Are you talking from the factory? i.e if your bike came in a perfect adventure version, how much more would be prepared to pay for it in the showroom?

Or ...?

How much would you be prepared to pay an aftermarket adventure bike builder to transform your bike using aftermarket parts and labour?

Two hugely different questions.

For example, from the factory, if you were prepared to spend 3000 more, you would have super duper everything.

Aftermarket, a tuner / fitter would have to charge 10k or more to fit out a bike to the same level that could be done for a retail price increase of less than 2k at the factory.

I am more interested in achieving a certain level of bike, rather than being focussed on costs. If it can be done at OEM level, you can get the maximum bike for minimum cost. Consumer wins. So for me the cost is vastly different to get the the level of bike I want to travel on if I have to go it myself or if it comes from the factory like that. And I am prepared to pay under either alternative what it costs. Even tho the cost is very different under each alternative.

i.e. its not a cost driven equation, its a level of bike priority for me.

I know most others use cost as the limiting factor and try to get the maximum level of bike for a given cost. I prefer a minimum cost for a given level of bike. Therefore the cost (for me) is the wrong question. The question is what standard do I want my adventure bike to be?

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Possibly time to find the remote or other means of getting away from the horror channel/ x factor repeats?

Personally I'd go for the fake classic market. All the design work was done in 1935 and if it leaks you can claim it's authentic. Bonneville and W800 mixed whitworth and unf conversion kit anyone?

Andy

I'm with you there Ted. I've got the bikes prepped and ready - one for each of the family (just got to teach them how to ride!) and the keys to the mountain top eagles nest bunker (?) are within easy reach. 6000ft up should get me above all that nasty radioactive stuff and the zombies will be knackered by the time they've walked up the hill so should be easy to deal with.

That's one of the reasons I'd never buy an off the shelf adventurised bike - ultimately you have to trust in your own abilities and I have a responsibility to make sure the family are safe. My son is of like mind and just this week has been learning advanced anti zombie techniques based on the government training film "World War Z". He's pleased we live where we do as the problem seems much worse on the other side of the atlantic. In a month or two's time we're off to the bunker for a winter escape and evasion course. I just hope there's enough snow for the skis to work.

I can't believe that some people are so irresponsible that they won't take these simple precautions. I think you have a public duty to let us know where you found significant numbers of people who would put lives at risk by paying others to prep their bikes. Name and shame because some of us may need to pay them a visit.

Remember - when the day comes, unless you live somewhere like this, life may well be nasty, brutish and short.

Same old, same old, from a slightly different angle. The vote says it all as per the HUBB demographic. We almost all choose to travel by bike because we enjoy riding bikes just for the sake of it. We often try and justify our preference telling non bikers that you can go places you can't go in other vehicles, cheaper on fuel, cheaper to buy, easy to fix, cheaper to ship etc. but the starting point is just the joy of riding your bike.

I've often thought that the main manufacturers are missing a trick by not making proper ready to go adventure/overland travel bikes but clearly the vote shows that hardly anyone would be prepared to pay the premium on the price. Those fully adventurised models are being bought by someone but I suspect, in the main, by the Starbucks tourer.

The hardened traveler knows what he wants and it's usually things that none of the off the peg bikes offer - better suspension, better protection, the scuffed up panniers that did 50k miles on the last bike and so on. First time traveler imagine that they can design the perfect bike by reading this and other forums but, doubtless, realise the folly of their ways within the first few days of their trip, as well as wondering what happened to all that cash.

The only way you get close to the perfect bike is to develop it over quite a few miles with a view to keeping it for a long time and not worrying about the return on investment - IMO.

Each to their own as to how one rides and likes to travel.

Large tank? = Each to there own but i really feel a large tank is needed but it all depends on where you travel to and when, like if you ride during the night in remote areas then yes it would be hard to get fuel

Do you need gps?= I had one for alittle while but now travel with out one however citys are my nemis due to not having a GPS so i try avoide citys, i agree a map and compass is more fun

Alloy boxes?= All the smart kids use soft bags these days

All comes down to what makes you happy, yes alot of people cracking on with C90s but if that makes them happy why not. i like a enduro type bike with a large fuel range and a few other extras suited to how i travel/ride and if that costs alittle extra i will happy spend it as if thats make my trip a better trip then why not.

I take it you have never been to the small town of mablethorpe then?

Yes, how does the old joke go - "Mummy, where do people go when they die? Is it Devon"?

Why do I know so many people in Devon these days

I voted 500 to 1000 UKP level.
If one buys the right machine to start off ... then most of that money would go simply for available parts. The right bike doesn't need an "expert" doing custom machining or engine hop ups or hand made Alu racks/panniers/tool box bash plates, Dakar Dash, $1000 GPS, steering dampers, et al.
Just the basics are OK.

But certain upgrades are nice to have when doing a longer ride ... but most of these upgrades all can be DIY.

With the right bike ... most all this "stuff" is for sale. Just bolt it on. Not much expertise required. As mentioned ... perspectives and needs will change once you "get out there" anyway. Make mods as required on the road, do the best you can. Have fun!

A RTW travel bike need not be a Dakar rally bike ... unless you're making a career out of ADV travel or intend to compete in a rally or be featured in films and magazines. Just know your bike's limitations (and your own) and plan accordingly ... and try to be as warm, joyous and giving as the poor people you may encounter.

IMHO, travel bikes are somewhat expendable. Use them up and move on. Don't get attached. Know when to park it or sell it. (cheap! ) But when on the road ... treat it like your lifeline ... it is.

Just a few things needed upgrading on my bike:
1. Slightly larger fuel tank (230 mile range suits me)
2. Better suspension
3. Better seat

Beyond this it's just a few simple DIY things: re-jet, hand guards, bash plate. Cheap soft bags, a dry bag.

The most important elements are done at the factory. The bike is either good or not.

If more riders learned to do good preventative maintenance and to take care the basics ... they'd get a lot further and have less trouble.
Bike travel is not for everyone, that much is for sure.

For my 1st big overland trip (one year round South America) I did all the newbies mistake. Big heavy BMW, alu boxes, I spent next to 1500 pounds to get the bike ready:
*H&B top box, Alpo Alu panniers and moTech frame, headlight protector, crash bars, Fork protectors etc... way too much cash!

My bike got stolen in Brazil. It was retrieved by the cops but damaged. The MoTech frame had vanished, along with all my camping gear.

I dropped the bike MANY times, I could not do difficult roads because the bike was too heavy and tall for me and I am rubbish at off-road.
And I broke down EVERYWHERE! Sahme as finding a BMW dealer with computer plug is not that easy off the beaten track!

Then some idiot crashed into me and destroyed the full front end of the bike in Chile. Took us a month to get that sorted and parts imported from Germany...

Our next trip to Mongolia and across central Asia, I will follow the same principal that Walter Colebatch mentioned in another post: "Get the bike adequate for the most difficult part of the trip, and compromise for the rest".

My choice of bike is a humble Honda XR125 (around 110 kg) bought off ebay for under 1000 pounds (we got 2, both under 1000 pounds each).

I won't need to carry lots of parts.
I will be able to do any sort of trail as it is small and light.
If it get stolen /crashed I can just ditch it and fly back home....
For extra fuel I have an 8l fuel bladder and there are always Coke Bottle if needed!
For repairs this bike is simple enough for anyone to help if need be.

Our expenses on these bikes will be kept to a minimum: build a support for the soft panniers, get my seat scopped and lowered so I get a good footing on the ground, replace esential parts (sprockets, chain etc) before departure.

And we will travel light: minimum luggage. Anything we need we can buy on the way.

So if you market is targeting newbies, you may get a good market there Ted.
For more experienced people, we learnt the hard way and want to keep costs at minimum level. Not because we cannot afford it but because it is not worth it!

For my "home/ everyday " bike in another hand, I got lots stuff. Not because I need them but because I wanted them.
The Versys is used for travel in Tarmac in Europe (and easy gravel roads). So no adventure there. I intend to keep it for some time.
I replaced the windshield, fitted heated grips, handguards, lowering link and seat scooped (it's a tall bike!) and got a H&B topbox.
But these mods were for my confort, not "Adventure".

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Maria

www.franglais-riders.com

I suppose you could ask Touratech in Wales as they always seem to have adventurised bikes on ebay.

Also is CCM going down that road with the 450.

Me well a screen to keep the wind off,a airhawk to sit on and some good quality riding gear. For the bike engine bars and barkbusters to protect it when I drop it which seems to be getting more with advancing years.

Many people think that 1200GSA fits the bill as an Overland Special.

Up here in the far north quite a few pay close to 10.000€ more for a 1200GSA with add ons compared to a standard 1200GS. Unlike modified bikes they get a lot back when they sell the bike.

This reminds me that I should spend more money on motorbikes

Maria
I have seen this written several times"If it gets stolen I will just fly back" why?
You saved the cash up front ,buy a local bike and continue. you may have spent more on what you would be wearing-the gear any way.
By the I am 2up ,always, so minimizing to a 125 is only possible for the family of 5 in asia.

Hi Yokesman,

It depend where. When my BMW was stolen in Brazil few years ago, it was not possible to buy a bike locally and get it registered. The only 2 countries where a foreigner can buy a bike and be able to cross borders trouble free is Chile and Ecuador, as far as I know!

If something like that was to happen again, yes I would look at all possibilities.
In Chile for example, when that idiot crashed into me, with a cheap bike, it would have been cheaper to just get another little one and continue. But as it was a BMW and expensive, we got stuck one month waiting for parts. All depend on where and the circumstances. There are always options.

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Maria

www.franglais-riders.com

Zero.

.... and it puzzles me why there is such a focus on suspension. I need only one extra on my global bikes - luggage carrying capacity. To tell the truth, I can't tell the difference between good and bad bike suspension, bikes are so crap, compared with cars, the subtleties between good and bad are virtually meaningless.

I think it is wise to recognise that the world is a much smaller place than what we read about in the adventure tales from the 18th (not the 19th) century) and that the world's transport infrastructure has evolved. To get to most of the sights and sounds on the beaten track requires nothing more than putting on the hours on a seat and paying for fuel. To prepare your bike to get off the beaten track is also nothing more than seeking bragging rights in most cases - maybe you are better off talking to Guiness about how many toe nails you need to clip in one minute if you want to enjoy your Andy Warhol 15 minutes of fame.

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Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman

With no offence intended, you've obviously not ridden a bike with good suspension... Or ridden the bike to any kind of limit. It makes the WORLD of difference.

But as you say, yes.. Anyone can trail their legs on any rusty nail and get A-B with little bother.

However, if going off road (more than a dusty track to your campsite), good suspension is pretty god dam important. Well set up, quality suspension can make a big difference to you soaking up the terrain or face planting in the dirt...

I never bothered much with suspension either... Then I did. And it made my riding much more enjoyable..

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.