I always hear that no one ever wishes that they would have brought a larger/heavier bike once on a RTW/long distance journey.


But has anyone actually taken a small bike and wished they'd gone bigger?

Just returned from Peru and crossed paths with about 6 travelers on big motos. I noticed most did not explore the dirt roads where the ruins and fun stuff are. In addition, I heard of the constant concern of tipping over and the difficulty to right the moto.

The only time I wished I had a bigger moto was on the PanAm Hwy in the head wind. Other than that, I am glad to have a 250cc moto. You stop more often, and therefore meet more people and see more things. Much easier to find parking for a small moto at night.

If you want to make miles, the bigger moto is better. It's more comfortable. It's better on the faster roads. If you have the inclination to go on rutted switchbacks and explore the back roads, then smaller is better. Even on a narrow, blacktop road; meeting a fast car or bus on a sharp and narrow mountain curve can force you in to the ditch (done that more than once), and a smaller moto is more nimble. It comes down to what your travel style is, where you like to ride, and the roads at your destination. No moto is perfect, so you have to make choices.

Do some travel on a small moto in Mexico or farther south and see how you do. Ride in to Copper Canyon; Urique, Bato, and take one of the canyon roads between them. Ride the blacktop libre roads farther south and visit the sights along the way. You'll answer your own question eventually.

Damn good summation of things LD. I've not travelled that far on small bikes but done enough to confirm what you're saying is true.

It really is a compromise and sometimes travelers aren't even sure WHAT sort of roads they are looking for and some change their mind once out there traveling ... some get out on rough off road and HATE IT!
Even on a small bike.

Others get too bored on fast highways and long for tiny back roads. There is no "Right Answer" in the end.

So, IMO, doing what LD mentions is good advice: Go down to Mexico or wherever on some shorter tours and see how you do. Go off road on your favorite big bike, now try it on a small bike. Now try a few days of highways at 70 mph.

Oddly enough, I just sold my brand new KTM Duke 690 which is actually a very small bike. It has "250 like" weight and dimensions with Big Bike power and FUN. It's not the off road version but is fine on easy dirt roads. It had everything.

But guess what? It just didn't work for me. Hard to explain why.

On a tour of 4 days (I know, nothing for RTW guys!) The little KTM grew uncomfortable on any sort of faster highway. It was good on the twisty roads but the inevitable LONG highway run came along and ruined my day.

It somehow just did not fit me and has far less wind protection than my old DR650 ... which had NO wind shield ... but some how does not need one.

I loved the KTM's power and handling but just not a practical bike for travel.
A great Day Ride bike but not an ALL DAY, EVERYDAY bike.

But IMO, a nicely set up 250 would be nearly ideal for doing Peruvian Andes dirt back roads or Baja or the Salar de Uyuni. But if you had to ride the long coast road to Lima, that would be a drag on most 250's ... where a big GS or other big bike would make it easy. But try to lift the GS solo ... well, here we go, round and round on this endless debate.

The smallest bike I travelled on was a DRZ400 from UK-Capetown. And it's not even that small.

MANY times I wished I had more power and more speed.

Smaller bikes generally top out around the 55-60mph for a comfrotable touring speed. Which for the most time, is just fine.

But when the road is long and almost never ending, 5-10mph more over a day adds up A LOT when you're trying to make progress. Overtaking can become perilous without the power to make it through and working the gearbox hard to make the most of your small engine can become tiresome too.

Having a small bike can also limit you to finding riding partners. On the road, you will meet many people. And most of them will have larger bikes and can move quickly. If you can't keep up, it makes it challenging to ride together without irritation.

A smaller bike is generally more uncomfortable too. Narrow seats, little wind protection and more 'buzzy'. Their suspension isn't made for luggage and their subframes can break. They can't handle luggage like a large bike. Their balance is thrown off. This can be all be addressed if you're willing to spend the time and money when prepping though.

You must also take into a account that 95% of the world seems to be paved. And 95% or more of any trip is generally on tarmac.

Unless you go off looking for trails and wildernesss, you might not find any.

Would you prefer to spend all day suffering on a small bike just so you can more comfortably handle a 2km sandy track to your campsite ??

It all really depends on your trip and if you're looking for offroad tracks. And also your physical size and capabilties.

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

that exactly what I think, the hard off-road part on longer trips is usually very short, unless you're riding Dakar Rally. In addition even on smaller bike you don't want to risk injury in wild places so your off-roading is very limited anyway. Making miles on small bikes is a pain in an arse and you have to make miles if you want to get somewhere eventually.

IMO, it's far better to get required skills to be able to handle big bikes in off-road condition with confidence. What you can do on dirtbike you can usually do on good adventure bike as well if you practice enough.
You won't be willing to risk much either way on long trips.

.................. which is why some of us own multiple bikes that each has its uses.

Perhaps, eventually, the optimum will be the new generation of parallel twins with an engine capacity of about 700cc, such as the Yamaha and KTM that may come along any day soon
("soon" a relative term in engineering and marketing).

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Dave

I don't regret taking a small (well 400cc) bike, but I do regret certain aspects of the choice. The problem is the majority of "small bikes" to choose from on this trip are dirt bikes, and dirt bikes tend to share some commonalities that can be really annoying when you're packing in the miles - they're tall, wobbly at speed, have the entirely wrong gearing, shitty maintenance schedules, and a torture device for a seat.

I get passed on the regular by guys with half the capacity I have, who are often incredulous that I'm so slow. I'm definitely going to change the gearing next time I change the sprockets but I suspect that's only a part of the problem.

There are days when I get stuck on a road that's WAY worse than I initially expected where I LOVE my bike, but there's also days where I wish I had gone with a cb500x or given the versys 300 more of a chance.

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Instagram @improbablyadventuring

You must ride a Husky or a KTM?
You didn't say which 400cc "dirt bike" you're traveling on, so above is just a guess.

Some smaller bikes certainly are real dirt bikes, others simply dual sport bikes that need modification to suit touring. Some can be modified, some aren't worth the effort/cost. But as you say, the pay off is when things get nasty. But of course a two way street on that front.

Even my brand new 125cc Honda two stroke CRM rental got bogged down in nasty red clay mud in N. Thailand. Can't imagine something heavier.

Historically, one of the most popular 400cc "dirt bikes" is not really a dirt bike at all. Talking Suzuki's DRZ400S. (include DRZ400E which used to be sold in UK.) E model was Better dirt bike, less good travel bike than S model. (I owned the "E" model, never went beyond Baja and California, great dirt bike!)

Many have done extensive mods on the DRZ400S and done RTW travel. Wide seat, proper tires for road work, small screen. I found stock gearing on that DRZ-S was good for 85 mph measured. Not bad.

Most of the guys who rode the Suzuki's have sold them on and bought either Husky or KTM 350's or 500's EXC's.

They have their own set of problems ... like longevity. Those old DRZ's could easily rack up 30K to 40K miles ... the Austrians are usually in need of service by 15 to 20K miles. More compromises.

And the Euro bikes are SUPER tall, whereas the old DRZ is reasonable for most.

I'm guessing you have signatures toggled to not show - his sig says he has a DRZ400.

__________________
Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

Yeah sorry I have a DRZ400S. I've goten used to the fact that nobody in India has seen anything remotely like my bike so I've taken to calling it a "dirt bike" just because it makes more sense to most than trying to explain what a dual sport is.

I have a modified stock seat and a sheepskin (didn't want to pay to ship a Corbin from the US on top of the crazy high price) and a screen but it's still damn uncomfortable and even with a lowered seat very tall (I'm 5'7/170 - I'm female btw). Overall service interval is fine but it burns through oil very fast with the heat and sustained RPMs. With stock gearing and luggage I can't get it much past 60 MPH except with difficulty. (I have no performance mods) It doesn't help that most of India doesn't really have side roads in the sense that the bike would excel, so I'm mostly just been pounding the motorway for the last month.

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Instagram @improbablyadventuring

No ... I'm sorry! I missed your sig! My mistake.
Sounds like a rough trip! Sadly, often non pro seat mods may not work ... and IMO, sheep skins are useless for LD comfort, even though Aussies and Kiwi's swear by them. Yea, Corbin is expensive ... but I can ride 10 hours on mine.
Stock seat was only good for an hour or so. Crippling!

Cheaper option would be a Seat Concepts Kit. Or find good foam and have your own built by a real seat maker in India.

A WIDE seat is key to comfort, IMO. That and high quality, firm foam that won't break down in a few months in high heat and wet.

Sounds like your DRZ has some serious issues. It shouldn't be using much oil and 60 mph should be a doodle if running well. I'm sure it's an Odd Ball Bike in India and I have NO ADVICE as to where or who you could take it to for sorting. Sorry. But I bet someone here could help!

All the guys I know who've done India have rented or bought bikes there as shipping in their own bike too costly and famous Indian bureaucracy was too much to cope with. (that I DO know!)

I've never ridden in India but visited twice for work. A nightmare.

Sounds like you need to head for the Hills and away from the motorways?
Do be careful, but by now you could probably teach a course in MC survival on
Indian roads. It's nuts there (thank gawd I never drove there!)

To stay on topic, I guess your DRZ is considered a BIG bike there? Seems the pace in some areas is slow enough that 60 mph would be risky?

Any way, good luck getting things fixed up ... and safe travels.
(PS I'm only 5'6". Do OK on DRZ400S ... one butt check hang off to one side to get foot down is the ticket. DRZ is LOW vs. real dirt bike! (like 37" seat)

I had it checked over pretty thoroughly in Kuala Lumpur at Sunny's (who is very good) and the conclusion was there's nothing wrong, it's just that with the heat (it's about 107F here now) and the RPMs I'm pushing it hard, and with 22k miles already on the clock it's not going to be that abnormal to be going through sone oil. Checking thumpertalk they seem to agree so *shrug*

As for the speed, I think at least part of it is I don't like to push the bike so hard that engine noise and vibrations and wobble get too excessive. On a really good road like malaysia has without wind I'll get around 70 (indicated, which is optimistic according to my GPS) - it's just not that fun even on those lovely roads!

There are enough Enfields here that 400cc is considered very normal, but it is true that a lot of India I don't get past 50mph cause of pedestrians/cows/villagers popping sudden U Turns on their scooters without looking that I don't like to chance much faster. Especially when it's a long HOT day and my attention starts to flag. There are some nice stretches, and I did catch a pillion ride with a guy that decided that 70 mph was a good speed for the middle of Calcutta - that I wouldn't recommend!

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Instagram @improbablyadventuring

Horses for courses.

My TW200 was perfect in the UK for Lands end to John O'Groats!
My Klr650 was Under powered across the plains of the USA!

If you step off a GS then 10bhp or whatever from a small bike is going to be a disappointment and you'll always be trying to get the thing to go faster. If you're constantly thinking I wish I'd brought something bigger or faster or with more road presence and this thing's so slow its useless then you're never going to get the best out of the trip. You need to change your mindset as well as your motorcycle.

In some respects 'small biking' (50/100/125cc anyway) almost closer to pedal-bike cycling than motorcycling. It's not just a slower, more frustrating version of 'normal' bike touring, it's almost a different activity altogether.

I've done a lot of small bike trips over the years. Three years ago I did 2000 miles through France / Italy on a 125 two weeks before starting a 10,000 mile trip in the US on an 1800cc bike. Both of those trips have been written up in book form (part of the 125 trip even got 3 pages in Bike magazine) and, from an interest point of view, there's not much between them. Stuff happens and that's what you write about. It's just that different stuff happens when you're riding a big bike compared to when you're on a small one.

On the subject of writing, I can understand why some people would be reluctant to commit to paper (or electrons), particularly if there is a personal element to the trip. Writing is both hard and time consuming and, if you're not doing it commercially (i.e. through a publisher), normally brings very little reward.

The 120,000 word book (about half of the US trip mentioned above) I've just finished took me two years to write and will have a circulation of maybe five or ten copies, all of which I will have paid for. So why would I bother other than as a labour of love. Having said that I'm already planning a summer 2020 trip specifically intended to be written as a book afterwards. It involves a 4000 mile trip on a 1970(ish) vintage 250cc two stroke. All I need to do now is find one.



The USA trip book cover:

My sentiments exactly, down to the CB500. I took a 450 dirt bike from CT to Guatemala and it was torture. Crossing the USA was terrible, especially as I got to the lower states with stronger winds.

Not having a windshield, small tank, massively buzzy engine and poor ergonomics was brutal. I had the money and should have bought a small tourer like a CB, Strom or something similar.

The only real advantages was that once in Latin America, it was easier to take my bike in and out of my host family’s living room every day.

So yes, I wish I had a bigger and more comfortable motorcycle.

On a side note, I had a chance to spend some time with Daniel Rintz in Guatemala. He was over 3 years into his round the world trip on his 1200GS with his girlfriend. He and I spoke at length about my bike choice, a “bicycle” as he called it (KTM450). I asked about whether he wished he took a different bike. His reply was that for 95% of the time the GS is perfect. It has a low center of gravity, handles well, has been reliable and is incredibly comfortable. 5% of the time he explained is rough going and the bike is hard to ride due the size. So for a vast majority of his travel, his bike was massively comfortable and enjoyable.

It makes sense to me if you don’t dive too deep into the rough stuff.