The Hidden Games of the Motorcycle Companies! 

I find all the "Motorcycle Adventures" videos and information realistic in a world full of so much hype. I don't have unlimited funds but I do have the means to buy a new bike. I just choose to spend my finances on the journey and your practical advice is appreciated. Thanks, Pavlin

Good advice. I have a T7 (2021) and love the simplicity. I never had the sophisticated electronic features so frankly, I don't miss them.

Thank you Pavlin! It's about time somebody had to say this and I'm happy I hear it from you. In the last years I find it impossible to believe all the bullsh*t that I read in the reviews from big motorcycle magazines and various *experts*. I refuse to hear the lies and be a victim of deception, so I always try the bikes myself. Nothing convinces me anymore, just fancy plastics and lack of purpose. Another thing, I really cannot justify these prices any more, marketing sucks!

every and each time I watch any of your videos is like sitting down with a good friend and listen to his wise speech. Thank-you

After watching you i got my cb500x 2021 mode. The bike is very simple and I realize about 50hp is enough for travelling across Europe.

Pavlin, please keep speaking your truth. We are mostly victims of marketing ploys and only the voices of experience can maintain the balance. I expect you are NOT easily bought and wont sell your soul to the corporations and for that I'm grateful. We need principles before profits, otherwise we are only slaves to the Masters of Profit.

Totally agree with you and as an owner of ktm1190, honda xl700 and drz400, I know which is best. Also no matter what manual says, I change both oil and filter 5k on the bigger bikes and 1.5k on the smaller bikes. Next bike I buy will be tenere 700 unless honda brings out middle weight without all them electronics and hopefully sees their way to using tubeless tyres

You should say " grab your favorite drink ". I always get a cup of tea or coffee and watch your videos. In other words, your videos are great regardless of what you're drinking. Your videos are informative and entertaining. Keep up the good work.

perfectly said, my friend. the motorcycke companies are simply competing with each other to produce the “flashiest” bikes for the sake of sales, but you are seeking the most reliable bike for the sake of *use*…. two totally different worlds. thank you for making this vid… it clarifies the mind. 👍👍👍

I appreciate your attitude, Pavlin. Simplify your life. And spend the money saved on travelling ;-) Cheers from Nürnberg/Germany

This man is the embodiement of the phrase "Knowledge is power" 👍🏻🙂 Always learning....thanks to you Pavlin.

Though I have probably the most “advanced” road motorbike at the moment (2021 1290 adv S) and it is by far the most enjoyable motorbike for “me” (ie: For my very personal requirements🙈), I still agree with your view.👍 Here is the general problem for the manufacturers the way I see it: Whether you build a 500 cc with bare minimums or a 1500 cc with every advanced tech imaginable, you STILL need that “same” multi mullion dollars worth of huge assembly line and all the complicated and expensive corporate structure to make the brand! So, you rather try to market “high end” but complicated and fragile models which has far more profit for the brand than a “normal” yet more robust model!🤷🏻‍♂️ Best regards🙏🖖

I agree with you 100%. Electronic features add nothing to the riding experience. And oil changes more frequent than recommended will save money in the long run. I tend to buy new and keep for a long time.

I've never watched anyone talking so honestly about all the tricks the big manufacturers use to convince us we need the most technological advanced and heavier bike to have the best time of our life on the road, like you Pavlin, well done!! 👍👍

The only traction control & riding modes a motorcycle needs ,is the rider .The more fancy gadgets the more to go wrong & the more expense when it does go wrong . Good video well said 👍

I agreed 100% what you have said and sometime we didn't need it at all as for daily rideing

So true... thanks from Arizona. Dave 62, new rider

The three most important things to me are reliability, reliability and reliability. I know that many cashed-up riders of, um, 'middle years' love their hi-tech toys, and the nanny aids on many modern bikes do make for a safer, easier riding experience, while allowing you to steer with the rear, and even wheelie like a pro without yeating into the sun, or looping your bike. That said, all I really want is to have confidence that I can get from A-Z without the intervention of Techy' with a computer terminal. Keep it up Pavlin 👍

Wise words Pavlin 👏 I recently bought a simple budget bike, an RE Himalayan that suits my size and skills levels and would rather spend the difference on some off road training and my intended travels! I was briefly tempted by a very lovely lowered BMW but came to my senses! Cheers Jackie

Great video Pavlin. Something else I'd like to add is the role of cheap finance in inflating both the cost and complication in modern motorcycles. It goes like this...manufacturers compete to build more and more powerful bikes they can market. Then they need to add fancy electronics to make these 150hp+ machines ridable by Joe Average. This puts the price up. Joe is sold on cheap finance, which means he can afford these bloaters. So the race goes on. We are being turned over.

I agree with alot of your points. I did a 6000km trip this summer on a brand new yamaha tracer 900gt. I had engine problems 3000km away from home, nobody knew what or how to work on it because its all electronics and there were no official yamaha garages anyway. I managed to get it home and it was an electrical unit that controls my throttle response that didnt function properly. And this is usually the problem with new motorcycles.. soo much electronics and so many things that can break and not work properly. During my trip i saw alot of guys on old motorcycles never an issue and the brand new ktm's and hondas and myself all had problems. The owner of an africa twin dct his motorcycle was stuck in second gear after he went offroad and his dct unit got hit with something and malfunctioned..

Bought a 2015 tenere without abs at 12.000 km. Im absolute happy with this decision.

Bravo!!! It was time that someone made a video about it. The last couple of years I hear way to much marketing bullshit regarding motorcycles that simply turns my guts around. Almost every magazine promotes expensive motorcycles with tons of electronic gadgetry. Almost none talks about chassis, engine realability and built quality. You buy an expensive bike with a lot of electronic sensors that won't start...

Thanks. Another common sense video. I love my bike and car to have a few "gadgets" as possible so there are less things to break. I've lost my battle with my car but my simple RE Himalayan keeps me happy.

Pavlin, the upper part of the fork is the important part. If the lower part is only 43mm, it doesn't matter as long as the 43mm is short and on the lower section, you fork will be much more rigid.

I have a 2020 KTM Adventure R which just turned 20000 km. Twice in that time my TFT went black. I turned the ignition off and back on and everything returned to normal. I have taken the bike on some rough trails and in 1.5 years it has never let me down. Technology is here to stay so you better get used to it.

Pavlin you have nailed it! I have been in the market for an affordable reliable adventure bike in the midrange and all you have is big engine bikes with far too many unecessary bits on them that seem to create issues. I rode an XT500 for ten years and only opened the engine after 100 000km. Just look at the reviews on these later models and you will see that reliability is no longer the selling point. I find that many of the 650cc adv bikes in circulation are generally old with high mileage and possibly hammered. Because these bikes are becoming rare in that engine capacity, people are asking huge amounts if they are in excellent condition. In terms of reliabiility and simplicity the choice is limited and the new Tenere700 is not affordable to most of us.

Thank you, Pavlin, it's about time that one courageous guy says exactly this. One of your best videos. Keep going, my friend!

I agree with all you said, I can buy any bike and I just bought a 2022 Honda xre 300 to ride the mountains of colombia. Other than cosmetic changes which i really like, they have included abs which I think is a valuable feature even though I’d prefer it off on carreteras destapado “off road.” All the other gimmicks…especially on the ktm..I don’t want to deal with for the many reasons you stated. Glad this vid came out…kinda validated my decision which took me a while to make.

You are perfect right . Y have an old motorcycle Yamaha Diversion , xj 600 . No ABS no traction control , no injection (carburator) and no electronics . Only one single problem : the noise in gear box .

Yesssss! So right. Great cautionary advice. Thanks

Good advice! Thicker forks are better, but they already are a lot thicker than say 20 or 30y ago. It doesn't have to get ridiculous. With an upside down fork most of it is the outer tube, also the part that has to take the most of the impact, so I think it's fair to specify the outer diameter. Diameter doesn't say everything about the strength of a tube, the wall thickness is also important, and the material.

perfect ending with the comparison of expensive airplane and bicycle! :-) Great video, I have enjoyed the honesty behind all of that. Thanks for sharing your thoughts

Just bought a new bike, it became a V85TT. Now dismantling my dinosaur, an R1150GS. Became too heavy, however a fantastic bike, put over 100000km on it under 6 years! There has been a lot of gravel. Guzzin is has a little "lull lull", ABS, 3 driving modes and anti spin. Satisfied, so far ....

Great advice as always full of common sense let me begin with in my country you can't test ride new motorcycles so you have to rely on reviews to even get a hint of how the bikes going to operate. I'm going from a very simple bike Moto Guzzi V7III and I'm going to trade it in on a big Sport touring bike with as much bells and whistles as I can get why for the experience just like you would like to have the experience of a very expensive car or very fast car I would like to experience as many bikes that I possibly can I started out late riding and I do have limited funds I've had a cruiser I have the modern classic now I want to try the luxury version. And if it wasn't for your great reviews on bikes you're great reviews on travel and equipment and all the stuff that goes with it the only thing I would be riding right now would be my sofa thanks again for all you do.

True, the more whistles and bling your bike has, the more breakdowns you have. Period!

I had an epiphany 4 years ago. I sold my modern bike, dragged my old 1984 MZ out of the shed, fixed it up and found it to be more fun especially on really dodgy tracks. I can drop it and pick it up like a bicycle without getting off the bike.

Great video!! Thanks for share your criteria!

Well, we wouldn't get any motorcycles if other people didn't buy them, and the more they sell the better for all us who buy. But as to these fancy accoutrements, I'd like to see them offered as options. Take traction control for instance: whether that's a good thing or not depends on the operator. It may be of great benefit to less accomplished operators. But for me, I learned without it and have been riding over half a century without it, and I want my bike to do what I tell it. If I don't want to spin the back wheel then I won't, but when I want to then I want it to. It could mean the difference between accomplishing what I want to and not being able to. So it's not for me. And I don't want to have to be turning it off all the time.

Euro V Emisssions force the bikes to run lean and cleaner.... The extended oil changes .. are pushed for Enviromental reasons and can be lengthened .. some from a cleaner burn ..

Wow ! Thank you Mr Pavlin , you are the encyclopedia of practical motorcyling

Great imformation thanks I'm learning from you all the time

I agree. Reliability and quality are hard to quantify and explain to a buyer, while features/electronics speak for themselves.

That is so true, you can't get your electronic fixed in the middle of nowhere with no cell phone reception simplicity is key to remote travel especially here in Australia as you know 👍👍

Fabulous video Pavlin😊👍. Keep telling it like it is!

The Indian FTR 750 has Babbot flat Bearings and needs a Rebuild every 40 hours .. the Harley Davidson XR-750 has some Ball Bearings and must be rebuilt every weekend.. In a 12 minute race 40 hours is a long time .. the whole season basically .. If you don't get to practice a lot

An Excellent and Informative Piece of Work!

Thank God Yamaha listened to what some of us K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) principle folk are looking for. I ride my Tenere in some of the most difficult terrain in southwest US and I ride alone a lot so reliability is HUGE for me CP2 unparalleled IMO, and #2 suspension which the T7 has great suspension for most folk, due to the aggressive nature of trails I ride and my aggressive riding I have had to re-valve and put in stiffer springs but with the savings I had from the purchase at 10K US compared to KTM etc. plenty to spare. Pavlin I appreciate your no nonsense approach and strait forward vids and info you bring to the table that comes from actual world travel EXPERIENCE, no arm chair destination Starbucks opinions. Keep it up

Well, I love my Africa Twin. I don't mind the weight for what I use it, long distance all-road touring. If I were to travel to a remote, wild-offroad place with no services around I'd probably take the CRF 300 Rally or even the T7. I think you should pick the right bike for what you really do. Also, money is very relative. As you said, if you are really worried about money and reliability just travel the world on a steel, single speed bicycle. Everything else is luxury.

Thank you so much for always posting important useful and interesting videos You are always WELCOME !!!👌👍❤️

I agree with you that too many gadgets do not inprove the reliability. Yes, the first priorities are a good enfine, suspension and Brake.But you will not get any new bike without any electronics because of emission regulations and the need for ABS. But there are still quite simple and good bikes in the market. I do my travelling onroad on a 2020 Suzuki V Strom 650. Cable clutch, no ride by wire, no tft display, no electronic suspension for an affordable price. This bike has a bullet proof V Twin, which became rare these days. The power is very controllable and the 70 HP are more than enough. This is an engine which allows a high milage. The stock seat is really comfortable. Quite low fuel consumption and a good range on the 19l tank. Okay it is not the bike for hard offroad or the race track. I do not think this suspension is build for that purpose. But on normal roads this bike is perfect for me for traveling.

Modern bikes are much better to ride than old ones…I’ve been riding since 1974 and seen a great transformation. Cruise control - love it. Bluetooth to helmet - love it. GPS - love it. ABS - love it. Fuel injection - love it. Electronic suspension adjustment - love it. Anti dive forks - love it. Quick shifter - love it. Brakes, reliability and comfort is also much better. Traction control and corning stuff…yeah can leave that. Get used to it mate…it’ll be all electric soon 😁

Completely agree, I like the basics 1 Rider mode, no abs with good brakes. I like my fuel injection too.

You convinced me once again not to sell my GSX650F, which is excellent for my road travelling, sometimes a little sport - you know ;-)

I agree man. Saludos desde CDMX (México City)

I agree you Pavel with 100%. Around the world you will still get a good new bikes like DR 650´s and KLR´s, but not in Western Europe/Europe. If You like to travel with a small "beasts" like a YBR 125, things are the same... What a shame.

100%agree except humble WP Apex is way better than T7 KYB imho. Gracias por el video saludos! 🤠

I ride a Cb500x 2020. I use it for travelling round country lanes, the odd dirt road and occasional motorways, purely for pleasure. If I wanted to use it off-road a lot I would have to spend 2 or 3 thousand pounds or more on new wheels tyres and beef up the suspension. For the upgrade cost and price of the bike I could have bought a new Tenere 700. But if I was going to travel long distance and on harsh terrain I would have bought an Enfield Himalayan, easy to repair, maintain and half the price. Possibly put a new uprated cam in the engine to give it a bit more poke. I might buy one yet to play around on!! I am really enjoying your videos, keep them coming and stay safe.

Pav always have sound words of motorcycle wisdom. Concur with many of his points outlined in this vid. My additional two cents to this vid is if you can purchase a quality well-built motorcycle for a very reasonable price (i.e. without all the fancy electronics, etc.), and that it can take you just about around the world or across the US if you live here, why not do so? For specific name brands that've been in business for a long time, which overprice their motorcycles, all we are doing is paying for overpriced motorcycles with a few electronics that somewhat control the stability of the motorcycle. During many bike reviews I've watched, I barely hear the reviewers speak on electronics improvements. They almost always speak on the bike's specifications, handling and performance, rarely interfacing with all the expensive electronic capabilities. I guess I'd have to go into specific motorcycle forums to get that kind of intel. Anyway, needless to say is that half the electronics capabilities won't even be used, even among some of the most tech savvy minds who truly understand the software capabilities the bike comes with. And as far as the large amount of HP and torque are concerned, we can legally use so much of it without killing ourselves or violating traffic laws. I'm solely addressing these comments to the low budget motorcycle enthusiasts who want to weigh their future purchase cost on the information Pavlin provided. A $12K motorcycle can just as easily get you to and from the same place as a $25K motorcycle with just as much comfort. You can always upgrade your motorcycle to your liking as your budget allows. Having said that, I've eyed the Africa Twin long before they changed the engine and increased price of the new 2020 model. I'm not keen on purchasing a used motorcycle therefore I will purchase one of the new model ATs soon. I like the large capacity fuel tank and its quality built engine. My second choice would be Yamaha T7.

Beer after beer 🍺 and I will become an alcoholic watching your videos Pavlin!😄

Love this simple is better video. I can relate to the new airplanes and a simple bicycle story.

KLR 650 or Tenere700 both are minimalists and I love it

I agree completely with your views..as I always ride solo everywhere, the simpler and lighter the bike is better

You were perfect clear. It's my opinion too. Best regards! Go on and ride safe!

I like your point of view. Thanks.

It is exactly as you said! I want to ride a Motorcycle and not a Computer.

Great topic, thank you for all valuable information.

You are absolutely right... my Transalp has now at least 100tsd km without any problems and two days ago I got the option to buy exactly the same model with only 20tsd km from first hand... and I bought it... not any control systems but first class reliability

Awesome info as always, great to see you back from `turkey healthy and well.

Good and informative video!! 👍👌 This is why i am looking for a good used Honda dominator or xr650l or tenere 660z,the one you own!)) I want a machine for traveling,not for fancy electronic stuff!)

Excelllent point, but I'm bias. My tenere is perfect

Hi Pawlin. Great video as always :) I got one question to you as im having some issues with my tenere 660z. Did You do something to disable deceleration fuel cut for better throttle response ? On the street its ok for me but on the gravel and offroad its very disturbing. How did You solve this issue mate? thank You and wish You all the best !

I think the marketing department and stricter emissions standards are combining to make more sophisticated, but possibly more problematic motorcycles. The motorcycle industry wants to sell more motorcycles, but the prices are getting too high in some cases.

excellent video ... no wonder bikes like kawasaki concur gtr 1400 are still so sought after ... no upgrade of bullxxxx electronics ... good old road beast how do you grade the gtr 1400 kawasaki

This is why bikes like the KLR650, DRZ400, Enfield Himalayan et al make the best RTW bikes. Out of 2021 new stuff, the T7 is head and shoulders above anything else as Low tech (efi?) RTW bike...

Genuine honest advice

I wish I have such luxury of choice. Availability of models often depends on local motorcycle dealerships. At the time I was buying my motorcycle, Yamaha dealer didn't receive any new models for at least six months. They had no Tenere in the showroom and couldn't commit to ordering one for me from Yamaha factory in any reasonable time. Suzuki and Kawasaki dealers also had nothing in adventure bike category. KTM dealer had fully equipped 1290 Super Adventure, which I didn't want to buy for reasons of high price, weight, and complexity. The same is true for BMW. So, I bought the last sample of Honda Africa Twin 2019, on discounted price because it was in the showroom for more than a year. So far, it's a nice bike. I made close to 15k km without problems, and I really like the DCT. In principle, I agree with Pavlin's tips and tricks from this video and I'm all in favor of reliability and simplicity. However, besides money and knowledge, one should be "armed" with patience because your ideal motorcycle could not be available when you want it.

I used to own different bikes, but I finished with dr800 I'd try to find tenere 660z, but then I found dr800 with the very good price. I using this bike during 2 years in very different and sometimes very hard condition without any problem (more than 25000km). Old bikes have unbelievable reability, it's fact. But modern bikes so comfortable

@Motorcycle Adventures great videos bro ! so is the Tenere 660 from later years, lets say 2015-2017 reliable enough in stock form ? im tall and about 95kg and im kinda scared to change my CRF250 (which NEVER had any problem) but i feel i need to, and the Tenere is the best option i think - im just not sure its reliable enough, ill be glad to hear what you think !

Thank you for the INTEL

Another great video.

To be true I find japanese engine to be very reliable and have more tolerance limit than others especially Europeans like ktm.....I rode my kawasaki for close to 90000 kms with 4k service interval....however my euro machine gave up at 32000 km with similar care and maintenance

I actually just bought a cheap enduro bike from year 2000 instead of buying a new motorcycle, just because of the electronics. I only want to go to a mechanic when I have mechanical issues with the engine. But I never want to have electronic issues. The moment you have electronic issues, it can happen again and again. I had this experience one time and want to avoid it.

I'm sure you've discussed this at some time but perhaps people could spend all the bling money and take out time for riding school/instruction and practice. And perhaps spend the first bit of money on a new bike in getting it properly setup for ergos and get the chassis balance right for THEM

Great video. Very nice information.

I have a 2004 Suzuki 600 Bandit, simple carb engine, no fancy gadgets to go wrong and it does everything that a new bike will do, and has been totally reliable. I keep looking at new bikes but always wonder what’s going to go wrong with the fancy suspension or abs etc… so I stick to my trusty Bandit 😁

I think the massive sales success of the Royal Enfield 650 should tell the industry what most people want

All over a sudden I don’t feel so great buying my BMW GS1250, I don’t take it off-road I have a light weight Honda crf300l for that, the GS is great for 2 up touring and I love it

As a relatively new motorcycle rider I do not completely agree with your opinion. There are some great features (like ABS and traction control) that must be mandatory for a new driver for safety reasons of course. Some others like cruise control are very useful for someone who travels frequently traveling long distances. There are also cheap after market options but we all know that they are not as effective as those installed in the factory. Also do not forget that many of the features of new motorcycles are now mandatory by law. In combination with the ecological philosophy that the companies now adopt and of course the easy profit that is always what they want, they lead to the final product. Finally, it is difficult to predict how reliable a model can be. Time shows this. But the fact that a motorcycle has rich equipment does not necessarily mean that it will not be reliable. After all, all these features are not so new anymore. They exist and have been used for years and have been tested enough I would say. Especially now that the technology is more advanced and there are more and more modern simulators that can study and design a more reliable model before it even goes into production. The biggest problem is that they try to make a profit by keeping prices as low as possible by making discounts on the quality of construction. But now that's the market.

This is brilliant

Привет, Павлин. Ако плануваш пътешествие в Австрия - драсни. Поздрави от Грац. Ride on!

Agree ! Love my T700 and my CRF 300, none or witch broke the bank. Another thing the new electronic gimmics take away the real rider imput. A rider of 790 helped by traction controll, ride modes, throttle response etc, on the T700 in the same scenario will not do the same. Who is climbing that hill, you or the electronic intervention :) ?

Sadly it is a case of motorcycles are now toys, back in the day motorcycles were bought generally by enthusiasts who rode and worked on their own bikes because they were a cheaper option than a car. In this day and age I am guessing most new motorcycles are bought by born again bikers who have a high disposable income so and can afford to purchase high end bikes and have them serviced by dealers because they don’t have the mechanical knowledge or the equipment to carry out the work. If for example you grew up on dirt bikes and rode lots and decided to get an “adventure” bike ABS and TC are not required, if on the other hand you had a break from bikes for 20-30 years and bought a big powerful bike then ABS and TC are a great idea because you don’t need to think as much it makes up for lack of experience. Experience is not all about riding skill but the ability to read the situation, knowing how to read the road and avoid a situation before it happens. Maybe stop looking at your TFT and look at the road, then you won’t need ABS in an emergency situation, there should never be a time you need to emergency brake, but I guess that’s what you get with experience.

You are so right Pavlin. Imagine if you had been riding a new top of the range bike when you had your accident in Istanbul. ABS, traction control, quickshifter....none of them would have saved you. However, imagine how much seriously expensive damage you might have caused. You would not have been able to easily locate a good second-hand instrument panel at a reasonable price. Having a well made, popular model that is some years old can be way cheaper to maintain or repair. I don't buy new cars or new motorcycles. Even my bicycle is 65 years old (but super quality and amazingly light, just 8.25 kgs).

I totally agree I have been sucked in with all the electronics on a pcp and to be totally honest as much as I enjoy riding this fully specked bike after 3 years all I have done is paid for the depreciation I’m thinking of cashing out soon.

Oil. In engine is 90-100c temperatures. Why is beter 10w50 than 10w40 if I drive in some area where is outside temperatures 40c?

I agree, thanks

Interesting - what oil Taliban used for their 40-50 yo bikes ? It looks to work best.

All true. Thank you for sharing your wisdom Pavlin. Oil leaks on modern forks can become catastrophic and very dangerous rather quickly, especially if the oil finds its way onto the brakes. But it’s the environmentalists I feel sorry for…!🧐😎😜

I'm sorry ... i choose the the bike which is suitable for ME. Suitable to get along on all trips, i want to do by MYSELF. Well, yeah ... it's the AT 1100 - probably the best bike I could buy at this moment. The T7 or the older ones are great bikes, don't get me wrong - but they are way different for the trips I AM doing.