and what is good, what is not ....Fuel ranges, tyres etc etc....
If budget was my goal, then KLR....If something else, then go BMW....
BUT, at the end of the day, the KTM is great, it performs, the costs are lower than BMW and the range is HUGE!
I personally would be looking for a DR650 or a XT660, the DR has the long range tanks available, oil cooled, nice and cheap etc....
I love my KTM and wish I had two of them, seriously....
I can remove the tank, kick start it, work on it and parts are cheap....
There is also a wealth of information from the cousins across the Pacific!
I looked at KLR but went European, consider KTM, at the end of the day you won't be disappointed.
Range is a big factor to me and when I can do over 600Km to the tank it makes a difference whether to turn left or just keep going!

junkmanjoe

2nd March 2009, 19:58

Hi Joe, welcome.

i went throught this a short time ago.

my budget was 7k max.
i also looked at klr650, but decided on a 07 dr650,
i looked at and tested a couple ktm, very nice bikes, but out of my budget, one day soon i hope.
any way dr650 great value for my dollar, not as heavy as klr, etc, but, klr has a longer fuel range,my dr last sat on our ride i ran my tank out from full, and it went 220kms, with 30km, on back up.
dr is easy to throw around, is a basic bike which can go where the others can as well.

luck with your hunting.

marks

2nd March 2009, 20:05

just buy this (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Dual-purpose/auction-204661032.htm)

its a great deal

just be aware that I might have a certain bias :banana:

you owe it to yourself to ride some before you buy something.

Spend a weekend in Auckland and try a few (if you can tolerate those pansy self obsessed Aucklanders) :buggerd:

Taz

2nd March 2009, 20:09

I would get the new KLR (or DR650 with safari tank) over the used F650. I owned an XT600 for 45000kms and it was brilliant. Only problem was the small tank 15 litres 210 to reserve. I ordered an acerbis 23 litre tank and all was good. 200 km range is just not good enough for those out of the way places. KTM 690 Enduro is 17k so I'd hate to think how much a 690 Adventure would be (if you could get one)

Oscar

2nd March 2009, 20:12

Hi Folks,

My first post here and, I'm glad I found these forums.

Well, I'm getting back into biking after 5 years, and decided an adventure bike would be good to have in NZ. Previously I had for a short time a TDM850 in the UK and loved the comfy position rather than the cramped sports bike's I've owned.

I've had my heart set on a KLR650 recently, but after searching on trademe I've seen a few BMW F650 Dakar's. My budget is around $10,000. So a new KLR650 is all good, but the other option is a 2001/2002 F650 with km's from 2k to 36k, for around the same price.

Mostly I want a bike that will cruise on the road at 100kph pretty comfortably, and have the ability to go on gravel/dirt but nothing technical. Also something that is droppable a bit, as I have zero off road riding experience, only smooth tarmac for me so far!

Any comments of the new KLR650 vs and older F650 Dakar would be welcome. I've none to test ride here in Whakatane which is a shame:weep:

Thanks,

Joe

If you've had no off road experience, the F650 is not the bike for you.
Learning to control a bike off-road (including gravel) on summat that heavy is not a good idea.

Get something light, a DR650 or KLR if you must for on-road comfort, but I'd urge you to start on something like a DRZ400/250 or XR400/250. With the correct external gearing, these will cruise at 100km/h on the open road, and you'll have a lot more fun off road...

pampa

2nd March 2009, 20:20

Hi welcome,

I've owned a F650GS Dakar 03 (sold less than a month ago), is
- a nice bike overall
- good looking in my opinion
- good on the road
- good resell value
- very good fuel eficiency,
- very expensive to repair,
- very expensive third party parts
- common in here
- tough and copes well with drops just replace the original mirrors that cost 100$ each with something more reasonable, I've dropped mine million times ... like u didn't have much experience offroad
- heavy 190kg aprox
- reasonable power (~50Hp) better than klr less than Ktm 640. I geared it down to get better bottom end 15tooth sprocket

Now I have a G650, I was looking for a Ktm 640 and couldn't find one and got what I thought was a good deal and they're selling cheap this days.

Agree with Mark is better when possible to try them out, but otherwise u can always sell it and buy another one :whistle: that u like better

Cheers,
Pampa

Go KTM, wait for the 690 Adventure, or pick up a great second hand 640A....
Look, this has been done to death here, there is a wealth of preferences, bikes, and what is good, what is not ....Fuel ranges, tyres etc etc....
If budget was my goal, then KLR....If something else, then go BMW....
BUT, at the end of the day, the KTM is great, it performs, the costs are lower than BMW and the range is HUGE!
I personally would be looking for a DR650 or a XT660, the DR has the long range tanks available, oil cooled, nice and cheap etc....
I love my KTM and wish I had two of them, seriously....
I can remove the tank, kick start it, work on it and parts are cheap....
There is also a wealth of information from the cousins across the Pacific!
I looked at KLR but went European, consider KTM, at the end of the day you won't be disappointed.
Range is a big factor to me and when I can do over 600Km to the tank it makes a difference whether to turn left or just keep going!

Padmei

2nd March 2009, 20:22

HAve to disagree with NZKTM. With respect the 640 is a great reponsive powerful reliable bike but compared to the KLR or BMW it is a very highly strung aggressive bone shaking competition bike.

Coming from a road riding background unless you wanted to go to the extremes of adventure riding you might feel more comfortable on a more roady bike. In saying that Ive taken Gonzo on a MX track & got some air & been in quite a few sticky moments.

Whatever you buy you will love the feeling of being somewhere in the middle of nowhere riding thru leaf covered tracks crossing rivers & climbing rocky trails.

You lucky bastard

pete376403

2nd March 2009, 20:25

I've never ridden a KTM single but I'd guess that they are off-road biased at the expense of on road comfort.

Of the 12000 odd kms that I've done on my KLR so far, the majority would have been on some sort of legal road (sealed or gravel) as opposed to real "off-road". For me the on-road comfort outweighs the dirtability - notwithstanding it *can* do snotty off road, but it makes you work for it.

I have done a South Island tour on a Dakar. They have a nice seat. Not sure if that alone is worth the $4 -5K diff between new KLR / second hand Dakar.

Work out your own definition of Adventure riding - for some people it's hard core single track, for others it's just minor back roads - and then test ride as many different bikes as you can and pick the one that does it for you.

marks

2nd March 2009, 20:35

& been in quite a few sticky moments.

Hopefully Igor had some tissues

Whatever you buy you will love the feeling of being somewhere in the middle of nowhere riding thru leaf covered tracks crossing rivers & climbing rocky trails.

You lucky bastard

wot he said

Padmei

2nd March 2009, 20:37

Hopefully Igor had some tissues

:lol:

fuckentenfuckingcharactersalrightyoufuckheads

wetdog

2nd March 2009, 20:58

Thanks for all your quick replies. I'm so excited and so much choice in the adventure bikes.

I did some googling on the 640, and it does seem a bit full on for me atm. Also I never realised the Dakar 650 was quite so heavy and maybe expensive after a drop. I'm definitely leaning back towards the KLR650 which a few of you seem to like alot too.

I'll call around for some quotes on 08/09 models and try for a test ride first, but I'm sure I'll be smitten again whatever I get on.

Whatever you buy you will love the feeling of being somewhere in the middle of nowhere riding thru leaf covered tracks crossing rivers & climbing rocky trails.

You lucky bastard

Yep thats what I want, and to see some more of this beautiful country, without being scared by the car drivers. :shit:

Waihou Thumper

2nd March 2009, 21:07

KTM 690 Enduro is 17k so I'd hate to think how much a 690 Adventure would be (if you could get one)

That is why if a 640A came up for sale it would be a good buy...
If I had 7-8K and I saw one, then it would be a good purchase. 2003-2004 model.

Waihou Thumper

2nd March 2009, 21:13

HAve to disagree with NZKTM. With respect the 640 is a great reponsive powerful reliable bike but compared to the KLR or BMW it is a very highly strung aggressive bone shaking competition bike.

I thought that too...
BUT.
Having ridden this lovely beast for 26000Km over the last two years I have found it a competitive beast and a forgiving road machine.
Comfortable in fourth gear and the only thing lacking maybe a sixth gear...
We all know that though...

Padmei

2nd March 2009, 21:13

If you haven't already checkout KLR650.Net. They have all the info on them but read between the lines as it's a seppo site they like a good whinge. Be aware that some of the early 08s were oil burners so go for one with a later build date or an 09 (sorry but uglier colours though).

Waihou Thumper

2nd March 2009, 21:19

I did some googling on the 640, and it does seem a bit full on for me atm. Also I never realised the Dakar 650 was quite so heavy and maybe expensive after a drop. I'm definitely leaning back towards the KLR650 which a few of you seem to like alot too.

Yep thats what I want, and to see some more of this beautiful country, without being scared by the car drivers. :shit:

Seems the way to go there....

Here here...:clap:

Padmei

2nd March 2009, 21:20

I thought that too...
BUT.
Having ridden this lovely beast for 26000Km over the last two years I have found it a competitive beast and a forgiving road machine.
Comfortable in fourth gear and the only thing lacking maybe a sixth gear...
We all know that though...

Sorry but the 2 640s I have been priveleged to ride were really really vibey - so much that I couldn't concentrate on riding them - Nice bikes & maybe I should HTFU but couldn't realistically look at doing long road miles when there are smoother more comfortable bikes. They would eat gonzo for breakfast on any surface road or trail but for this boy comfort is an important factor in riding.

pete376403

2nd March 2009, 21:24

Someone else was asking the same thing :
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=93406

and look how that turned out

Waihou Thumper

2nd March 2009, 21:33

maybe I should HTFU but couldn't realistically look at doing long road miles when there are smoother more comfortable bikes.

BUT,I did HTFU and it was worth it....
I guess we find the horse and I broke her in, she was worth it in the end...
BUT, I am happy to climb aboard another mare one day as long as she has a KTM bridle....:wari:

warewolf

2nd March 2009, 21:47

Welcome, fellah!

Mostly I want a bike that will cruise on the road at 100kph pretty comfortably, and have the ability to go on gravel/dirt but nothing technical. Also something that is droppable a bit, as I have zero off road riding experience, only smooth tarmac for me so far!Consider getting a used late-model common something-or-other (eg klr, dr) so that as your experience (and drop count) grows, you won't be wasting too much cash if you want to try something different. The chances are you will get hooked, and want to go more technical as your skills develop... or you'll hate it and stick to the tar. As others have said indirectly, especially for the inexperienced, height and weight are important off-road, more so than horsepower.

KTMs are biased to the more technical end of the spectrum, which makes them a poor match for your stated requirements.

Waihou Thumper

2nd March 2009, 21:55

KTMs are biased to the more technical end of the spectrum, which makes them a poor match for your stated requirements.

Wish I knew that when I went looking for a bike back then...:first:
Anyway, I went in with eyes closed and got suckered by the colour orange and those three letters.....

Looking forward t one day meeting you Colin...

Mark.

Funny enough, I had an issue with electrics last month, spent the rest of the journey kick-starting Katie.
Liked it so much, I thought of doing it all the time.....
Amazing how we can be so reliant on that button...:rolleyes:

warewolf

2nd March 2009, 22:37

Anyway, I went in with eyes closed and got suckered by the colour orange and those three letters.....
You can over-analyse the bike buying process. They'll all pretty much do the job, the compromises are just in different places, so buy the one you lay awake at night dreaming about... (some people value a nice comfortable bottie ooh! err!)

Funny enough, I had an issue with electrics last month, spent the rest of the journey kick-starting Katie.
Liked it so much, I thought of doing it all the time.....
Amazing how we can be so reliant on that button...:rolleyes:Out playing bike swapsies with mates last year, I was kicking the 525EXC & WF450Fs, just 'cos I could. None of their owners had ever done it...

The button is nicer when you stall at anything more than a standstill, as you can clutch it and thumb the starter while you are still riding the bike.

Oscar

2nd March 2009, 22:47

Wish I knew that when I went looking for a bike back then...:first:
Anyway, I went in with eyes closed and got suckered by the colour orange and those three letters.....

Looking forward t one day meeting you Colin...

Mark.

Funny enough, I had an issue with electrics last month, spent the rest of the journey kick-starting Katie.
Liked it so much, I thought of doing it all the time.....
Amazing how we can be so reliant on that button...:rolleyes:

640's are easier to kick start than most xr600/650's.
If you wanna do real adv riding, a 640E or 640A will take you there (and you'll be first to arrive).

Waihou Thumper

2nd March 2009, 23:01

640's are easier to kick start than most xr600/650's.
If you wanna do real adv riding, a 640E or 640A will take you there (and you'll be first to arrive).

And you have the bruises to show for it. Crash test dummy KTM....lol, sometimes....
The thing is, it behaves like a trail bike so you ride it like one, then what happens?....:dodge:

TLDV8

2nd March 2009, 23:53

Any comments of the new KLR650 vs and older F650 Dakar would be welcome. I've none to test ride here in Whakatane which is a shame:weep:

Thanks,

Joe

As far as the early Dakar,i believe it is carbureted and it took to around 2005 to iron out any problems.
Out of those two bikes based on your intended use,the KLR would have no problems,range is around the same,KLR might be a little lighter and buy/resale seems to be good.
Keeping it simple helps but test rides might be the decider either way you go,the DRZ400 might be a contender too.

The reality is a 1974 Suzuki TS250 would do what you are asking,it could also still do what some might regard as adventure riding.
A lot of it is just blowing smoke as a TS would. :laugh:

NordieBoy

3rd March 2009, 06:34

If you wanna do real adv riding, a 640E or 640A will take you there (and you'll be first to arrive).

So no good for adv photography then :D

Oscar

3rd March 2009, 06:44

The thing is, it behaves like a trail bike so you ride it like one, then what happens?....:dodge:

Um...you go very fast?

Oscar

3rd March 2009, 06:47

As far as the early Dakar,i believe it is carbureted and it took to around 2005 to iron out any problems.
Out of those two bikes based on your intended use,the KLR would have no problems,range is around the same,KLR might be a little lighter and buy/resale seems to be good.
Keeping it simple helps but test rides might be the decider either way you go,the DRZ400 might be a contender too.

The reality is a 1974 Suzuki TS250 would do what you are asking,it could also still do what some might regard as adventure riding.
A lot of it is just blowing smoke as a TS would. :laugh:

Err...the early model (to 1999) F650 was carburreted, the 2000 - 2007 ones were fuel injected.

I had a 2002 F650 Dakar, and frankly I'd take the TS250 anyday...

TLDV8

3rd March 2009, 19:41

Err...the early model (to 1999) F650 was carburreted, the 2000 - 2007 ones were fuel injected.

I had a 2002 F650 Dakar, and frankly I'd take the TS250 anyday...

I stand corrected then. :niceone:

Moki

4th March 2009, 20:40

DR's better for dropping. New KLR's better for riding

wetdog

4th March 2009, 21:12

Well had a great day today. Checked out and rode a couple of bikes, the KLR650, DL1000, and a Versys.

I was shocked by the size of the KLR650, seemed as chunky as the Vstrom. I couldn't imagine taking it anywhere adventurous after looking at the dirt bikes in the store. A friendly chap came in the shop who had a KLR and assured me it was all good though.

However my eyes caught the Versys, bright red and quite lovely. Definitely not an adventure bike as you guys would say though ;)
I really liked the handling of it too, and the little 650 motor seems very strong.

I also went to see our local Yamaha dealer who had a road legal WR450, which seemed perfect for the adventure! (Not sure where the luggage would go though) So I'm now thinking I'll need more than one bike. I think I gave up on bikes for a while as it was getting an expensive hobby.

So I'm kind of now thinking of a fun road bike like the Versys, and maybe later getting a more offroad orientated dual sport, i.e KTM or DR650. Either way I hope to have some wheels soon. :scooter:

All the advice has been very useful, there's so much to choose from, so all opinions are great. Thankyou again!

Moki

4th March 2009, 21:38

Wetdog-
I think you'll find a large proportion of KBers actually have a shedfull of bikes...

pete376403

4th March 2009, 22:04

I was shocked by the size of the KLR650, seemed as chunky as the Vstrom. I couldn't imagine taking it anywhere adventurous after looking at the dirt bikes in the store.

Yeah it does look a little (!) fat, especially from alongside. But you don't ride it from alongside, and once you're in the saddle, the apparent bulk does seem less apparent.
No denying it is a heavy bitch when it lands on top of you, but all of the 650 and up adventure bikes are that. I stand in awe of the guys who ride the big BMWs off road.
Work out your ratio of road* /single track. Chances are your bike will spend most of its life on a road. If you can only have one bike then what you get might be best if it's suited *more* for the road. That works for me, anyway

*which is anything from motorway to a gravel backroad

Winston001

4th March 2009, 22:35

Get something light, a DR650 or KLR if you must for on-road comfort, but I'd urge you to start on something like a DRZ400/250 or XR400/250......

I'm no adventure rider but this advice struck me as very sound. Modern 250/400 isn't small in terms of power, but light, and lots of fun.

Work out your own definition of Adventure riding - for some people it's hard core single track, for others it's just minor back roads......

And more good advice. You won't know until you've done a year of varied riding so choose a popular bike which you can then upgrade from....gives you choices.

Here is a video comparison - might be of interest. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dreoYlnlVQw

Personally my adventure/trail riding has been confined to a TS 185 and the XR 200. Tiny bikes by todays standards but they still hurt me plenty. :doh: How people pick up/recover from accidents with 150 - 200kg adv bikes is beyond me. Heck, I broke my biceps tendon just holding the XR up when it fell sideways into a rut on a mountain track. (Charles Atlas I'm not.....:D)

the vet

5th March 2009, 16:53

wetdog

5th March 2009, 22:27

if you liked the Versys, then you should also try the V-strom 650.....I did a lot of research before buying mine. I've had BMW 650 funduro, 1150GS, and a slew of dirt bikes for pure off road. My research suggested that many people feel the smaller V-strom is the preferred bike (as opposed to the 1000) for the type of riding you are describing.....I had a semi pro motocrosser and bike shop owner tell me flat out...."the 650 is the better bike".....an overgeneralized statement with which many will disagree, but point taken. What do I like about it?......relatively low cost, low maintenance, reliability, v-twin power (smoooth, low vibration), excellent range (over 400km when I pushed it, and still didn't run out---I put 18 liters in stock tank when I last filled up) and fuel economy. I just did 8000+ km touring NZ for 2 months....mostly tarmac, but gravel, dirt and even some 4WD track....very happy with the performance of the bike. There really is no one bike that can do it all, you really need to identify how you'll most be using the bike...and then get other ones for the other stuff. In my dream garage I'd have 5 bikes...:2thumbsup

Bear in mind also that if you are just getting back into it, then you'll be lucky to find your perfect bike straight away....so you might want to factor economy and potential for resale into the bike you purchase. If you end up loving being on a bike again, your bound to be looking for something else sooner than later. Conversely, if it doesn't suit you, you won't be taking a big loss when you re-sell.

The Wee-strom was what got me started thinking about an adventure bike, it seemed perfect at the time. As I researched about adventure riding I found out about all the other options depending on where you wanted to go. So that's when I found these forums and debates on bikes, such as the KLR/DR...

I really wanted to try out a Wee but couldnt find any locally. Only the DL1000, which was great but did seem big. The Wee is apparently the same size, but more nimble. When I tried the Versys (which I see as Kawasaki's answer to the Wee) it seemed a much easier to handle size, slow maneouvres were so easy, considering the long break I've had from biking.

On the resale point, good advice. The Versys if I get one should appeal to people by it's very nature I hope. Versatility, easy handling, new rider friendly, looks etc.. So maybe a trade or sale should be easier than a more focussed bike.

Either that or a garage extension might be inevitable :)

Padmei

6th March 2009, 19:13

On the resale point, good advice. The Versys if I get one should appeal to people by it's very nature I hope. Versatility, easy handling, new rider friendly, looks etc.. So maybe a trade or sale should be easier than a more focussed bike.

Either that or a garage extension might be inevitable :)

But compared to KLRs how many are on the road? How popular are they really? For resale value they in a way are competing with more bikes as they are essentially road bikes vs an 'adventure bike'.

Nice bikes but I think if you want to take a versy on gravel you'd be worried about stone chips etc.

NordieBoy

6th March 2009, 20:22

Nice bikes but I think if you want to take a versy on gravel you'd be worried about stone chips etc.

You'd only be worried the first time...

warewolf

6th March 2009, 20:38

Versys aren't very well made, from what I've seen. A close inspection of a crash-damaged one showed metals as tough as cheese, flimsy parts, rusty & stripping bolts on a young bike, etc, etc. Don't know if this is symptomatic of all modern bikes in the class, but this one did not give any impressions of being in the least bit durable.

I kinda like the idea of the soft or quasi adventure bikes like stroms, the versys, tiger, tdm etc as an all-purpose bike for the kind of tight crappy roads we get in NZ. They've got so many advantages over a pure street bike which is really designed for fast smooth roads.

Woodman

6th March 2009, 20:49

Go for a ride or even a drive in the country.
If you find yourself constantly turning to look up sideroads/tracks, get a DR/KLR .
If the sidetracks don't interest you get a versys or a weestrom.

If you have a trailer get the WR.

Simple:done:

pete376403

6th March 2009, 20:49

I think the Versys would be a better adventure bike if it had a larger front wheel. They've certainly got the motor for it - friend had an ER6n which is a similar motor, went bloody well for a 650.

Versys motor in KLR could be good.

Woodman

6th March 2009, 21:18

Versys motor in KLR could be good.[/QUOTE]

ARE YOU LISTENING KAWASAKI?????

Winston001

6th March 2009, 21:58

Woodman

6th March 2009, 22:04

Eddieb

6th March 2009, 22:18

Buy MARKS' KLR, it's mint and will give you give good road manners for touring and if you are new to adventure riding then the KLR is likely to be a lot better than you are.

No insult intended but I've done a few rides now with others riding them and they just go over or through everything. Stable, competent and never out of shape, and cheap if you drop it. Unless you intend on doing a lot of fast and furious trail/off-road style riding or really narrow single track they seem to do eveything you want.

wetdog

6th March 2009, 23:09

I took the plunge today, and will hopefully be getting a Versys next week. I had another look at the KLR today too, and really couldnt see myself at my skill level taking it anywhere adventurous yet.

Found a video which suggests the Versys can do dirt roads quite fast! In a straight line though :woohoo:

Clicky (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea8XtmLs_jg)

I hope to get some touring done on the Versys, and also look out for a cheapy dirt bike to take on some trails to get some off road experience, before getting involved in a more serious adventure bike.

On a side note, as I left the bike store today after agreeing a deal on the Versys, I got in my car, turned on the radio and 'Born to be Wild' came on. It has to be a good sign :rockon:

NordieBoy

7th March 2009, 07:27

Found a video which suggests the Versys can do dirt roads quite fast! In a straight line though :woohoo:

Sounds like a Scooby :D

Padmei

7th March 2009, 08:28

It's obviously the bike that spins your tyres so well done. Whatever you buy you're gonna be the happiest kid on the block for a few weeks

pete376403

7th March 2009, 19:31

Versys motor in KLR could be good.

ARE YOU LISTENING KAWASAKI?????[/QUOTE]

Nope. It took them near 20 years to put a different fairing on it.

pete376403

7th March 2009, 19:38

What surprises me is the Versys and the VStrom 650 are both about 220kg wet. That is a helluva lot of weight. Its about the same as my Duke. Not something you'd want to put down on a 4wd track.

Are there light adventure bikes?

My KLR is 193kg on certified scales with a full tank. Adv bikes *are* heavy-ish, built to take hard knocks, being ridden down things that can only loosely described as road while grossly overloaded, often many hundreds of kilometers from anywhere.

Padmei

7th March 2009, 20:01

My KLR is 193kg on certified scales with a full tank. Adv bikes *are* heavy-ish, built to take hard knocks, being ridden down things that can only loosely described as road while grossly overloaded, often many hundreds of kilometers from anywhere.

Is that with crashbars?

Winston001

7th March 2009, 23:15

getting philisophical here but:

What is an adventure bike???

I guess at its most basic, a mountain bike.

Add an engine and you've got a trail bike. Light, powerful, knobbly tyres. Road capable. Bit vibrationary for long distances.

Then add heavier frame, bit of dampening, heavier suspension, rack/carrying capacity, quasi-road tyres Voila - Adventure bike. ;)

Beyond that, its a bike you can have adventures on, not restricted to tar-macadam. An all-roads and quite a few trails bike.

Personally I found the V-Stroms and Transalp I tried felt too much like trailbikes. Seemed to be quite a lot of busy vibration going on. Obviously this doesn't matter cos people love them. :D

I really wonder though why adv bikes are so heavy? I accept what Pete376403 says that they are built to take the knocks - but so is any decent trailbike.

I suspect that many owners of adventure bikes use them just like sports bikes - with a rare gravel road thrown in. And seldom on 4wd tracks, real offroad stuff. Its probably a bit of a hog thing - fashionable. :woohoo:

JATZ

7th March 2009, 23:57

getting philisophical here but:

What is an adventure bike???

It would be a bike you have an adventure on wouldn't it
Plagarized from our friends @ wikipedia
"An adventure is an activity that comprises risky, dangerous or uncertain experiences. The term is more popularly used in reference to physical activities that have some potential for danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing, and extreme sports. The term is broad enough to refer to any enterprise that is potentially fraught with risk, such as a business venture or a major life undertaking. An adventurer is a person who bases their lifestyle or their fortunes on adventurous acts.

Adventurous experiences create psychological and physiological arousal, which can be interpreted as negative (e.g. fear) or positive (e.g. flow), and which can become a detriment as per the Yerkes-Dodson law. For some people, adventure becomes a major pursuit in and of itself.

ergo, any bike that you ride can be an adventure bike.Hell sometimes it's risky just going to the shops.

pete376403

8th March 2009, 00:57

I really wonder though why adv bikes are so heavy? I accept what Pete376403 says that they are built to take the knocks - but so is any decent trailbike.

Yeah but they are a bit more civilised than the pure trailie - far better seat including accomodation for passenger, lights that you can actually see at night with, extra luggage carrying capacity, etc. Everything has a cost, and in this case it is weight.

I suspect that many owners of adventure bikes use them just like sports bikes - with a rare gravel road thrown in. And seldom on 4wd tracks, real offroad stuff. Its probably a bit of a hog thing - fashionable. :woohoo:
That theres fightin talk - there were more "adventure" bikes on the recent Southern Coast Adv Ride than there were trailies - which in many places didn't even qualify as a 4WD track. Shit, in one place we had to make our own road (and a lovely piece of work it was too)

pete376403

8th March 2009, 00:58

Is that with crashbars?
Nope, just as it came out of the crate,but with a full tank. I guess adding crash bars would take it over 200kg

Padmei

8th March 2009, 07:41

What we deem as adventure bikes here & now in the western world is a marketing theme. Murray Mclean was telling me of taking his mint Norton over the maungatapu, when I asked incredously 'why?' He just looked at me blankly and answered 'why not?'

Think back to all the old bikes from yesteryear or those today in other remote regions in the world doing tracks & trails out of necessity or just plain ignorance. If someone had told them they weren't adv bikes because of their weight or tyre choice would that have stopped them?

Woodman

8th March 2009, 07:59

hmmm interesting theories and none incorrect.

All bikes are adventure bikes really, it depends how or where you ride them and also your adventure threshold.

CrazyFrog

8th March 2009, 09:24

hmmm interesting theories and none incorrect.

All bikes are adventure bikes really, it depends how or where you ride them and also your adventure threshold.

In the late 80's I rode a GSXR750 thru Kaingaroa forest to Minginui, then thru to Lake Waikaremoana all in gravel, then back home via Napier to Taupo. I recall getting the gixxer over 100kmph at times on road tyres in the gravel (in a straight line, didn't corner too well tho).
The gixxer was my only bike so if I wanted to get off the tar seal, I'd just go there and adapt my riding to suit the conditions .....hmmm, sounds like a certain police ad campaign.

warewolf

8th March 2009, 12:08

My KLR is 193kg on certified scales with a full tank. Adv bikes *are* heavy-ishA DR-Z250 would be 60kg lighter than that. If you insist on having a mid-capacity road-trail bike, then yeah it's going to be heavy-ish. Although my 640A with most of the adventure fruit standard is 20kg lighter than the KLR, fully gassed up with 25.5L. Weight/handling is more important to me than vibration.

Murray Mclean was telling me of taking his mint Norton over the maungatapu, when I asked incredously 'why?' He just looked at me blankly and answered 'why not?'How recently? The road used to be maintained in 2wd car condition until about 8-10 years ago, didn't it?

Think back to all the old bikes from yesteryear or those today in other remote regions in the world doing tracks & trails out of necessity or just plain ignorance. If someone had told them they weren't adv bikes because of their weight or tyre choice would that have stopped them?My first adventure bike was a full-on road bike. I just rode it places I went, they happened to be down dirt roads. Didn't know the term 'adventure ride' existed.

BUT as a flipside to your reminiscing, older bikes used to be far less smooth-road optimised than a modern sportsbike with fast steering, stiff suspension, wide small-diameter tyres, fairings etc. They were more like the current Bonnies & Scramblers. The were much more modest capacities, with 250cc being a mid-range and 500+ a monster (see first comment about weight above), vibrated more, simpler and lighter. Ditto the roads, they weren't as good as they are now. Times have changed.

In the late 80's I rode a GSXR750 thru Kaingaroa forest to Minginui, then thru to Lake Waikaremoana all in gravel, then back home via Napier to Taupo. I recall getting the gixxer over 100kmph at times on road tyres in the gravel (in a straight line, didn't corner too well tho).
The gixxer was my only bike so if I wanted to get off the tar seal, I'd just go there and adapt my riding to suit the conditions .....hmmm, sounds like a certain police ad campaign.Yep, even when I had the Tiger I did more dirt on the Trophy, often two-up with 3x panniers & tankbag. If we were touring we wouldn't let a trivial thing like a gravel surface stop us going to neat places, or checking out neat roads just for the heck of it, or even by design. On the dirt I had the Trophy up to 100+ regularly, but it required quite a bit of forethought given the stopping distance. It's humbling when your mate on a similar bike is pulling away from you at that speed, particularly 'round the corners, but encouraging at the same time. Also had it two-up into quite gnarly 4wd tracks, eg the Oparau arches(?) at Karamea. You know you are pushing the capabilities of the bike when you have to pull small wheelies over steps to stop the lower fairing bottoming out, going up or down. :whistle: Got some funny looks from the 4wd'ers at the carpark :2thumbsup

Ah, geez I've (we've) had some fun times on bikes :sunny: I guess really that's what it's all about. That, and the hokey pokey! :woohoo:

Woodman

8th March 2009, 12:26

In the late 80's I rode a GSXR750 thru Kaingaroa forest to Minginui, then thru to Lake Waikaremoana all in gravel, then back home via Napier to Taupo. I recall getting the gixxer over 100kmph at times on road tyres in the gravel (in a straight line, didn't corner too well tho).
The gixxer was my only bike so if I wanted to get off the tar seal, I'd just go there and adapt my riding to suit the conditions .....hmmm, sounds like a certain police ad campaign.

SNAP, I too can vouch for a gixxers gravel road handling, the only thing that worried me was the riding position just felt so un natural going round corners. Straight line was fine.