Your trip around the world - which bike?

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

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

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]

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.

I would assume i would be allowed to modify it a bit rather than keeping it bog standard

[cheb]

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.

[Count Steer]

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.

[Taipan]

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?

[KungFooBob]

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.

[Yorick]

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?

That's some weird logic Shandyman

[Count Steer]

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?

That's some weird logic Shandyman

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.

[KungFooBob]

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.

[Yorick]

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?

That's some weird logic Shandyman

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.

But modern stuff hardly goes wrong.
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.

[KungFooBob]

But modern stuff hardly goes wrong.
I've had 7 GSXR1000s and first 6 were thrashed mercilessly on unmade roads in deepest darkest South America.
No problems.

You wouldn't take a 30 year old phone or satnav.

Nostalgia won't keep you alive.

[Taipan]

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?

That's some weird logic Shandyman

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...

[Yorick]

Why are folk so obsessed with old shite?
They stopped making them for a reason.

I give up.

[Mussels]

Anything this size and a first class ticket.

[Yorick]

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?

That's some weird logic Shandyman

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...

I wouldn't trust a 35 year old bike to get me to the ferry at Dover

[Taipan]

That's some weird logic Shandyman

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.

But modern stuff hardly goes wrong.
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.

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!

[Count Steer]

I give up.

Wise you are young padawan.

[Yorick]

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.

But modern stuff hardly goes wrong.
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.

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!

Solar power chargers.
I was using the GSXR1000 as an example.


Keep the bike simple. But FFS take a new one not a 40 year old shitter.

[Taipan]

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.

Mondo Enduro. great series and used to be on youtube.

[Count Steer]

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.