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        <title><![CDATA[Motorcycles - Adventure Bike Rider]]></title>
        <description><![CDATA[the home of adventure motorbikes and adventure motorcycles riders]]></description>
        <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/</link>
                                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">71-375</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[Honda XL1000V Varadero: Go Get One :-)]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/42-adventure/71-honda-xl1000v-varadero.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                Took one out for a test ride with my missus on the back when they first came out. I ragged the backside off it with her on the back.I loved it she said it was "Boooring", so I never bought one :-(
Now she's gone, I finally own one. In "Real" life I'm a full time bike instructor and use the big old beast as my "Work" bike. It's wonderful. The ride position is ace in traffic,The engine is good, a little more vibey than I expected but works well. Been out with the boys in the twisties and wow, well impressed I found myself giving my mate Dave on his R6 a real hard time and no matter how he tried he couldn't shake me until we hit a long straight and then it was by by by.....
I have had her loaded up with 3 Givi's and tank bag and done 230 miles before the light came on.
It's a good work bike.
It's a good tourer,
It's even a good "Scratcher".
In the 4 months I have owned her I've done 6500 miles.
Mines a 2003 (52 plate), Carb's, 5 speed with now 34k, runs like a dream.......Go and get one. Piss off all the GS boy's with a bike thats half the price and WILL do anything a GS will.
                  ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>
                <pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:08:18 +0100</pubDate>
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                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">134-361</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[Yamaha FJR1300A: Yamaha FJR1300A]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/43-sports-tourer/134-yamaha-fjr1300a.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                Got my 2005 - FJR1300A in May last year and I have done 17000Kms since then, throughout Europe and loved every minute. This bike ticks all the boxes for me. Bucket fulls of power from low down sometimes feels like a Auto as it will pull from 30KMS/h to max in 5th gear like a train. Its comfortable and reliable with a good fuel range thanks to the big 25L tank. The adjustable winscreen is another major plus which makes my mates enviouse no more buffeting down motorways put the screen up and hide in the quiet zone. 
Due to the low scoop faring this is not any good for off roading as there is a very low ground clearance plus the heavy weight can be a problem to balence.
The only regret I have is that the bike could do with a 6th gear as it has the grunt for it, I keep finding myself trying to change up on motorways. 

I went on a couple of trips with mates on Hyabusa and a Fireblade and kept up with them without any problem although it is a heavy long bike so tight bends have to taken carefully. 

The only changes that have made are to change the standard Continental tyres for new Dunlop Sports MAX which has transformed the handling and the brake pads thats it. 

I have installed a Garmin Zumo 660 GPS, a 12v power socket. 

The bike is very easy to maintain and service myself which is satisfying and saves money. 


Satisfaction 90% 
Reliability 100% 
Looks 100% 
Comfort 90% 
Running cost Low just depends how much you open the taps for fuel economy 
Build Quality 95% 

Wants:- 
6th Gear 
Reduced weight 

I have no intention of changing it in the future and loking to soaking up ore tarmac in the comming seasons.
                ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Tourers]]></category>
                <pubDate>Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:17:32 +0100</pubDate>
            </item>
                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">59-360</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[Honda XL700V Transalp ABS: Sorry folks this is NOT a good bike......]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/42-adventure/59-honda-xl700v-transalp-abs.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                I am sorry to have to post this review but here we go. I bought a brand new XL700V Transalp in September 2010 and did 4200mile before chopping it in 7 months later. The most serious problem is the fundamental instability of the bike. Searching the forums about half the bikes have this, the rest don’t' - BAR WOBBLE.

On ALL the bikes I have ever owned, you can be riding along at say 40 mph and take your hands off the bars - nothing happens, you put your hands back on the bars and away you go. With my XL700 Transalp, if you take your hands of the bars, you would get 2 seconds of wobble say 20 degrees of wobble then instant full on tank-slapper, the faster you were going the more violent and the quicker the reaction would be. Just riding along with both hands on the bars you could feel the front of the bike getting unstable and "light".... Anyway Honda UK said it was normal and you should not be riding along with your hands off the bars. They failed to do anything about it so I chopped it in before it had me off (as you could feel this was going to happen sooner or later). This bike was the most unstable bike I have ever owned.... and I am not alone in this, read the XL700V forums! It's a design issue with the bike and cannot be "fixed" with new rubber or dropping forks etc. Trust me I could not fix it and its been the same for others.

Pros: Nice stopping power and good seating/riding position, good for new riders.

Cons: The seroius tank-slapper steering issues as mentioned above. The wheels are terrible; spokes are not stainless and corrode/turn black after every ride regardless of how often you cover them with ACF-50. The rims are as soft a cheese, so you won’t be going off-road with this bike very long before you dent the rims. Only 5 gears as has already been mentioned. Heated grips are poor quality and prone to failure. Very low ground clearance due to Cat. Honda warrantee is next to useless. Not a great tank range.

Overall: Don’t buy one unless you ride it and see if it is one with the bar wobble – not all do but if you end up with one it is shockingly bad and in my opinion dangerous.
                ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>
                <pubDate>Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:24:09 +0100</pubDate>
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                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">72-358</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[Honda XRV750 Africa Twin: The Landrover of the bike world (though better mad]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/42-adventure/72-honda-xrv750-africa-twin.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                I passed my test back in September and bought an RD04 Africa Twin. There is more than enough power to do anything you want with this bike. I also have a CBR600 as a second bike. I will always take the XRV over the CBR as it is so much more fun to ride.
I have done 5000 miles since passing my test and the bike has been faultless. It even survived a nasty crash after sliding on some black ice near Exeter and only needed a brake lever after going 250m on its side down the road. Picked it up and started first time.

Two up, it is fine, though be aware that the seat is one long seat and your pillion can slide about a bit!
I changed my screen for a tall one, and added some semi-off road tyres (mitas e-07) which makes the Twin into a fantastic off road bike. Mine kept its own against a CF250 up the devon greenlanes, and despite its weight will match anything on the rough stuff!

There are LOTS of superb accessories for the RD04 on german ebay which is good, as it seems that the likes of Touratech have forgotten that the original (and more off-road biased) 650 (RD03) and 750 (RD04) Africa twins ever existed which is a pain!. 

I plan to change the gearing a bit with different sprockets to make motorway mileage a bit better. Mine manages an average of 34MPG which is ok but not as good as the later RD07/A.                 ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>
                <pubDate>Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:16:16 +0100</pubDate>
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                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">120-354</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[KTM 990 Adventure R: KTM 990 Adventure R]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/42-adventure/120-ktm-990-adventure-r.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                There are few true adventure motorcycles out there, and by "adventure motorcycle" I mean a bike that is comfortable on any surface and in any condition that Planet Earth has to offer and can do so for months on end. It is of course possible to ride around the world and stick to tarmac roads and indeed the popular Cape to Cairo route across the continent of Africa allows any vehicle with wheels to do just that, bar a 300 KM stretch in north Kenya that is quite challenging, but even that will be tarred by Chinese engineers very soon. But as we all know, the best and most interesting types of adventure are always "off the beaten track" and that means riding on gravel, mud, potholes and challenging sand.

So is the KTM Adventure 990 R a true adventurer? The answer is a definite YES. 

The LC8 engined 990 EFi bikes have been around since 2006 and before that as the carburettor version KTM 950 Adventure which remains popular with many still on the road and going strong. Whilst the KTM 990/950 Adventure has been tweaked over the years to upgrade some minor issues, it has stood the course of time and for the large part remains the same since the first 950 came off the production line 2003. 

I have just completed 21,000 Kms across Africa on the KTM 990 Adv. R with my riding partner, a Chinese female with less than a year's motorcycle experience on a standard KTM 990 Adv.  We still have another 15,000 Kms to ride across Europe, Asia and over the Himalayas to our final destination in China, but up until now the KTMs have been right up for task and a pleasure to ride.

Reliability and performance wise the bikes have been faultless, although we have serviced the bikes en route and taken strict precautionary maintenance measures such as putting in good oil and pre-filtering petrol to protect the fuel filters, fuel pump and injectors which are the main causes of problems for most bikes riding in such tough and varied conditions. The 2008 bike has had some serious tumbles in the sand, at one time cartwheeling over several times in Namibia, but both rider and bike were relatively unscathed. The bikes really are robust and well made, as are Chinese female bikers. 

So what makes the bike so special?  

Firstly, it has a great chassis and superb suspension that can be adjusted for any riding style and condition, allowing it to handle the tar roads like a good sports tourer and off-road like a hardcore rally cross bike.  Secondly at just over 200 KGs dry weight the power to weight ratio of the 990 Adv. R is 0.55HP/KG, which compares to 0.47 for the BMW R1200GS; 0.29 for the Yamaha XT660, and 0.21 for the Kawasaki KLR 650, the three other proven adventure motorcycles I would also consider riding around the world. 

Thirdly, the 75 degree v-twin 1000cc engine is a dream. Its light, powerful and reliable, the delivery being super smooth throughout the power band, although at low revs in traffic the R version can be slightly snatchy on the throttle, but nothing you don't get used to.  And with Akropoviks or Leo Vince cans on the back, it sounds fantastic and turning many an admiring head towards the bikes.

The 19.5 litre fuel tank is good for 350 KMs at standard cruising speeds and for 280 KMs when hooliganing along desert roads at 180+ KPH or powering along off road in the dirt, sand and rocks. The bike is designed to be loaded up with panniers and has no problem carrying up to 100 KGs of luggage, tools, camping gear, spares parts and if you like a second set of tyres and extra fuel cans to extend range. You can give your copy of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" to a passing hippy or Triumph rider as the philosophy of adventure motorcycling has changed. Instead of a monkey wretch and a copper wire in the tool box, download ECU Tune off the internet for free to look after diagnostics and any re-mapping you might like to do along the way. Bush mechanics change with the times and can now be done using the laptop you write your travel blog on. That said, changing a tyre in the middle of the Sahara desert is the same fun whatever bike you are riding.

So what are the shortcomings?  

Accessibility to the fuel filter is definitely an Achilles Heal on the current LC8 engine. You will need to change the fuel filter on a real adventure as adventurous places have terrible fuel--many places serving a cocktail of low octane petrol cut with kerosene, water and grit. An easily changeable pre-filter fitted along the fuel line would be a good idea for future KTM adventure bikes, but for now you will have to resort to filtering the fuel before it goes in the tank as we did with a the now famous "Steve Thomas" filter. When it does come to changing the fuel filter, which also happen to be rather expensive, the KTM requires quite a bit of time to disassemble the bike to replace it.  The other issue is the clutch slave which is reported by some to be rather weak and prone to breaking and so it may be an idea to replace with an after market Oberon clutch slave or something similar, although I have not had a problem on the three 990s I have owned since 2007. 

I think the biggest shortcoming with KTM when compared to, say, BMW is in the area of after sales and global support. There are some good KTM garages around the world, like KTM Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, but there are many that are only interested in servicing and supporting KTM rally cross bikes and have little interest or expertise with the LC8s of Adventure bikes, or indeed SMs. Of course BMW sell many more adventure bikes than KTM and I feel this comes down to BMW's superior marketing strategy, in particular the legacy we all know too well with the "Long Way Round" incident in which KTM turned down Boorman and McGregor and BMW jumped at the marketing opportunity which ultimately lead to greater exposure and enormous sales success. Have KTM learned their lesson? We'll see with the launch of the new adventure bikes in 2012/13.

Overall, the KTM 990 Adventure is a great bike and a thoroughbred adventurer, perhaps the best there is at this moment. The R version is nearly the same as the standard version, but slightly more off road orientated with longer suspension travel and is slightly more powerful due to different ECU mapping. 

More at www.bigbiketrip.net and www.facebook.com/bigbiketrip
  
General information
Model:	KTM 990 Adventure R
Year:	2011
Engine and transmission
Displacement:	999.00 ccm (60.96 cubic inches)
Engine type:	V2, four-stroke
Engine details:	V 75°
Power:	113.32 HP (82.7 kW)) @ 8750 RPM
Torque:	100.00 Nm (10.2 kgf-m or 73.8 ft.lbs) @ 6750 RPM
Compression:	11.5:1
Bore x stroke:	101.0 x 62.4 mm (4.0 x 2.5 inches)
Valves per cylinder:	4
Fuel system:	Injection. Keihin
Fuel control:	DOHC
Cooling system:	Liquid
Gearbox:	6-speed
Transmission type,
final drive:	Chain
Clutch:	Wet mDouble disk clutch, operated hydraulically
Driveline:	16:42. Primary drive: 35:67.
Exhaust system:	Twin stainless steel silencer with regulated catalytic converter
Chassis, suspension, brakes and wheels
Frame type:	Chromium-Molybdenum trellis frame, powder-coated. Subframe: Aluminium.
Rake (fork angle):	26.6°
Trail:	119 mm (4.7 inches)
Front suspension:	WP USD 48 mm
Front suspension travel:	210 mm (8.3 inches)
Rear suspension:	WP mono shock PDS with hydr. spring preload
Rear suspension travel:	210 mm (8.3 inches)
Front tyre dimensions:	90/90-21
Rear tyre dimensions:	150/70-R18
Front brakes:	Double disc. ABS
Front brakes diameter:	300 mm (11.8 inches)
Rear brakes:	Single disc
Rear brakes diameter:	240 mm (9.4 inches)
Wheels:	2.15 x 21in., 4.25 x 18in.
Physical measures and capacities
Dry weight:	207.0 kg (456.4 pounds)
Power/weight ratio:	0.5474 HP/kg
Seat height:	915 mm (36.0 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting.
Ground clearance:	316 mm (12.4 inches)
Wheelbase:	1,570 mm (61.8 inches)
Fuel capacity:	19.50 litres (5.15 gallons)                ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>
                <pubDate>Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:01:27 +0100</pubDate>
            </item>
                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">61-353</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[Aprilia Pegaso 650 Trail: 2010 Aprilia Pegaso 650 Trail]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/42-adventure/61-apirila-pegaso-650-trail.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                I got this as an introduction to adventure biking after messing around with a scooter for commuting and a sportsbike for blasting around mountain passes.

Fazed by the size (and cost) of a R1200GS, this Yamaha-engined Aprilia lightweight looked a good bet and a look at the spec-sheet seemed to confirm that it would be very capable at off-the-beaten-track exploring.

However, most real adventure rides start and end with good-ish stretch of highway riding and pushing the offroad-biased big single to highway speeds for extended periods of time is enough to induce butt-clenching, foot-and-finger-numbing levels of discomfort to say nothing of naked envy towards those on the large DPs or even 650-ish cc twins. The beak also tends to catch wind at speeds of 140km/h and makes the handlebars wobble uncontrollably. This poor highway performance combined with a limited ability to carry luggage (the Aprilia panniers struggle to contain a pair of size-9 Crocs while the only readily available alternatives from Hepco & Becker... well... 03001978 said it already) severely limits the viability of the Pegaso as a proposition for real adventure biking.

Once off the black stuff the Pegaso really begins to shine. Light and easy to handle I'm sure this bike will have no trouble going where even large Beemers and KTMs would fear to tread. A little more low-end torque would be nice but what there is is more than enough to get a decent job of touring done. 

Great for an afternoon's exploring the countryside nearby.... or being trailered along the highway portion of the trip and let loose on terrain that would make Obi-Wan break down in tears......  but not the best choice for anything much beyond that.

On my bike, the fuel pump failed almost immediately after the warranty expired and the garage explained to me that this was a regular complaint with the Pegaso. A 3rd party fuel pump was recommended and the jury is still out on that one. I'll post again once it's had a chance to settle down.

Overall a very VERY nice trail bike- and much recommended within that context..... but a little too rough and breathless on the highways and carries much too little to be a touring bike of any description.                ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>
                <pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:19:16 +0100</pubDate>
            </item>
                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">71-350</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[Honda XL1000V Varadero: Big bike but I love it....]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/42-adventure/71-honda-xl1000v-varadero.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                My first Dero but probably not my last.
Owned a Pan before this and although a great tourer it was so bland and characterless, not so the Varadero.

Lovely V-Twin engine is full of character, mine is the post 2003 model with 6spd gearbox and fuel injection, which makes it a lot better for long distance work than the previous model.

It is all day comfortable and the high riding position does give you a commanding view of the road ahead.

There are any number of touring/adventure accessories available for it, and worth while looking for a bike with them done or at least prepare to do them yourself. 
I have full set of Givi hard luggage fitted, 2 marine power sockets fitted for sat nav etc.. engine crash bars, renthal handlebars, handguards, digital voltmeter ( to keep an eye on the only dodgy Honda part... the regulator/rectifier ), digi gear indicator, fender extender, a few more small convenience mods and all add to the personality of this bike.

It is a big heavy brute make no mistake, with full luggage and full tank of petrol I wouldn't like to pick it up after a fall but this soon melts away when the wheels start turning.

If you know what types of roads you'll be riding you could do a lot worse than buy this bike, but it's not a bike to take down dirt trails if you don't know what type of terrian you'll be comong up against, with suitable tyres this bike will go anywhere a BMW GS, Super Tenere etc will, loose gravel trails, pot holed roads etc no problem, wet mud trails, ruts etc... I'd be looking for a different route. 
But then again this bike was built to ride all day on everyday roads and real world conditions, it's not an xr400, drz, type bike.

Can thoroughly recommend this bike, and the more I ride it the more I like it.                  ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>
                <pubDate>Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:09:10 +0100</pubDate>
            </item>
                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">65-347</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[BMW R 1200 GS Adventure: BMW GS Adventure]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/42-adventure/65-brw-r-1200-gs-adventure.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                I test rode a 56 plated ex demo bike from CW's in Dorchester after a visit to the BMW factory in Berlin,it didnt take long to decide this was the bike for me. It has such presence on the road and is so well put together. The ride position is ideal for me at 6.03 tall, its comfortable and riding two up makes little, if no difference, to the handling. 
Three trips through Europe put the miles up to 18000 so it was time for a change. The only option in my mind was another GSA. This time a brand new one, 30 Years Special Edition. So far ive only taken a trip to Germany and back via Paris with my 12 year old son, it was fully laden but still had plenty of grunt to cover 1300 miles in a weekend without fuss or discomfort.  
Being so high up allows an excellent view of the road ahead, despite the weight (1/4 tonne with a full tank) its glides through bends and roundabouts. 
It dwarves sports bikes whenever I park it next to them but always encourages discussion from other riders. 
There is a bit of a stigma attached to the bike where, those who don't know any better, class GSA owners as sheep, all they have to do is ride one and they will be smitten - so long as they're over 5.10 - Ewan and Charlie can't be wrong (nor can the sales figures) 
In all,I find it hard to say anything bad about the machine, service (provided by CWs) cannot be faulted, the availability of 'bolt ons' is endless and all you can do is smile whenever you ride one.                 ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>
                <pubDate>Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:48:04 +0100</pubDate>
            </item>
                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">419-345</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[Yamaha XT 1200Z Super Tenere: Harley,s opinion on Super Tenere]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/42-adventure/419-yamaha-xt-1200z-super-tenere.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                SUPER TENERE neat bike i have 21500kms on mine used in about 25 % dirt riding quite capable, Yamaha bash plate is next to useless as it is attached to the rear of the sump ,holed sumps here in Australia are not unknown ,there are some good after market bits availible ,do some homework ,since the bike is now close to two years old since first release after market bits are plentifull cheers to all Harley

                ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>
                <pubDate>Sat, 19 Nov 2011 08:39:38 +0100</pubDate>
            </item>
                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">75-342</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[KTM 990 Adventure: Great bike]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/42-adventure/75-ktm-990-adventure.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                I purchased the 2008 990 adventure ABS version from new and I now have 21,000 km on it.  I've added a lot of options like bags, different windshields to it to get it set up for long distance adventure touring.  I'm 5'-9" and I'm glad that I'm not any shorter.  I wouldn't recommend this bike for anyone shorter than 5'-6".

The clutch slave cylinder started to fail so I replaced it with an Oberon.  Other than that it has just been valve clearance checks and the usual maintenance.

I weigh 200 lbs.  The stock fork springs are 0.48 and I'm getting 0.64 springs added as well as a revalve at Super Plush Suspension.  I sent them off yesterday.  The stock springs are definitely too soft for me, but most forums will say the same.

I've done a fair bit of two up riding.  The wife finds that the ride is very comfortable.  The stiffer springs should help minimize the nose dive on breaking.

I love this bike and plan on keeping it for the long haul.                ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>
                <pubDate>Sun, 06 Nov 2011 02:01:12 +0100</pubDate>
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