You'd have to have no nerve endings in your arse to do high mileage days on a DRZ, the seat is about 4 inches wide, I did a 400 Mike day on my one once, I was walking like John Wayne for a couple of days afterwards.Bigyin wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 7:23 pm Suzuki DRZ400. Its small enough to pick up when you drop it in the boondocks, but big enough to fit me and to take luggage and keep up with city traffic or busy roads.
It was good enough for Fern to take her across the world through the Stans, far east and to Australia.
My mate did the RTW trip 2 up with his missus on a GS1150. They had no mechanical dramas in the 90,000 miles they rode over 18 months
Your trip around the world - which bike?
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Re: Your trip around the world - which bike?
Honda Owner
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Re: Your trip around the world - which bike?
I would assume i would be allowed to modify it a bit rather than keeping it bog standardLe_Fromage_Grande wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 7:41 pm
You'd have to have no nerve endings in your arse to do high mileage days on a DRZ, the seat is about 4 inches wide, I did a 400 Mike day on my one once, I was walking like John Wayne for a couple of days afterwards.
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Re: Your trip around the world - which bike?
They are still making them, that's what they sell in other parts of the world that you might travel through going round the world.
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Re: Your trip around the world - which bike?
Kewl. Lots of options there then.
I'm liking the shaft drive ideas. Chain maintenance could be a real pain in the dusty/sandy regions. Can't see the missus letting me loose on my own....so, Ural with adventure pack it is then.
Looking at their web site it appears you can select 2 wheel drive. Could be useful. Reliability looks dismal.
Really though, my heart says 1150GS but my brain says too big, too heavy. Brain says Japanese and ubiquitous. 2 Honda 90s?
Hmmm.
I'm liking the shaft drive ideas. Chain maintenance could be a real pain in the dusty/sandy regions. Can't see the missus letting me loose on my own....so, Ural with adventure pack it is then.
Looking at their web site it appears you can select 2 wheel drive. Could be useful. Reliability looks dismal.
Really though, my heart says 1150GS but my brain says too big, too heavy. Brain says Japanese and ubiquitous. 2 Honda 90s?
Hmmm.
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Re: Your trip around the world - which bike?
For me I can''t help but think the most punishing roads are likely to be in the most underdeveloped countries? So a 30 year old bike using more common sized cycle parts are more likely to get repaired locally, than say a 2021 1250GS ADV?
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Re: Your trip around the world - which bike?
I read an article years ago about some blokes who did a RTW trip on DR350's.
In deepest darkest Siberia the wheel bearings went on one of the bikes.
After a lot of vodka with the friendly locals, they removed some bearings from a Russian tractor that just happened to fit the DR wheels!
I guess most bearings, even Russian ones are fairly standard sized.
In deepest darkest Siberia the wheel bearings went on one of the bikes.
After a lot of vodka with the friendly locals, they removed some bearings from a Russian tractor that just happened to fit the DR wheels!
I guess most bearings, even Russian ones are fairly standard sized.
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Re: Your trip around the world - which bike?
Not really, you'd want to avoid all the fancy electronics. It's no good asking your average bush mechanic what error code 4372 means when your ABS sensor decides to fry itself. Spoked wheels, tubes, no fancy engine management/fuel maps and will run on jungle juice. Sorted.
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Re: Your trip around the world - which bike?
For a proper RTW bike you'd want it to be air cooled, with carbs and as few electrics as possible.
Maybe a steel frame as it's easier to weld up if needed.
It needs to have low enough compression to run on dirty low octane fuel.
The less complexity the better.
Maybe a steel frame as it's easier to weld up if needed.
It needs to have low enough compression to run on dirty low octane fuel.
The less complexity the better.
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Re: Your trip around the world - which bike?
But modern stuff hardly goes wrong.Count Steer wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 9:21 pmNot really, you'd want to avoid all the fancy electronics. It's no good asking your average bush mechanic what error code 4372 means when your ABS sensor decides to fry itself. Spoked wheels, tubes, no fancy engine management/fuel maps and will run on jungle juice. Sorted.
I've had 7 GSXR1000s and first 6 were thrashed mercilessly on track.
No problems.
You wouldn't take a 30 year old phone or satnav.
Nostalgia won't keep you alive.
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Re: Your trip around the world - which bike?
On your 1250 ADV riding across France Germany, North America etc, its going to soak up those roads with easy. The problems on this RTW trip are more likely to arise in the 'Stans and crossing rivers in the Urals etc. Break a 1250ADV there and you ain't going to get much help from locals. Break a 1985 DR350 there and you'll probably get bailed out easily enough and it'll cope with the Euro roads too? Basic risk assessment really...
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Re: Your trip around the world - which bike?
Why are folk so obsessed with old shite?
They stopped making them for a reason.
I give up.
They stopped making them for a reason.
I give up.
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Re: Your trip around the world - which bike?
I wouldn't trust a 35 year old bike to get me to the ferry at DoverTaipan wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 9:32 pmOn your 1250 ADV riding across France Germany, North America etc, its going to soak up those roads with easy. The problems on this RTW trip are more likely to arise in the 'Stans and crossing rivers in the Urals etc. Break a 1250ADV there and you ain't going to get much help from locals. Break a 1985 DR350 there and you'll probably get bailed out easily enough and it'll cope with the Euro roads too? Basic risk assessment really...
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Re: Your trip around the world - which bike?
Where you going to charge your phone/sat nav when you break down in deepest Kazakhstan? A map and compass might save your life. A GSXR thou might be great at Cadwell, but its probably shit at traversing The Ural mountains!Yorick wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 9:27 pmBut modern stuff hardly goes wrong.Count Steer wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 9:21 pmNot really, you'd want to avoid all the fancy electronics. It's no good asking your average bush mechanic what error code 4372 means when your ABS sensor decides to fry itself. Spoked wheels, tubes, no fancy engine management/fuel maps and will run on jungle juice. Sorted.
I've had 7 GSXR1000s and first 6 were thrashed mercilessly on track.
No problems.
You wouldn't take a 30 year old phone or satnav.
Nostalgia won't keep you alive.
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Re: Your trip around the world - which bike?
Doubt is not a pleasant condition.
But certainty is an absurd one.
Voltaire
But certainty is an absurd one.
Voltaire
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Re: Your trip around the world - which bike?
Solar power chargers.Taipan wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 9:37 pmWhere you going to charge your phone/sat nav when you break down in deepest Kazakhstan? A map and compass might save your life. A GSXR thou might be great at Cadwell, but its probably shit at traversing The Ural mountains!Yorick wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 9:27 pmBut modern stuff hardly goes wrong.Count Steer wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 9:21 pm
Not really, you'd want to avoid all the fancy electronics. It's no good asking your average bush mechanic what error code 4372 means when your ABS sensor decides to fry itself. Spoked wheels, tubes, no fancy engine management/fuel maps and will run on jungle juice. Sorted.
I've had 7 GSXR1000s and first 6 were thrashed mercilessly on track.
No problems.
You wouldn't take a 30 year old phone or satnav.
Nostalgia won't keep you alive.
I was using the GSXR1000 as an example.
Keep the bike simple. But FFS take a new one not a 40 year old shitter.
Last edited by Yorick on Wed Sep 01, 2021 9:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Your trip around the world - which bike?
Mondo Enduro. great series and used to be on youtube.KungFooBob wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 9:12 pm I read an article years ago about some blokes who did a RTW trip on DR350's.
In deepest darkest Siberia the wheel bearings went on one of the bikes.
After a lot of vodka with the friendly locals, they removed some bearings from a Russian tractor that just happened to fit the DR wheels!
I guess most bearings, even Russian ones are fairly standard sized.
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Re: Your trip around the world - which bike?
We won't know the answer for a while but I wonder how many 30+ year old bikes are still running and how many 2020s bikes will be running in 30 years time? (Ignoring stuff like phasing out ICE). I'd guess most bikes die due to lack of spares and difficulty/cost of repair and that comes with increased complexity. Probably another thread though.
Doubt is not a pleasant condition.
But certainty is an absurd one.
Voltaire
But certainty is an absurd one.
Voltaire