The Adventurers
The Adventurers
How far off the beaten path do you want to go?
EXPLORATION IS AN INHERENT PART of human nature. It’s been the catalyst for every important geographic discovery homo sapiens has made since we first figured out how to walk upright.
That may help explain why the adventure-touring category of motorcycles currently is one of the hottest. Despite all the modern technology that permits virtual travel, people still long to discover first-hand what might lie over that nearby horizon, and then the next, then the one after that... And there is no better way to do that, to see the world and all its wonders, than by motorcycle.
If those travels require you to venture off the beaten path, even a little bit, there is no better tool for getting you there and back than an adventure bike.
As is clearly evident in this Buyer’s Guide, motorcycling has quite a few specialized categories—sportbike, touring, dirtbike, cruiser and so on. But there also are subdivisions in most of those categories, including among adventure bikes. So, to help you understand what these wonderfully versatile adventure machines are all about and which ones work best for different kinds of riding, we’ve organized the avail-
able models into three basic groups and identified their pluses and minuses for their intended purposes.
Heavyweight Tourers
This category is arguably one of the fastest-growing. BMW created the class with the R80 G/S in 1981 and continues the lineage with its R1200GS/GS Adventure. It took a while for the rest of the industry to see the light, but competition eventually came in the form of KTM’s 950/990 Adventure, and others soon followed.
In 2011, Yamaha entered the U.S. market with the 1200cc Super Ténéré, even winning a Cycle World comparison in its first year of American availability. This year, Triumph is jumping in feet-first with its Tiger Explorer powered by a 1215cc inline-Triple. Other players include two V-Twins, the Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200 4V and the Suzuki V-Strom 1000.
Helping define these heavyweight machines are their 1000cc-or-larger engines, availability of off-road-appropriate wheels and tires, and enough luggage capacity to haul gear for a
weekendor week-long ride—or more. Plus, the ability to comfortably take a passenger along for the experience is something all of these machines do quite well.
Another area that helps delineate this category is available accessories: heated grips, power ports, electronic suspension adjustment, traction control, ABS brakes and navigation systems. All are items that let these heavyweights cross over and perform very competently as either sport-touring or open-road touring machines capable of comfortably eating huge chunks of mileage on any
paved road. Most or all of these bikes also are capable of dealing with dirt roads and moderate off-road conditions, but their size and weight render them less than ideal for tight, rough off-road conditions.
Middleweight Potpourri
Another segment seeing significant growth is the 650-to-800cc Singles, Twins and Triples. The twin-cylinder machines are the BMW F800GS and Suzuki V-Strom 650; the Triumph Tiger 800XC is the sole Triple. The BMW G650GS/G650GS Sertäo and heavyweight dual-purpose Singles like the KTM 690 Enduro, Kawasaki KLR650 and Suzuki DR650SE are also chucked into this mix. The latter three can be outfitted with accessory luggage and serve as respectable adventure bikes.
Displacement isn’t the only attribute that separates those dual-purpose models from the heavyweights; their lighter weight allows these “in-betweeners” to tackle dirt roads, double-track and even single-track trails with far greater ease than most of the 1000cc-plus bikes.
Like those giants, the F800GS, 800XC and V-Strom all come standard or are available with accessories to improve their comfort and touring capabilities—heated grips, navigation, optional seats and various luggage options. The Singles, on the other hand, can be used as trailbikes, dual-
purpose machines or outfitted with luggage for multi-day off-road exploring.
If you really want to go where few others are likely to go but don’t want to ride a true enduro or dual-purpose machine, these middleweights are likely the best options.
Urbanites
As romantic as it all sounds, the reality of adventure motorcycles is that most buyers will spend 95 percent of their time on the road; some may never actually take their bikes onto a dirt road at all, let alone forge streams or crawl through rock gardens. These bikes are much like the SUVs that rarely see anything but asphalt, despite their rugged images. So, why pretend? For riders who like comfortable, upright riding positions and bump-sucking longtravel suspension combined with excellent
handling and strong engine performance, sticking to more tarmac-oriented machines makes sense.
Standouts in this evolving class include the Ducati Multistrada (in multiple variations), Aprilia Mana 850 GT, BMW F650GS, Kawasaki Versys, KTM 990 Supermoto T, Triumph Tiger 1050 and the brand-new-for-2012 Honda NC700X.
Even though the occasional dirt road won’t throw these machines much of a curve ball, focus remains on the blacktop. Stickier tires and sport-tuned, longish-travel suspension not only are a recipe for a great backroad burner but also make these bikes a solid choice for the potholes, manhole covers and train tracks of urban commuting. And on tight and curvy roads, the Multistrada, Supermoto T and Tiger 1050 have few rivals.
As these models prove, each manufacturer puts a slightly different spin on its urban bikes. Ducati, KTM and Triumph all go the liter-plus, maxi-supermotomachine-with-bags approach, while Kawasaki offers an upright version of its 650 Ninja. Aprilia and Honda go an entirely different route, building crossovers that fall somewhere between scooters and motorcycles to fill the role of twistand-go commuters. Those two also feature transmissions that can be operated either manually or set to fully automatic (Aprilia uses CVT, Honda DCT), have storage compartments where a fuel tank would typically reside and can be outfitted with luggage for journeys that don’t have an office at the other end.
So, the bottom line here is pretty clear: No matter where you want to go, there’s an adventure-style motorcycle built to get you there. □
