Why buy a Tourer/Adventure Bike?

[Oldie]

Having toured Europe on a V Strom I now reckon that just about any bike can do the same job, perhaps even better. I'm starting to think that smaller, more manoeuverable bikes, are a better choice even although they don't "fit" with the image of long distance travel. In fact, the "long distance" pre-requisite is somewhat misleading in that great trips don't have to involve big miles.

Just chuck a set of cheapo panniers and a screen onto your 500cc naked and off you go. Much easier on the ferries and great around traffic. A rain suit will protect you from the elements.

And, going back to long distances, well, don't bother. Three one hour rides per day will get you around fine and let you see some of the country you're visiting. No tiredness, no deadlines, no motorways - just fun. You'll end up enjoying the actual riding more, rather than it being an A to B exercise. And use a map, that way you'll have more fun planning the next days bimble across country to the next campsite.

I don't want to read posts about folks doing 3000 miles in 4 days. I want to hear about the great pub you found after 30 miles, and stayed two days! Married the mayor's daughter and opened a bikers B&B.

[Dilyan]

30 miles = touring? errrm, not to me at least. More like a ride out, brush the dust off

The riding positions vary quite significantly, V Storm is easier to ride longer than a GSXR. I get strange pains in the upper back when I ride a sports bike for a while.

Strictly my opinion, don't have to agree with it at all.
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[Oldie]

30 miles was just my little joke

But three one hour rides per day still lets you cover 150/200 miles and still adds up to a decent trip over 10 days or so. But you're right, the seat on a sportsbike is always going to be a limiting factor.

[Al]

I can see what you're saying but it basically comes down to time.
Most people will only have 20-25 days holiday a year and other commitments so need to make the most of the time available.
I wanted to go to the South of France and without doing a couple of long days on motorways I wouldn't have been able to in the time I had. Obviously once I was there I stayed on smaller roads doing less miles.
A few hours riding on minor roads a day is fine if you plan to stay in England or have months off work.
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[colin1]

For people with jobs and limited time off, I think going somewhere sunny, where the petrol is cheap and hiring a bike for a few days, is better than a marathon trek across continents.

Here's pics of my trip along a bit of the South African coast.

In terms of anecdotes, there was a mad bit of it, where hundreds of square miles of trees had been burnt to a crips by fire, so the landscape was all blackened tree remnants.

Then there was a bit where I was following three running ostriches up the road, the way here you would be following a flying pigeon or pheasant.

There was also the rather sudden change from paved road to unpaved, and nearly losing control on a downhill bit that was loose sand, only saved because, it was a really small light bike, and I have a bit of offroad experience on a dirt bike.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=192844&highlight=

A more epic trip by someone I met when I did my trip.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=212991&highlight=

episode 1 of his trip

https://www.vimeo.com/22879749
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[pepperami]

[c-m]

Lol, lets see you get to the black sea on three one hour rides
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[The Shaggy D.A.]

[G]

[c-m]

Nothing went over my head. I was being facetious.

My first tour was two up (some of the time) on a 500cc semi faired bike. Yes I did 5500miles, but I did it over a month and a half.

I understand exactly what the OP is saying. And it comes down to a phrase that is mentioned a lot in this section. "Each unto their own"

Sometimes your actual touring countries of preference are 2,000miles away, but you have to actually get there first before you can pootle along. Otherwise you'd never make it, within the false constraints of modern life.

I'd love nothing more than to be able to just ride for 3-5years, around the world, around the world, wherever takes my fancy.
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[Skudd]

I like a bike that feels like it will carry me and not snap, I want a bike that feels like I'm going somewhere, even if it is just to the chippy. I like that my bike can scratch, tour, take the bumps, carry luggage, be comfy, relaxed, fit me,

My Varadero ticks all the boxes for me with the Africa Twin ticking the boxes before that. I like large bikes, bikes for large people. I got my Africa Twin way back in '93. No one rode them back in those days or just a hand full. It cheeses me off that so many ride the Adventure bikes these days. I used to like being the only adventure bike in a car park full of over 200 bikes.
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[alex88]

people have been all the way round the world on a honda c90 in fact there are people that have cycled all the way. i believe any bike can be a tourer with a little/lot of patience, planning.

[c-m]

[yen_powell]

[tatters]

I,ve traveled on all kinds of bikes but its very much the right tool for the job if your going somewere thats got very poor roads or your planning to ride trails/offroad you need a bike that suitable for the task, you could use any bike but you would be limted to were you can go and what it can do. (post 1995 BMW GS,s are a load of wank though)
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[colin1]

[Oldie]

I wanted to say two things in my original post. Firstly, you can have an adventure on just about any bike out there and you don't necessarily have to get a Tiger/Strom/GS etc if all you want to do is buzz about Europe. That's not to say that they aren't great bikes and fun to own, but don't be put off if all you've got is a CBF250. I'm fast becoming a big fan of sub 200kg bikes which just seem to look after themselves.

Secondly, once you're off the ferry, don't feel that you have to cover 400+ miles per day to make it a "proper" tour. I've done that and felt that I missed seeing a lot of the countries that I visited.

Maybe the answer is to try out the "8 cities in six days" approach and at least you've done it. After that, take it easy.

I really just want to encourage more riders to cross the Channel, even for the weekend, to discover how much bloody fun it is over there

[Dex]

I agree with the OP that you can have an adventure on any bike, as long as you plan the adventure to suit you and the bike.

I chose to buy an "adventure bike" (Tiger 800) because I needed one bike to fill all my needs:
120 mile a day commuting
Touring the pyrenees and Europe with my luggage and some of my OH's kit (we don't like loading up her bike)
weekend thrashes round local roads
200 mile each way trip to see parents
Taking the OH on the back when she doesn't fancy taking her bike

Sports bikes are a pain in traffic and filtering, aren't designed for lots of luggage and tend not to be great for pillions. Sports tourers tend to be too sports to be easy in traffic, big tourers are a nightmare on tight mountain hairpins and filtering. Little bikes are a bit too dull going up mountains with luggage, and don't have the speed for making progress on the motorway. My OH rides an FZ-1, so I didn't want to be constantly getting left behind.

The other great thing about this bike is that if you're going over about 95 you can feel the speed, so I keep the speed down a bit and keep my license! I used to get bored on motorway on the Ninja and found it cruised at 130 far too comfortably...

So *for me* the Tiger was the right bike. I bet on a solo tour I could have just as much fun on a whole range of other bikes.

[G]

[chris-red]

The TDM is more comfortable, easier to ride, can carry more luggage, has a longer range and is better on fuel than my S4. The four is more fun, but I honestly think the TDM was the better bike for hacking through the Alps, it just eats up tight hairpins steep inclines and loose surfaces.
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[Skudd]

Three of us went touring around Scotland, a Varadero, a VFR and a Hyabusa.
All did the roads with ease, all had luggage and carried it with ease. All suited the rider that each had. The Varadero was more sure footed going over Applecross and gave loads of confidence getting on and off ferries. The turning circle of the Varadero was/is better than the other two. but we all enjoyed ourselves.
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[Dex]

[G]

I bought the GSXR1000 specifically for commuting - through town, 99% 30s and 40s.

My KTM bars may sit above mirrors, but are physically wider than the GSXR bars - while mirrors can be avoided, if you can't get your bars between the row of vehicles you don't have a chance.

The GSXR position isn't that 'extreme' and I find I can look around fine - though I try and keep focused on what's ahead of me when filtering - what's to the side (not ahead to the sides) and and behind me is of no significance generally .

I actually found the mirrors were the biggest problem - often my bars would easily go under other people's mirrors, but my mirrors do stick out a bit further than the bars. Luckily, they can be easily folded in; but ideally, I was thinking, it'd be nice to have them automatically fold in with an electric system or similar.

[Bendy]

[transporter]

I Love my little Honda CLR-125 for touring, adapted a CBF500 Givi pannier rack, fitted a garmin Quest sat nav and set off for Scotland, used all the back roads to get up there from Sheffield and in doing so saw some beautifull country. The bike was perfectly suited to the kind of roads i used to get up there and held 60 coming back down the motorway and A1 coming home, road it all the way home in 1 day over 400 miles and got off the bike fresh as a daisy, total fuel cost for the whole trip a shade over £40, i'm all for the smaller bikes for touring on but i also love my Transalp 650 as well, although its not as comfortable or easy to ride as the 125 . I will try and upload a pic of my 125 on the Scotland tour