|
My needs as an over landing (“adventure”) rider are significantly different from the local guy riding a scooter. I want to cover a lot of ground, often quickly, and I want to carry an unreasonable amount of luggage while I’m doing it. I’m also not interested in spending much of my limited holiday time having maintenance done, parts bolted back on, and occasional major rebuilds—all of which are common events if putting on major mileage with those wee little toy machines.
I know that’s not always true, and I acknowledge the reports from scooter, moped and Chinese 125cc riders who claim thousands of miles of carefree performance (and $5 per day rental pricing). But basically in choosing bigger machines, I’m selecting roadworthiness, cargo capacity, decreased maintenance, and comfort for the riding I’m most likely to be doing. In other circumstances I’ve had a blast on little disposable 125s and scooters, but not when I want to cover significant mileage.
Plus I’m finally old, relatively fragile, and suffering from a surplus of money in relation to time—not the way my life used to work. Mileage varies, as we all know.
Mark
(Currently touring Vietnam in a hurry, on my huge, manly, 250cc Honda)
|
17Likes
Threaded Mode
