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Which Bike? Comments and Questions on what is the best bike for YOU, for YOUR trip. Note that we believe that ANY bike will do, so please remember that it's all down to PERSONAL OPINION. Technical Questions for all brands go in their own forum.
Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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Old 7 Jun 2016
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To me those photos prove they are not as capable. A small bike would ride that, not be man handled or pushed up. Big difference.

But it's whatever you prefer. I wouldn't recommend this at all personally. Particularly to newbies.

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Old 12 Jun 2016
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Originally Posted by tmotten View Post
To me those photos prove they are not as capable. A small bike would ride that, not be man handled or pushed up. Big difference.

But it's whatever you prefer. I wouldn't recommend this at all personally. Particularly to newbies.

I agree it can be more difficult on a larger bike offroad. As for the photos- I didn't bother posting pictures of 'smaller' machines being stuck. Just of areas where I ride with big bikes as an example. E.g.
  • the picture of the AT stuck in the riverbed with me trying to get it out- there were four bikes on that trip, my AT, an 1150GS and 2 x Dakar 650. We turned around because the Dakar riders were not comfortable with where we're going and the type of terrain they had to traverse. They could not get through on smaller machines. And I got the AT stuck because I misjudged the line, the ditch was too steep and I stalled the bike on the 1st go. Rider error- not bike related.
  • The picture of the AT having a rest on the slope - I had a very capable mate riding with me on a 690 enduro (more capable than me). We were trying to find a track/line up the hill and through the breakaways. He quit because it was too hard he was not having fun (on a bike and equipment weighing 60+kg lighter). Unless we were going to physically lift the bikes up over a two meter breakaway, the smaller bikes would not have made much difference.
  • the 2016 photo - I led us down the mountain on a washed out track without recce-ing it 1st (my bad). It used to be a one-way down 4x4 track, but recent rains washed it out completely and we ended up walking all the bikes down because it was not possible to ride them. That includes the XT600. We also needed to 'make' some areas where we could get the bikes over and down gullies. A very skilled trails rider would have been able to ride it, but size did not matter on that downhill. That same trip I was blessed enough to see how an experienced rider on a 270+kg Varadero can make the rest of us look like amateurs through sand, gypsum dunes, rocky tracks and more.
  • the picture of the track running down the hill with 800GS having a rest - I was on a smaller machine (XR650L). The rider 'lost' the bike because he is a tight arse that didn't fit new tyres before the trip. He had problems with traction and it was not a bike-related problem. There was not one spot where the XR was a definite advantage above the heavier 800GS and for the most part of the trip I could not keep up with my mate when the going got ruff.

So IMO, to make a statement like 'a small bike would ride that' is a bit condescending without you knowing the background behind it, and the exact circumstances. Don't mistake rider error for machine deficiency.
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