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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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  #1  
Old 10 Sep 2009
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........If Ted Simon can manage on a 1973 Triumph 650 twin.....


Any half decent bike thats been well prepared has as much chance as the biggest & best (Wouldn't wanna try it on a Cossack/Dneiper/Ural... etc)

Its probably just a bit easier/comfier on a GS1200 or similar
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  #2  
Old 10 Sep 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigford View Post
........If Ted Simon can manage on a 1973 Triumph 650 twin.....


Any half decent bike thats been well prepared has as much chance as the biggest & best (Wouldn't wanna try it on a Cossack/Dneiper/Ural... etc)

Its probably just a bit easier/comfier on a GS1200 or similar
You could ride through Central America on a Goldwing if you wanted to. I just made the video to make sure people know they don't need big expensive bikes to make big trips like they do on the "Long Way" series. Chase trucks, mechanics, doctors, sat phones, some one to wipe your ass etc.

Behold world! You can have your own adventure with out someone holding your hand across Africa. And you'll probably have a better time without them. Well.... better stories anyway.

"Adventure is just bad planning." -Roald Amundsen
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  #3  
Old 11 Sep 2009
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I wasn't going to comment, I resisted commenting for days, but then the bit about US marines and Special Forces adopting it got to me. I mean they're the ones who adopted the M16 in Vietnam, and that was a right POS when it first appeared. There's hundreds of reasons why the armed forces use things, very few of them matter to the rest of us.
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  #4  
Old 11 Sep 2009
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Originally Posted by Alexlebrit View Post
I wasn't going to comment, I resisted commenting for days, but then the bit about US marines and Special Forces adopting it got to me. I mean they're the ones who adopted the M16 in Vietnam, and that was a right POS when it first appeared. There's hundreds of reasons why the armed forces use things, very few of them matter to the rest of us.

I expect it was mostly because that dept got a good bulk buy discount....
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  #5  
Old 11 Sep 2009
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@Warthog; Ural+1

Id rather go on something a bit old and classic, but thats just me!

Also I think the military bikes used by UK and US, and a few others, are modified off road Harley Davidsons, specially built by the company.
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Old 11 Sep 2009
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Originally Posted by devildiver View Post
@Warthog; Ural+1


Also I think the military bikes used by UK and US, and a few others, are modified off road Harley Davidsons, specially built by the company.
The mil are moving on from the HD MT350 (hence you can buy them on ebay etc) to adopt diesel as the only fuel available on the battlefield - getting petrol there for bikes is a pain 'cos everything else is running on diesel.
I believe the UK MoD will buy (maybe already have??) the KLR diesel engined bike that the US forces have - trouble a while ago was that a much bigger demand for this bike came from the US forces, so the UK went backwards in the queue to buy it.
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  #7  
Old 11 Sep 2009
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very interesting dave, makes sense. Id quite like one of those hercules millitary bikes made for the german army, but thats
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  #8  
Old 12 Sep 2009
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Originally Posted by Walkabout View Post
The mil are moving on from the HD MT350 (hence you can buy them on ebay etc) to adopt diesel as the only fuel available on the battlefield - getting petrol there for bikes is a pain 'cos everything else is running on diesel.
I believe the UK MoD will buy (maybe already have??) the KLR diesel engined bike that the US forces have - trouble a while ago was that a much bigger demand for this bike came from the US forces, so the UK went backwards in the queue to buy it.
I had heard that the MOD has decided to go "Four Wheels Only" and phase out bikes altogether (except for a certain unit based in Hereford)
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  #9  
Old 11 Sep 2009
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Originally Posted by Alexlebrit View Post
I wasn't going to comment, I resisted commenting for days, but then the bit about US marines and Special Forces adopting it got to me. I mean they're the ones who adopted the M16 in Vietnam, and that was a right POS when it first appeared. There's hundreds of reasons why the armed forces use things, very few of them matter to the rest of us.
This is an excellent comment Alex. The M16 got a lot of guys killed in Vietnam. But I have heard that it was more the ammunition's fault than the weapon's. Because the ammo was getting the inside of the weapon so dirty it was jamming a lot. Giving the early M16 a bad name, when it may not have deserved it.
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  #10  
Old 11 Sep 2009
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This is an excellent comment Alex. The M16 got a lot of guys killed in Vietnam. But I have heard that it was more the ammunition's fault than the weapon's. Because the ammo was getting the inside of the weapon so dirty it was jamming a lot. Giving the early M16 a bad name, when it may not have deserved it.
I also heard it was to do with the way the mags stocked the ammo; that what the whole bagging the mag on helmet thing is all about, to ensure any loose rounds pop away and dont jam the weapon. this didn't matter in early M16 models as the mag was poorly designed anyway, so they updated it to the one in use now.

still though best to avoid discussions on weapons of war on a nice friendly motorcycle touring website...
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  #11  
Old 11 Sep 2009
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(Wouldn't wanna try it on a Cossack/Dneiper/Ural... etc)

No?

Don't worry: Ill let you know how we get on!!
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  #12  
Old 2 Dec 2009
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........If Ted Simon can manage on a 1973 Triumph 650 twin.....
Just for your future information, Ted Simons bike was a unit construction 500cc bike ( actually 490cc), I had one back in 1961 and they were great bikes.
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