The new MZ 125SX dual purpose bike, all 125 cubes of it, has just made its debut in the States, having been born in Germany only last year.

On August 24, 2002, it was launched in Malaysia where it will be manufactured in the near future for export to the rest of the world.

This befits the fact that Hong Leong, its new owners - since 1996 - is a Malaysian conglomerate.

Anyway, after I had virtually narrowed my rtw bike choice to the KTM 640 Adventure, the immediate availability of the 125SX locally means I can start my trip from home and don't have to go to Germany to purchase the Katoom.

Apart from the convenience, the price differential is about US$5,000!

On the face of it, it may appear to be a fallacious comparison, comparing a 125-er with a 640 cuber.

But in the real world of long distance adventure riding with speed limits, crowded streets and dirt roads being the norm, a small-engined d-p bike can hold up its head just as well if not better than its bigger brethren, in many respects.

In my imagination, it only loses out on two criteria - motorway speeds and fuel capacity - both limitations not insoluble.

Of course you have to add a few add-ons such as a luggage system, a wind shield and strap a couple of 5L fuel cans on the back seat to augment its 13L tank.

With an average fuel consumption of 28 kpl, this should give you a range of about 500 km.

So there you have it, a 125cc dual-purpose pocket tool for going to Timbuktu.

Sorry! Es tut mir lied! I got my maths all wrong - the fuel tote up should have been 13l+10l=23lx28kpl=644km. Ah, that's more reassuring.