Lord protect us from Motorcycle News specials (Adventure Bike of the Year, 19 March 2014)

[Tim Cullis]

OK, I should have know better, but I had some time to kill and nothing to read.

MCN compares 1200GS Adventure, 1190 Adventure R, Super Tenere, Tiger Explorer XC and (!!) Crosstourer DCT.

This should have been entitled "Motorway Adventure Bike of the Year", for like most MCN tests, it was a typical motorway jaunt up to Scotland on the M6 and back down again on the A1(M). The off roading was limited as ALL THE BIKES WERE ON ROAD TYRES.

And the winner is of this exhaustive test... (because it's the cheapest :huh: )... is the Triumph Tiger.

Apparently the handling of the BMW 1200 Adventure takes some getting used to as the Telelever suspension doesn't dive under braking. Yup, it's been like that for the last 20 years since it was introduced on the 1100GS in 1993.

And the KTM luggage is difficult to remove. Not surprising as it was Touratech cases, but if TT cases had been fitted to all bikes they all would have been difficult to remove. WTF.

But the sports bike testers enthused about the power and performance of the KTM, so this came second.

I think the only thing I agreed with was the panning they gave the Honda CrossTourer, but why include this in the first place unless it was intended to be the whipping dog?

[bond_yzf]

Assuming the off roading was done in Scotland then it would be limited

[Sleepy]

Ha Ha.. serves you right Tim.. More Crap than News are stuck in a time warp, when most of Europe were turning to off road styled bikes, this lot were still banging on about getting your lap times down by .5 of a second..

[Richard Simpson]

To be fair to MCN, the one time they did a genuine 'adventure' road test all the bikes broke down or fell to bits when used off-road (with one exception) so it's probably less hassle for them to trundle them up and down the motorway.

I understand that after their Dorset/Wiltshire adventure the respective manufacturers all threw their toys out of the pram...with the exception of the one manufacturer whose bike was still running at the end.

Sadly, that particular bike is not made any more.

[2 wheeled tourist]

In a fashion you may have a point Tim, but, in retrospect most riders’ of these bikes are more than likely going to use them to trips to TESCO rather than the back-of-beyond, meaning; that boys’ with their toys, is that low mileage & weekend use? buy these machines more as on on-road ride than an off-road tool.

The MCN test is very much a reflection, I think, of the everyday use, that may also be fair-weather use too? of these machines, if any true off-road use is done, than a smaller, lighter ride would be more beneficial than these [heavy] monsters’.

EDIT: (After the "Thank You") Yes, I did, too, read the MCN article and thought I would have to get the TIGER and then the Yamaha comes a very close joint first (thumbs) The Honda really was the wildcard here, in comparison to off-roading but still is a contender against the others. The KTM, saw one in the Port of Oslo last year, is simply stunning. The only real snag with all bikes here is that there is just too much technology, which really does boost the price to silly numbers hmy:

[Spike941]

Must agree with 2WT on that one. Does anyone have any idea what the percentage of these big adventure bikes actually see any off-road action? I'm guessing 90 percent, probably more, will spend their entire lives on tarmac. So why manufacture or even test them for that small minority who will probably buy a more suitable model that's fit for purpose.

[JonnyBravo]

I thought it was an excellent article and the clearly the best bike won the test

:whistle:

So says the Explorer owner :laugh:

Mine has been 'off road' a few times now - obviously nothing difficult, just gravel and muddy forest tracks or moorland trails.

And its well fucking heavy to pick up when you fall off

[Whippet]

Nothing wrong with a Whippet Dog Tim

[hotbulb]

To be fair to MCN, the one time they did a genuine 'adventure' road test all the bikes broke down or fell to bits when used off-road (with one exception) so it's probably less hassle for them to trundle them up and down the motorway.

I understand that after their Dorset/Wiltshire adventure the respective manufacturers all threw their toys out of the pram...with the exception of the one manufacturer whose bike was still running at the end.

Sadly, that particular bike is not made any more.

Don't recall that test. What models, and which one won ? B)

[2 wheeled tourist]

To be fair to MCN, the one time they did a genuine 'adventure' road test all the bikes broke down or fell to bits when used off-road (with one exception) so it's probably less hassle for them to trundle them up and down the motorway.

I understand that after their Dorset/Wiltshire adventure the respective manufacturers all threw their toys out of the pram...with the exception of the one manufacturer whose bike was still running at the end.

Sadly, that particular bike is not made any more.

Don't recall that test. What models, and which one won ? B)

Here: http://www.motorcyclenews.com/mcn/news/ ... -march-19/