Comments on: Why You Should Consider Riding A Small Bike For Your Adventures

By: Vane

Vane — Sun, 15 Sep 2024 16:12:18 +0000

I rode with RE Himalayan from Chennai, India to Finland. 15000km and 65 days. One reason for a great trip was the slow pace we rode, had time to look around.
Now I also have a KTM 690 and rode to outer Hebrides and Croatia this year with it, light bike more fun and I also compensate my lack of skill with a light bike. Recommend!

By: Ron Ecke

Ron Ecke — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 14:03:40 +0000

As an owner & rider of a 2007 Suzuki DR200SE, I agree with having a small, light, 275 lbs wet, bike in some tight stuff, and being able to move it around easier if needed. Mine is a blast on and off road ! Not quite 4 k miles on mine, still original tires which I am looking to replace soon, with something more dirt oriented. I believe they are deathwings on it now, more street oriented but slippery there for me too. 85 mpg is hard to beat. When I want bigger I get on my DR 650, what a pig !!!

By: Larry

Larry — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 02:12:02 +0000

I’m 70, rode my KLR650 to Central America and then to Alaska. Love the bike but it’s heavy and tall. Just got back from Australia where I bought a little 250 Suzuki V Strom. Went 30k kilometers around the whole country. Had a blast on the wee strom. Have no desire to ride a big heavy bike now.

By: Chow

Chow — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 02:56:22 +0000

In reply to Ashley. Had one of these. Fun bike but not built for any sort of distance travel. The tank is 5 litres FFS!

By: Aaron Willits

Aaron Willits — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 04:54:49 +0000

I ride a DRZ400S, equipped for backroad travel to the trailhead. There’s something organically satisfying about cruising at 45 on a backroad taking everything in. For what I do, it works great. If I wanted something to do longer trips, the DRZ would get tiring. Loving that the manufacturers are realizing there’s a market for lighter, smaller displacement bikes that are truly capable off-road and on. The thought of a DRZ 400 with a 6 speed, EFI, windscreen and some tech at a reasonable price sounds freaking fun. I’m a bigger guy (225 lbs), so give me fully adjustable suspension too please 🙂
Looking forward to seeing what the market brings in the near future. In the meantime, I might have to check out the new T7…..sorry DRZ- I’ll keep you too. Here’s to the real adventure of exploring and enjoying the trip.

By: Jason W

Jason W — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:13:51 +0000

In reply to Jason. Actually it's not. Place I picked up my Royal Enfield at said they've been getting a lot of the big adventure bikes traded in for smaller ones in fact the day I went to look at them a guy had brought his bike in on consignment a Honda Africa twin Why because it was too heavy and he wanted something lighter so I think he was looking at a 400 cc bike The point is people don't want to have to hire a tow truck to pull their big bike out of a ditch so they realize this is a precarious situation and they'd rather be more in the trail and not so much in trouble. This is why I went with this weight class of bike because I can actually get it back up. I even remember somebody with a 1200 GS telling me that he loved the bike but he was too afraid to even take it down a lot of gravel roads and cheer of dumping it and not being able to pick it back up. So I actually think the small displacement is catching on It sure was at my dealership.

By: Jason W

Jason W — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:07:40 +0000

I 100% agree with this article. In fact I just bought a Royal Enfield Himalayan for this very reason now granted it is not the lightest bike in the world but it’s definitely a lot lighter than a 1200GS. My nephew the same week bought the exact same bike when he had his sights on a Honda Africa twin but it was going to take him several years to get the money together to buy it. So when I convinced him he doesn’t need that big of a bike at just under $8,000 for a bike with panniers the racks to hold the panniers and hand guards out the door with tax and licensing it was a bargain. Not to mention any aftermarket parts are very cheap. The fuel economy is ranging around 60 to 70 miles per gallon and it’s not so powerful that when you try to go up a trail you’re afraid you’re going to overdo it. I actually think even a 250 would make a great adventure bike for the right person. I’ve seen people traveling from Oregon to Alaska on a Himalayan and have been pretty pleased with it and they where roughly 200lbs. And even the dealer said that they’ve been getting a lot of people bringing their big heavy bikes in and trading them for lighter ones even he said that he sold his bike because it was too heavy and it took them all day to get it out of a ditch. I just think people have been fooled by the manufacturers that you have to have a big bike. It’s actually a lie. Also you are on an adventure take less stuff and have an actual adventure.

By: Trailrider

Trailrider — Mon, 27 May 2024 11:42:30 +0000

In reply to John Seidel. We are not itchy boots. She rides in very slow pace roads and can afford to go very slow on an uphill. I agree with the statement above. There is no way I would do a 500 miles trip on a crf300l. I owned 2 crf250l. You US highways move fast and by the second to 3 hour riding you are somewhat tired. I have a vstrom 800 de and comfortably do 10 hours days riding it. I will get a 300l or 450l if I can haul it

By: Dave P.

Dave P. — Tue, 21 May 2024 16:49:32 +0000

In reply to John. I believe the yellow bike in the first photo is a DRZ400. One of the best bikes to explore on imo. There's a reason Suzuki hasn't changed the design since inception. Though, I do think it's time it got FI. Other than that, it's a tried, proven, capable machine.

By: John Seidel

John Seidel — Mon, 13 May 2024 17:34:56 +0000

In reply to Jason. Look up Itchy Boots on youtube.