The Ultimate Adventure Bike

[Mystic13]

Adventure bikes like the F800GS and KTM's are getting so damned expensive that I figured it must be possibly to dip into the motorcycle parts bin and whip up the umltimate adventure bike that does away with all the short comings, can be fixed on the side of the road, and is more the swiss army knife of motorcycles.

Having a quick google I found that I'm not the only one that thinks this. These guys have gone a long way to where I want to go and have taken some steps i didn't consider. It seems they've taken the road bike and put the off road front and rear on but those of you who really know Ducati will know the answer.

http://www.terramostro.com/

What really peeves me with some modern bikes is their unreliability. Withe the F800St i own you can't push start it with a flat battery because it won't initialise the electronics. If the GS is the same that would seem a pretty useless function to have.

So here I am wondering whether it's time to sort out what the ultimate adventure bike would be and get it put together.

So who thinks...

- this would be a good idea
- would like to have a go
- has useful contributions

etc

It seems to me you pick a benchmark bike or bikes, set yourself some parameters you want to achieve and away you go.

The worst that will happen is you'd have a ball, will have done some dosh and have a grown ups meccano set in the garage.

On a more serious note if you think it would be a go and would like to discuss the option of building a bunch of them (one for each person involved) then let's talk.

My views are it should be

- built from the motorcycle parts bin with readily available parts
- easily fixed road side
- comfortable
- light
- capable off road
- 7-900cc
- a bullet proof motor (but it seems this can probably change from bike to bike)
- carry what you really need i.e be the swiss army knife of motorcycle where doing the job is the priority


What would you say are the ultimate adventure bikes at the moment, what do you like and what can be improved.

That's my lunch thought for today.

Cheers.

My wife is so going to love this post when she sees it. No really, she will.

So dudes and dudesses... tell me what you would want in a bike.

[clint640]

But I already own the Ultimate Adventure Bike!

A few comments:

A cheap, common, lightweight & 7-900cc engine does not exist.

I reckon the best solution to the simple, cheap, light, offroad capable, common, reliable, travel-the-world bike problem is a well set up DR650.

Cheers
Clint

[MXNUT]

A KTM 950 SUPER ENDURO WITH A 30L SAFARI TANK.

BOYD MOTORCYCLES HAVE GOT A NEW ONE ON SPECIAL FOR $18995.00 AND WHEN I WIN LOTTO THIS WEEKEND I AM GOING TO BUY IT.

[CRM]

XR600 - add electric start without extra weight but keep the kicker as a backup, add decent electrics to fire up a real light, keep it air cooled for simplicity and reliability, big tank, CRF450 suspension maybe, stronger frame and subframe for gear and you'd be getting close I reckon.
Or a DR650 as above but somehow lose 20kg.

[CRM]

Yeah i know they don't make XR600 motors any more . So I guess a DR650 motor in a light/strong frame with more ground clearance and decent long travel suspension is about as good as it is going to get for what you are asking. Just like Honda's...

[JATZ]

DR800 motor ?

[AlBundy]

One of the older BMW GS's... The 800 or 1000's...

Long travel suspension, big tanks available, parts almost available everywhere...

[cooneyr]

A KTM 950 SUPER ENDURO WITH A 30L SAFARI TANK.

BOYD MOTORCYCLES HAVE GOT A NEW ONE ON SPECIAL FOR $18995.00 AND WHEN I WIN LOTTO THIS WEEKEND I AM GOING TO BUY IT.

Your not off to Boyds this weekend cause I'm going to win lotto and by that bike or an KTM Adv.

Yeah i know they don't make XR600 motors any more . So I guess a DR650 motor in a light/strong frame with more ground clearance and decent long travel suspension is about as good as it is going to get for what you are asking. Just like Honda's...

That sounds like a CCM 644. Pitty they never made it to NZ. Sort of a DR motor in a KTM chassis, possibly better than a 640 E.

Another parts bin special bike (except for the chassis) is the Weber Rally Twin. Sounds like a very cool bike but pity about the US$68,000 price tag.

I like the idea of the bike but it will be quite a challenge and possibly cost far more than a production bike.

Cheers R

[XF650]

"That sounds like a CCM 644. Pitty they never made it to NZ. Sort of a DR motor in a KTM chassis, possibly better than a 640 E."

That's the Freewind engine you are talking about.

[NordieBoy]

Having a quick google I found that I'm not the only one that thinks this. These guys have gone a long way to where I want to go and have taken some steps i didn't consider. It seems they've taken the road bike and put the off road front and rear on but those of you who really know Ducati will know the answer.

Yep, it's a nice bike.
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ht=terramostro

[NordieBoy]

That sounds like a CCM 644. Pitty they never made it to NZ. Sort of a DR motor in a KTM chassis, possibly better than a 640 E.

At least one did but it had the Rotax engine...
Old Thumpers 2003...


His other bike was...

[NordieBoy]

"That sounds like a CCM 644. Pitty they never made it to NZ. Sort of a DR motor in a KTM chassis, possibly better than a 640 E."

That's the Freewind engine you are talking about.

[Pedrostt500]

Ive often thougt a 650 V twin in a 500 to 650 xr, xt, dr, or klr frame, keep the electrics simple, to the bare minimum with exception of elec start, suspension would need an up grade.
maybe dry sump the motor so the front cylinder gets constant oil feed while the front wheel is in the air, or climbing steep hills.

[hospitalfood]

twin equals weight
did not know dukes could be worked on easily ????? sounds crazy to use a duke engine to me.
DR bloody good, only prob might be cooling in some terrain, and a crap seat for long distance, not really made for long trips.
water cooled equals weight
i like my old KLR, water cooled and comfy 2-up long distance, but far from agile and far from smooth ( maybe because it is so old and flogged )
custom bike sounds like a great idea, might take a few tries to beat the bike business but.

[tri boy]

Ive often thougt a 650 V twin in a 500 to 650 xr, xt, dr, or klr frame, keep the electrics simple, to the bare minimum with exception of elec start, suspension would need an up grade.
maybe dry sump the motor so the front cylinder gets constant oil feed while the front wheel is in the air, or climbing steep hills.

Got a long term plan to drop a Hyosung 650 v twin into a VOR, or TM enduro chassis, and fabricate the tank/seat etc around it.
Paioli or Ohlins, (maybe even Marzochi) suspenders. Only thing is, the 650 is water cooled.
Boss is keen, but time is limited. Next year maybe.

Fastest/cheapest/quickest option for me would be adventurising the Hyo supermotard 450 with Excel rims, better suspension, and bigger/better seat tank. The 450 is good for about 48hp out of the box.