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Category Archives: Motorcycles

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Midsize Adventure Off-Road Shootout part 2

Texas Adventure Posted on January 12, 2019 by RichardJanuary 9, 2019

Africa Twin Adventure Sports

Having managed our expectations about this Cycle World article by previously re-writing the title in plain English – Sub-1200cc Heavyweight Adventure Dirt Road Shootout – we are now prepared to discuss some of the particulars of the article. Our goal here, as in part one, is to translate the “writer-speak” in the article into ordinary, everyday English so that the content can be more accurately understood.

Writer-speak: “We sought the off-road-leaning middle ground in adventure machines…larger adventure bikes wouldn’t be able to attack the technical terrain we wanted to experience.”

Ordinary english: There no real world difference between a 500+ lb 800-1090cc adventure bike and a 500+ lb 1200cc adventure bike. However, we need to claim that something is uniquely important about these 500+ lb adventure bikes with smaller motors so we are going to pretend the behemoths with the slightly smaller motors are more “off-road leaning” than the same size behemoths with slightly larger motors. The truth is the big girls with the smaller motors aren’t any more off-road capable or suitable than the big girls with the larger motors.

Writer-speak: “Ranging from 507 pounds for the Tiger to 556 pounds for the Honda (measured without fuel on the CW scale), the heft of these machines melts away as you stand on the pegs to attack the trail.”

Ordinary english: We don’t have any actual off-road riding experience. The weight of these machines doesn’t melt away or magically disappear when riding off-road. They are big, heavy pigs. The only place the weight isn’t an issue is when the bikes are being ridden and are completely vertical to the ground. Lean them either way, especially at slow speeds off-road, and you will feel every ounce of weight. But we have to explain away the weight somehow to support our claim that they are more off-road leaning than the same sized adventure bikes with slightly larger motors.

Writer-speak: “The Triumph feels the lightest, mostly because of its smaller size, while the KTM is significantly lighter on its feet than the Africa Twin.”

Ordinary english: The lightest bike (the 507 lb Triumph) felt the lightest because it was the lightest. The 535 lb KTM (the second lightest bike) felt significantly lighter than the 556 lb Honda because it weighs 21 lbs less than the Honda. In other words, the heavier the bike the heavier it felt – the pounds did not somehow melt away when the bikes were being ridden.

Writer-speak: “The real winner here is the rider looking for a ­machine that is capable of devouring miles of a mixed terrain while also going nearly anywhere a full-on dirt bike can go. There are no other motorcycles that expand the meaning of riding “everywhere” than midsize adventure machines.”

Ordinary english: Adventure bikes are the hottest sellers on the market and the manufacturers have carefully created an image for adventure motorcycles as go-anywhere bikes. Motorcycle magazines exist to help sell motorcycles and image is more important than facts so we are going to go along with the pretense and claim these giant beasts can go nearly anywhere a full-on dirt bike can go.

There is no reason to exaggerate the marvelous capabilities of these amazing bikes, Don’t be fooled by writer-speak. See these bikes for what they really are – truly awesome motorcycles that aren’t really suitable, or fun, to ride on anything tougher than easy dirt roads.

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged Adventure Bikes, Africa Twin, Honda, KTM 1090, Triumph Tiger | Leave a reply

Midsize Adventure Off-Road Shootout

Texas Adventure Posted on January 10, 2019 by RichardJanuary 10, 2019

Cycle World recently published a comparison of three adventure bikes – the KTM 1090, the Honda Africa Twin, and the Triumph Tiger 800XCx. Unfortunately, the article was written in “writer speak” potentially making it difficult for the less experienced riders … Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged Adventure Bikes, Africa Twin, KTM 1090, Motorcycles, Triumph Tiger 800 | Leave a reply

Rejoice at your choices

Texas Adventure Posted on December 17, 2018 by RichardDecember 17, 2018

For 20 years the mainstream dual sport motorcycle class in the United States has been stuck in a backwater swamp with few signs of life.  The last time Honda updated the XR650L was never – it’s been the same bike … Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Leave a reply

Living in Bizarro World

Texas Adventure Posted on December 15, 2018 by RichardJanuary 9, 2019

When I was a kid I used to love reading Superman comics. It was there I was introduced to Bizarro World, a place that sort of resembled planet Earth but where everything was oddly different. For example, Earth had Batman, … Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged BMW F850GS | Leave a reply

Building a Unicorn

Texas Adventure Posted on December 1, 2018 by RichardNovember 29, 2018

“Now… If you up the ante a bit … more like 365 lbs, 200 mile range, 11-12 inches of travel and a Twin engine we’re getting to Unicorn territory.” – cb60130, advrider.com The adventure riding world calls this bike “the unicorn” … Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged 701 Enduro, Husqvarna, KTM 690 | Leave a reply

The Unicorn Bike

Texas Adventure Posted on November 30, 2018 by RichardNovember 29, 2018

Adventure riders have been longing for “the Unicorn” adventure bike for as long as there have been adventure bikes. What is “the unicorn bike”? It is a lightweight, multi-cylinder, off road biased, adventure bike that can do anything and everything, … Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged 701 Enduro, Husqvarna, KTM 690 | Leave a reply

Yamaha Tenere 700

Texas Adventure Posted on November 28, 2018 by RichardNovember 29, 2018

For the past two years or so Yamaha has been teasing us with the Tenere 700 – a multi-cylinder, middleweight, adventure bike with an off-road bias. The rumors have had the adventure riding world drooling at the thought. Imagine – … Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged Yamaha; Tenere 700 | Leave a reply

Honda CRF450L – holding its own

Texas Adventure Posted on November 28, 2018 by RichardNovember 28, 2018

The new Honda CRF450L is out (you can buy one now) and the initial reviews have been published. The consensus of the motorcycle press is that despite weighing 30 lbs or so more than the competition the CRF450L is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged Honda CRF450L | Leave a reply

Honda CRF450L in the wild

Texas Adventure Posted on September 17, 2018 by RichardSeptember 17, 2018

After a well telegraphed build-up, Honda has finally released the 2019 CRF450L – one of the most anticipated dual sport bikes in history. Honda (and Japanese) motorcycle fans have been demanding new dual sport bikes from Japan for years as … Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged CRF450L | Leave a reply

Husqvarna in Austin

Texas Adventure Posted on June 30, 2018 by RichardJune 30, 2018

Austin used to have a Husqvarna motorcycle dealer (Napalm Motorsports) but they went out of business in 2017. Since then, if you wanted to buy a new Husqvarna motorcycle or get service on a Husky you already owned, the closest … Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged Husqvarna | Leave a reply

Now Is Your Chance

Texas Adventure Posted on May 23, 2018 by RichardMay 23, 2018

You’ve been wishing, hoping, praying, and hollering for the Japanese to come out with a modern 450 dual sport bike. You swore that if they would just make it, you would buy it. Your wish has been answered – today … Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged CRF450L, Honda | Leave a reply

An Open Letter to Scott Anderson

Texas Adventure Posted on March 1, 2018 by RichardMarch 1, 2018

Dear Scott, I read with great interest your open letter to all BMW GS haters posted on adventurebikerider.com.  Your letter prompted me to write an open response to you. I would be surprised to learn that there are any significant … Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged Motorcycles | Leave a reply

Would you pay the same price?

Texas Adventure Posted on February 6, 2018 by RichardFebruary 6, 2018

A guy on Advrider posted this question: Would you pay an equal price for a Japanese dual sport (DS) that is totally equal to a European one? I think that is a really interesting question. 68.3% of the respondents claimed … Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged Motorcycles | Leave a reply

Can you repair them in the field?

Texas Adventure Posted on January 31, 2018 by RichardJanuary 7, 2018

One the two arguments advanced by fans of old-school Japanese thumpers is that they are easier to repair in the field, especially in less developed countries with few dedicated motorcycle repair shops. This idea is represented by a comment made … Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Leave a reply

Are Japanese motorcycles more reliable?

Texas Adventure Posted on January 29, 2018 by RichardJanuary 7, 2018

It’s an interesting time in history for dual sport bikes (street legal but off-pavement capable motorcycles weighing 300-400 lbs). What makes it so interesting is that there is a very distinct duality in the dual sport world. An old versus … Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles, Uncategorized | Tagged 701 Enduro, XR650L | Leave a reply

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Featured Content

Guide to dual sport adventure riding Are you new to the wonderful world of dual sport adventure riding and wondering where to start? If so, this guide is for you.
- Introduction Start here.
- What is Dual Sport Adventure Riding?
- Selecting the Perfect Motorcycle
- Protecting your bike

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