Getting into Adventure Green

BMW 310 GS
The GS range and image has been
a huge success for BMW, with
this new 310 variant hoping to
appeal to a new audience; those
in the emerging markets of India
and the Far East, as well as those
wanting something lighter and more
manageable, and affordable, here
in the UK. On appearances suited
more to tarmac than rough terrain,
but with companies such as Rally
Raid already looking to equip it
with uprated suspension and spoked
wheels this could be the foundation
for a new craze in motorcycle travel;
low, light, cheap, frugal... accessible.
HARLEY STREET 750
People travel on anything; a Harley
Davidson is no exception and when
you look at the price of the Street 750
(£5,995) you can’t help but wonder
how much fun it would be taking
off on a mini Harley and not having
the fear of dropping it or devaluing
it as you might one from higher up
in the range. For the money you
get a modern liquid-cooled V-twin
engine and a relatively manageable
weight of 223 kilos, as well as a huge
catalogue of upgrades. Granted,
you might not want to go around
the world on it, but somehow that’s
missing the point.
DUCATI DESERT SLED
The sign of a good bike is one that
makes you want to jump on it and
ride. It might not be the bike other
people recommend or the one that’s
most practical, but if it looks, and
hopefully rides, the part, then what
does it matter.? The Desert Sled
certainly looks part and epitomises
the current trend for the scrambler
style of bike. Based on the standard
Ducati Scrambler, the Desert Sled
gets uprated suspension, larger
diameter spoked wheels and a hefty
price tag of £9395. It’s not cheap, and
it might be tricky carrying luggage,
but where there’s a will there’s a way.
YAMAHA SCR950
Another bike that blends retro styled
looks with modern technology, with
a sprinkling of off-road pretensions
for good measure. In fairness, it’s
probably going to be rubbish in
the dirt but that doesn’t matter for
the way it looks, with its retro 70s
styling. The engine is from the beltdriven
XV cruiser and is dependable
as they come. The rest of the tech
is basic, which is as much as you
want for a reliable means of twowheeled
exploration, and at £8499
you’re getting a lot of metal for your
money. The kind of bike you can
imagine riding across America on.
SWM 650 SUPER DUAL
This is an interesting one and could
be very good. It’s an Italian made
bike, backed by Chinese money,
with the engine based on the
older Husqvarna 610, and coming
equipped straight out of the crate
with panniers, crash bars, sump
guard and everything else you’d
need to take off into the distance.
It’s a bike that very few, if any, of
the mainstream manufacturers are
making anymore. The price is also
keen at £7599, and if the SWM
proves to be as good as it’s already
promising then we could be looking
at the new bike to have.