Harley guy going to adventure bike?

KTM, Triumph, or Tenere would have been my choice too! Good deal enjoy the bike! I believe Mr. Brady took the 990's older brother along the Trans America Trail..... which isn't too far from you. ;)
 

seavoyage

New member
Well, I've been drooling on adventure bikes for a while and now I think I am going to pull the trigger. Thoughts on difference in the bikes (Road King vs adventure bikes). Overwhelm me with info on the BMW GS and the KTM Adventure. Looks like some 2010 models can still be found new for a good price. Can somebody give me a rundown on the different models?

Butch,

If you are leaning towards the uberbeasts Caveat Emptor. Beyond the manfacturer hype on these 'ADVenture' vehicles are the reality:

I'm making an assumption on the type of riding you are interested in, since this is the Expedition Portal. Important criteria on selection of a 2-wheeled Expedition Motorcycle are:

Cost: The reality of cross-country travel off the pavement resulty in a high probability of dropping the motorcycle. On a recent short single day ride of less than 160 miles; a fellow rider with only 140 miles on the odometer, dropped his Triumph Tiger 3 times while off-pavement. If your plans include travel outside of the Americas or Europe, many countries require a Carnet de Passages en Douane (CPD) equal or much more than the value of the vehicle (A USD$20K BMW R1200GSA may require a CPD of USD$100K?) . Can you afford a total loss due to accident in a country not covered by US insurance ? The three motorcycle models you have selected attract unwanted attention from theives, or corrupt officials at border crossings.

Size: Can you pick up the bike alone... if dropped in mud or sand? Even if a trek from Prudhoe Bay to Terra del Fuego may be over 98% paved, you may have to traverse some less ideal routes through the Equatorial jungle. Yet the bike has to have the capacity to haul your gear.

Durability: High mileage over rugged terrain (potholed roads, gravel, etc.) quickly overwhelm the suspension on a heavy motorcycle further laden with gear. Although the Telelever design is brilliant, BMW rear shocks are notorious for failure under long periods of rough conditions. Can a cracked or broken frame be easily repaired: maybe best to stick to mild steel rather than aluminium frames. Can the bike be easily recovered if submerged in water? On a recent pavement ride within 1 hour of San Francisco, we almost had a BMW R1200GSA slide off a concrete bridge that had water flowing 2" over the surface, into 5 feet of water. Investment in engine guards, bash plate, hand guards, etc. are essential, and with some of the new models or less mainstream models (Moto-Guzzi, Benelli) the parts are difficult to source.

Reliability: Does the vehicle have a record of reliability over many years of use. What mechanical/electrical failures are the model most prone to? The first 2-years of KTM990 EFI are notorious issues. Some KTM990 owners replace the EFI with the KTM950 carburetors. What if the EFI mapping or fuel injectors fail (50 miles from civilization) We had a close call riding in the Mendocino National Forest last mointh? Last weekend we cam upon a KTM950 with a ruptured hydraulic clutch line, 15 miles from pavement. Despite an advertised 19-litre fuel tank, we've had issues with Triumph Tiger 800s fuel range, when cruising at higher speeds with other Adventure bikes.

Simplicity: Can you perform emergency repairs alone under austere conditions? Can you repair or bypass a punctured coolant radiator or oil cooler? Even with engine guards, I punctured my oil cooler (Triumph Tiger) on a pavement ride through the Sequioas. Are spare parts available through your intended route? The closest Triumph dealer was 112 miles away, but the replacement part had to be shipped from the UK. Can local mechanics repair your bike? Is there a probability you will need to disable ABS to ride downhill in slippery dirt/gravel conditions? If the electric starter fails: can you kick start or at least bump start the motor? Will it run if high octane fuel isn't available?

If your requirements are to stay within North America, within support of the mandufacturer's dealer network many of these issues may be irrelevant; but if your plans include California 'Lost Coast', Death Valley, or the Alaska Highway through Yukon territory you may want to reconsider your criteria. Many motorcycle travelers that have done transcontinental or RTW trips, when interviewed after the trip, tend to make recommendations against taking a complex multi-cylinder Adventure tourer.

Solutions: Unfortunately the practical and realistic selection criteria narrows down the candidates to only a handful of brand/models: all but a few are no longer offered by their manufacturers for the US market, and none of them are particularly 'sexy'.

Happy hunting!
 
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Raven Rider

Rev. Jerry
I trade in my HD night train for a BMW r1200GSA I could not be happier. I rode 1100 mi in one day to camp 4 days with friends then after camping I rode back home Okla. to Arizona 1 day 1100 mi. I hammock camp and try to keep the pay load low. Buy what you fit on and then have fun!
 

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