So who are the Adv riders here?

for ADV, my current stable:
2016 KTM 1190 Adventure (standard)
2006 KTM 525EXC (2 sets of 17" wheels, one with slicks one with TKC80's)
2006 KTM 400EXC (2 sets of 21/18" wheels, one with full knobby, the other DOT's)

 

Kelly: have you ever thought about doing the KAT? I did it two years ago, and it was a freaking blast. We did it on dirt bikes, but I'd love to go back and try it on my 1190 now.

http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/the-kentucky-adventure-tour-kat.919224/

 

Yep. Sold it a couple of years ago.

 

KLR sucks on the highway. That stock front fender gives you a nice headshake above 65.

 

That's where he bought it...I was actually with him at the time. It is the standard 1190 (I'm not sure what the letter after it is) but it's definitely not the taller one. What can I say, sometimes you just don't like something and I don't like KTM's. I've even ridden his and it didn't do anything spectacular for me. Whatever I end up getting will be used every day that is rideable. I ride to work every day that I can and I head out on weekends every chance I get. That's why I want a motorcycle that I can go to Alaska on and then come home and ride to work every day.

 

I've heard all about it and read that thread many times, I've just never had the time or gumption to do it. Let me know if you're thinking about it some time and that might be what it takes to get me over the edge. Some guys in the local BMW club did the Lap Of Kentucky back in October but it wasn't off-road. I'd like to try the off-road.

 

Yeah, I totally get that. You have to find a personal connection with your bike.

You're right about the letter thing, it isn't technically an "S" model, it is just Adventure or Adventure R. I (and many) call it the S for standard. I'm 5'8" so it was the only option for me. Even as the shorter model, it is still pretty damn tall. I'm loving it though. I'm riding it exactly how you described: every day and the occasional adventure. I just need better tires and a better skidplate so I can go a little further offroad. This is my first true do everything bike. A couple of weekends ago I threw it in the bed of my buddy's truck and went to Atlanta to watch Supercross. The next morning I got up and rode some crazy twisties (NGA, Cherohola, Dragon), found a random dirt/rocky road and got lost in the mountains, then insterstated it home to save some time. I've just never had a bike that could do all of those things so well. It was an awesome day, and really cemented why I bought this bike.

 

That's pretty much exactly what my brother and I are going to do this summer...throw a couple bikes in the truck, drive to Denver and park, then ride the state and areas beyond. And the second thing is a long weekend at exactly the spots you went. I like the Cherohola better than the Dragon.

And it was the standard Adventure. I sat on the R and that thing is HUGE! Sad thing is he bought it in 2014 and has put less than 2000 miles on it!

 

Fun times for sure. When you’re getting looks from jeepers you know you are off the beaten path for 500+ lb bikes.

Both bikes never missed a beat.

I did the ADV thing hard and heavy for 13-14 years on Vstroms, Tenere, DR650 and even on my WR250F. Rode them on all sorts of terrain from west coast to east coast. Mountains to the desert. My favorite was the Yamaha Tenere. I bought it aight unseen on the PDP program back in 2010. Waited 10 months to get it. Very well built motorcycle, Little heavy but it never gave me a day’s trouble and I beat the hell out of it for 41k miles. It still lives on today with another ADV rider who is still rocking it.

DR650 was good and solid not very good on highway however I did ride it from MS to Virginia mostly all back roads and gravel but did a few highway stints on it. It was pretty good off on single track with upgraded suspension but still heavy for serious off road. The pig DR was ok in Colorado but it was tiring with the weight and I didn’t have the jetting even close for 11-13k feet of elevation. Rode it up and over Black bear pass and the tank did the job.

Vstroms, I really like the 650, it didn’t do anything great just a lot of everything good. Solid no issues. The new XT wire wheel versions are nice bikes. The 1000 never was my favorite in the first two generations but if I was to get back into it now I’d buy the 1000 XT and run a soft side bag setup on it. Friend locally has one and it’s nice! I always liked the 1000 vtwin SUZUKI motor, bought a TLR back in 98 when they first come out.

Recently dual sported my off road only WR250F in Arkansas late last October. It did the job great in the single track and rocky off road but I hated the road on it. To be expected from a true dirtbike on pavement. It was fun as hell off road on it in Utah though. I tried to die there more than once on it.

I have never tried the ktms but ride with many guys who do own them. More than I’m willing to spend on a bike to beat off road and same goes with the BMW’s. The GSs are nice nice if I could stick to posing and only light gravel or highway. I could never do that so it would be a $20k + expensive beating eventually. Maintenance cost on both of them steers me clear to. I like the cheaply Japanese stuff which requires gas and go generally.

A gravel road doesn’t require a special bike hell I’ve done them on my Concours 14 and even a GSXR and my old Bking. Road surface usually doesn’t make me turn around on any bike.

 

If I wasn't planning on hitting some more difficult dirt roads, the Multi would have been high on my list. I sat on one and loved it. (well, except the Enduro model, which felt effing huge and 12' tall)

 

I like ADV style bikes for their comfort and practicality, not so much interested in "real" ADV type riding though. "I want to go to Alaska and Colorado" doesn't tell me what you really need- you could do those and never ride anything gnarlier than a gravel or hard packed dirt road that any bike could handle. I've owned a KLR and DL650 and ridden a bunch of other ADV types, so here's my 2c....

Tenere- too big, just plain boring
GS- does everything pretty great, handles surprisingly well (as most BMW's), but $$$ to buy and expensive shit WILL break
KLR- one of those "always wanted one" bikes that turned out to be "meh". Very simple (almost agricultural) which is good and bad, very comfy solo, very slow.
DL650- this is Goldilocks, won't blow you away in any aspect, but capable in every area. Fast enough to be fun in the twisties, reliable. I'd still have one if riding 2 up wasn't on my want list.
Tiger 800- I was expecting to love this, I figured it'd be like my DL but more refined and much more powerful with it's 675 derived motor, but I found it to be super bland, and sorry- but none of the Euro brands have Japanese level reliability.

 

i can't be the only one who thought this thread was about Advanced track day riders could i?


anyway... anything can be "adventure" if you want to make it that way... here are two of my Hypers...

 

Adventure is where you find it....



but my idea of the ideal Dual Sport (packed for camping in North GA): KTM 950 Super Enduro

 

There were three of us that rode to Alaska together, new Tenere, KTM 950, and me on my Kawi Versys. Tenere was comfy but heavy, KTM tall and heavy, Versys, not quite as fast, but I could push it around the campground loaded and I'd be more than willing to take it off road. If I were buying another I think I'd get the Triumph 800.

 

The CB500X Adventure looks like a very good alternative to the KLR650: http://www.advpulse.com/adv-bikes/rally-raid-cb500x-review/

Yamaha Tenere 700 is on the way, but I'm a bit skeptical about the weight: http://www.cyclenews.com/2016/11/article/yamaha-t7-concept-unveiled-milan-gallery-video/

 

Assuming you're keeping the FZ1, I'd go no bigger than a DL650. I'm kind of digging the modern but minimalist Versys 300- http://advrider.com/index.php?threa...300-non-abs-central-nc.1285282/#post-34596014

 

Yep, keeping the FZ...and the Nighthawk, the Monster, the RZ etc, etc. What I'm looking for is a flagship motorcycle that can do some off-road, like the Tenere and GS. Honestly those are the only two that interest me. Right now the negatives with those two are pretty much what everybody knows...Tenere's are boring and GS's need more maintenance than a Japanese bike. I've owned 3 BMW's, I understand the issues. So do I want boring but reliable or more interesting yet quirky?

I know, first world problems.

 

Well, in that case...go big- SDR1290 or GT. Slap on some Kenda big blocks or the like and go most anywhere (in a hurry!). If I was gonna take my chances on Euro reliability, I'd go orange.