1702 DT final

2nd opinion by Kallie Kaalvoet:
So the debate as to which is the best Adventure
Bike can be simplified down to what sort of rider
you are. In my opinion – and experience: Most
riders can be summarised into 3 easy groups:
Group 1 : Commuters
These guys (and gals) are primarily concerned
with costs, fuel efficiency, tyre life and etc.....
basically they’re after value for money and will buy
accordingly, secondary would be bike size, looks,
abilities and so on, these riders normally gravitate
towards the Honda NC 750, Kawasaki Versys,
Yamaha MT 07 and the like. Occasionally their
egos might insist on something bigger, that’s where
the used big cc Adventure bike comes into their
equation.
Group 2: Tourers
These riders are primarily looking a decent touring
bike that is not restricted tarmac, but equally
comfortable on dirt and tar over any distance. So
here rider comfort, engine performance, handling,
luggage space and etc become more important.
This rider wants to be able to cover huge distance
on tar comfortably, but then wants to be able to
cruise dirt roads, beaches, foot paths and the like
enjoying the wild life and beautiful scenery, once
in a while he (or she) might want to get their knee
down a bit on Long Tom Pass or some equally
exciting road. These are the guys that want to be
able to hit the road and go anywhere and not be
fatigued by an under performing machine due
to small engine capacity or diminutive sizing or
bad ergonomics. Secondary would be looks and
running costs. Generally these rider tend to be more
interested in the Honda Africa Twin, KTM 1190
Adventure, BMW GS Range, Yamaha Tenêrê range.
They also tend to be a lot more gadget conscious.
Group 3: My dong is bigger than your dong…
This rider values loud pipes, weight, performance
and handling above all else, this is the rider who
wants to out front kicking up dust, scaring the wild
life away and covering the scenery (and co-riders)
in a thick layer of dust. This rider wants to show his
mates how big and strong his dong is by going flat
out over any terrain, climb the highest and most
treacherous passes and koppies, jumping in and
out of ludicrous dongas but this rider also tends
to suffer unbearably on long tar sections because
their bike is generally a light weight purpose built
off road missile with equally dedicated tyres,
suspension and engine performance. These bikes
in a lot of instances tend to cover big tar mileage
on a trailer to their next riding venue. Favourites
amongst this crowd will be KTM 690’s, Husky
701’s, stripped down and modified XT’s, generally
all lightweight bike good for a maximum of about
300km’s per day.
So first work out what sort of rider you are and
then look at your budget and .... buy what makes
your heart happy anyway ..... because your heart
will always win eventually.
Although the KLR is
discontinued in SA -
there are still lots of used
units knocking about.
Big Bikes are more
difficult to pick up...
Smaller bikes are
easier in thick sand...
68 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017