Trip delayed - will this ever end
 

I was going to leave on my RTW trip 2021 - now 2022 - but really? The new normal may be scary on many levels, and will we be out of the woods by spring 2022? I really hope so, cause I'm not gettin any younger....

I have gotten a lot done, but have SO much more to go.....

KRTW - that's me - K, just K, I'm not OK, nor KY - just K - and that's KRTW -
K Round The World.

My biggest decision has yet to be made - and that's a new motorcycle...and this decision is driving me crazy.....I have looked at everything....a while ago a friend let me ride his BMW and I was really impressed. Balance, smooth, fine engineering, but you know what - BMW is WAY down the list of reliable motorcycles on the Consumer Report. And reliable is what I seek....

I will be living on this bike for many years...comfort is important too. A bike is defined by the kind of riding you'll be doing, but I will be doing everything, and a LOT of off road. I know the adv bike is where I"m going, and I know I want to be in the 800cc range....I also know I want a used bike that I'm going to modify the shit out of. But BMW - maybe. Yamaha Tenere 700 - only new ones in Canada. Not a Triumph, that company does not seem stable at the moment. Take into consideration parts around the world....Honda does not have anything in the range that I like. KTM - maybe....but long-term reliability - here, where I live, there are more used KTMs available that anything else - why? I tried the DR 650 and hated it - too small. I want to keep weight down where possible so no 1200cc.....what to do? Driving me MAD! But due to the pandemic - I have time.

I hope this community is safe. Wondering if there is anybody else in my position - wanting to leave but stuck...what time frame they are looking at for leaving and what their thought process may be. I will spend my first year in Canada and the US. Second year or longer in South America before I head to Africa and then Europe.

I have looked at 1000's of hours of bike travels....read blogs and motorcycle magazines....talked with BMW owners and still fully at a loss as to how to move forward on the new bike....I think what will happen is that I will buy something in the range that's a great deal - and that will be that. I'm not a rider that is a fan of any company, I just love to ride. But I have to admit - the BMW sure was a nice ride......

All the best to everybody....I have finally become a member....no meetings for me this year with members, but maybe next year things will open up.

Be well.

I sympathise with your sentiments. This may blow over, or the danger of contracting COVID19 may be the new normal and we have to learn to mitigate those risks.

Either way a RTW trip ahead of you is very exciting. I'm jealous of that.

I don't know if you're asking for input on bikes, or just commenting on the difficulty in choosing one. I'm going assuming it's the former!! Ever met any biker who didn't like to pontificate about bikes?!

Anyway, the adventure bike market has exploded over the last 15 years. Every factory is selling the overland dream to commuters and sunday riders the world over. And by and large that really is who's buying them. The factories know this. That's not to say they are bad bikes. I'm sure they are great, but the vast majority will never ever see the likes of the Mongolian steppe or the Road of Bones. As such they are not built to handle them. That's not to say they couldn't cross either, but they were not built with that in mind. They were built to make the owners feel like they could ride those places.

First let's posit that the lighter a bike, generally the better. On the open road a juggernaut is fine. Stable and comfy, but on rougher roads, trails and tracks that challenge you to stay upright, that weight will be a major handicap: I know from experience. I rode a BMW R1150GS, two-up across South America and mostly it was fine, but on some gnarly roads (I'm not great off-roader), it was really hard work.

Generally, anything under 170 is usually akin to an enduro: so perhaps look at a weight max of 180kg, dry will allow you a bike that is decent on the open road and not unmanageable on the dirt. Opens up a lot of bikes of up to 800cc, I would say.

Meanwhile let's also posit that mechanical complexity and remote locations only play well when the former suddenly requires human input. In other words if your bike needs a USB, a laptop and an internet connection to be diagnosed, reprogrammed and tuned, you better hope it needs none of those off the grid.

Now what follows is not a sales pitch, it's simply my rationale for valuing my bike as a potential travel bike. It's also an admission that it's the best choice either.

I no longer have the BMW. I was relieved of its ownership when a nice lady ushered me into a crash barrier whilst I was riding home: this is after it survived 7,500 miles of South American mayhem. Anyway, with the exception of an XR400 that broke my butt, I have owned the same Honda 96 Transalp since then. Why do I like this bike for the idea of a more remote trip?
Lighter than a GS (but not light),
21" front,
decent suspension travel,
fuel economy is about 4.5litres per 100km, once reaching 3.5 on a very steady ride
decent tank size
Honda build (I mean the Honda of the 90s)
comfy seat
decent headlight
Carbs. No complex FI system.
Can do two-up at a push.
Decent power
V-twin (I love V-twins)

Those are the reasons I think it makes a good bike for such a trip. If I could make it air-cooled and weight 30kg less, I'd love it more. My point is that newer isn't necessarily the best.

My other point is that if you are so overwhelmed by the choice of bike, narrow the field by choosing a genuinely decent criterion to consider: weight. You will soon have a far more manageable shortlist.

I've been impressed by what some have managed on the likes of the CB500X and the CRF250L.

Once you've chosen it, by all means add a few clever bolt-ons but don't clutter it either: you may want to reinforce the sub-frame, add LED lights where you can, add an auxiliary/USB plug and a comfy seat, but if you really need to make major changes, then perhaps its not the right bike to begin with.

My bike works for me so I'm not going to tell you what to choose, but I would urge you not to discount some models because they are too small because, depending where you go, even they may feel too big.

The Transalp is a great bike...but old now....I don't even know if I could find one. Pedro Moto on youtube is a great example of that bike taking a beating...

500cc is just not gonna do it for me....I have been riding a long time, of course not RTW - but I have 150,000 miles plus on a bike. There is a balance to reach between off-road and being throw off the road by 18 wheelers. Some weight is good.

I wonder if buying bikes as you go is a viable option....for instance, in Europe mostly tarmac. In India, a Himalaya...

I am seriously considering building a bike from almost scratch.....buying a motor, frame and wheels....doing custom suspension, and everything else. This would be AWESOME but imagine getting parts for it!!! I would know the beast inside and out.

Thanks for the post Warthog. I cannot really feel like I'm leaving till I have a bike for this. My current Yamaha Vstar 1100 ain't gonna cut it!

RTW bike
 

Very good answer Warthog !!!

To choose the right bike for your multiple years RTW trip is an important decision, so take your time and dont just buy the first bike because of its price or color.

Building one yourself give you the advantage that you know it inside out. I traveled together with a rider that had somebody else build the bike for his RTW trip and to tell you the truth the bike handled very badly off road (but I only rode it for a few kilometers).

For my RTW from 1999 to 2005 it also took some time to choose the right bike, and I first bought the wrong bike and after talking for a long weekend to a friend who had traveled for 16 years around the world on a bike, I knew which one to buy. So I sold the first one and bought another one and in my 6 1/2 years on the road I had no regrets and I am still today very thankful to my friend for his advise.

Choosing the wrong bike could mean that costs for parts/dealership services or transport costs after a break down will break your bank. A part in the US may cost 100 Dollars but in other parts of the world it will cost twice or three times as much, if it is available, or you have to pay huge import duties and shipping costs.

My advise is, choose a simple bike and learn to do all the servicing and most repairs yourself.

Good luck, and dont forget its your journey and it can be done on any bike ... enjoy it.

mika :scooter:

What was the "right" bike for you mika?

RTW bike
 

the right bike for me in 1999 was:

a then ten year old 1989 Yamaha XT600Z Tenere (1VJ - 1987 Model) in very good condition, with an original big petrol tank, electric starter and kickstarter ... and it was not cheap to buy, but I had no regrets paying over market value.

when I returned it had 270000km on the clock.

mika :scooter:

That bike was never available in Canada. That's why the Tenere 700 is on my list.

Mike, be sure to go to your User Options / control panel and put in your home country so people have an idea what's available to you.

As has been noted, WEIGHT MATTERS. In other parts of the world than Canada / USA and Europe, and to some extent Australia - unless you go off-road, then it MATTERS again.

Personally, if I was going RTW again, this time solo - it would be a DR650. CHEAP, easily modified to become the perfect bike for you, relatively light compared to the 800 up bikes, CHEAP, lots of them around, though used they're pricey - guess what they hold their value for a reason, and they're relatively CHEAP, and also important, super reliable, easy and simple to fix, will cruise at highway speeds forever, and still do well off-road. Oh and did I mention they're CHEAP? And there's LOT of mods and tweaks to make them YOURS. And no shortage of power for everywhere but here, and they're adequate for here.

I've got several days riding two different ones hard off-road, and a long fast days haul on the freeway on one, and although it's sure not my 1200GSA, it's ok, when you remember what it is and what ELSE it can do beside pavement. It's a great all-round bike.

Remember, what you've come to understand is "the perfect bike" is hugely coloured by riding in North America - and the culture here of "if it ain't a 1200 it's crap". And, you might want a different bike entirely for North America, and that makes sense. Until you want to do the TAT or TCAT. Then we're back to a DR650 or similar smaller bike. I wouldn't do a KLR, I personally hate them, but lots of people love them. They're probably a slightly better street bike than a DR, but the KLR is far worse off-road.

FWIW - I ride a 1200GSA off road and on road, but for real off-road I now have a 2002 DRZ400E, and love it off-road. Makes the 1200 look and feel like the tank it is. A friend rides off-road with me on his DR650, and it works really well at both street and dirt. The DRZ is small, and very light, over 50 pounds lighter than his DR, and we REALLY notice the difference dragging them around. We've also both had to pick up my 1200 when it rudely managed to fall over, wheels way up in the air and bars in the ditch. Darn near killed us both. Yup, weight matters.

Finally I'd suggest a whole lot less time in North America. My mother said to us when we left in 1987 for our RTW, "why don't you see our own country first?" Our answer, "We can do that when we're old in a motorhome - but we won't be touring Africa then." My advice: ride due south and keep going - by the time you get to Mexico, you'll have worked through any surprise teething troubles and be good to go. Of course you have lots of time before then to get a bike, and spend a lot of time getting it sorted to perfection before you leave - just remember to test WITH A FULL LOAD!

Best of luck deciding! Always remember, you can do it on any bike. See the Achievable Dream Video series on Vimeo!

Well that was a long post, but this topic seems to be generating long posts! :)

First year bike - pass!
Second year it could be THE bike to have - we'll see. Let someone else sort the teething troubles.

I looked at the 700: very nice power! As much as my TDM and "only" 200kg!

So basically TDM power at Transalp weight and decent looks!

But then I had a look at the DR650: 147kg, dry!! That is AMAZING!! And a 650 to boot!

Yep! Definitely see the benefits in that.

I toured Sweden (painfully) on a super moto XR400R. Excellent economy, surprising handling, fun performance, and 116kg dry: so easily to wheel about and lift.

It had a Dakar tank meaning about 20 litres of fuel and also meaning that I needed to get off an massage my backside 7 times between fill ups instead of just 3.

But the DR: I just know I'm gonna start looking at the used bike ads now, not that I need another bike!

If the idea is to spend the first year travelling around the US and Canada then your bike choice may not be as critical as it might be if you were heading straight to Africa for example. You'll be fine on something bigger and heavier and more complicated in North America than would work elsewhere and after a year you'll know whether that bike works for you. Having said that I've ridden across a lot of the US on a variety of bikes from 200cc to 1800cc and for solo use my pick of the lot would be a KLR650. Like Grant's DR650 or Mika's XT600 Tenere (neither of which I've ridden so I can't comment on them) it's a middle of the road bike that hits the sweet spot between weight, power, complexity, reliability longevity, comfort, fuel range, parts availability etc.

And, believe me, on a really long trip a bland bike that just works and gets you where you want to go without fuss is what you want. If it doesn't blend into the background with time whatever its downsides are will drive you crazy. You don't need it to be the fastest or the flashiest or the most sophisticated or even the newest. What you need is that it starts and runs and gets you to where you want to go. Ultimately it's a two wheel pack animal. It might be boring but a donkey does that job better in the long run than a racehorse.

Wouldn't an older, cheaper bike be better for country import duties/carnet de passage etc ? Or am I out of date ?!

I think the common notion that older bikes are problem magnets is rather false (general observation. No reference to the OP, here).

Take my Transalp. It is now in its 24 year! That is old and I'd probably be concerned about buying a bike of that age and yet, it also only has 46,000 miles on the clock and the XL600V lump is one of the most understressed engines out there.

After a winter indoors, it usual starts within 5 seconds of pressing the starter. Even a weak battery can often still get it to chug into life.

Admittedly I had to replace the clutch on mine, do a swingarm rebuild and the headrace bearings, but otherwise trouble free.

Insurance is negligible, and indeed, value-based border entry fees will be far far less. The only issue now is availability of OEM parts.

In other words, if the bike has been well-looked after and the mileage is not excessive, it's probably a perfectly good bike.

Great posts! Thanks all. I updated my profile. That may help. A few things....Yes, I am going to cross my country one last time from the East Coast, then to Alaska, then south....doing a RTW means RTW - and being in my own country for the first 5 or 6 months lets me shootout my systems, gear, the bike, everything and makes more sense than heading straight into the fray.

And second - after riding a DR650 - I understand the arguments, but I am not spending 6 or 7 years on that bike. It may be a 650 but has 46 horsepower. The Tenere - 72....these are very different bikes - and people, comfort counts. With a full load on - the DR will bog on climbs, wait to pass 18 wheelers.....all the reasons stated make sense - but this is not a bike for me or this trip.

I have ridden in India and have some idea of at least one different and beautiful country that is not North America. Smaller bikes. Terrible roads. Crazy drivers. Where the horn is more important than brakes.....

So the bike issue goes around and around and is indeed an important decision. I have seen everything being used....sport bikes, Honda C90 scooters, to huge touring monsters....My brother rode from BC to Ecuador on his GS 1200 - loves the bike, but wished he had a smaller bike for the trip.

Each of us is unique. Riding style/plans/expectations/ and an important one for me is that I will not be returning to Canada. Part of this trip is to find a place to retire, where I don't have to shovel winter, and the rents are not $2000/month....

And I want to say goodbye....Newfoundland is a unique place and there are a few areas I have yet to see. The Labrador hiway calls my name - and Alaska is a must. The Dalton.....then I can go south.....all the way south...Patagonia.

On paper, the DR ticks an awful lot of boxes. Important boxes.

But, ultimately, it's your trip, your bike.

No bike is perfect in all situations.

If the Ten' 7 will give you the ride you want most of the time and you can live with its limitations those times that it does not, then it sounds like a viable choice.

Go for it.

You've presumably had test rides, and read testimonials and at some point you simply need to take a leap of faith. Look at your route, make a note of any and all Yamaha specialists and HU communities along the way, and then just ride it as you've planned.

I heartily recommend going online to Adventure Rider Radio and find one of the podcasts from last year, I think. It was a compilation of some of the best interviews. Our own Grant Johnson was one of them. There was a report on properly setting up a bike: very handy, and cheaper than buying "comfort improvements" that might not be needed.

Do listen to it, and also research tricks for the overlander that may well save you spending a fortune on all the shiny add ons catalogues would love to convince you to buy.