What are big Adventure bikes for?

[chrisjk]

Really, who gives a flying feck what you call a bike? Names like adventure bike, sports-tourer etc. give one a clue to their appearance, style, type and whatnot. Beyond that it seems truly pointless to debate the issue.

I agree it's totally pointless to discuss our bikes on a motorcycle forum.
Far better to talk about politics and such.
Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? :laugh:

Must have done! :laugh:

[ChasF]

This word 'adventure' creeps into every aspect of life these days. BMW and KTM were pretty quick to jump on the bandwagon.
There are loads of videos out there showing top notch riders apparently riding these tanks as if they are 250cc motocrossers but for the rest of us they are just upright touring bikes with a good load capacity. Obviously the upright riding position puts most of your weight on your arse so they give the impression that they ride rough surfaces well, wide bars and longer travel suspension help as well. The reality is that riding on any loose surface including gravel strewn, single track, well worn tarmac, on an overloaded 1200 is precarious at best.
It seems to be agreed that the Germans make the best version of these adventure tanks or pehaps their PR machine is better. Whatever, my main concern about owning one would be the fear of losing it in the carpark at any bike event or meeting place!

[SteveW]

This word 'adventure' creeps into every aspect of life these days. BMW and KTM were pretty quick to jump on the bandwagon.

There are loads of videos out there showing top notch riders apparently riding these tanks as if they are 250cc motocrossers but for the rest of us they are just upright touring bikes with a good load capacity. Obviously the upright riding position puts most of your weight on your arse so they give the impression that they ride rough surfaces well, wide bars and longer travel suspension help as well. The reality is that riding on any loose surface including gravel strewn, single track, well worn tarmac, on an overloaded 1200 is precarious at best.

It seems to be agreed that the Germans make the best version of these adventure tanks or pehaps their PR machine is better. Whatever, my main concern about owning one would be the fear of losing it in the carpark at any bike event or meeting place!

Not quite correct.
A few years ago three of us set off from Lancashire to Eastern Bulgaria, via Poland and Romania on the outward leg and returning through Greece, Serbia, Croatia, Italy and France.
I was riding my KTM990r, Billy on his week old BMW1200LC...one of the very first in the country and Dunc on his BMW RS1200.
Now Dunc's a very good road rider, the best of the three of us, but boy did he struggle out East.
Lack of suspension travel meant he had to weave around the potholes that Billy and me just rode over.
Lack of steering lock made this a pain, looking forward up on the pegs and picking a route through the worst sections simply wasn't an option for him. When he got it wrong and found the bottom of the odd pothole, his suspension crashed out so he had to ride the worst of these roads at not much more than walking pace.
He'd had that bike for eight years and 38,000 miles, he'd toured all over the UK and Western Europe, but on that road trip he saw the bike's limitations.
I know his bike is basically a plush sports bike and a conventional tourer would have been a bit better, but not much.

Dunc saying to Billy......"On a comparison between my RS and your GS, on these shitty roads, my RS is at ground level....whist your GS is up here"

IMG_0157.JPG (88.3 KiB) Viewed 1970 times

[micksea]

simon,why spend time and money adding a screen to your bike? its easy to get drawn into thinking you need to add stuff to your bike to make it "better".for the riding you seem to do the screen would be a bonus once or twice a year but be a hinderance every other time you ride.a screen might make your bike more of an "adventure" bike but it will make it less of a trail bike,which do you do most of? my new approach is to take stuff off my bike that isn"t needed.less stuff/bits to worry about and more focus on riding.

[Simon_100]

simon,why spend time and money adding a screen to your bike? its easy to get drawn into thinking you need to add stuff to your bike to make it "better".for the riding you seem to do the screen would be a bonus once or twice a year but be a hinderance every other time you ride.a screen might make your bike more of an "adventure" bike but it will make it less of a trail bike,which do you do most of? my new approach is to take stuff off my bike that isn"t needed.less stuff/bits to worry about and more focus on riding.

Very good advice Mick. I think you've hit the nail on the head there - now to head to my 'man cave' and fit that stinking Scorpion silencer that John kindly brought down for me in June ...

Meanwhile one thing I do need quite urgently is a set - or at least one - of indicators with the flexible stems. One just fell apart a while back and the cheap rigid ones lasted just one day ...

Regs

Simon

PSThis also reminds me of a conversation had with Kiwi bloke a few years ago traveling the RB5 with a KTM 690 while his Italian mate was on a big Katey, which actually seemed the more suitable bike despite very limited fuel range - well at least back then before the last few winters have hammered so many trails!

Anyway they were both military guys and the Kiwi was apparently some 'big' in NATO - he was in his 'fifties - and although he wasn't the 'been there done that' sort of a guy he had actually been there and done that .... and his version on the 'ideal Advente set-up was something like this:



inside the cargo hold of one of these:



And you know I kind of agree with him ... (thumbs) But being bit more modest, and skint, and er no pilot's license I'd stick this:



onto a rack on the back of this:



and roll them both onto the back of one of these before heading off, say for Morocco - or perhaps better the Balkans



with this on the back seat to keep me warm:



Well I have the first two and the last one, so any donation of the Nissan will be gratefully received! (thumbs)

[petecam]

I recently had a debate with myself on changing bike. I'm a bit of a novice but love riding off road and currently do so on my f800 and the bike has done everything and more than I ask of it. I couldn't put a name on a bike which would replace the 800

Although it always hits the ground hard and is a bitch to pick up. But could I get another bike to do what it does for me.? A recent trip down to east France to do a little off road fully loaded in comfort. Commuting 80 miles a day. And popping down local lanes and taking part in rallies when I can. I could never have done that on my zx10r which always asked to be ridden hard rather than chugging along having fun at a reasonable speed.

To summarise I love my f800 (at the moment) a perfect adventure bike for me.

If you only have one bike and like to mix up your riding like you describe a GS800 is very hard to beat, infact I'd say impossible to beat, good choice of bike.
I'm hard pushed to find fault with the GS800, but if I'm pushed hard enough.....it'd be that the engine is a bit coarse at 80-90mph.

I completely agree, as an all rounder the GS800 is hard to beat. I can green lane it and not loose that much ground to my mates on Enduro bikes, then the next day pack up and ride to France. I only have room for one bike, this fits the bill. I must admit the 1190ADV I had before was also pretty close but the GS has the edge off tarmac.

[SteveW]

Pete, it's not just me then!
I've a 990r but I found the GS800 suited me better off road, the spec sheet says the KTM aces the BMW....but in reality I Think the Beamer is better.

[boboneleg]

Pete, it's not just me then!
I've a 990r but I found the GS800 suited me better off road, the spec sheet says the KTM aces the BMW....but in reality I Think the Beamer is better.

You can go off people you know :laugh:

[bond_yzf]

The f800gs is a fantastic bike but if you are pushing it off road the 990adv wins hands down

[petecam]

The f800gs is a fantastic bike but if you are pushing it off road the 990adv wins hands down

Ive never ridden the 990, only the 1190 and I would say the GS has the edge over the 1190.

What does let the GS down is the budget front forks, it really doesn't take whoops very well even with aftermarket springs fitted.