Aventure bikes, small is better.

[AllanB]

With the winter in Thailand gone and only the Mae Hong Song Loop to show for it, thanks to family commitments, I am looking to Europe for a few adventure trips. A banger rally in May, shortly followed by a trip to Gibralta (from central Portugal) in early June on the Vespa and so on. That is until the Enfield is up and running.... and then on that...hopefully.

 

Both these bikes, along with my dirt bike here are not that big/powerful and I think there is a case for small is better and this guy puts it very well.

 

 

[Damrongsak]

Do you have the official Enfield riding gear?

 

 

[AllanB]

Here is the opposite..... wrong bike and overloaded.

 

 

Then you are relying on luck, another location or with her leg under the bike, a possible fatality.

 

Big bike large carrying capacity encourages you to carry too much.

 

Our last 4 day trip we had 6 kilos for 2 people, excluding food we picked up en-route. This was easily possible with lightweight, quick dry clothing and small electronics.

 

We are going to pick up some camping gear in the UK/France and that is looking good too, I figure a tent and two sleeping bags under 5kg.

[Kwasaki]

15 hours ago, AllanB said:

Adventure bikes, small is better.

Advice is always OK if your experience is limited in touring or skill.

 

A small bike is alright and what is small as mush says in the vid 600 or 650 so you need to find the lightest I would say but 175kgs plus luggage is still gonna be heavy.

 

My CRF250 would be OK as long as you carry spare petrol. 

 

 

[kelboy]

4 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Advice is always OK if your experience is limited in touring or skill.

 

A small bike is alright and what is small as mush says in the vid 600 or 650 so you need to find the lightest I would say but 175kgs plus luggage is still gonna be heavy.

 

My CRF250 would be OK as long as you carry spare petrol. 

 

 

Cb500x is perfect 

[canthai55]

7 hours ago, AllanB said:

We are going to pick up some camping gear in the UK/France and that is looking good too, I figure a tent and two sleeping bags under 5kg.

Camping ? In a tent ? in Thailand ? WOW !

Save the 5kg - carry plastic, or a roll of cash. Then you can have a shower, and use a toilet, and have a fan on when it is hot, if you do not want to pay for aircon.

[canthai55]

5 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

 175kgs

My CRF weighs 145. Carry max 20 kg - which on longer rides includes a 4 kg laptop.

Love passing those guys on 'adventure bikes' going 4 kph, duck walking down the trail !

Fuel - never a problem. Every Ban has fuel for sale.

 

[Kwasaki]

22 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

My CRF weighs 145. Carry max 20 kg - which on longer rides includes a 4 kg laptop.

Love passing those guys on 'adventure bikes' going 4 kph, duck walking down the trail !

Fuel - never a problem. Every Ban has fuel for sale.

 

Some the places up north are few far between for baan fuel, when touring next of sorter off main routes I will carry fuel.

Mine weighs 145.6 kgs and the preload is now at max. 

[jackdd]

56 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

Camping ? In a tent ? in Thailand ? WOW !

Save the 5kg - carry plastic, or a roll of cash. Then you can have a shower, and use a toilet, and have a fan on when it is hot, if you do not want to pay for aircon.

In his first post he wrote that he will be riding in Europe.

 

In the category "adventure bikes" are quite some differences. Some adventure bikes are clearly for the street (or maybe gravel roads) and not for off road, while others are capable to be taken off road.

But somehow all the bikes in the 500-600cc range fall in the street category. You don't want to take a CB500X or a Versys off road. The off road capable bikes are somehow always bigger, like the Africa Twin, BMW F800GS, Triumph Tiger 800 XCA. Honda should make a crossover of the CRF250 and the Africa Twin.

[canthai55]

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

The off road capable bikes are somehow always bigger, like the Africa Twin, BMW F800GS, Triumph Tiger 800 XCA. Honda should make a crossover of the CRF250 and the Africa Twin.

Gravel or dirt roads - I will give you that one - if they are dry.

But off road - 555

Bloated bikes with an off road look - nothing more.

[jackdd]

16 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

Gravel or dirt roads - I will give you that one - if they are dry.

But off road - 555

Bloated bikes with an off road look - nothing more.

 

Of course with an enduro bike this is easier and more fun, but it's possible to do with the right type of adventure bike  

[Familyonthemove]

8 hours ago, jackdd said:

In his first post he wrote that he will be riding in Europe.

 

In the category "adventure bikes" are quite some differences. Some adventure bikes are clearly for the street (or maybe gravel roads) and not for off road, while others are capable to be taken off road.

But somehow all the bikes in the 500-600cc range fall in the street category. You don't want to take a CB500X or a Versys off road. The off road capable bikes are somehow always bigger, like the Africa Twin, BMW F800GS, Triumph Tiger 800 XCA. Honda should make a crossover of the CRF250 and the Africa Twin.

There's some interesting small adventure bikes now ..... BMW G310GS, Kawasaki Versys x300, Honda crf250 Rally, Enfield Himalayan.   Been considering one of these, but can't decide which one yet. 

[Kwasaki]

7 hours ago, Familyonthemove said:

There's some interesting small adventure bikes now ..... BMW G310GS, Kawasaki Versys x300, Honda crf250 Rally, Enfield Himalayan.   Been considering one of these, but can't decide which one yet. 

BM starts @ 219,000 bht,  Kwacka starts @ 199,000 bht, CRF250 gay Rally  @ 199,000 bht,  Enfield H starts @ 169,000 with a 400cc lump, built quality is in question already. 

I wanted to go smaller bike so personally when I saw the basic CRF250L @ 135,000 bht mind made up. 

 

[canthai55]

18 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

 Enfield H starts @ 169,000 with a 400cc lump, built quality is in question already. 

I wanted to go smaller bike so personally when I saw the basic CRF250L @ 135,000 bht mind made up. 

Enfield buyers favor form over function.

My decision to buy a CRF was to access the small roads, bad asphalt, gravel and dirt in the dry season. As you can not ride quickly on these roads anyway, 250ccis perfectly acceptable.

My first small bike in a coons age.

And the elephant trail to MHS is sketchy - reports say - on a Versys. The AT - well, an elephant on the elephant trail sounds good, but in reality ...

[Kwasaki]

9 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

And the elephant trail to MHS is sketchy - reports say - on a Versys.

I would of do that on a GS adventure ranging down to a Wave.

The only question would be age ability.

 

[CMKiwi]

Come on Honda...give us a CRF 450x for Thailand

[AllanB]

20 minutes ago, CMKiwi said:

Come on Honda...give us a CRF 450x for Thailand

I would second that, although too late for me.

 

This Bulgarian guy in the first video seems to really know his stuff, despite being a real tough guy, still uses common sense to keep safe and make sucessful tripes.

[papa al]

the first or second stomach of a cow or other ruminant used as food.

tripe

;-)

[Kwasaki]

3 hours ago, CMKiwi said:

Come on Honda...give us a CRF 450x for Thailand

Too heavy.

[kelboy]

6 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

BM starts @ 219,000 bht,  Kwacka starts @ 199,000 bht, CRF250 gay Rally  @ 199,000 bht,  Enfield H starts @ 169,000 with a 400cc lump, built quality is in question already. 

I wanted to go smaller bike so personally when I saw the basic CRF250L @ 135,000 bht mind made up. 

 

That's a nice screen. 

[Kwasaki]

3 minutes ago, kelboy said:

That's a nice screen. 

Of course it's from your Honda 500x and a few beer Changs.

[jackdd]

On 15.4.2018 at 4:26 AM, Familyonthemove said:

There's some interesting small adventure bikes now ..... BMW G310GS, Kawasaki Versys x300, Honda crf250 Rally, Enfield Himalayan.   Been considering one of these, but can't decide which one yet. 

Yes, indeed, but for my taste they could be a bit bigger, as i said, maybe the 500-600cc range (or the CRF450 as somebody mentioned before, but for my taste some type of "rally" version and a bit more orientated to a comfortable ride).

 

Deciding between the small bikes is not too difficult, because they are quite different (i don't know about the Enfield)

The Honda CRF250 is the most off road capable bike of these three , the BMW 310GS is in the middle and the Kawasaki Versys x300 is probably not really off road capable.

[ktm jeff]

Kawasaki KLX 250 is only 160 K , and with its adjustable suspension and lighter weight , much better than the 200 K Honda. I would love a KLX 400 / 450. With a green book , 40 BHP , good torque , decent suspension and cooling system. Or a Yamaha WR 400 , or a modernised DRZ 400. 

[jackdd]

 

I just stumbled across the Yamaha Tenere 700. Could be a nice bike (maybe somewhere in the 300-400k thb range?), but probably released in 2019 and no idea if it will be released in Thailand at all.

[Namplik]

On 15.4.2018 at 6:44 PM, Kwasaki said:

Of course it's from your Honda 500x and a few beer Changs.

But not adjustable right? Does it deflect the air stream over your helmet? How tall are you?

[Kwasaki]

5 minutes ago, Namplik said:

But not adjustable right?

Does it deflect the air stream over your helmet?

How tall are you?

Could mod it to make adjustable but used the existing fixing points it looks good.

Yes !! the air-stream is quite noticeably cut even though it's not a 300 kph machine.

I'm 180cm and srinking.

[Namplik]

52 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Could mod it to make adjustable but used the existing fixing points it looks good.

Yes !! the air-stream is quite noticeably cut even though it's not a 300 kph machine.

I'm 180cm and srinking.

Looks good, any more pictures of it? You just drilled some holes in the headlight fairing? Any spacer between the screen and fairing? How much fore the screen here in Thailand?

[canthai55]

Could never figure why guys put screens or windshields on bikes here.

I want as much air flow as possible thru my mesh gear.

Even rain is OK 'cause it is warm.

[AllanB]

11 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

Could never figure why guys put screens or windshields on bikes here.

I want as much air flow as possible thru my mesh gear.

Even rain is OK 'cause it is warm.

When I was buying my CRF I looked at the Rally and it had everything I didn't want, a full screen and as you say why? It had a higher seat, I am 6 foot daddylonglegs and it was not comfortable, especially after I added foam and cost a shit load more Bahts.

 

Have a screen on the Vespa, but that is used in Europe and does work, especially in the UK, Thailand never.

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, Namplik said:

Looks good, any more pictures of it? You just drilled some holes in the headlight fairing? Any spacer between the screen and fairing? How much fore the screen here in Thailand?

Yes and used small bolts and nuts with a rubber cushion washer.

The screen already has spacers at the fixing points.

Dunno price got mine given after a few Changs, many 500x riders change screen so look out for s/h from them.