Solo touring and off road (e.g. tet), small ADV bike suggestions

[Slowboy]

That looks really nice Minky. It’s strange that the rally is taller than the L but according to cycle ergonomics the knee and hip angles are greater on the L !

Very strange, the suspension travels about an inch longer at both ends, hence the seat height, but the seat and pegs have the same relationship to each other....

[onslowe]

Boboneleg and Slowboy, thanks for confirming the crf crashes well, I stand corrected and it's great to hear they are up to the job which isn't always the case these days especially for a decent price. I have to say that Minkyheads looks great and very well prepared. Cheers, Onslowe

[Jak*]

Roy I like your comparison table. The weight is an interesting one though because some of the bikes you may want to add extra racks etc in order to carry luggage. I figure you could easily lose 5-10 from the Himalayan by getting rid of the centre stand and putting a lighter silencer on. Personally if I was travelling on my own I would rather have the centre stand, it makes fixing punctures, adjusting the chain etc that much easier. In my opinion the CCM and CRF are both more tiring to ride on twisty A and B roads than the Himalayan as they are more buzzy and I tended to use the gearbox more. That is obviously dependant on your riding style. My CCM was so uncomfortable with its first seat that anything over 100 road miles was a chore. Eventually they replaced the seat under warranty but it was still only good for 150 miles, mine had the high seat fitted. Again this would depend on your height and weight etc.
Cheers Jak

[johnnyboxer]

Boboneleg and Slowboy, thanks for confirming the crf crashes well, I stand corrected and it's great to hear they are up to the job which isn't always the case these days especially for a decent price. I have to say that Minkyheads looks great and very well prepared. Cheers, Onslowe

Just had a look at the Honda parts prices for the CRF250L and Rally, on Fowlers website and the plastic parts prices are eye wateringly expensive

For example the plastic headlight cowl, for the 250L is over £120 (KTM EXC £30) , the front mudguard for either is about £110 (KTM EXC £25) and the headlight lights for the Rally is £520

I wouldn't want to crash one, hard

Genuine Honda parts for the XR400 are a bit cheaper

[minkyhead]

only half right john ...crf250l bits are mega cheap from bykebitz thialand ebay ect theres zillions of bits for em
sidepanels 16 quid ectect ..the L is awash with cheap parts
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/For-Honda-CR ... 0005.m1851

i agree with the rallys

the rallys plastics are very expensive from the dealers ..my main quibble with the rally is what they made em out of ...pretty much anything in red is the proper bendy stuff and prety much anything in black is the brittle stuff ..

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

Honda road bikes (including the 'trail' bikes) have always had silly high crash damage parts prices.

KTM are far better in this respect.

[johnnyboxer]

only half right john ...crf250l bits are mega cheap from bykebitz thialand ebay ect theres zillions of bits for em
sidepanels 16 quid ectect ..the L is awash with cheap parts
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/For-Honda-CR ... 0005.m1851

i agree with the rallys

the rallys plastics are very expensive from the dealers ..my main quibble with the rally is what they made em out of ...pretty much anything in red is the proper bendy stuff and prety much anything in black is the brittle stuff ..

I see Steve, I was just checking uk sources like Fowlers for genuine Honda parts

Good to know there is an alternative from Thailand (where they are made, I guess)

Are the panels stamped Honda? (Back door out of the factory) or copies?

If they are copies - are they good quality ?

Nice one Minky, I didn't know there was alternative parts sources

[Thedktor]

Forgive me for being a bit blunt but you seriously need to ride some of these bikes!

Only you know what you are happy riding - I'm not into big bikes but a CRF250L is just not enough, the XT660 is far too heavy and "big" so not for me either, just to pick two, which is why I ride old DR350's and DRZ's. Which ironically are more reliable than some new bikes I read about!

For me the only thing new available that is both light enough and has enough go is the Husky 701/KTM 690, otherwise I would go secondhand 400/450 to at least get something that is fun to ride

[rbailey]

Forgive me for being a bit blunt but you seriously need to ride some of these bikes!

Only you know what you are happy riding - I'm not into big bikes but a CRF250L is just not enough, the XT660 is far too heavy and "big" so not for me either, just to pick two, which is why I ride old DR350's and DRZ's. Which ironically are more reliable than some new bikes I read about!

For me the only thing new available that is both light enough and has enough go is the Husky 701/KTM 690, otherwise I would go secondhand 400/450 to at least get something that is fun to ride

Hey Thedktor, totally agree re test riding them... and that is exactly what I said when I posted the summary to suggestions. I guess what I am trying to do here, is get some suggestions about good options, and then go and test ride the top 3 or so which seem to meet my needs. Points taken about the other bikes you mention, I will have a look into them.

Cheers, Roy.

[rbailey]

Hi All,

I had someone else recommend (not on this forum) a bike not mentioned before... The BMW X Country, or X Challenge.

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-rev ... ntry/2007/

Not many about by the looks of it, but on the face of it, they seem a good shout. Nice and light, reasonable power etc.

Anyone got any experience / views of them? Reliable? Can you still get bits? Easy to service and maintain?

Thanks,

Roy