2012 Adventure Touring Motorcycle Shootout 

I test drove the Tiger Explorer (put 50,000mi on a Tiger 1050), BMW R1200GS, Ducati Multistrada and the MG Stelvio NTX. The MG sits in my garage. If you ride many miles a year (20-25k for me) maintenance is a massive consideration in purchasing a bike. It's not even mentioned in these reviews. The Ducati is the fastest and nearly a supersport, I found it uncomfortable vs the others and the suspension was a massive letdown (skyhook) for the cost. I'm much heavier than normal rider's so if your over 240 pounds the expensive skyhook suspension didn't work for me. It also was terrible in the low rev range where you spend 90% of your time. The Tiger Explorer was a nice bike with a familiar engine feel coming from the Tiger 1050. The downside at the time were some top end engine issues and maintenance costs are high. 8 hours for a major service at @ 700-900 dollars at least once a year for the miles I cover. I had two 12k services a year for the Tiger 1050 which would be about 1500-1800 dollars if you took it to a dealer. The BMW is very expensive for service, it was a decent bike to ride but not exciting at all for me. .I choose the MG for the engine (it "feels" faster than it is) and maintenance is a breeze. Screw adjustable valves easily accessed and basically oil changes for the engine/shaft. The air filter is also under the seat not the tank on the MG. The MG is rock stable at 80-90mph on the highway and handles far better than you'd expect on road. It's also the only one with a 8.5 gallon tank and huge fuel range. If your looking for a real dirtbike you'd be wise to look at far smaller bikes than any of these.

Looks,reliability,durability,and value= Yamaha Super Tenere 1200.👏👏👏

Moto Guzzi's are under rated. Especially the new 8V 1200 motor. I own the Moto Guzzi Norge GT8V. After 33 years of riding almost every brand out there, including the BMW GS's, the Norge is my favorite. The days of "Guzzi's are over weight and under powered", are over. They're a pleasure to ride!

Just traded my GS for a Tenere. After a year and 10K miles on the GS--and $3500 USD in repairs and maintenance--I decided to go with the Tenere. The camel that broke the proverbial camel's back was the oil light coming on just as I was crossing into Mexico on one of my trips. The GS is refined and fun to ride, but BMW needs to concentrate more on engineering and quality.

Very good, high quality review as usual, the best on the internet i would say! thank you guys!, i can`t wait to see your review about the new 1200 gs and ktm 1190!

The BMW and Motto Guzzi both come with a box of wine from the dealership, a complimentary cashmere turtle neck and a hot cocoa machine that dispenses marshmallows out of the bar ends with a eye retina scanner.

Like this one of the last tests of the non-watercooled GS. My ‘05 the first year of this version is bullet-proof. Highway at 85mph or hills and streams at 5mph it is excellent. 16 years and zero problems. It’s called maintenance fellas.

Where is the DUCATI MULTISTRADA????

I like these older, longer videos you guys used to make. The newer ones feel kind of rushed.

amazing video =)

are you guys going to do and updated video for the new versions?

That's true, they have wider tires all round more like street bikes instead of adventure style and maybe not robust as the one's shown in this video. but would be interesting to see a shoot out of the two and see what are capable of. they are cheap and inspiring for beginners

was looking for a twin but just middleweight on the touring side or lower, remembering the time I ran over a curb on a 250 and not feeling the bump...the KTM from my country sounds good....wish I could rent it.

The truth is there's no winner! It's just a matter of personal taste!

Good looking bunch of bikes ... just hit play after a short lunch ride on my Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom ... didn't make the shootout? A little sad about that ... sticking with my faithful V-Strom.

No Suzuki V-Strom?

Missing the multistrada...

Multistrada doesn't really fit. Great vid. Covers all the major players in one group. Most shootouts miss a few. Well done. That super tenere has been growin on me so much. Keeps me up at night.

All that $$$$ and none as tuff or reliable as the KLR650...

The fairing is REALLY nice actually. Having ridden all three bikes, the KLR is the only one I would want on a long tarmac route to the trails. ADV riding generally includes both tarmac and dirt. The KLR is, in my opinion, the best for both. I do not know much about the XT 650, but I agree it would be very nice to have it in the states. OH AND... the Doohicky is a total myth on the 08+ bikes, and most people never do the doo on the older bikes, and they still run fine...

What, no conclusion. That's BS.

You missed out on the KLR650!!! this is the true winner!

What to buy next....

You cannot be serious that this is a off-road comparison? Funny that the bike with the most knobbie tires is the best off-roader. Unlike road-tests, when doing off-road tests the bikes should be fitted with same tires - otherwise there is unbalance. This is a do-over guys - be serious with it.

A lot of models of Husaburg used KTM parts. Mine in particular was a FE570 2010

The Varadero was never sold in the USA.

I know right but I am looking forward to hearing more about the 2014 DL1000 V-Strom.

When are u guys going to review the ninja 300 and new 636??

Good call. I was thinking V-Strom is far more in the category as far as type and price over the Guzzi.

Fogbrush, if you think the 990 is too heavy do a search on youtube. There's an amazing video of someone doing unbelievable stuff on it off road and at high speed. I couldn't (I used to own a 950) but the point is, with the right man onboard, the bike will do it.

BMW R1200GSA is the absolute best of the bunch. Spend 5000mi with it and then you know. Nimble....low cog....big fuel tank....equipped with most of the farkles.....great fuel economy.....linear torque curve....you cannot break it. IMO much more stable than KTM adv and F800GS. Will do it all really well. Just go get the one you really want. The size factor fades away after you live with it for a while. Do it! You will love it!

What model Husaberg?

true

What is wrong with giving us the winner here on you tube? I am not going to go and read that mag. Who does that now a days? If I cant find it on line I am not interested.

the GoPro commercial was awesome!

I have a 06 Tiger I've logged 48000 miles on it the triple motor rocks! smooooooth

I bet KTM does not forget Long Way Round!

where is the kawasaki klr 650?

I think there should be a 650 adventure review as well.

i Have had the gs . supper cool bike.But if you are like me and love the gravel roads and tricky paths like example up a mountain. . Then you can have no other then the ktm have one now. love the bike is supper strong and is best off road.

where's the dual sport tires? testing adventure touring requires tires that you would equip on such an excursion. I wouldn't take any of those bikes as equipped on the trails around here. they look good as gravel fairies though

The 636 review went up today on Motorcycle dhat com...

yamaha XT 1200 super tenere'

I know right ?

no DR650? that's probably the most competent off road of them all.

I totally agree.

That's because by the time they were done doing the interviews is when the KLR finally got there.

What about the NC700x and the CB500x?

After 6 euro tours, I have seen several BMW 1200 dead on the road with their riders cursing - some looked very posh with their colour coordinated everything

Nice review! But all these bikes are really too heavy and have too much power for off-road biased adventure riding. Their smaller brothers such as the Triumph 800 XC and BMW GS 800 are much more suitable

no varadero ???

what up with ktms review

Always great to watch bike videos ..... good info ..... definitely not very specific / tech info. eg: A certain bike " ..... rocks ..." ! Poor language skills for descriptions of the bikes. BUT ..... as long as you guys had a fun and safe ride ..... my comments just do not matter.

2024 and we return to these motorcycles. Sadly, only the Guzzi and the BMW made it to 200K km with a lot more to come. The Yamaha, KTM, and the Triumph all didn't make those mileages as they were too highly strung.

Why no Honda vfr1200x?

They don't really have an "adventure" bike in the usa market. I'm suprised the KLR650 was excluded.

for the class over 800 it's always a GS hands down...I've recorded a "Tribute to BMW R1200GS" video since I'm upgrading to the newer GS now, and you can watch on my RU-vid page to see more. Hope you all enjoy it! Just click my username to see more and let me know what you think! (Lots of dollars producing this one, so enjoy and share!:-)

Why no Multistrada?

i wish i could work for you guys

where is the honda africa twin?

Where is Honda Crosstourer???????????????????

That circumstance doesn´t render his argument invalid, though. Bro ;-)

Husaburg. Made in the same factory and swapable parts. But yes, it was a great bike. Too damn expensive to maintain and repair though. But awesome bike in every other way.

Ducati Multistrada would have been good to see in this review.

Fellow americans, it's called Moto GuZZi, like 'ts' and not like 'zzzzzzz'. You should start by learning the names of the bikes and then give feedback about their abilities. P.S. I am a KTM fan, not a guzzi fan ;-)

What about the bmw and triumph 800s both I would consider more true adventure bikes than any of these with the exception of the Ktm

9:41 ... in a whole empty forest you managed to scratch the bikes between them....savage!

The 8.5 gallon tank on the Guzzi is a great attribute! Wish Honda's nc700x was part of this group. Then the Guzzi wouldn't have been the slowest bike! haha

They don`t ride as good as R1 and CBR. And off road was to hard.Best testers ever.

Ducati Multistrada? Honda Crosstourer?

Exactly.

Moto Guzzi　だけ見たコトないです…。

Nice big bikes, but Im kinda partial to my wr250r. If I want a long ride on the road, Ill take my Harley.

Moto Guzzi .. Hmmm... Thinking here.... With a dirt bike background and a lot of technical riding I have done with 2 stroke competition KTM / Gas Gas bikes I am getting interested in an adventure bike. I am thinking hard about the Guzzi = an overlooked comfortable machine. It is hard to see as much as I would like in English. I like the idea of something different (Gas Gas vs. KTM) So I am gravitating to the Guzzi and would like to know about the reliability of this bike.

Pronounciation Natsi: Do you say KTM in German, English or Italian?

Everyone knows KTM rules!!!

No honda crosstourer?

Very Nice bikes i love the Ktm!

Fast Forward 10.24 seconds as the best bit about this video is the end

I have raced KTMs since 2004 in New England Enduro's first a 03' 450 EXC then a 08' 300 smoker. never a DNF because of a failure and parts are no problem to get when its time to freshen up the bikes. you obviously are talking about pre 2008 Huskies..

Where's the Honda NC, Suzuki V-Strom and Ducati Multistrada?

Wow 12 years later everyone looks older except Troy looks the same! Those Asian genes lol 😂

Hello, have you tried out "Travelsewhere" (google it)? I have seen various incredibly affordable deluxe hotels and flights. This could help you to save on your future trip also!

Adventure Touring and no V-Strom?

I live in the City but work in the country I will go for the KTM. 2 red back and forth.

Oh, I see, you were just shooting for Large Displacement engines, why not say so in the title? 'BIG ADV bike shoot out' etc

No Ducati Multistrada 1200S?

Kawasaki klr 650!!!!!

ducati multistrada???????

Go KTM !!!

New V-Strom 1000 ??

do you even ride bro? :P

Whether standard, r, or in the beautiful version dakar, KTM is without doubt the best

where the hell is klr650?

So you have ridden and owned the others? My KTM whips circles around every BMW I've ridden or ridden with.

It's a nice bike, but IMO it doesn't belong in a comparo against liter+ bikes. If it had been included, then they should also have included the KLR650, the Triumph Tiger 800, the BMW F800GS, etc... and the WeeVee would still not have won, nice as it is.

They didn't include a V Strom because they didn't want to be put to shame by the best value Touring bike on the market

KTM!!!!!!!

Moto guzzy i pick

The ducati hypermotard is AMAZING off-road. Contrary to popular belief It rapes with some knobbies.