Are Big Adventure Bikes Really More Dangerous? 

People tend to push the limits more with the smaller bikes as you can be lulled into a false sense of security.

I dont think small is better. Depends on what style of riding you are attempting. I think it comes down to ability and what you think you are capable of. I know that i dont have the ability as i had 10-15 years ago and i ride accordingly. 100% i had more hurting crashes on the smaller bikes i have owned because i was younger with zero fear.

I lean to light is right. Easier to handle the dicey sections, less likely to crush body parts and easy to pickup and dust off. Definitely a different riding approach and route selection when on the bigger bikes - which are certainly better travelers and handle camping gear and luggage much better.

The problem is when you do have the big off on the big adventure big you really are going to hurt yourself or worse, whereas a similar crash on the enduro bike and you walk away, sort off. I've got a 690 a 701, WR250F and Tiger Rally Pro, only ever hurt myself of WR but I never push my luck on the others.

That time that roo tried to take you out, I think the weight of the t7 helped there

The appeal, to me, is that small bikes are easier to maneuver and so on tight technical stuff they’re faster and more capable. So with a big bike I’ll see a tight technical area and decide to pass on it, but on a small bike, I’ll yeet a small bike across stuff that’s hard to hike.

I'm lovin the new AT its a handful as the last one I had 😅 never gunna part with my drz either best of both worlds . I definitely do more dumb shit on the yellow one

I think with a lighter bike we just tend to push ourselves a little harder as we feel less confident on something heavier. I've dropped my V-Strom several times in the bush and my DRZ less as I tend to have a bit more control over the DRZ. But then the V-Strom isn't really designed for some of the places I've taken it! 🤣 The older I get, the less I want to take a heavy bike off road as I don't have as much confidence in my knees these days. 🙃

Small, fast, light and nimble leads to crazy fun with high risk. Big, low and slow is less nimble, more stable. Similar to adulthood. I nearly died numerous times on a bicycle. Far safer on a moto. Don't die, this is my favorite channel!

The biggest bike I had would be a 250 4 stroke Husqvarna fe250, I found it heavy in the trails. My rm 125 is my all-time favorite, but I'm really enjoying my 250 2 stroke huskie!

I know this will sound obvious but it mostly comes down to skill level & advertising. Lots of promo videos showing professional riders doing crazy stuff on adventure bikes & we probably all get taken in by it thinking I can do that & bigger is better. I personally wouldn't want to spend all that money on one & then wreck it off road. Then it comes to picking one up when you drop it. Do that a few times & it will soon leave you knackered. Fire roads & tracks OK but definitely wouldn't go where I can take my enduro bike. Saying that there is a rally here in France next month called Hard defi Tour & they only left adventure bikes & a handful of enduro bikes enter. They don't want you to finish it. Look for it on here. It's all about personal choice at the end of the day & bikes are inherently dangerous & it comes down to limiting the risks especially when you get older. Also who really needs 160bhp off road.

100% agree with you, only ever crash my enduro bikes, I v had a tenere 660, then a t7, now a norden expedition, the big bikes are more planted, they stay on there feet better

Smaller bikes are the most fun. When having fun, we tend to push our limits, which can ultimately end in disaster if not careful. With that said, a KTM 500 will get you into trouble a bit quicker than a stock 300 Rally. Personally, I just get bored with the bigger bikes. And yes, I’ve had more injuries on smaller bikes.

I have a 2022 Africa twin for dirt roads blacktop love it. For my off road adventures my crf 300 with upgrade suspension 550 performance ECU aftermarket exhaust and all the other usual mods is the way for me. You end up less fatigued can pick the bike up by yourself.I have friends with big bikes that have had some good offs and the weight is a killer. Light is right after 50 + years of riding for me. Cheers for the vids

I think it depends on the person. If you are like me and the kind of rider who takes it easier or does easier trails when on a bigger bike then the bigger bike will probably be safer. Agree with you that when I'm on my 500 or 690 vs the 890 I do go faster and ride 'looser'. Having said that I have less experience on the bigger bike off road so as I get more maybe I'll ride it faster and take it on more difficult trails and then it will become more dangerous.

Nice video Josh...i think all bikes and riders have different limitations..a highly skilled rider can make a big ADV bike ride like an enduro...and vice versa 😅! My worst injury was on a bloomin mountain bike..heavy dislocation of my shoulder, broken shoulder, broken elbow and a big piece of flint rammed inside my arm...so painful! At the hospital they got on with pulling my dislocated shoulder before they realised about the breakages. I'll take a tumble on the T7 any day 😂😂. Cheers, Steve

Started riding a xr80 when i was 6 from then till i was late teens i had a series of 2 bangers yz 125 cr 250 cr480 i must of dropped them all a million times with minimal injury, dislocated fingers and bruised sternum and hurt pride. Then i got onto a xr650 it weighed a ton but i was young so that didn't matter until it became a pain to kick over . Brought the Dr and have never looked back . But as i get older im more cautious in my riding especially on tricky single trail . I suppose going forward lighter would be better, but the call of a big 1100cc adventure bike ticks my boxes, i suppose I'll just have to be careful as the older i get the more brittle i become. Cheers🍻

0:41 I did coz of my shoulder ,I couldn't pick the bloody T7 up ,but now love the power to weight ratio mate .

2:26 don't temp fate josh mate ,keep on keeping on 👋🤠👍 ⚡

Been over 2 years since I've even laid the T7 over. It's the most sure footed bike I've ever owned, and I ride it offroad nearly every time I get on the thing. Not a big guy either, 5 foot 9 inches tall and 155 pounds. I also own a kawasaki klx300 that seems to get laid over every other ride on the thing. Luckily, I've never been badly injured on a bike...except the one time I was rear-ended on my desert sled. I broke my wrist, had some road rash and was sore everywhere for a week.

I think alot of the big bike owners ride them exactly like that, a big bike maybe a bit to tight and scared to ride them which on a big bike i noticed *at least to me* its less forgiving to ride them a bit scared *slow and tense etc* me as a novice rider i got a 300 exc and a 950 adventure S and even though im not that scared to crash i do ride the 950 a bit more careful specially alone cause its hard to pick up hahah which is a me issue i know. I would say if you wanna learn off road stuff get a lighter weight bike dont start on a big adventure bike because can be less forgiving, ride them like a dirt bike and they almost as nimble as a smaller dirt bike at least in my limited expirience. But funny enough all my real injuries like my current knee are all from the 300 exc rides i think its cause i push myself more on that bike trying stupid things and you know what they say... Play stupid games win stupid prices hahah! *Ps sorry for my crappy English MVDBR i'm trying my best hahah i'm from The Netherlands kind greetings!*

I'd say the more skilled you are, the more you're gonna hurt yourself on smaller bikes because they tend to make you feel invincible and can go anywhere. Therefore you take more risks and are more prone to crashes, crash faster, crash in inappropriate locations etc. I started riding offroad with a T7, broke my left ankle when it landed on it on one of the first trips I did. Now I ride a Kove 450 Rally and this thing is so light and nimble, I feel more confident, I'm increasing my experience at my pace, without needed to go any faster than what I did on the T7. I guess beginners will hurt themselves less with smaller bikes, experienced riders will hurt themselves more. But if you intend to do any serious offroad as a beginner, don't start with a big bike (but unfortunately, that's what the majority of guys do... at least guys coming form road riding)

Hi Josh. I believe motor bikes are not dangerous. They are lumps or metal that need input in order for them to move. This input comes from an operator. Now that is were the element of danger comes in. Like some say speed kills, I say the lack of control thereof does. Regards

I also found smaller bikes more sketchy. Two specific things that consistently caught me out (which you could argue is a skills thing, although I obviously need skills to ride the bigger bike) is being in the wrong gear at the wrong time, and bad fork dive (not an issue on all bikes, but I found it really messing me at bad times on the popular ones, like the CRF and the Kawasakis). The longer gearing on bigger bikes (I can just leave my 790 in second most of the time) helps keep things smooth and predictable most of the time, and harder to wash the front, even with the extra weight of the bigger bike.

Hey mate, hope all is well. Great to see all the riding, what a time you're having :) These trails so close to home never cease to amaze me It's a very interesting question and I think I totally get why you might feel this way. Because you are a proper rider, whereas I would say 90% of the others aren't. What I mean by that is you started by riding small bikes, you actually got pretty good at it, and so riding, handling, using the bike's weight to save your energy, building auto-reflexes that comes with the speed these little bikes get to, it built you into what I would call a really good rider. One aware of his surroundings, speed, ability and again the skills to anticipate or manage a bad situation when it comes up, like a log in the middle of nowhere! Hence when you moved up to the bigger bike scene, it was quite natural and easy. Not without challenges in terms of weight obviously but the riding, the safety of it, was natural. The other 90%, suffered the Charlie and Ewan effect, on big BMW 1150GS, then the adventure market exploded... Then the marketing guys put motocross and enduro champions like Chris Birch, Adam Rieman, Pol Tarres etc... on big adventures bikes and people with no prior riding experience, bough 1000cc + machines to go oooning in the bush!! They all broke their collar bones, wirsts, shoulders etc... and are now realising that a lightweight bike is what they need for adventure. And you can see the whole adventure market now offering 300cc + adv bikes, because only 10% of us riders took the time to learn to handle 700cc + beast like dirtbikes and have a blast with it... Braaaaaap braaap Gosh did you get that far! Clearly something I am passionate about! I always tell anyone to start with a drz250 or 400. Once you can ride that like Graham Jarvis, then move up to a bigger bike if you feel the need to. Though by then they have usally understood that in the bush, less weight is usually more chances of surviving haha ....

I tend to ride the same trails pretty regularly and my 890R will track over the same log that my 690R will likely trip over, the bigger bikes are more stable and will get you out of more trouble in that context. That being said, I've toyed around the idea of trading my done up 690R for a 500 EXC-F for more technical riding, but I don't know if it's worth it at my age (42). Josh, I'm interested in hearing your point of view on that since you've had an EXC, 690, and bigger adventure bike and understand the trade-offs.

It is the weight and seat height I'd like to lose a bit of if changing bikes. The weight so it is easier to pick up and the height so I am less likely to fall off. There is def a knack to falling off... not saying I have mastered it yet, but I have fallen off a lot of bikes, and only really hurt myself a handful of times. Hahaha... my Tuareg def wants to fall over with me on it! 😀 I find my Beta so much easier to ride due to the lighter weight and skinnier seat.

Big adventure bikes are too expensive to stack, medium stack on my Ktm 790 destroyed it, whereas I have literally thrown my Ktm 500 off a 5+ meter cliff and bent a lever

MT09's take a bit longer to stop so I hear. Anyway, I'm with you josh I think the big ADV Bikes are more stable, less twitchy, and to some degree safer as you respect the weight more. I deliberately didn't upgrade the suspension on my T7 as it was adequate for me. and I didn't want to be tempted to get big air on errosion gullies etc. My biggest fear with the T7 would have to be flooding the motor and getting those bloody plugs out. Or bogging it when out solo. 🤣🤣

I have dropped my 1090 r a few hundred times 😂 does weigh on my mind about breaking a bone someday. Been thinking of downsizing to a sub 300lb bike , mainly to be more of a 🫏 in the woods.

5:33 cheers Joshua take care mate 👋🤠👍

Interesting topic. I have a Husky 300 and a Husky 901. One is double the weight of the other. I take more risks on tougher terrain and ride harder on the 300 and therefore crash it much more often. On the 901, I'm much more cautious and slower, as crashes cost more to fix and can hurt you more as you say. The skinny bikes invite you to be a hooligan. Adventure bikes are better for just cruising around IMO. Cheers

Only one injury riding my 1290 Super Adventure off road and that was putting my back out picking the fecker up!! Broke bones and punctured lungs on small bikes.

What about that time you hit that log across the track on the way to Kinkuna and ate shit? Or am I thinking of someone else? My memory's fuzzy.... 😂

For me in the woods, lighter is better. The woods toy is an old KDX220R, so light that when it falls on me I don't even get bruised. Never a problem to pick it up. But if dual sport goodness was required, possibly an XR650L would work. Haven't tried picking one up yet though.

That is a multi-variance equation. (Didn't that sound nerdy?) The rider's physical condition, age, and riding skill. Where and how are we riding the bike? Single track, better be a young skilled rider or an older rider that's in excellent shape with years of skill to take a mid sized or larger bike. I don't consider the T7 to be heavy but it's much heavier than my 501 S, though nowhere near as heavy as my Ultra Classic. Get me on a long distance pavement ride 2-up and I want the Ultra Classic. Put me on a gravel driveway with a good incline and I'm hating the big touring bike, it's gonna make my legs feel really weak holding up 1/2 ton of bike while trying to turn it around. Wouldn't be any kind of issue with the 501 except for the seat height to look at my two extremes. Then there is the devil on our shoulder. If we can tame the devil with some skill and a bit of luck then we're good either way. But on single track the lightweight dual spot/enduro bikes "inspire" me to act a fool now & then. With a bigger bike let's just say the devil has a bit of cold shower turtle syndrome. Once again depending on skill level and physical condition. Put some beer & whisky in me and the 3-wheeler will be laying on top of me in a freshly plowed field. How I didn't die when I was younger, I don't know.

All a matter of context and one’s personal compromise. Safety is one side. As is risk. As is outright effort. Doing rougher high country work the 500 is the pick. Easier. Safer. Yet I take the 701 the same places, requires more skill and confidence to go the same places, less margin, more risk so less safe. Less margin for error. Both considered light weights! I’d hate to imagine being on a 250kg loaded bike in the same rough. Yeah possible but not really the right horse for the course.

the big difference is when you are older your reflexes slow down and you find that when you go down sometimes you cant move quick enough to get out of the way and end up under the heavy barstools 😒usually doesnt end well 🤬a lighter bike can hurt you but most times you are just battered and brused but can still ride home (not all the time 🤔) mind you , it can depend on rider skill and we know i dont have that 🤣😂 ps since i got rid of my bigger bikes i find my skill level has gotten just a weeeee bit better 😁🤣 keep well Josh and stay safe-ish 😉🍺 pps , 250kg of bike slamming on you hurts compared to 100kg bike (still hurts but not as bad)😒🤬

Are bigger adventure bikes really more dangerous? The answer is that it depends. Depends on ability, rider's physical size and strength, intended use and expectations. Many are the weekend warrior type, pushing the limits on traiils, others are the serious adventurer who travels the world often through third world countries. Being the latter, my choice would be a smaller bike for the following reasons. Highway speeds are not a requirement, easier to manhandle in tight situations and better fuel economy. Being a solo rider, self preservation in remote regions is an important factor, so riding at the limits is avoided.

First Eva mc ride, MR 50, whisky throttle into a tree. Peewee 50 jumped, plenty of air, came down on a log. ER 185, I just killed that, hurt myself pushing it home. YZ 125, freaken best bike Eva, killed it, hurt myself pushing it home. Husky 390, big air on the beach, throttled off mid flight, big mistake, dug in, wrapped my cods around the head stock, CB 200, deflected off rear quater of a magna after it braked suddenly, pregnant wife on the back, tank slap, no harm done, CB 200, Mate on the back, threw the chain, tank slap, across incoming traffic, no harm done, well... it did freaken hurt some, cods again.. GS 550, great bike, my dickhead mate wrote it off. XJ 900, going slow over railway tracks, wet, on a bend, slipped out from under me real quick, broken fairing, same bike, carton on the fuel tank, missed the corner off a wooden bridge at night, into a drain and barbwire fence, broke a few bottles, stretched clutch cable, camped overnight under the bridge, burning mouldy drift wood, cold, beer cold 😅, didn't warm me up at all, had to wait for someone to help push me out of the drain back up on the road, rode home without a clutch, no harm done, VN 1500 classic, dropped it off the kick stand first day, no harm done, rode it for years, had it sideways more than once, never dropped it until one day, slippery conditions, at an intersection, too hot, right turn, stepped off, no harm done, KLR650, stacked it heaps, so much fun, freaken no harm done 👍

La KTM 690 es muy nerviosa, hay que llevar mucho cuidado con ella, para mí la bicicleta perfecta es la AJP pr7, pesa poco, tiene un buen motor y es comoda.

My yz250 hurt me way more than my cr500 ever did but it may have been what you where saying about having more respect for the bigger bike lol

If my knee wasnt as bad as it is I would of gone the T7 or something similar. But due to extra weight and having to lean down and pick up a big bike I’m keeping my little bike.

I think you have less chance of rocketing off into the brush on a bigger bike. I've messed myself up much more on a KX 250 than most blokes on those adventure bikes.

Smaller bikes are more dangerous because we ride the small bikes above our ability more often and try harder things. The big bike we know that picking it up on an off camber side hill is going to be a bunch of work. I think I am just more careful on my GSA than my Beta.

I thought that people were steering away from the big bikes so that they could do more technical riding and to be able to easily pick up the bikes if they drop them? I've never owned anything bigger than a 650 single so I can't speak from first hand experience.

Turn 60 and do this video again.

they are if you get stuck under a big un and alone or with useless mates, they are when they get out of hand and rider skills falter and so on - my mates ride slower on big bikes, makes sense

it's probably due to riding experience

Big bike's are as dangerous as you make it you definitely need to think twice about where you want to ride, you could end up in a world of hurt especially riding alone. If you can just have two bikes like you 😂. Take care Josh

More likely to get stuck nasty on a big bike more likely to rip it and get stung nasty on the squirter.....

Very interesting thoughts on this Josh, we were younger and crazier back in the day, way before we thought about Adventure 650cc plus bikes and camping trips loaded up on the bike, and yes, my injuries were from years ago on the old faithful XR250R, saying that I wish I was on a lighter bike in a tough situation recently. Cheers mate 🍻

I think big bike injuries come with picking them up, oh me back