An attractive adventure bike?

[Gremlin]

"Plus spokes" is not on my list of must haves. Ever.

For an adventure bike, while spoked wheels are heavier, they are definitely stronger. Also easier to replace a broken spoke than straighten a cast wheel... and yes, I've dinged a cast wheel twice, but never dinged a spoked wheel, and I've put them through far worse stuff.

I always thought my CB500X was a good looking bike, but it's all in the eye of the beholder.

Late last week there was a customer's CB500X outside Botany Honda with knobblies fitted. Good job by someone

[Bass]

Late last week there was a customer's CB500X outside Botany Honda with knobblies fitted. Good job by someone

I believe there is a kit available for adventurising them now

As to looks, I'm a similar vintage to Motu and share his tastes. I think that adding liquid cooling to a bike immediately makes it look cluttered. However, looks are about 4th in my criteria when making a selection.

[Badgermat]

Get a Ducti Scrambler.

Looks pretty good, comes with dual-purpose tyres (kinda) and is actually light enough to be rideable on trails. It even has half reasonable power and torque too.

The only problem is dismal suspension (way over damped) and an underslung oil filter that's just asking to be knocked off on the first big rock. Both of those can be addressed relatively easily though.

Best of all, it isn't a LAMS Honda.

bm

[AllanB]

Yep the scrambler is selling very well in NZ.

Reckon they will bring out a big bore one ........

[nerrrd]

Best of all, it isn't a LAMS Honda.

Yeah, LAMS bikes are so lame.

"Inventive, youthful and free-spirited, the new Ducati Scrambler is much more than a bike, It’s a land of joy, freedom and self-expression." That's way cooler. And don't forget to accessorise!

http://shop.ducati.com/nz/scrambler....137.1444899738

[Badgermat]

Yeah, LAMS bikes are so lame.

Nothing wrong with LAMS bikes in general ;-)

bm

[TLDV8]

Not much from the modern era showing up.
How about a 1974 TR5T Trophy Trail.

[Black Knight]

Does this count?

[Trade_nancy]

After 3 faired sports and sport/tourers....I opted for the adventure option...with spokes (sorry Hitcher). The bike handles better - especially cornering than the sport/tourers I had from the same stable. Spokes?? Well....if I choose to go beach, stoney road or mud track..I'm sure the garden variety alloy wheels would have been OK...but the spoked model was on special...and the look to me was OK. Benefit comes when or if you go bumping over potholes as mentioned - the spoked wheels hold together...better. The wheels are still fitted with tubeless hoops.

[Gremlin]

BMWs are definitely good looking adventure bikes

[Bass]

BMWs are definitely good looking adventure bikes

Interesting, and bearing in mind the obvious irony in your choice of photo, I just got mine back from the shippers after its trip to the USA so it's outside my window ATM.
I like it a lot. It does pretty much all that I'm looking for in a 2 up machine for now, but damn it's ugly. It looks like one of those sculptures made from random bits and scrap metal that you see from time to time.
However, I think Trade Nancy's Explorer looks even worse but that TLDV8's trophy and Black Knight's Honda, while nowhere near as capable as the Beemer or the Explorer, are much more visually pleasing.
No accounting for old fart taste I guess.

[Trade_nancy]

Indeed Bass...have to shop on comfort levels and options for fitting wheelchairs in the future...

[Metastable]

I believe there is a kit available for adventurising them now

As to looks, I'm a similar vintage to Motu and share his tastes. I think that adding liquid cooling to a bike immediately makes it look cluttered. However, looks are about 4th in my criteria when making a selection.

Here here:
http://www.cb500xadventure.com/

They even have a levitation kit.

[tri boy]

I like the look of the wee Honda.
And it's a para twin.
Kanny is leaning towards a weestrom, but I want her to ride the Honda also.
Lighter,enough hp for both of us,commuting would be a blast, lower cog, and lower seat.
The weestrom has more grunt(and more weight/seat height), twin fr brakes, but is butt ugly, and isn't a para twin.
Me like

[MarkH]

In theory an adventure bike should have been on my list when looking - they are perfect for NZ roads and goat tracks. But I'm a visual person and the bike has to be physically appealing enough to sit in the shed and just look at it.

Yes, for sitting in the garage it is a good thing for a bike to look pretty.
For riding on goat tracks, a bike that you don't care about scraping or dropping is better.
My DR650 is very generic looking, going through the 42nd traverse and through old Whangamomona road I dropped her a bunch of times, picked her back up and carried on. Sure, she got dirty and has a bunch of scrapes - that bike is for riding wherever & whenever, not for looking pretty in the garage.

If I had a bike that was too pretty I'd not want to take it anywhere that might lead to it getting dirty or receiving any cosmetic damage.
For me it was better to buy a 2nd hand DR650 and add luggage racks and then call it an adventure bike!