Am I missing something with regards to bike choice?

[Turborob]

Howdy.

Looking for two bikes, one for me 6'0 and the Mrs 5'5.

Riding north from Chile, hopefully into north America.

We're after the same two bikes.

We want small, light, reliable, low seat height (less than 830mm) and an air-cooled motor.

I'm thinking a Honda ctx200 ag bike.

Why?
Comfortable 90km/h speed
Good racks and protection
Reliable
Comfortablish seat
Quite cheap
Low seat

Only downsides are:
Fuel range (will bring an extra 5 liters for 300km range)
Parts avail in north America (can work around, and there's some interchangeability from other Hondas)

Previously, we were looking at getting a 125, but this equals their speed, holds more and we can set it up at home, before we leave.

Have I forgotten anything?

Just have to check that we can get the bikes into Chile, without too much hassle.....

Thanks.

[*Touring Ted*]

Looks great.

That seat looks HORRIBLE though. I think you might need to look into getting it remade or maybe get an airhawk AND a sheepskin.

[Nath]

If by "Are you missing something" you mean that it's strange that they don't come up very often as a suggested or chosen travel bike, then the reason is that they aren't available in many places.

I know suzuki do an equivalent bike, and probaly the other two Jap brands as well? Seem like great choices for a trip to me.


You may be able fit a large capacity tank from another bike with a little bit of work. That would be well worth the effort I reckon.

[lizrdbrth]

Yo, Rob (no escaping me anywhere, it seems).

As you might imagine I'm all in for the agbike platform.

These are for the most part "parts bin" bikes. Almost nothing on them in terms of mechanical parts is not shared by at least several other bikes within the marque.

Most of my homework has been on the AG200, but using it as an example if you were to send me a seat I could reconstruct the balance from parts available here in the U.S., where we don't even have farm bikes. The same appears to be true of the Honda and Suzuki offerings as well. Pick the marque best supported in your chosen region of travel and there should be no reason that it will present any greater parts problem than any other choice in bike.

Given that we expend more energy into making a "normal" dualsport more agbike-like for this kind of travel it seems to me that it involves fewer compromises and even a few advantages over the reverse.

Edit:

The XL200 on which the CTX is based appears to be still available brand new in many South American countries.

The DR200 upon which the Suzuki is based is still available new in Oz. A bit unclear how well supported in S.A.

The AG200 is arguably the least sophisticated among them. It's basically a tarted-up XT200, circa 1983, with guards, chaincase, racks and seat. Thoroughly supported in the U.S. and elsewhere.

At any rate the parts and pieces aren't specific enough to farm bike versions to be of issue.

[Turborob]

Thanks, Lizard.

Yesterday, Kath and I went and sat on one. Seat seems OK.

Owning a Kawasaki Super Sherpa, I feel it may well be a little slow at times......then, I saw a bunch of cyclists and thought I should harden up.

Ive bought one, sight unseen, second hand from interstate and am starting the delivery process......keep y'all posted, we still potentially need one more!

Oh yeah, ref ag200, that was my first choice, but register able models in Aus are thin on the ground.

Rob

[lizrdbrth]

Pity about the AG. I'd always planned to cart one of my own heads, cooler and other goodies down there, bolt them onto one and hit the road. While seemingly minor I think rear tire availability could become a gamechanger with the TW.

I don't know the Hondas well enough to be much of a nuisance here but the Cali contingent will be watching this closely.

3 hots and a cot guaranteed should your travels bring you this far.

Where's the "eating popcorn, watching" thingy? lol.