From super sports tourer to adventure

[Adamski]

Yeah I reckon a big thumper is the way to go.

Seriously though I think th XR is too dirt orientated for me.

You might be surprised about that. The XR600/650 is a fantastic bike. My 600 took me comfortably over 4000kms in Aus in one 5 week trip. It had everything, including a 21l aftermarket tank. Huge ground clearance, torque, relatively light and yet still passing the road trains at 140k when required.

The great thing is it can take you 500k in a day over road and still mix it in almost anything else.

Go for it man - you'll have a ball whichever bike you choose.

[miSTa]

Maybe, but it's not particulary passenger friendly though. I need to sit down and write out what I'm looking for.

[XTC]

You might be surprised about that.

Is your WR450 Road legal? If so whats it like on the road?
Andy.

[Wolf]

Maybe, but it's not particulary passenger friendly though. I need to sit down and write out what I'm looking for.

That's the best plan. Write down everything you want in the bike and compare that to what's available. That's how I wound up with the XT225 - it was the best available fit for the list of criteria and I don't regret the purchase - it was pretty much a perfect fit, actually. Strayjuliet enjoys riding it as well and it's her chance to get her licence.

[Jantar]

Maybe, but it's not particulary passenger friendly though. I need to sit down and write out what I'm looking for.

If you want something that is passenger friendly then you will definitely need to look at the mid to larger sizes. ie 650 cc or bigger. As the size goes up, the bikes also tend to move from the pure dirt end of the riding spectrum to the more road orientated end. You'll need to decide also just how much highway road riding you'll be doing, how much back country sealed road, how much gravel road, how much dirt road, and how much off road. Only you will know what purpose you'll be using it for.


To repeat the spectrum from csanson, I'd even expand it out a bit further: XR650R , TTR600, DR650, KLR650, Transalp, BMW 650, KLE650, Wee Strom, KTM 990, BMW R1200GS, VStrom.

[Adamski]

Andy it's legal and OK on the road. Gets me to where I want to do some serious offroading. Wouldn't want to do long distance adventure touring though, hence I'd recommend the XR, which can still be a great deal of fun in the dirt, sand, or whatever.

The WR is even more extreme - right at the very front of that dualsport continuum I guess!

[Jantar]

The WR is even more extreme - right at the very front of that dualsport continuum I guess!

Which brings us right back to the point made earlier in the thread; that perhaps we do need to distinguish between dualsports and adventure bikes.

yes, you can use some dual sports bikes for adventure riding, and you can use some solid road bikes (with care) for adventure riding, but a lot of the more dirt orientated dual sports bikes would struggle on a real adventure ride without back up. They are just too limited by fuel range and luggage carrying capability.

[Wolf]

but a lot of the more dirt orientated dual sports bikes would struggle on a real adventure ride without back up. They are just too limited by fuel range and luggage carrying capability.

Unless you get inventive. On the XT225 site there are pics of people's attempts at mounting luggage and extra fuel tanks on their XTs to better equip them for long hauls. I'm pretty sure that most dirt-oriented bikes could be modified to carry extra fuel and a modicum of stuff - and how much you need will depend on where you're going, where you'll be staying on the way and how much personal shit you personally feel you need.

When I first started camping and tramping I used to toil under a huge pack crammed to bursting point, now I use a pack half the size and I could fit some more stuff in it if I really felt I needed it. A few well-chosen essentials and some judicious packing and you don't really need twin 35-litre panniers, a 30-litre top box and a 25 litre tank bag with twin 10-litre side bags dangling past the engine even if you are going around the world.

Especially not if you're on a BMW - all you need is a secure, dry pocket in your jacket for your Platinum Card...

[Macktheknife]

I am a big fan of the Suzuki Vstroms, the 650 is a great bike with good range and handles really well and is substantially lighter than the 1000. It has about 75% of the power of the thou and is lots of fun. But if you are going to look at the DL1000 you should also consider the Kawasaki KLV1000. All of them are passenger friendly too.
Here's a link comparing them and giving owners thoughts on them.
http://vstrom.info/

[Jantar]

But if you are going to look at the DL1000 you should also consider the Kawasaki KLV1000.

Did Kawasaki bring the KLV1000 into New Zealand? It is exactly the same as the DL1000, but rebadged as a Kawasaki. It was part of the now defunct Suzuki-Kawasaki collaboration.

[Macktheknife]

Did Kawasaki bring the KLV1000 into New Zealand? It is exactly the same as the DL1000, but rebadged as a Kawasaki. It was part of the now defunct Suzuki-Kawasaki collaboration.

I may be misinformed, but I was told there were some small differences, I understand there are a few of them in the country but only private imports not dealer imported. Either way good bikes.

[Jantar]

There could be some minor diffences, although I'm not aware of any. The VStrom and Stromtrooper forums both list them as the same bike apart from the colour. If there are any diffences at all they are likely to be in cosmetic items, and possibly the seat. All Frame, engine and suspension items are the same.

[eldog]

Ok, it’s an old thread, still relevant today given the large choice of bikes being released.

I like my sport tourer and it is quite comfortable for longer distances.
it is quiet and hums along with often no effort as the rider is quite satisfied with a semi cruise when riding.

however I am getting older and riding a lot less than I used to.

the bike is more than capable of doing more, but the rider doesn’t have experience or time to improve.

i have been thinking for a while about changing reluctantly to a more adventure style of bike with its upright style and more modern riding aids. Comfort, Cruise and traction control would be high on my list.

if I am riding 95+% of the time on the road, how does the narrower profile and say a 21” tyre of the adventure affect handling on the road vs a 17” tyre on a sport tourer?
thinking about the difference in tyre choice for the road. I really prefer a great tyre that grips in the wet, doesn’t need to be ultra long lasting. How many choices are there for this adventure style?

sure I could buy a smaller adventure machine 650 upto a 1200.
Have ridden a Yamaha XT660R and it was a blast, but too tall for long term use.

there are so many “improvements” lately it can lead to be blinded by science.

Update:
i have re read this thread, i maybe looking at something far more road going than what the original posters were thinking about. They were looking at real adventure riding not the showy ‘adventure style’ of bike, like what I am looking at.

[caseye]

Climb on the AT on Thursday, you will buy one, the old one has sold, so it's gone.
Word is there is going to be a 750 AT with DCT soon, that would suit you down to the ground.
Matamata yesterday, overnight at The Opal Hot springs.
Te Aroha next weekend.

[eldog]

Climb on the AT on Thursday, you will buy one, the old one has sold, so it's gone.
Word is there is going to be a 750 AT with DCT soon, that would suit you down to the ground.
Matamata yesterday, overnight at The Opal Hot springs.
Te Aroha next weekend.