IF YOU ARE NEW TO MOTORCYCLING, OR HAVE BEEN AWAY FROM MOTORCYCLES FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS, YOU MAY BE MORE THAN A LITTLE CONFUSED AS TO WHAT TYPE OF MOTORCYCLE YOU NEED TO GET THE MOST OUT OF "TRUE" DUAL SPORT ADVENTURE RIDING.
ABOUT 9 YEARS AGO I DECIDED THAT I WAS TOTALLY BORED WITH STREET-ONLY RIDING, AND STARTED THE SEARCH FOR THE BEST DUAL SPORT OPTIONS FOR ME. THE PROBLEM WAS THERE ARE SO MANY ARTICES AND DISCUSSION GROUPS ON THE WEB TOUTING THE "BEST" ADVENTURE MOTORCYCLES, THAT IT IS ALL VERY CONFUSING.
THE THING I FOUND MOST DISTURBING IN MY RESEARCH WAS THAT MOST OF THE INFORMATION OUT THERE, IS BASED ON OPINIONS BY PEOPLE THAT EITHER HAD LITTLE EXPERIENCE WITH THE MOTORCYCLES THEY WERE DISCUSSING, OR WERE RE-STATING SOME INFORMATION THEY HAD READ ABOUT ON THE INTERNET. I NEEDED REAL INFORMATION, NOT OPINIONS.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO GIVE YOU SOME FACTUAL INFORMATION THAT IS BASED ON MY REAL LIFE EXPERIENCES LEARNED FROM MANY THOUSANDS OF MILES OF ADVENTURE RIDING. THE PURPOSE IS NOT TO TALK YOU INTO BUYING WHAT I LIKE, BUT RATHER GIVE YOU SOME USEFUL INFORMATION THAT MIGHT HELP YOU MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ABOUT THE MOTORCYCLE THAT FITS YOUR NEEDS.
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, I HAVE RIDDEN AS MANY OF THE SO-CALLED DUAL SPORT MOTORCYLES AS I COULD GET MY HANDS ON. THE BIKES VARIED IN BRAND AND ENGINE SIZE RANGING FROM A YAMAHA TT-225 ALL THE WAY UP TO THE SUZUKI 1100 V-STROM, WITH A DOZEN OTHERS IN THE MIDDLE. WHEN ALL THE DUST SETTLED, I HAVE SOME VERY STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT WHAT WORKS BEST, AND WHY.
REMEMBER THAT I AM DISCUSSING TRUE DUAL SPORT MOTORCYCLES WHICH, IN MY MIND, ARE MOTORCYCLES THAT WILL YOU GET ACROSS LONG STRETCHES OF PAVEMENT AND DIRECTLY INTO THE MOST RUGGED REMOTE AREAS YOU CAN IMAGINE, AND...OUT AGAIN!
MY FIRST CONCLUSION IS THAT SIZE DOES MATTER! ANYTHING LESS THAN 400cc IS GOING TO COME UP AT A LITTLE SHORT IN THE LONG DISTANCE PORTION OF THE EQUATION, AND ANYTHING OVER 650cc IS SIMPLY OVERKILL IN THE OFF-ROAD PART OF ADVENTURE RIDING.
I HAVE A LIST OF RULES FOR SELECTING A DUAL SPORT MOTORCYCLE THAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM MANY YEARS OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND RESEARCH. THEY ARE SIMPLY THIS:
1. NEVER RIDE A MOTORCYCLE THAT IS TOO HEAVY FOR YOU TO PICK UP BY YOURSELF IF (AND WHEN) YOU GO DOWN. THIS APPLIES ESPECIALLY TO OFF-ROAD RIDING.
2. NEVER OFF-ROAD A BIKE THAT YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO SEE LYING ON IT'S SIDE IN A HEAP OF GRAVEL AND CACTUS. IF YOUR BIKE IS NOT SCRATCHED, YOU'RE NOT HAVING ENOUGH FUN.
3. NEVER EVER BUY A BIKE BECAUSE IT LOOKS COOL IN A BROCHURE OR BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE TELLS YOU IT'S THE BEST DUAL SPORT EVER MADE. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND AT THE VERY LEAST, GET IN A TEST RIDE AND TALK TO PEOPLE THAT OWN AND RIDE THE SAME MODEL.
4. DON'T BELIEVE ALL YOU READ. 99% OF ALL MOTORYCLE MAGAZINE REVIEWS ARE BULL****! THEY SURVIVE BY PROMOTING THEIR ADVERTISER'S PRODUCTS, AND THEY USUALLY REPEAT WHAT THE MANUFACTURER TELLS THEM.
5. SAVE YOURSELF SOME REAL FINANCIAL HEARTACHE BY RIDING THE BIKE FOR A THOUSAND MILES OR SO BEFORE LOADING IT UP WITH LOTS OF AFTERMARKET ADVENTURE GEAR. I SEE MANY SITUATIONS WHERE THE OWNERS EQUIP THEIR BIKES WITH TONS OF EXPENSIVE GEAR, THEN DECIDE THEY REALLY DON'T LIKE THE BIKE. ACCESSORIES DON'T NECESSARILY ADD TO THE RESALE VALUE, AND YOU WILL MORE THAN LIKELY TAKE A BIG LOSS ON YOUR INVESTMENT.
6. BE REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT THE REGULAR AND UNEXPECTED MAINTENENCE ISSUES WILL COST YOU. WHILE TODAYS MOTORCYCLES ARE MORE RELIABLE THAN EVER, THE SCHEDULED MAINTENENCE AND INCIDENTAL REPAIRS CAN QUICKLY RUN INTO THE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS. AN EXPENSIVE MOTORCYCLE USUALLY MEANS MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE MAINTENENCE COSTS. I PREFER A BIKE THAT I CAN DO MUCH OF THE WORK ON MYSELF, WHICH IS CRUCIAL IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM 100 MILES FROM NOWHERE.
