Are big adventure bikes past it?

[fastbob]

1 hour ago, Mac1 said:

Interesting thread. I have a harley, (heavy), but not going anywhere soon cos i love it. I bought an 1150 gsa and whilst i loved riding it having two heavy bikes was not where i wanted to be. I sold the gsa and bought a 650 v strom which is a great bike if a little dull. I am convinced a middleweight is where i want to be and am now thinking about either a triumph or bmw 650/800. However the er5 threads on here have also peeked my interest.

 

thanks again for the thread

I also have a Harley but I'm a great fan of the ER5 . Once you get moving they feel like a 125 with grunt . Perfectly fine on the Motorway and great for twisty single track roads in Scotland . 

[manxie49]

I used to have a big ADV, Yamaha Super Tenere.  When I bought it I never had any intention of taking it off road,  I have a CRF250 for that, and even that's a pain to pick up.  The super Tenere weighs in at around 584lbs, drop it off road and you'd need to be built like Arnie to pick the thing up!  I think most people buy them as big comfortable tourers, especially if you're quite tall, this is what I bought it for, two up, fully laden, touring comfort, it was like sitting in an armchair, and at that it was very capable.  The big downfall, for me anyway, was the day to day running around and commuting, for that, it wasn't user friendly and speaking to a friend who has a BMW GS he has the same problem.  But let's face it, they were never built for that.

 

I struggle now, in hindsight, to truly understand what they were built for.  The smaller ADV's IMO, are just as capable and far more user friendly than there bigger and heavier counterparts.  I test road a Tenere 700 and it was a totally different beast, agile, much lighter, a bike you could comfortably tour on, good for the day to day running around, and one that, if you wanted, would be far easier to handle of the beaten track than its big brother ever would.

 

I wouldn't buy another one I don't think,  there are far better bikes out there to suits my needs.  I know GS's are selling like hot cakes, and they are very good bikes, but personally, what I do now, is really think long and hard about what I'm going to be using the bike for and tailoring my selection accordingly.  Big ADV's do have a place still in the biking world still, but are not for me.

[Gerontious]

my GS weighed 536Lbs wet and was my daily ride for 21 years.. It was often described to me as a lardy tractor.. though I often used the term myself too. But, compared with far more modern bikes, perhaps it wasnt so lardy after all. My current bike is heavier... though it feels much, much lighter. I took the GS off road a lot.. but the off roading I did was the type of off roading it was actually designed to cope with (im not an idiot) and it behaved impeccably. I never dropped it once.. that pastime seemed restricted to tarmac roads. (or my own driveway)

 

I bought it in 1997 (the first one, Ive had two the same) because it fitted me... the first bike that did. (rather than the other way round... having to fold myself in 3 just to get aboard) It was very different. had ABS which I thought was a great idea. And.. over the years it was my sole transport, fun, commuting and touring Europe. a bit of everything.

 

Used to amuse me no end the reaction it got at Matlock etc. Not just that.. but then the reaction I would get when other bikers realised it was mine..  a 35yr old riding a Beemer.... what?

 

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Edited February 1, 2021 by Gerontious

[fastbob]

It's all well and good to have heavy duty metal cases on these Adventure Bikes but I can think of many instances where the sheer width of these things would prevent you from passing another vehicle on a single track road . In Scotland there are passing places but it doesn't always work like that. I wouldn't want to have to reverse that thing a hundred yards with my feet  . 

Edited February 1, 2021 by fastbob

[Gerontious]

The stock aluminium panniers on the GSA are 1.5" wider than the handlebars. its not an issue.