If the idea of not showering for a few days is a deal-breaker, or taking a tumble every now and then, adventure motorcycling might not be for you. While buying new or used both have their advantages, there are other factors to consider besides price tags.
We have to remember that these are machines built with a range of tolerances and things can and will go wrong. Do lots of research before you buy a new or used bike, and be sure to poke around on a couple of forums to learn about the most common issues with each bike.
Take your time to inspect it, ask for service records and definitely take it for a test ride. Pro Tip: A second or third model year of a motorcycle may be more reliable than the first. Manufacturers need a few years to work out lots of the bugs and kinks that can only be found through selling thousands of units.
For some motorcyclists, the answer is to eventually have two motorcycles—a lightweight dual-sport or enduro, and a long-distance adventure touring rig. Even if your heart is set on a specific motorcycle, take the time to go and sit on all of them.
Some of them have adjustable seat heights and a few manufacturers offer "low-seat" models as well. A well-tailored suit in the wrong color is still a better option than one that is too big or too small. Technically, you could learn how to drive in a Corvette Z06 , but from a safety and practicality standpoint you should probably first spend a couple of years in something like a Mazda Miata. I wrote a whole post on why adventure bikes are so tall. You can read it by clicking HERE. How far you plan to ride will have an impact on which bike will be best suited.
That way you eliminate the discomfort of riding thousands of miles of tarmac on a bike designed for the rough stuff. If, on the other hand, you are planning a cross continental adventure bike trip, like riding from the north of the US to the south of Argentina, a bigger bike might be more comfortable.
We covered more than 9 miles in 3 months. Do some research on fuel tank size and range. In most countries, you only need fuel for about miles. A trip to the Western Sahara, however, may require a much longer range.
There are some other options to carry extra fuel if your bike does not have a large fuel tank. For four ways to safely carry extra fuel on your bike, read this article.
This is probably the most important factor and should be your starting point. Luckily, there are many good second-hand bikes out there that has not seen any dirt roads. Riders buy new adventure bikes and realize it is not for them, or they use it to commute and upgrade to a newer model later. If you shop around you can find a good condition bike that has already taken the initial depreciation hit.
It you are unsure, but have your heart set on a certain model, go rent it first to see if it is the right bike for you before you fork out thousands of dollars. You can rent a wide range of adventure bikes from Ride Adventures Tours and Rentals. My first bike trip was on my trusty Yamaha XT Soon after this trip I got married and upgraded to a Kawasaki KLR in order to take my wife along as a pillion.
It worked well, but as the trips became longer we did a 1 miles on dirt roads one weekend , we realized we have to make a choice. My wife is somewhat vertically challenged and the only bike we could find that was short enough was a BMW F Funduro. Motorcycles are inherently dangerous, but bike manufacturers are continuously coming up with more advanced safety features. Nowadays it is almost strange if a bike does not have electronic traction control or an anti-lock braking system ABS.
Most bigger adventure bikes also feature cruise control. Here is a list of adventure bikes with factory cruise control. All these electronic rider aids do not mean you are safer in a crash.
Some riders even argue they make the bikes more dangerous, as it gives inexperienced riders a false sense of security. An older, more basic bike, with a much less powerful engine, can be every bit as safe as a top-of-the-range adventure bikes with a computer controlling everything.
It just depends on how you ride it. If you have never been on two wheels in your life, it is probably a good idea to start on a smaller, light weight bike with less power. The confidence you build on a smaller bike will be very valuable as you upgrade to a big adventure bike weighing pounds and that can do mph. That does not mean a bigger and faster bike is necessarily difficult to learn on.
If you are tall and strong, it will definitely be easier for you. My wife rode her own bike 3 miles around South Africa in 19 days. This was after she has been riding for less than a month from getting onto a bike on her own for the very first time.
She did the trip on a cc Chinese bike, which made it much easier, but she bought her first lbs bike, a BMW Funduro, soon after this trip. If you intend to tour from guest house to guest house, on popular roads with good cell phone reception, your choice of bike is less important. You will always be able to find help if you break down or need roadside assistance.
If, on the other hand, you plan to venture off the grid on your own without a back-up vehicle, you need to make sure you are comfortable the bike will make it. This will require a reliable bike that is well maintained. This is even more important if you intend on getting a second-hand bike. For this reason, I tend to feel safer on bikes with less electronics.
While a bit unconventional, the unique low-slung 5. There are many. The Suzuki V-Strom deserves credit on this list just for its sheer staying power. Geared more toward the touring aspect of adventure-touring, the V-Strom is powered by a cc V-Twin which can trace its roots to the SV Three-level traction control plus off , makes it passable once you take it off-road, but the reality is the V-Strom is skewed more towards on-road than off.
If that describes you, and you want a simple adventure bike with tons of aftermarket support, the V-Strom XT Adventure deserves consideration. If the all-around nature of the Suzuki appeals to you, but you want something with a little more performance, enter the Triumph Tiger Rally Pro.
Triumph says it makes 94 hp and 64 lb-ft of torque. Adventure-related goods include Showa suspension front and rear. The 45mm inverted cartridge fork is adjustable and provides 9. In the rear, the RSU gas-pressurized shock is also adjustable, with travel set at 9. Instead, the Tenere leans hard towards being a dirt-focused adventure bike with minimal street accouterments.
A 43mm inverted fork is fully adjustable and offers 8. The shock only gets preload adjusting and 7. With that in mind, the idea of pure adventure motorcycling, a middleweight engine displacement, minimal electronic rider aids, Yamaha durability, and the least expensive price is awfully appealing.
As you can see, the middleweight adventure motorcycle market is not short for choices, as all five of these models bring something exciting to the table. Whether you want the thinly-disguised dirtbike that is the KTM, or prefer the more road-oriented Suzuki, all five bikes here are well equipped to handle on-road and off-road duties.
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