I would stick with your 250, you stated that you know the bike well.

I think the comments that smaller bikes are less well built is utter bull.

My Yamaha 1994 TT250R has much better quality components than MY 2008 Yamaha XT660z tenere.

Smaller Bikes stand out less. There is more chance of finding spares look at what bikes are available localy.

I have ridden across spain on my Trusty 250 not once did I wish to be on the 600 I rode the year before and they were Long long road miles.

Bigger bikes are normally worse on fuel and all that weight (and lets look here you are talking around 100 kgs more) Small bikes can carry a good load no worries.

I have read of far more journeys being ruined by the big bike being a pain and very few were people state that there smaller, lighter bike was a pain.

I would not hesitate to take the smaller bike every time. Long trips are not just about trying to crack the ton in sand.

I think the ideal world travel bike is a small light bike of around 250 cc air cooled. maybe an additional oil cooler. 400cc bikes can cut it too but if you already have the 250 use it. Overall what speed are we talking my TTR can keep up with most 600's on road and in the dirt it smokes them :scooter:

Hi Selous,

Lois used an TTR250 for her African trip.

I was speaking to her husband Austin 2 weeks ago and he mentioned that one of the large bike mag's had just rang him and asked for his comments as to which current bike does he consider to be the best RTW machine and he told them the XT250 Serow.

Regards

Reggie

My bike of choice is the DR 350, and im heading to Africa now (currently in India) . However, I wouldnt have minded my DRZ 250 i sold just before leaving...

I like smaller bikes because I am
a. a short girl
b. carrying less than 20kg of soft luggage
c. love to get out on the off road when possible
d. It is a simple engine with simple parts and I know air cool engines pretty well now
e. you can get parts for the smaller bikes in most places!! As a lot of countries have these bikes for racing etc.

This is a great posting - it probably should have been a poll!

It sure would be an intersesting Poll, I think a lot of people have an infactuation with bigger is better and i think when it comes to off road travel thats just not the case.

I was looking at Brasil, both Yamaha and Honda offer interesting small capacity bikes. you have the Yamaha XT 250 Tenere and Honda have a 300 cc adventure bike.

Having toured thailand on a 250 mini dominator I think it was an ax 250 it was brill. You could do technical slow stuff and then ride it fast on gravel fire roads with the back end drift slidding around the bends.

I have been seeking the ideal all rounder for years now and I think the bike manaufacturers are doing us an injustice, bring some of these bikes in and people will buy them, look at the TTr that was grey import for years.

If Kawasaki took the engine from the Ninja 250 they could make a great little adventure bike. likewise honda have the new 250 single from the cbr.

These bikes could offer all the features of bigger bikes but without the penalties of weight, cost and fuel consumption.

Decent size fuel tanks and mini fairings offer all day poetential.

each to their own on engine size, but having expirienced both ends of the scale I will go small and have a ball :scooter:

Light is right
 

The lighter the better.I weigh more than 110kg with simple amount of luggage I have never used needed more than 250cc around Asia and plan to use xt or crf250 in Africa too. I grew up in South Africa and have been riding since age 10.....
Helped more riders with big bikes up and out of mud over years than I care to remember
Go light go right. no shyte!

Capable vs Suitable
 

I've done my share of travelling on unsuitable transportation (as well as suitable). I've done Cape Town to Nairobi on a classic 200cc Vespa PX scooter with 10" wheels - easy.

I've also done the 9000km Budapest to Bamako Enduro Rally with two scooter buddies, ending in Guinea Bissau - on the very same scooter - unassisted, carrying all tools, parts, gear and half a change of clothing... a lot of pistes under construction, off-road... Not so easy, but still enjoyable and lots of fun.

Would I do it again? Yes!

Would I do another? No! I would take the most suitable bike I could afford. I would advice others to do the same... unless they have some perversion they just have to get out of their system.

I think that a 250cc like a Yamaha WR, or the like, with some mods, can make an ideal bike for any part of Africa or traversing it... if you plan to take the occasional scenic route or do a lot of offroading. If you plan to stay on the main roads, then a bigger adventure bike would be more enjoyable. In my opinion, a comfortable twin would be best.

As for minimum mods on a 250 dual sport:

• Long range tanks
• Radiator protector
• Bash plate
• Strengthened sub frame, on models where these are known to be weak
• Metal panniers, lockable. (There is an endless discussion of soft vs hard. It is my opinion that for crossing Africa in particular, hard is best).
• Center stand
• Comfortable seat
• Hand protectors (i.e. barkbusters)
• Windshield
• 12 V sigaretter socket, possibly also a USB socket
• Phone and Navigation holders
• Camel toe on sidestand
• Upgrade any model specific weak points

Other upgrades are in my opinion unnecessary luxuries for most riders - the nice to haves that often end up not warranting the money and effort. In some cases, mods can come to bite you in the ass or make life cumbersome. If you are wondering if you need it, it is likely you don't - you probably don't have the experience level to get the most out of it (i.e. expensive shock upgrades). For most, the priority should be: reliability, safety, simplicity, keeping as much stock as possible and change only things that really makes a big difference, save money for off the bike luxuries... and in that order.

My dream bike for a satellite trip in Africa would be the likes of a Husqvarna 701 Enduro. For crossing Africa it would be something like a Yamaha WR250. For an RTW it would be a Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports with the DCT gear box and wheelie control.

But a classic Vespa can do the job.

I think the 250cc will be fine - the vast majority of bikes in Africa are smaller, and although most of them don't do long trips, they are exposed to the same conditions as you will encounter. We travelled with a friend on a 100cc Bajaj Boxer through eastern Uganda to the Kenyan border and it was amazingly capable.

The only bike I've owned which I've used in Africa was a 500cc ex-police bike, which I found robust and capable but I have to say that it was heavier than would have been ideal. When we were considering a two-bike trip through South America we thought that the 660cc Teneré would be the best option, however would have preferred a smaller, lighter bike (we ended up doing the trip in a 4x4).

All I say is CRF250L. Me and my wife had done almost 90000km on them, before Corona came.
We did nothing but oil/filter changes, tires, sprockets, chains, chain sliders. Even the valves didn't need any adjustment. It is probably the most reliable bike in the moment.