Does size matter?

austin

austin

Well-Known Member
Well yes, but only if you are riding solo and really really need off-road capability in remote corners of the world. Arguably with big adventure bikes being the biggest selling bike sector of all (at least I think they are) then the manufacturers are making and selling what people seem to want, otherwise KTM would have the mid-size market completely stitched up.

We had our XT660Rs for a couple of years, which were great but not as good as my GS or Varadero for UK or Europe conditions.


Sent from my iPhone with a smile :)
 
Whealie

Whealie

Wing Commander
Staff member
Forum Supporter
My daughter is 17 in Feb. Under the new rules, even if she passes her test she cannot ride a bigger bike until she is 19. So that's a 125 with a top speed of 70mph, if it's old, and probably 65mph if it is new. Even when she is 19 and takes her test again, she will be restricted again, for a further two years. I want to ride with her. We want to go off-road. So that means I should never has sold my DR350 as it would have been the perfect bike for me. I am seriously looking at smaller bikes.

The problem comes when I have to ride solo on the motorway to Manchester or Wales or Cornwall on a cold wet day with little fairing protection and a seat like a plank.
 
N

nigelphoto

New Member
Triumph got it spot on with their advertising for the 2015 800XC which carried the warning 'not suitable for off-road'. Just about sums it up really.
 
boboneleg

boboneleg

Well-Known Member
Forum Supporter
I have already down sized, my KTM 950 is on a sorn now and tucked up in the garage, I will sell it in the spring (or now if someone is asking for one). My replacement is a 18year old DR 650, nowhere near the power of the Katie but so much lighter and easier for me to control.

I suppose my reasons for down sizing are not the same as Noah but I fully understand where he's coming from. Why would you need 150bhp in a big trailie? How will I get on with the Suzuki for European travel? who knows but I fully intend to find out next summer.
 
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Philwhiskeydrinker

Well-Known Member
Depends what you want.
The Vara is great for demolishing distance on larger roads, for pretty much everything else, the Alp is better but then the 'adventure' bike sector is currently a right fuddled mess encompassing everything from a Multistrada to BM GSs to little 250cc things from China.
 
Ian Porter

Ian Porter

Administrator
Staff member
Forum Supporter
Phil said:
Depends what you want.
The Vara is great for demolishing distance on larger roads, for pretty much everything else, the Alp is better.
Click to expand...

spot on,

my 1150GS is brilliant (for me) at just about anything but for country back roads and especially at this time of year the F650 is the better bike to be on

still can't wait to get back on the 1150 though :)
 
Paul-S

Paul-S

Active Member
Forum Supporter
I've just bought the DRZ400s for the very reason of lightening the load and making it more than capable of more demanding off road terrain than I have taken the AT on. Fully set up and fueled the DRZ will weigh in approx 156 kgs. Add 20-30kgs for luggage (30 if camping kit added on) and 6kgs for tools puncture kit so all in approx 182-192. This will still be a useable weight off road and still a lot lighter than my 242kg AT without luggage. It will have a range of 200 miles per tank. Cruise at 70 mph. Good service intervals on the DRZ of 4000 miles.

Work will start soon and I'll put up a posting with pics

Would hope top have most of it finished by Welsh time but will not get a chance to ride it until later in 2015 due to Uni stuff
 
Rubberchicken

Rubberchicken

Well-Known Member
Have to agree, especially for one-per-bike travel with no rush, on or offroad, you really don't need a lot of bike. DR650 suited me fine in NZ, everything was 100 kph max which it did fine all day, I had no desire to go much faster or I'd miss the gorgeous scenery and it hauls enough luggage to keep me on the road for 2 weeks. And it was the cheapest to rent, too. :D

2 up is cramped on one of those (*) so you'd want something a bit bigger, but even then power wise you don't need a lot more. My 60 bhp GS is fine for everything I throw at it (or it at). I think there are very few people who truly need more than say 60-70 bhp, in any type of bike. Especially in a bike that has offroad pretentions...

(*) We tried. Though part of the awkwardness would've been me riding pillion with my 5-ft-squat travel companion. It was only 3 km... :lol:
 
OhJ

OhJ

Active Member
I fance one of the BMWF650's they are light and very capable off road and gas legs to doo miles on the road. But my GSA us staying for the long rides to Spain and across the bridge too Europe, just to carry that little bit of luxury.
 
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nigelphoto

New Member
The reason so-called 'Adventure' bikes have become elephantine is simple - BMW won the Dakar with the R80G/S-PD and wanting to push 'son of' offered them to Charley and Ewan for LWR. Result, massive TV exposure = cult status BUT the 1200GS weighs in at millions of kilos whereas the original R80 was lighter than a G650GS at just 186kg. Seeing the success of the Behemoth, KTM (who really missed out by turning down the request from the LWR team) Suzuki, Honda, Uncle Tom Cobley produced weigh alikes. No one needs 110bhp for green laning, especially in UK conditions. I have often wondered about equipping with one of those lovely looking little BMW X-Country's which with a more comfortable seat and a bigger tank would be an ideal Adventure bike. I looked at one recently in my local secondhand shop, 8,000 miles and £3,750 but as I was thinking it over, some other boogerr snapped it up!
 
Rubberchicken

Rubberchicken

Well-Known Member
Yeah, somewhere along the line BMW went "comfortable touring bike" instead of "comfortable for an offroader" and made it more capable in the touring bike direction instead of the offroad direction as technology moved forwards. Undoubtedly fueled by the old bike world rule that the only thing that matters is More Displacement and More Power and nobody takes anything offroad anyway, ever.

I'd love to see what would've happened had they gone in the other direction, a redeveloped R80G/S using current day tech, developed for lightness instead of power. Should be possible to get a decent twin putting out say 65-70 bhp under the 186 kg wet weight of the original, at least.
 
Ian Porter

Ian Porter

Administrator
Staff member
Forum Supporter
Rubberchicken said:
Should be possible to get a decent twin putting out say 65-70 bhp under the 186 kg wet weight
Click to expand...

not a BMW but we just need Yamaha to develop an adventure(ish) version of the MT-07 and that's what we'd have
 
Rubberchicken

Rubberchicken

Well-Known Member
Even BMW, should they want to. The R65GS already made 50 bhp (in the nonrestricted version), and that's a pushrod twin with a fairly prehistoric ignition chamber.
 
M

Mark

Member
I got my Gs Adventure as mainly a touring bike. I wanted air cooled, shaft drive, weather protection, long distance tank and coming form GSXR11's I didn't really want to lose loads of performance as I like to get frisky every now and then (not with the wife, she wont let me :lol: ). Plus I don't like the style of proper touring bikes.

Its only been off road coz of this site! I've had XT600's. 660's, KLR600'e etc years ago with the one of the XT's blowing its big end in France. I like the bigger bikes as the engine is more relaxed at cruising speeds and as Ohj said just to be able to carry that little bit more.

A bike based around a 500 liquid cooled twin with around 50hp would be nice with a big tank or option to add auxilary tanks but still only really for one person. I can't really afford a bike, there is no way I can afford to go adventuring around the world so for me the GSA suits me for what I use it for like it will for others.

I'm under no illusion its not really an off road bike!
 
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Philwhiskeydrinker

Well-Known Member
Whealie said:
Sam Manicom posted a link to this on Facebook.

http://expeditionportal.com/an-open-let ... -industry/

I must admit I am thinking of downsizing rather than up-sizing.
Click to expand...


Rubberchicken said:
Should be possible to get a decent twin putting out say 65-70 bhp under the 186 kg wet weight of the original, at least.
Click to expand...

Chris, bigger isn't always better but then neither is smaller.

When I bought the XCountry, I had visions of life in the simple back to basics slow lane of biking.
Weighing in at about 160kg, frugal, more power & torque than the Alp there ain't much not to like.

Until....

You head off to Scotland in monsoon like conditions to meet up with Austin & the gang for a trip to Jura.
It was one of the most miserable biking rides of my career.
No fairing, little wind or weather protection on a vibey little single feeling rather vunerable passing wagons, being blown & buffeted by the wind (there are disadvantages to a featherweight bike!).
There wasn't a single moment on that trip where I wouldn't have preferred my bigger, heavier Transalp.

Be careful of wjat you wish for. Less isn't always more :)

My top mid class bike at the mo;
New shape 650 'Strom ;)

Phil
 
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