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?

Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

[Scubbo]

Up north are

http://www.northerngraveladventureridersnz.com/


they do a lot of rides for the bigger bikes

[J Brown]

Cheers for the link

Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

[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 ) 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 ) 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:

1. I was very stupid.
2. I was going to kill myself.
3. I had been there and done that and I had nothing left to prove.
4. The owner of the bike was going to be pissed if I crashed again, and...
5. 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.


Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

[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

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 ) 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

[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.

Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

[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) 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 )

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

[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).