When is an adventure bike just another road bike?

[ducatijim]

KTM vs BMW
Actually, getting serious for a moment, there is a good point here and putting the brand crap aside - sophistication vs simplicity.
.

Cheers Neil, that was my POINT, sheesh! Some fookers are touchy eh!!!

Brand loyalty and so much other drivel we wade thru whilst here are almost enough to makeya wanna spit!

[BMWST?]

Brand loyalty and so much other drivel we wade thru whilst here are almost enough to makeya wanna spit!

thats funny i thought thats the point i was trying to make!

[ducatijim]

thats funny i thought thats the point i was trying to make!

please dont start this sort of bullshit...

Funny.....can't quite see it from here!

[warewolf]

My first adventure bike - well, the name didn't exist back then but I had plenty of adventures on it, on and off the seal - was a CBX250.

My latest purchase, a Tiger 1050ABS is crap on gravel.

1995 Trophy 900 seemed to do ok, although the 170/60-17 rear was noticeably better than the 180/55 in the rough. The Tiger 900 was better again but as soon as it got real bumpy the road-tuned shock absorber... wouldn't.

[idleidolidyll]

better rider? huh? Have you even seen how many buttons there are to play with?!?!?

Weight difference is probably 50kg ish, inlcuding all the extra fuel, in my switch. However, 6'3, and the high seat height was too high to be comfortable manhandling the bike. On the side stand, the high mirror is around chin height. Tis an impressively sized bike.

Weight difference 50kg?

I was comparing my KTM 690smc to your GS.
You reckon the GS is more like 250 kg.
My 690 is a little lighter than stock now but with boxes on, it would be maybe 140-150kg ready to roll but without filling the fuel tanks. Fuel would add another 19kg.

So, without taking into account rider weight; the little 690 is around 100kg lighter and has 300mm long suspension (approx).

I just don't see complicated electronics overcoming those two spec differences at all.

But I do see your point; lots of buttons to play with

[idleidolidyll]

M8, shall I bore you with a wee tale of 2 bikes in Innamincka,SA, last year? While I pushed my Kt into the settlement, that was only because it and I could not carry enough fuel to get us there.
the Bm GS however with its huge tank and electronic gadgetry, did not suffer the same issues, it did however have to stay there a lot longer( at A$161/nite) due to some obscure wee piece of electrickery shitting itself....owner had paid the greasemonkey at the servo $800 to have a look, then he had to wait for the part to FLY in.

While me, my Mrs and the old 'Darkie", rode quietly outta there!

I reckon that's a good point.
Simplicity is probably better if you go off the beaten track. Technology is notoriously troublesome when it packs up.

Mind you, dunno if I'd give up my fuel injection: it's never blinked once and can get me 25-30 kilometers per litre set up well.

[idleidolidyll]

So the KTM might get 60o-750 km from a tank if in 'easy' mode and ridden conservatively.

My Granpasso with 27 liters is unlikely to get better than 450km ridden conservatively.

KTM is lighter and physically much narrower with a lower CofG and excellent long travel White Power suspension front and rear and therefore easier to bash through bush, climb steep hills, pick up if it falls over etc etc

Plus the plastic is cheap if it does get dropped.

Methinks the Granpasso is a great road bike with gravel road skills but not nearly a match for the little KTM off the sealed roads (which also applies to the likes of the GS Beemer and other big bore whales).

[terbang]

I also have what I call an "oversized traillie". A Cagiva Navigator which is powered by a TL 1000 lump. It was originally fitted with a 17" rear 18" front wheel combo that leaned more towards road tyres. I used to ride it with Pilot 2CT's and it was really just an odd looking road bike with quite sharp handling and awesome ground clearance. Not a chicken strip to be seen front or rear and it even embarrassed quite a few sport bike riders back when I was haunting the coro loop on it.

I had the optional 19" rim fitted and went to a set of Pirelli Scorpion tyres which are a bit more "dualsporty" than the Pilot Roads. Now I sensibly have chicken strips. I also fabbed up a belly pan, fitted Hepco Becker engine and tank protector bars and also fitted some "Bark Busters" to the handle bars.

This certainly porked it up some ... It's still a sharp handler on the seal that now handles the gravel a lot better. I have done a whole heap of riding in the company of a KTM 990 Adventure, which seems to be more orientated towards off road riding. We have ridden a whole bunch of roads and tracks in the Ureweras, Kaipara Harbour and also up here on the Awhitu peninsula.

The Cagiva has way more stomp down low than the KTM and in all aspects when grunt is required, its a better engine. On the sealed roads it will quickly push itself up to 230 kays indicated and still out-handles the KTM on the twisties.
Much of a muchness on the gravel back roads but as the roads/trails get rougher and the fords get deeper, the (unmodified) KTM's long travel suspension and ground clearance wins hands down over the Cagiva, which tends to do a bit of juddering and bulldozing.
Remember this is now territory that would have long since drowned or torn the bottom off most road bikes.

100 plus HP in wet grass on lightly knobbed tyres certainly isn't for the faint hearted either.

The KTM has better luggage capability though the Cagiva has better accommodation for a pillion when taking the girlies away for the weekend. Though neither are any good for those that are vertically challenged. The KTM carries a couple of litres more gas.

The KTM looks abrupt and rather Germanic where the Cagiva is more curvy and Italian looking. Though I wouldn't call either pretty, more purposeful and rugged.

So in summary, yup they are certainly still road bikes (not sport) that are fun to ride and will take you to almost any part of the country that you wish to ride.

The best motorcycle for all around big smiles that I have ever owned.

[Devil]

Here's the review I wrote a while back for the Granpasso: http://www.bobpickett.co.uk/bkit/09morinigranpasso.htm

On another note, i've just got back from about 5000km around the south island on my GSA including the Dunstan trail (same tyres as on the granpasso standard, tourance EXP's) plus honking up the west coast in a group of ducati's, fully loaded 2up and having an absolute ball.

I love the GSA to bits. Not a single problem, comfort and fuel range to go all day, capable of light trail work (thats all I need) and can cart a metric shitload of gear with pillion effortlessly.

[That looks like fun]

Putting aside penis size and envy for a brief moment, I ride a BMW because I like it I don't close my mind to other bikes to the extent that I will only ever buy Beemers. All bikes and brands have good and bad points.
So back to the original topic when is an Adventure bike just another road bike? When I think my penis is bigger because of what bike someone else rides and how they ride it.

Unfortunately I must have a little one, because I just don't care. Ride what you like how you like where you like and enjoy it

[idleidolidyll]

Here's the review I wrote a while back for the Granpasso: http://www.bobpickett.co.uk/bkit/09morinigranpasso.htm

On another note, i've just got back from about 5000km around the south island on my GSA including the Dunstan trail (same tyres as on the granpasso standard, tourance EXP's) plus honking up the west coast in a group of ducati's, fully loaded 2up and having an absolute ball.

I love the GSA to bits. Not a single problem, comfort and fuel range to go all day, capable of light trail work (thats all I need) and can cart a metric shitload of gear with pillion effortlessly.

I agree with most of your write up on the Granpasso.
However, the seat is crap; really uncomfy on a long ride. I'm trying to cure that now with sheepskin covers or something (perhaps even a gel insert?).

Apart from that and the rough running on a trailing throttle (it's in being tuned as we speak), this bike is FUN!
We loaded it up with top box and tank mounted bag and two up headed off to W(h)anganui on Christmas day from Rotorua. The ride across the top was great and the day was awesome. It handless really well but on that first trip I was tweaking suspension every 100km or so until I found what worked best fully loaded.

Fuel consumption is getting better as it gets run in. I'm getting around 17 kilometres per litre at present and should be able to get close to 20km per litre once it is fully run in if I ride conservatively.

I'll swap the tyres for full road going things and might try a 160 rear. It's unlikely I'll ever take this bike on anything nastier than a gravel road so no point having multi purpose tyres for me.

[Ocean1]

Don't be giving yourself airs and graces, Dude.

If you're doing it right then any time you swing your leg over a bike it's an adventure.

Any bike.

[Night Falcon]

ya no its funny how this topic stirs the emotions...I guess most of us are passionate about what we ride....right now(and maybe for the last wee while) I don't think there is another brand that comes close to my 690 in terms of catering for what I want from a bike. But thimes change. If money was no issue I'd have a beemer and a new tiger and the new multistrada...oh an i like the WR250...you couldn't give a tenere to ride, but a 690 rally would be fun, then theres the 450 rally, WHY CANT I HAVE THEM ALL!!

[young1]

I can only be honest, I just use the 640 to park on the footpath and get lattes', I had to sell the 990 as it was too heavy to get over the kerb and there was the one embarrassing moment in the middle of Mount Eden....

There are sheep in Mount Eden???

[Moki]

I'm mildly irritated with this thread and the implication that we have to justify our choice of bikes and riding, it's the same old shit which permeates this (and lots of other forums) in the form of keyboard penis waving.
I actually don't care what your riding, or where you're riding, as long as you are happy doing it, any ride can be an adventure, it's dependant on your skills and the particular things you find challenging. To me this is the joy of adventure bikes / riding, just having fun and laughing at the results, as soon as someone sets themselves up as god and starts telling me how I measure up I would rather just go for a ride.

Couldn't have said it better