Small bike Touring / Adventuring

[Freeloadeur]

I might have felt differently with a an upper end 125cc like the Derbi Adventure / Vanderero. It looks like by buying a newer YBR I done myself out of 2bph, meaning it tops out at around 55, 60 if there a bit of wind hmy:

Then we'll just have to find you a Derbi, you can be the first to go RTW on one (which would have been great marketing IF they still imported them to the UK :dry: )

[stevewatkin]

I run an old CB250 as a big bike !! Will do 70 on the A roads with lots of gear on. Will slow down to 60 mph on those long A road hills and i have to change down one gear to keep it a 60. If you look around these sorts of bikes are around at about £400-500 and are often in good nick. They are not much in demand as most riders go from a 125 to a 500 or bigger. We are the select few who understand the joy of a 250 !!

Did you see the Ace cafe "Adventure bike day" there was plenty of inspiration there, like;-

On Occasion of the cafe's annual Overland & Adventure Bike Day, Sunday 23rd March, Steph Jeavons will be departing the Ace on a solo overland adventure, riding a Honda CRF250L, with the aim to become the first British woman to circumnavigate the globe - 6 continents are required to accomplish this record![end quote]

250 IS good enough

My bike looks like this, and although it's not necessarally the only answer there are plenty of good choices out there:-

[Freeloadeur]

Steve, that's mean posting your CB250 it's giving me ideas. Don't you find that sometimes 60mph just isn't enough? Not that you want to go faster yourself maybe but that the traffic around you is bullying you to go faster. I get a similar thing with my Derbi, she'll sit on 70mph in 6th but a hill or headwind means dropping a gear and 10mph and suddenly all the other road users become threatening as they charge past, then you get stuck behind a lumbering truck governed to 56mph and you have to slow more because you haven't quite got the oomph to be able to accelerate into the BMW and Audi convoy to pass.

That's when I reckon a 400cc is the perfect bike, but if you can get away from that kind of traffic, who cares?

The CRF250L looks to be a great bike and I've seen some secondhand bargains where it's obviously not been the right bike for that owner. If only it had a more comfortable seat, and a decent screen and... and...

I think maybe the Derbi has spoiled me.

[stevewatkin]

Don't you find that sometimes 60mph just isn't enough? Not that you want to go faster yourself maybe but that the traffic around you is bullying you to go faster.

S'pose it's all in the frame of mind you adopt. You are right about the trucks and the BMWs (cars) but if you think to yourself; who does the most miles out there on the UK's roads? The answer is the trucks so if we have to sit behind them for a while, let it be, we'll still get there. We will be able to overtake on the next flat bit and we will always have 10mph on them
So maybe 20% of our journey is in those "unpleasant" roads. Well actually they are not that bad with this new sate of mind that we are going to adopt!!
To put into perspective, how stressful is it riding at 90-100mph on a motorway? If you do it properly it's extremely tiring and if you relax it's "slightly dodgy" :dry:
I really don't think it's any more unpleasant at 60 than it is at 90. It's what between your ears that make it what it is (thumbs)

[Elle]

My XT225 won't go beyond 55mph. My DR250 will do 70mph if thrashed but I won't treat my bikes like that. They're both geared for off road riding not road riding.
The CRF is a great modern 250 but would you seriously want to ride on a motorway? I read / watch Steph's blogs & she's already commented on being blown over by the wind and lorries. You have to get off main roads!
Not anti doing long journeys on small bikes. But you do have to pick your road carefully & allow a lot more time. You can't simply go for a weekend in Cornwall if you live in Scotland!

[optimisery]

I might have felt differently with an upper end 125cc like the Derbi Adventure / Vanderero...

Then we'll just have to find you a Derbi, you can be the first to go RTW on one (which would have been great marketing IF they still imported them to the UK :dry: )

, I did get into negotiations with one which was is the south west of Scotland, well I say negotiations .. I made an offer and they said no :laugh:

Correct me if I am wrong, but I am sure I read about a big(ish) trip on the Derbi? Was it the Mongolia Rally or something?

I hear you when you say the speed doesnt really matter when you get outside of the UK and the worst of Europe, I guess its a case of getting the happy medium for both home & away.


... I hope you manage to make the Curry Meet, It will be nice to have some company at the back end of the rideouts :laugh:

[rodrigoscs]

I had great fun, during my learner times, touring in the UK with my lovely 125! :woohoo:

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But must admit I have much more fun now with a bigger engine!

[optimisery]

Steve Thats a nice wee bike, looks similarish to a CG. 70mph / 60mph on hills loaded up would suit me fine.

I really like the CRF250, but have my sights set on a Kawasaki KLX 250 :whistle:

Like Elle, I've been following Stephs blog:

One Steph Beyond

It's going to make for an interesting read especially as shes on a small budget as well as a small bike.

[ZX Raziel]

The best Adventure bike is the one you take for an adventure (thumbs)

[Freeloadeur]

That's why I take one of these.

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Celia, they're rare beasts in the UK, at the last count only 112 and no more being imported. There was a team of two that completed the Mongol Rally, a guy called Fernando Retor regularly rode his all over Europe and North Africa as far as Dakar (that's his photo above), the Singapore owners regularly head into Malaysia and Thailand on theirs. It makes my little hops to France seem very tame.

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