Calling adventure bike owners

[gazza]

Hi guys

just thought i'd throw this question at you.

Currently own a 14 FJR and love it but have also been looking at a second( adventure) bike to hit a few more of the unsealed roads. If you do own a FJR and a adventure bike what are you currently riding. I'm thinking of a Tenere, BMW or a Tiger at this stage but have not been on any at this stage.

Regards

Gary

 

[Ignacio]

All in my signature.

 

[Mudslide Miller]

Out of your 3 choices, I would be on an F800 first (F650, if you're of shorter stature).

 

[radiummadman]

f you like the FJR you will love th Super T

 

[ShowMeMo]

KTM 1290SA

 

[Queensland Ken]

Think outside the marketing.

My Moto Guzzi Stelvio NTX is better, in my opinion, than the 3 mentioned, I have ridden them all, mind you it was an older BMW1200 ADV bike.

They are a bit agricultural, rusty, no cBus a big ++++, great usable torque ..... better than the others, great highway or off road tourer, fully set up unlike the other bikes.

Crash bars, driving lights, panniers, sump guard, heated grips, BIG tank, comfy seats, switchable ABS, diagnostics via dash, large alternator output, hand guards, good screen and after market acc & parts.

Also it takes an hour to adjust the tappets and TBS and reset.

Also about an hour to service the shaft drive, swing arm and relay arm

No shaft drive or rotor failures, air cooled .... no radiator damage.

THE easiest bike I've ever worked on, far far easier than the FJR. Service items from the local automotive supply, nothing special.

Fewer dealers but if needed parts easily obtainable on line not that I've needed them.

Very little goes wrong with them... a bit boring really, and 2 very helpful & informative forums.

Then only problem is the translation into English in the Service and Owners manuals, lol. Quite funny for a giggle.

I've done 2 mods for known problems, one of which, as a consequence just so happened to meet Aussie ADR.

I put a new map in the ECU and now the bike is superb with it's Staintune exhaust.

The one gripe I had is when I changed out the oil filter the first time. It is recessed into the oil pan and real bugger to remove it.

No clearance for any tools. Had to buy a cup wrench and only used it one time for the job. Now have a Scotts.

BUT the Super 10 would be the choice of those 3. I've swapped few times with my mates 10, very nice.

 

[Pterodactyl]

I have a Super Tenere and just between us... I find I ride it more often then the FJR these days.

 

[bigjohnsd]

KLR 650 - Put 100 miles on the dirt on my Blue Beast yesterday in the Black Hills.

She is definitely Agricultural but a hoot to ride.

Still Farkling

 

[rushes]

I have a Tenere, KLR650, and a KLX250. I love them all for different reasons.

But lately I've been tempted to trade the Tenere for a CRF1000.

You might take a look at it and compare.

 

[Mudslide Miller]

Obviously different tastes for everyone. By the time you're 3 pages deep on this thread, you'll be more confused than ever and probably sorry you ever asked in the first place!

Only way to really decide is to do your research on what you are looking for in regards to the type of riding you're are really looking to do; forest roads, single track, hill climbing, sand, distance of pavement to get to the dirt, etc. There's no perfect off-roader for all; they all have their weaknesses in certain areas. Good luck! Maybe if you tell us the type of riding you are planning to do would help narrow down people's advice on choices.

 

[Hudson]

Rode the Super T, GS, and KTM 1190R, bought the KTM. Never considered anything smaller as I have a Husqvarna TE310 which is really just a dressed up dirt bike. I tried the BMW 800 - engine doesn't impress.

Liked them all - but they excel at different things and have various strengths and challenges.

KTM 1190R - by far the best dirt contender, and the one to buy if you actually ride more than just forest roads. Stunning power, a breeze to ride, great street handling, and did I mention that Vtwin? Comes with excellent suspension, never felt the need to upgrade. Great e-gadgets too. No cruise control, but if you need it you really don't need a dual sport. Plan on a bit more maintenance, and there are some bugs that can be worked out aftermarket.

Super Tenere - great all around bike, with tweaks and tires it can handle moderate dirt. You sit on, not in, the Super T, and you feel the weight compared to the KTM. All-day comfy as touring bike, but the weight would make it my second or third choice if higher ratio of off-road riding was my focus. Strong acceleration, handling requires some suspension upgrades (hmmm...like and FJR?). Service costs and DIY seem to be very owner-friendly, and I've yet to hear strong complaints about reliability - it's a Yamaha of course. You can get a slightly used 2-4 year old one for 8-9K, so a bargain used.

BMW GS - not the adventure, which is a porker of a bike, but the regular one. It straddles the line between the Tenere and KTM, but at a much higher price. I've seen friends do some neat things in the dirt with a GS, they are heavy but have a lower COG then the SuperT. Lotsa e-gadgets. If I owned only one bike that had to do everything (tour, handle, off-road), I'd be hard pressed to pick a better swiss army knife than the GS. As a second bike, though, I'd look very hard at the others mostly because of the price and service costs.

Before you plunk down your dough, know this. You need a few classes on riding these off-road to really get the value out of a dual sport, especially a heavier one. Nothing in your FJR riding experiences translate to off-road (though what you learn off-road translates well to the street). You can also scope out the mid to smaller size options (650's and 800's) but IMHO when you add all your touring gear (or a passenger), you won't be as happy with the smaller bikes. I have never been impressed with the KLR and I don't understand the attraction - these bikes are slow and heavy and do nothing well except rack of lots of miles without expensive repairs. A Vstrom is not really an adventure bike - though many take it off-road. Similarly, a dirt bike dressed up as a dual sport, like the KTM 690R or Husky TE701, is still inherently a dirt bike, and if dirt is really your thing, they make good compromises. Just don't expect them to be all-day comfy as the FJR or larger adv bikes. Finally, if what you dream is to ride dirt trails, don't think you can do this on an adventure bike. Sure, there are lots of videos of guys doing dirt bike like things with big heavy bikes, but unless you are a motocross expert, that will not be you.

On the Stelvio mentioned above - the local dealer has these and they look like a ton of bike for how much they are discounted (I regularly see these new and leftover stock for $3-5k off MSRP), and I'd not shy away from one, if you have a local dealer to supply parts/service. The Motoguzzi engine is a bit of an acquired taste, I happen to like it. Not much in the way of e-gadgets (like the KTM or GS) but on par with the SuperT.

The Honda Africa Twin looks fantastic, but I have yet to see or ride one. The idea of DSG auto is very interesting. It won't win races against the others, but for what it targets, this seems like a candidate for the short list.

Decide why you are wanting an adventure bike first, then test ride and find the bike that comes closest to meeting those goals and speaks to you the loudest.

 

[gazza]

Thanks for all the feedback guys and yes i am a bit more confused but i will sort it out.

And before you say that i could ride this sort of road on a FJR i guess this pic would be one of the more easier unsealed roads iv'e been down. A lot of the others have loose metal and pot holes etc.

https://s920.photobucket.com/user/gazzz123/media/P1000062.jpg.html?sort=3&o=25

 

[escapefjrtist]

You really can't go wrong with any of the big trailies. I chose the Tenere, simply due to the reliability of the bike and intended use. Mine is set-up for north-of-the-border rough road touring...works excellent in that regard.

Happy hunting!

--G

 

[Hudson]

Gaza, ain't nothing wrong with that road on an FJR. You don't need an adv bike for gravel roads, though it is nicer to ride. I thought you were thinking more like this:

Oh...I didn't know your SO was reading over your shoulder. ahem. That looks like a very bad road for an FJR, you need to get a new Adv bike before you crash and die on that POS FJR.

 

[Kelvininin]

Due to kids I am down to just the FJR, but I have owned a KTM Adventure 990, and a Super Tenere. Had I to do over again, I would kept the KTM and passed on the Tenere. The Tenere is a fine bike, but it's not nearly as good off pavement as the KTM. The KTM is quirky, maintenance intensive, where the Tenere is boring and easy to own.

I have a serious hardon for the KTM Super Adventure 1290, but will have to wait until the kids are older before I do something like that. I may get a medium sized dirtbike though before I commit to another adventure bike.

 

[Gramps]

Triumph Explorer 1200. Excellent on the road, very good on dirt/gravel roads, lousy for trails (too heavy). First decide what you want to use it for...smaller lighter bikes are better. Just saying.

 

[UberKul]

I'd say look at what your friends are riding and go with something similar. If you are riding alone go with something you can pick up.

 

[RJAMT]

Illinois isn't exactly the "home of great off-roading" but I often ride dirt/gravel levee roads and, when I can find them, forest roads like this on my FJR since it's all I have.



Don't underestimate the big girl. She's obviously not a dirt bike but if you keep the speed down and show some respect to the weight you'll be surprised where you can go.

 

[bigjohnsd]

Just ask Petey.