The Best LOOKING Overland Bıke?

[Matt Cartney]

OK: A contentious issue, I admit, but what are the 5 best LOOKING overland bikes? Heres my top fıve, Id be interested ın other peoples. I thınk outrageous partisanship and uncalled for insults of other people machines are definately the order of the day!

1: The daddy. The twin lamped Yamaha Tenere. No bike sums up rugged adventure like this one. Easıly the sexiest bike in the overlanding spectrum.
2: Honda Africa Twin. The bike I saw ın a dealer in Aberdeen ın the early nineties and spent ages just drooling over. My fave paint job is the red, white and blue one.
3: The Royal Enfield Bullet. No other bike made today has the same Steve McQueen charm, or sounds half as good! Any bike they have been makıng for 50 years HAS to be a legend! In my opınıon though looks best unloaded up and in its most basic 'Classic' form.
4: Those ex-army KLR Deisels! I reckon they just look gnarly. (as I beleive the Americans say!)
5: Eıther the Honda XR or Yam XT/TT preferably tricked out wıth Acerbis tanks etc.

Personally, I expect no argument wıth thıs exhaustive list. But if any loonies want to argue...

[mj]

Well smack my a.. and call me Judy!
I totally agree with you on the first two, those are my absolute favorites as well.

1. Twin lamped Ténéré (also known as 3AJ)




2. Africa Twin




3. Super Ténéré (only good looking, there's absolutely nothing else I like about this bike)




4. Triumph Tiger 955 (the new one)




5. Note sure, there's plenty of bikes that should go here, from the old XTs and Ténérés (single lamped) to the latest Transalp, from the BMW R1100GS (Personally, I don't like the R1150GS and R1200GS - if something breaks down in Nomansland you're screwed) to the twin lamped XT660Z Ténéré, from.....

[Wheelie]

#1

A classic Icon, the PX200E... because it is not supposed to be there, because it's got Italian "quality", and because it managed to place in the 1980 Paris-Dakar rally.




The Royal Enfield Bullet, Machisimo 350cc

Because it is the only true classic still made in pretty much the excact same form as decades ago, because it is beatifully ugly, and because it is original "British quality" now improved by "Indian quality measures".



The Yamaha XTZ 660 Tenere, because it is the king of the 90's, can be found at an affordable price, is truely reliable, is easy to fix due to its simplicity, because the dispersion of the Yamaha brand makes parts and competence more available accross the globe, because it is the most sensible choice in terms of cost/utility... and those twin headlights look mean.





The BMW F 650 GS Dakar

Because it is German quality (real quality this time), because it is modern, because it has a sleak design, because it offers the optimal tradeoffs betwenn comfort and performance.



The BMW 1200 Enduro

Because it is just too mean



http://bmwfinlandpinter01.ergointegr...de.asp?id=3520


The BMW 1200 GS Adventure

... just because...

[Caminando]

I will disagree with you...

You nearly got it right - best looking bike is clearly the Africa Twin. So please rearrange your top 5 to put the AT at the top. I sometimes sit in the garden with a just gazing at the bike for hours. It has also been to N.Africa and Asia so that the general public world-wide can admire it. And I often stop in front of a shop window to admire the bike - and I know you do this too on your bike. Pity it's not an Africa Twin, eh? You must get one so that people will think better of you.

Your choice of the Enfield is deliberately provocative. How can you include a 50 year old design in this list? - it is an old banger. So stop your ticklin' jock.......

The "chariot de pedes" you included only to cause controversy!

I think you should add the Honda 90 or Cub. This is the most successful bike on the planet.

Good roads

[Caminando]

I forgot to say that the Honda 90s swoopy plastic and lightweight wheels are intensely beautiful. The colour scheme is exciting and the bike has that rugged travel look that is lacking in the Yamahas you mention. Those Yam headlamps you like are, I'm sorry to say, naff and only intended for the teenage buyer.

Go and get a Honda 90, and ride out like a real man. You will find women flocking round you, wishing to ride pillion and hoping to get their own Honda 90 to do RTW with you and your testosterone charged character. As you are a kilt wearer, you will find that the 90 allows the breeze to waft on those parts which you guard most closely. Just be careful that your vision is not obscured when your chosen tartan covers your eyes. And my hot tip for you is - get a second sporran and use it as a concealed extra toolbox - handy for those spare tyre levers etc.

To sum up, this is the compelling beauty of the bike...rugged, cheap, rustproof, economical. You'll get respect from men, and unexpected pleasures from women. (or vice versa, depending on your taste)

Look for me at Lumb Farm this year, surrounded by biking beauties. I will have, of course, my little Honda with me.

Please feel free to offer your views on this, however unappealing they may be.

[Stephano]

In fact here's a picture of Denis taken at Lumb Farm last year as part of his Honda sponsorship deal. Denis, who was that on the back? Is it Tiffany in a wig?

[spooky]

Ohh guys ... I have to disappoint you all together..
the perfect overland bike is invented already by a Swedish bloke.... see the image.

last year on my way up north on the ferry from Helsingborg to Helsingoer... I made this picture... just look at it, this bike has all the tricks and gadgets you need on a overland trip...........
Interchangeable fuel system catering stuff on mass, lots of space for all your toys and souvenirs, a comfortable seat, easy to maintain and so on... it's road legal too.... just perfect........

[MotoEdde]

Originally Posted by spooky

Ohh guys ... I have to disappoint you all together..
the perfect overland bike is invented already by a Swedish bloke.... see the image.
.... just perfect........

Wow...not sure if he got his farkling ideas from the guys over on ADVRider...

[Matt Cartney]

[QUOTE=spooky;184940]Ohh guys ... I have to disappoint you all together..
the perfect overland bike is invented already by a Swedish bloke.... see the image.

QUOTE]

He, he! Is that a DOORMAT on his seat?

Matt

[spooky]

[QUOTE=Matt Cartney;185037]

Originally Posted by spooky

Ohh guys ... I have to disappoint you all together..
the perfect overland bike is invented already by a Swedish bloke.... see the image.

He, he! Is that a DOORMAT on his seat?

Matt

this comfortable seat you see there is just a big sheet of "2inch uncovered chip foam", not even fixed any where to prevent it from falling off, so he safes carrying a sleeping mat as well (seat and bed and knee pad for repair jobs all in one) I do like this fast release tank system.... and even best this "Top-box" made out of a shopping trolley, no one will cut though that to nick any thing.....

Did you notice this map-pin-board on top of the Top-Box... ?
What you can't see easily is that there is a dust pan bolted to the frame, works as a skid plate.... and there is no EL or kick-starter, instead he is using a winding handle like they used on cars in the old days....... wonder why there was a big Ford-alternator fitted on the right........ ?!

never seen a cheaper, lighter and fully equipped overland bike ever..........

Mind you... the chip foam would come a bit soggy riding in the wet, but can be replaced any time with out hassle........

stunning.... that's in the middle of Europe, not at the end of nowhere..... he may just came back from his RWT and all the expensive bits are rattled off...........

So don't you think it's better riding your bike back home in dignity, rather than dump the tackle and loose the deposit you payed on the carnet ? .. would you ?

I guess we are coming to a point where the truly wayfarer meets the traveller on the blades tip....

Hanno

[Jeffr726]

Here's my bid for the ugliest...but it's starting to grow on me.

-Jeff

[colebatch]

Pete Forwood's 180+ nation Harley ... it doesnt get any cooler than that. Doesnt matter what you are riding, if you saw him coming the other way, you would stop and take your hat off to the man and the bike.

- - -

I think we should start a HU museum for historic bikes. When Pete has finished his remaining 6 countries we museum his bike.

There is still Louis Bloom's original Mondo Enduro bike around somewhere ... that would be good next to it.

FWIW (a lot less than the other two) I even still have one of the '94 Tokyo-London bikes and Chinese 00002 number plate.

There must be plenty of interesting other donations possible ... ;-)