Are adventure bikes boring?
Discussion
No,
I've had some of my best 'Adventures' on my trusty old Capo
Horses for courses as they say, the more the merrier
You can't effectively do this with a Sportsbike...but you can still rag it around typical roads with similar aplomb
I'm a big fan of the Genre.
With regards to bike snobbery, personally I don't have time for it, I nod to everyone and own different genres myself, if they don't feel the same way, f
k 'em it's their chip and shoulder.
I've had some of my best 'Adventures' on my trusty old Capo
Horses for courses as they say, the more the merrier
You can't effectively do this with a Sportsbike...but you can still rag it around typical roads with similar aplomb
I'm a big fan of the Genre.
With regards to bike snobbery, personally I don't have time for it, I nod to everyone and own different genres myself, if they don't feel the same way, f
k 'em it's their chip and shoulder.Edited by NITO on Friday 23 August 16:22
Se7enheaven said:
And right here in this one thread proves that the overall love of all things bikes is sadly a thing of the past ( or certainly heading that way ) .
There is no such thing as a boring bike. The only thing that would be boring is if there were no bikes.
Absolutely. Anything with two wheels and an engine can be fun as far as I'm concerned.There is no such thing as a boring bike. The only thing that would be boring is if there were no bikes.
Used to have a Honda Cub field bike when we were kids. Coming from a Raleigh Chopper it was the fastest thing in the world and very exciting at the time.
Having said all that though many years ago I bough a BMW K75 for commuting and in spite of the two wheels and engine rule it was extremely dull.
I’ve had a variety of bikes, and ended up with the Triumph Explorer because it ticks the most boxes for me.
It’s fast enough for most of the situations I’ve encountered on the road.
It’s comfortable and capable of carrying luggage for touring without ruining the way the bike feels. I’m 6’2” so it’s a good fit.
It handles pretty well and pretty much ignores poor roads.
So where it’s not as exciting as litre super bikes in pure whizz bang terms it’s a great all rounder. It’s also still a 137bhp bike which is about as much power as I can use without constantly doing bad things.
I have no intention of using mine off road any more than gravel tracks, I tend to use it like a giant and more practical speed triple.
It’s fast enough for most of the situations I’ve encountered on the road.
It’s comfortable and capable of carrying luggage for touring without ruining the way the bike feels. I’m 6’2” so it’s a good fit.
It handles pretty well and pretty much ignores poor roads.
So where it’s not as exciting as litre super bikes in pure whizz bang terms it’s a great all rounder. It’s also still a 137bhp bike which is about as much power as I can use without constantly doing bad things.
I have no intention of using mine off road any more than gravel tracks, I tend to use it like a giant and more practical speed triple.
Edited by Speed addicted on Thursday 22 August 18:55
LimaDelta said:
There are adventure bikes and there are 'adventure bikes'. They are for the most part the two-wheel equivalent of the rise in 4-wheel SUVs. A fashion statement. Just like nobody would seriously consider a FFRR, X5 or Q7 for an overland trip across Africa, most people who buy adventure bikes do so for the image rather than actual capability. Real adventure bikes need to be light, simple and easy to fix. That rules out most of the modern offerings. Most look the part but are heavy and laden down with sensitive electronics. I enjoyed my big KTM 990 but even that was tough to pick up solo (even without expedition kit) and I wouldn't fancy my chances repairing it by the roadside.
That said, 'adventure bikes' are great for poorly maintained UK roads, and even a few forest trails. The visibility above the traffic is good from a safety point of view and they are quick enough for most people. It's no wonder (like their 4-wheel counterparts) that they have been a big sales success.
I've always thought this as well, Adv bikes are like the SUVs of the motorbike world, versatile, but compromised, & with a broad mass market appeal, with many marketed for the 'lifestyle' rather than practical appeal. Not necessarily bad vehicles in any sense, just unfocused. That said, 'adventure bikes' are great for poorly maintained UK roads, and even a few forest trails. The visibility above the traffic is good from a safety point of view and they are quick enough for most people. It's no wonder (like their 4-wheel counterparts) that they have been a big sales success.
That being said, I have my eye on an Enfield Himalayan, which seems like something of a Land Rover Defender of the Adv market, slow, simple and robust.
Dr Jekyll said:
Tiggsy said:
As to why people buy them for road use only - same as an X5. They are big, expensive, comfy and Charlie/Ewan.
Because they are comfortable, nothing to do with Charlie/Ewan.I've asked before, what else is there with similar legroom and shaft drive?
I would say "adventure bikes" are competent at everything but dont excel in any one area.
This is exactly what I want as I would kill myself on an "exciting bike".
Happy to bimble along with traffic and open it up a little to over take occasionally.
To be honest I only bought the 700gs as it was low enough to get my leg over, but it suits my needs perfectly.
This is exactly what I want as I would kill myself on an "exciting bike".
Happy to bimble along with traffic and open it up a little to over take occasionally.
To be honest I only bought the 700gs as it was low enough to get my leg over, but it suits my needs perfectly.
Lots of good stuff 👍 I think, mulling it over a bit more it was the cosseted feeling and the lack of sense of speed which was mostly the culprit. I'd came of a naked bike and jumped back on it afterwards. I'm all for some of the stuff posted, off roading and wotnot and can see the appeal of bikes capable of doing so. Personally I think I'd be drawn to things like the Tenere 700 or a Desert sled, the capability and the interaction. I'm guessing that the Africa twin sits somewhere in between?
YoK said:
Lots of good stuff ?? I think, mulling it over a bit more it was the cosseted feeling and the lack of sense of speed which was mostly the culprit. I'd came of a naked bike and jumped back on it afterwards. I'm all for some of the stuff posted, off roading and wotnot and can see the appeal of bikes capable of doing so. Personally I think I'd be drawn to things like the Tenere 700 or a Desert sled, the capability and the interaction. I'm guessing that the Africa twin sits somewhere in between?
Yeah, the issue can be that some bikes are a bit too competent. I generally like the same sort of engines in bikes and cars, big lazy things with loads of torque that you don't need to work to get the performance out of.It's just a different experience to riding other bikes. My 85 GPZ600r is a more involving bike in a lot of ways, it needs to be above 6k rpm to make progress, the brakes and suspension are a bit s
t. It's a good laugh for short runs but I wouldn't want to do a 4k mile two week holiday on it.
Crossflow Kid said:
keirik said:
Err just responding to your comment that everyone gets held up by GS riders, ate you saying GE riders aren't allowed to filter like other people?
maybe get the chip off your shoulder?
Or maybe it's because you're jealous and couldn't afford one.
Yes, that’s it. The bottom line is I wish I was you.maybe get the chip off your shoulder?
Or maybe it's because you're jealous and couldn't afford one.
Get real.
I never said GS riders aren’t allowed to filter, but riding in to town most days there’s a distinct atmosphere of “We’re all in this together” by bikers, and when everyone gathers at lights or gets otherwise delayed and is happy to think “Oh well, not as quick as yesterday” and just live with it, there’s always that one rider who’s itching to make just that little bit more progress.
Harry H said:
Se7enheaven said:
And right here in this one thread proves that the overall love of all things bikes is sadly a thing of the past ( or certainly heading that way ) .
There is no such thing as a boring bike. The only thing that would be boring is if there were no bikes.
Absolutely. Anything with two wheels and an engine can be fun as far as I'm concerned.There is no such thing as a boring bike. The only thing that would be boring is if there were no bikes.
Used to have a Honda Cub field bike when we were kids. Coming from a Raleigh Chopper it was the fastest thing in the world and very exciting at the time.
Having said all that though many years ago I bough a BMW K75 for commuting and in spite of the two wheels and engine rule it was extremely dull.
The K75 has a nice 3 cylinder thrum. I'd quite happily have one in the garage.
I remember riding one back to back with a GPZ 750 and preferring the BMW.
Adventure bikes aren't boring at all. They just aren't to everyone's taste.
What I do notice, however, is that the modern GS rider seems rather less likely to give you a nod than most other bikers.
I find that particularly surprising, given that most of my recent biking has been on various air cooled BMWs.
I used to have this big purple throbber and the GS brigade still rarely acknowledged my existence.
I'm plainly not sufficiently adventurous.
Lindun said:
Se7enheaven said:
And right here in this one thread proves that the overall love of all things bikes is sadly a thing of the past ( or certainly heading that way ) .
There is no such thing as a boring bike. The only thing that would be boring is if there were no bikes.
There is no such thing as a boring bike. The only thing that would be boring is if there were no bikes.
Killboy said:
Commuting in to town, you get all sorts of people on all sorts of two wheeled contraptions of all shapes and sizes. (That goes for the bikes too.)
So at natural bottlenecks like traffic lights there appears to be something of a mutual respect or tolerance, where everyone calmly filters towards the front but gets to a point where they can’t really get any further due to all the other bikes who’ve also filtered forwards, regardless of what those other bikes might be.
So everyone sits there, patiently waiting for the lights to go green after which people can progress according to their bike, their skill and their schedule.
Then, over one’s shoulder appears someone weaving in between all the waiting bikes, squeezing through the tiniest gaps, literally elbowing other people out of the way just to be at the very front, despite the fact they were last to arrive at that particular set of lights.
And odds on its someone on a GS.
Same goes for heading home.
Catch up with someone unwilling or unable to filter as fast as I might......
So fecking what? We were all there once, and as soon as the opportunity presents itself I can more than make up for lost time.
And yet again, my mirrors will be filled with a bloody GS weaving from side to side, trying to climb in my top box, or rev the traffic in to submission. What for? It genuinely achieves nothing.
They’re not dangerous per se, they’re not excessively quick, they just seem pushy, as though occasionally waiting like everyone else manages to is just beneath them.
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