BakerBoy
It's all small stuff.
You would have gotten there and dumped the bike, only to look up to see a sign that said "You are at fault."
;-)
Has Sport Touring gone ADV?
- Thread starter BamaRider
- Start date
;-)
W0QNX
Blacksheep Tribal Member
- Joined
- May 30, 2006
- Messages
- 3,347
- Location
- Pensacola, FL. USA
- Bike
- 06/ST1300 19/R1250RT
- 2024 Miles
- 007437
I'd say there are a lot of members at ADV but only a few riding all kinds of miles. I tried to "fit in" and post over there a bit but hated the replies from the keyboard warriors who seem to disagree with anything.
I rode just under 10,000 miles to Fairbanks and back this last summer. All of it could have been done on a moped or a Goldwing. You do know the road is good enough for 5,000 motorhomes a year (guess) to drive up and back with little or no damage?
I have a ST1300 a KLR650 and a XT350, all get rode often for different or the same thing.
I always liked the run what ya brung motto (and crowd).
Raymond
Maybe this is why some of us have a bike for every occasion. ST1300 for the long hauls, KLR650 for the occasional trips to the dirt, a lot easier than the ST and will allow further off-road rides. Buell 1125R for those sport only rides. It's not to say that one bike can't be used for multiple rolls and has been done, but more specific bikes tend to make the rids more enjoyable.
Bones
Your Humble Scribe
A guy who lives near Tim Yow has some little scooter (like a 125cc) and one day offered Tim the chance to take it for a ride. Tim said sure, and proceeded to do a Saddle Sore 1000 on the thing. More about the rider than the machine.
:bow1: Mr. Yow
Reginald
cyclepoke
Wow, when did you do that? Any pics? Must of been on that ADV st1300. I need to upgrade to ADV st1300 too.
Andrew Shadow
Site Supporter
OP
OP
BamaRider
Guy
Well Joe answered my question, so I don't reckon I'll need to borrow some joker's Tenere or GS.
I forgot about Google.
I forgot about Google.
Norm
Vendor
I'm curious about the definition for "off road" which people apply to ADV bike discussions. Anyone care to provide one?
Off road to me means, literally, "off a road" so this definition does not cover logging/forest service roads. "Horse trails" and worse are what I mean by "off road" so wonder what people are doing when they use the term? Not saying they are wrong, just that the definition I understand doesn't seem to map to what is said.
I recall talking with a Buell "dual sport" owner who had been waiting for over a year for a new cast (front) wheel due to a pot hole in a FSR which was regularly negotiated by cars. That's a typical risk for the ADV bikes which aren't even rough road capable, IMO. No question that a V-strom or Versys is more comfortable and road capable than a KLR but no way they fit my concept of even FSR. For on road, IMO they are road kill compared to an ST. Friends were always struggling to keep up, even at posted speeds.
Hope this doesn't sound provocative as not my intention. Hoping to understand context a bit better so can apply the opinions more effectively. Nothing more useful than the experience of someone one respects but nothing leads one into problems quicker than misunderstanding the context of their comments.
Off road to me means, literally, "off a road" so this definition does not cover logging/forest service roads. "Horse trails" and worse are what I mean by "off road" so wonder what people are doing when they use the term? Not saying they are wrong, just that the definition I understand doesn't seem to map to what is said.
I recall talking with a Buell "dual sport" owner who had been waiting for over a year for a new cast (front) wheel due to a pot hole in a FSR which was regularly negotiated by cars. That's a typical risk for the ADV bikes which aren't even rough road capable, IMO. No question that a V-strom or Versys is more comfortable and road capable than a KLR but no way they fit my concept of even FSR. For on road, IMO they are road kill compared to an ST. Friends were always struggling to keep up, even at posted speeds.
Hope this doesn't sound provocative as not my intention. Hoping to understand context a bit better so can apply the opinions more effectively. Nothing more useful than the experience of someone one respects but nothing leads one into problems quicker than misunderstanding the context of their comments.
Well I suppose it's very simple,true off road is through a field,but unpaved roads/trails also qualify in my opinion,I can take my transalp almost anywhere,the spoked wheels and long travel suspension soak up the rough stuff,
I think it's the perfect contrast to the ST.
VFR
"Uncle Larry"
ADV and Adventure Touring are like SPORT touring and sport TOURING bikes. Sort of the same but not exactly.
Adventure touring bikes usually have cast 17 inch wheels, otherwise the same as ADV. These would include Triumph Tiger 1050, Ducati Multistrada, one of the Tiger 800s and others. ADV bikes will have spoke wheels, 19 or 21 inch front wheels, usually 18 inch rear wheels. The big 1100-1200 ones will do fine on gravel but when the road/trail gets really gnarly, they aren't happy. Unless the rider happens to be very good. There are roads in Death Valley where a KLR is a big bike.
Adventure touring bikes usually have cast 17 inch wheels, otherwise the same as ADV. These would include Triumph Tiger 1050, Ducati Multistrada, one of the Tiger 800s and others. ADV bikes will have spoke wheels, 19 or 21 inch front wheels, usually 18 inch rear wheels. The big 1100-1200 ones will do fine on gravel but when the road/trail gets really gnarly, they aren't happy. Unless the rider happens to be very good. There are roads in Death Valley where a KLR is a big bike.
Every time I ride it's an adventure. When I bought mine I had no intentions of going off road. It just fits me, it's super comfortable, handles great and is a blast to ride. The lighter weight is much less tiring to ride than an 800lb bike.
Since we are talking monikers here I think it's kinda funny calling an 800lb bike "Sport" touring. I wonder how sporty the guys on the sport bike forums think Sport Touring bikes are.
I think given equal riders that most of the ADV bikes would eat a Sport Touring bike's lunch in the twisties. (Ask someone who was there how the KLR 650 did last year at the BRG. I know, not really an ADV bike). This isn't a challenge from me (I know there are better riders here), but I'm pretty sure I am faster, other than straightaways on my ADV bike than I was on my ST. If acceleration and top speed is that important jump up to the a bigger ADV.
Some other defectors please chime in here to your experience.
Mine is only an 800 and allegedly runs 125mph and the ST is supposed to see about 145 the best I remember. I haven't proven either.
Like VFR above, I wouldn't call V4 600+ pound bike an adventure bike, I like the adventure touring label better.
There must be some reason so many are defecting to ADVs. Ride one, it will either speak to you or it won't.
Ride whatever floats your boat.
Since we are talking monikers here I think it's kinda funny calling an 800lb bike "Sport" touring. I wonder how sporty the guys on the sport bike forums think Sport Touring bikes are.
I think given equal riders that most of the ADV bikes would eat a Sport Touring bike's lunch in the twisties. (Ask someone who was there how the KLR 650 did last year at the BRG. I know, not really an ADV bike). This isn't a challenge from me (I know there are better riders here), but I'm pretty sure I am faster, other than straightaways on my ADV bike than I was on my ST. If acceleration and top speed is that important jump up to the a bigger ADV.
Some other defectors please chime in here to your experience.
Mine is only an 800 and allegedly runs 125mph and the ST is supposed to see about 145 the best I remember. I haven't proven either.
Like VFR above, I wouldn't call V4 600+ pound bike an adventure bike, I like the adventure touring label better.
There must be some reason so many are defecting to ADVs. Ride one, it will either speak to you or it won't.
Ride whatever floats your boat.
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I agree IF the ADV bike is equipped with street oriented tires and the curvy road is made up of turns where the recommended speeds (not the speeds you can ride them) are 35 mph or less. Throw in bumps and sand, and it's even more in favor of the ADV bike. You could also call this category supermotos.
This is an interesting thread.
As far as ADVRider the site goes, it's really not just an ADV focused site. It's probably one of the most comprehensive motorcycle and general discussion sites on the web these days. I visit it nearly every day just to poke around. There's a lot of cool discussions there on all kinds of topics.
As far as a decline in ST bikes and a rise in ADV bikes, it would seem so. I had a Concours 1000 for six years, and put a ton of miles on it, riding all over North America, and I got bit by the ADV bug in 2009. I bought a Buell Ulysses. I had wanted one for a long time. I thought they looked cool, were kind of unique and unusual, and I thought I wanted that style of bike. I had it for five years and disliked it more each year. Some of that was the Buell - I had a lot of problems with it. But eventually I came to realize that the style of bike just wasn't for me. It was really fun to ride, handled great, lots of torque, but I hated riding it long distances. The wind protection wasn't good, even with farkles, and it just tired me out to ride it a long way. It was really cold in early and late season riding, even with heated gear, and I have short legs, so that kind of bike is difficult for me. I ended up getting rid of it this year and buying a 2003 ST1300. I keep asking myself why I didn't buy an ST five years ago. I absolutely love it. It's the perfect bike for me. Sure, I'm not going to do much if any gravel on it, but I rarely took the Buell on gravel either for that matter.
The large ADV bikes are cool and aggressive looking, but to me, they just aren't as good an overall package for the type of riding I do, but a lot of people like them, so what do I know? The funny thing is, the guy I bought my ST from had purchased a brand new BMW GS1200, and his wife was not happy he was selling the ST - she doesn't like to ride on the GS.
As far as ADVRider the site goes, it's really not just an ADV focused site. It's probably one of the most comprehensive motorcycle and general discussion sites on the web these days. I visit it nearly every day just to poke around. There's a lot of cool discussions there on all kinds of topics.
As far as a decline in ST bikes and a rise in ADV bikes, it would seem so. I had a Concours 1000 for six years, and put a ton of miles on it, riding all over North America, and I got bit by the ADV bug in 2009. I bought a Buell Ulysses. I had wanted one for a long time. I thought they looked cool, were kind of unique and unusual, and I thought I wanted that style of bike. I had it for five years and disliked it more each year. Some of that was the Buell - I had a lot of problems with it. But eventually I came to realize that the style of bike just wasn't for me. It was really fun to ride, handled great, lots of torque, but I hated riding it long distances. The wind protection wasn't good, even with farkles, and it just tired me out to ride it a long way. It was really cold in early and late season riding, even with heated gear, and I have short legs, so that kind of bike is difficult for me. I ended up getting rid of it this year and buying a 2003 ST1300. I keep asking myself why I didn't buy an ST five years ago. I absolutely love it. It's the perfect bike for me. Sure, I'm not going to do much if any gravel on it, but I rarely took the Buell on gravel either for that matter.
The large ADV bikes are cool and aggressive looking, but to me, they just aren't as good an overall package for the type of riding I do, but a lot of people like them, so what do I know? The funny thing is, the guy I bought my ST from had purchased a brand new BMW GS1200, and his wife was not happy he was selling the ST - she doesn't like to ride on the GS.
thepaleobiker
Paleo, Runner, Spiritual, Dancer
I think this is another key point - Most modern Sport Tourers (ST1300, FJRs, C14s,etc) have great comfort & ride quality! Not just for the rider, but also the pillion/passenger. I havent been on a GS1200 or a Super10, but I'm curious to know if the good rider comfort on these big ADV Touring bikes also translates to the passenger - Can someone throw in a few comments on this point? Thanks!
Regards,
Vishnu
ST1100Y
Site Supporter
Don't forget the ST1100 there, which offers even more space for the crew aboard ;-)
thepaleobiker
Paleo, Runner, Spiritual, Dancer
I don't know anything about riding two-up. I've removed the pillion seat from my Tenere and have no plans of putting it back on the bike.
My guess is the answer to your question would be largely determined by the toughness of the pillion. If your pillion has a broad range of comfort then yes, the ADV style bike would work. If your pillion likes to be pampered a bit more then I'd say that a sport-tourer or a touring bike would be better suited. A larger windscreen and fairing would be more comfortable for the pillion than the smaller ones found on an ADV bike.
It's kinda like oil, tire, insurance and seat threads.......it depends on too many variables.
I know if my wife said to me "I want to start riding" I wouldn't even try the Tenere.......I'd buy a Goldwing. She would need as much comfort as possible. She's not what I'd call tough.
Mike
thepaleobiker
Paleo, Runner, Spiritual, Dancer
Toughness of the pillion, that's key . Thank you for the comment, it makes more sense now.
Comfort is subjective. I never could make my ST1300 comfortable for me or my wife. Tried Specerized seat and RDL both were torture devices for ME (subjective). Wife had stock seat but was very uncomfortable on it. My wife also always felt like she was being sucked off the back while slabbing, I felt like I was being sucked forward. Never tried any other windshields, however I did cut the cutout at the bottom up higher and tried shimming to no avail.
Wind protection is not of the same importance for everyone. I live in Florida and too much wind protection is not a good thing for me. I much prefer the nice smooth breeze I have now from a mostly naked bike with a medium-small screen. We can both sit straight up without having to exert any force to stay that way while enjoying a nice smooth breeze. If I get cold I can put on more clothes or heated gear plus I have quick attach wind deflectors I made. I'm hot more than cold though.
I think there are too many preconceived ideas of what a bike is by what it looks like or is labeled as. They are all different. I have ridden other ADV bikes that don't fit me. That doesn't mean they or a sport tourer don't fit someone else perfectly.
No matter which forum you go to they/we have the best bike in the world. Even the Harley guys who have never ridden anything else know they have the best bike in the word.
Stay open minded and try something different. I throw my leg over any bike anyone will let me ride in search of something that fits me better. If I find something that fits better it will then be the best bike I know of for me.
FWIW Wife's logic is that when we go around corners she feels safer because she is not as close to the ground on the ADV bike.
Wind protection is not of the same importance for everyone. I live in Florida and too much wind protection is not a good thing for me. I much prefer the nice smooth breeze I have now from a mostly naked bike with a medium-small screen. We can both sit straight up without having to exert any force to stay that way while enjoying a nice smooth breeze. If I get cold I can put on more clothes or heated gear plus I have quick attach wind deflectors I made. I'm hot more than cold though.
I think there are too many preconceived ideas of what a bike is by what it looks like or is labeled as. They are all different. I have ridden other ADV bikes that don't fit me. That doesn't mean they or a sport tourer don't fit someone else perfectly.
No matter which forum you go to they/we have the best bike in the world. Even the Harley guys who have never ridden anything else know they have the best bike in the word.
Stay open minded and try something different. I throw my leg over any bike anyone will let me ride in search of something that fits me better. If I find something that fits better it will then be the best bike I know of for me.
FWIW Wife's logic is that when we go around corners she feels safer because she is not as close to the ground on the ADV bike.