Round the world on a bike!

[kingsknight]

Iv just finishing the long way round and the long way down and i was just thinking that i would not pick one of them bmw's they used as they kept braking!

Id love to try it on my XR! I think i would go for a Honda if i had the chance to do it. Id trust my old CG to get me around the world without braking down lol.

what bikes would you lot use?
____________________
TS50 (sold) NS125F (sold) NSR125R-K (write off after 2 crashes) CG125 (nicked) XR125L-3 (Sold )-: ) DR125SM '11 (sold yay) XL125V '12 (In love with this bike) XT600E '04 (fun on the dirt)

[Poseidon]

Triumph Tiger... one of the old 900's!!! So ugly it'll stop the rogue bandits (no pun intended) from killing you for it!
____________________
1977 Honda CG125
2002 Ducati Monster S4 (currently restoring)

[G]

They wouldn't have chosen them either, if BMW hadn't offered a big chunk of money, I believe .

A KTM990 or BMW F800GS would be interesting possibilities if you wanted high-speed or to be able to take quite large amounts of stuff.
Otherwise I'd choose a Husky TE610, KTM690 or BMW G650, presuming some moderate dirt-fun was to be included, but you still wanted to get from A to B moderately quickly.
I wouldn't want to do serious dirt stuff on this too much (have managed some moderately paced greenlaning, but the cut-off-your-head properties of the screen worries me), but a mk2 fairing will be along at some point!
https://gees.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p859131511-3.jpg

If it was the sort of thing a GSA would be fine doing, I'd probably just take whatever road bike tickled my fancy at the time.-

[Itchy]

Well I am sort of going RTW in a month (undecided on the South America bit depends on how much $ I have left by the time I get to Mongolia).

I'm taking an Xt600E,

Why?

Its simple very very simple and can be fixed at the side of the road easy.

Subframe is strong enough to take luggage , DR350 isn't.

Enough balance of power to not stress the engine like I probably would on a DR350.

Has 8.5:1 compression so can run on terrible fuel in mongolia (KTM640s and 990s as well as BMWs have a switch to retard the ignition to run lower octane fuel).

With some simple mods wet it can be gotten down to 162kilos , mine weighs this much with a full 24 litre tank of petrol.

If I do really break it , it won't hurt massively (like a 10K BMW) to abandon it.

Can be easily retrofitted with a kicker (looking into this monday).

It is mostly made from steel , steel welders can be found anywhere , alloy ones (ie Husquavana TE610 which is made from alloy bits and frame) cannot.

It is the son of the XT6003AJ tenere which has heritage of utter indestructability , as some people say it is like a royal enfield bullet but super reliable.

Its aircooled , ie less to worry about.

It is the recommended bike of the HUBB and thus is proven and tested many many times along with David Lambeth's super super high mileage one.

It can run with some pretty severe engine damage , an numpty rode half way across Russia with barely any oil in it and managed to make it even though the crank case was cracked and the valves were all damaged.

I can flat foot it , as its an odd trail bike in that its quite low.




KTMs are just too fragile , they seem like the perfect package , low weight , big tank , kicker + electric, but bearings in the engine fall apart , Motosyberia's earlier trip to Mongolia had a KTM die on them. Though their moto Africa trip also had problems with the TT600R (but that was because they ran them without oil and used bikes that had been stood for 4 years).
____________________
Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[kingsknight]

I think i would go for the honda varadero 1000 but the XR is a lot more simple to work on if it went wrong. you could pretty much carry a spare engine with you lol

https://users.bart.nl/~stikfort/new_international_site/foto/modellen/Honda_XL1000V-varadero-2007_01.jpg
____________________
TS50 (sold) NS125F (sold) NSR125R-K (write off after 2 crashes) CG125 (nicked) XR125L-3 (Sold )-: ) DR125SM '11 (sold yay) XL125V '12 (In love with this bike) XT600E '04 (fun on the dirt)

[ms51ves3]

[Itchy]

[G]

I shall see with my KTM. Hopefully the significantly smoother 690 engine will be good.
Saying that, people have done really big milages on the old 640 adventures too. Seen some pretty big trips one on EXCs too, for that matter!

I like low weight as any adventurous plans I'd have would include some moderate off-road routes. On that, that's a nice weight with a full big tank of fuel!
Do like on the KTM that it managed 108 two-up well laden with a pillion, but also has suspension that can handle a hare and hounds, etc.

[kingsknight]

would be hard work going on a 125 tho! try doing it on a NSR or RS haha
____________________
TS50 (sold) NS125F (sold) NSR125R-K (write off after 2 crashes) CG125 (nicked) XR125L-3 (Sold )-: ) DR125SM '11 (sold yay) XL125V '12 (In love with this bike) XT600E '04 (fun on the dirt)

[LankyPaddy]

[Itchy]

[G]

[kingsknight]

yeah but it wouldnt be very good off road! im thinking about doing a trip round the uk on my XR! r
____________________
TS50 (sold) NS125F (sold) NSR125R-K (write off after 2 crashes) CG125 (nicked) XR125L-3 (Sold )-: ) DR125SM '11 (sold yay) XL125V '12 (In love with this bike) XT600E '04 (fun on the dirt)

[Itchy]

[G]

[kingsknight]

yeah but they are not traveling 25k on them!!
____________________
TS50 (sold) NS125F (sold) NSR125R-K (write off after 2 crashes) CG125 (nicked) XR125L-3 (Sold )-: ) DR125SM '11 (sold yay) XL125V '12 (In love with this bike) XT600E '04 (fun on the dirt)

[garth]

My old man is doing it next year on a KLR650.
____________________
You ain't a has been if you never was

[Charlie]

I think the bike is very much up the person and how they want their trip to be. If you want some fun off-roading and be able to drop it (and pick it up easily), a light-weight small engined bike would be good. However you are then often forced stuck with smaller serving and when it comes to mile munching on the tarmac yo can't advance as much.

Also look at the cheapness side... if you want to fix it easy then you want a simple bike, a new modern one might not be so good because you would need specific parts to fix it.

I'd recommend reading Mondo Enduro
____________________
Past: Honda x8rs, Honda City fly, Honda Hornet 250, Honda VFR750, Yamaha xt600e.
Current: Honda CBR929RR & Yamaha XT660Z Tenere

[The Artist]

The whole long way round/down choosing a BMW is because they originally went to KTM and said, give us free bikes, we go round the world and you get a huge free advert. KTM said no. They went to BMW and they said yes.

KTM probably said no because they didn't think their bikes would make it round the world and didn't want any negative publicity.

I think even though the BMW's did break down a few times, they were after all, going around the world!

[Toukakoukan]

I went for an F650 myself :p
____________________
RTW Motorcycle Blog

[Charlie]

Ally, I also think it was down to some guy who had done it before telling KTM that he didn't think they would make it round. And KTM didn't think they would either.

Could have been mistaken it was a long time ago since I watched the DVD

I imagine KTM are quietly kicking themselves though.
____________________
Past: Honda x8rs, Honda City fly, Honda Hornet 250, Honda VFR750, Yamaha xt600e.
Current: Honda CBR929RR & Yamaha XT660Z Tenere

[G]

[Itchy]

[steppen22]

What do ppl think of Emilio Scotto ?

I just started his The Longest Ride.

And gave up within 30 pages.

He seems to be as much of a fantasist as a biker.

It's like an Indiana Jones tale. "I was riding my bike, and out of nowhere spring these 7 foot creatures, I avoided their swiping claws and opened the throttle. And then the head shrinkers prompted me to pull up to the left!"
____________________
no regrets, no retreat, no apology.
I've made mistakes in the past, and I apologise for FUCK ALL.