I guess you guys just ignored the Honda XLV750R of 83?? Or the first Adventure bike the BMW R80 gs? The XRV650 was most certainly not the first of its kind, Even the duel-sport XL600V Transalp came out in 87. I'm not a historian either but i am into bikes.
Great video. As the perspective of a 20-something year old male that got into motorcycles for the lower upfront cost, cheaper insurance, more able to be repaired by myself than newer cars with anti-repair designs.. I definitely love the XRV650 varient of the Africa Twin for: 1 it's looks, it's not excessive and it has practicality to it (like debris guards over the headlights) baked into it's design. I also like the 650cc and even 750cc sizes, they're modern counterparts would weigh less than an 1100cc engine, better gas mileage (just a reminder than modern Africa Twin has exactly 5 gallon tank, including the reserve. But hey for $2800 you can get the Adventure model with a 6.5 gal tank), and can get decent-okay range if you consider it's a liter+ bike. The modern Africa Twin that's 1100cc is an adventure bike that's already expensive, and then salt in the wound for the Africa Twin (being excessively big, being 500lbs, probs more) is that it, an adventure bike... has a trim/package level called "Adventure" right in the name. Damn shame that an adventure bike for 14.5k (that didn't have a 2023 model year, and no 2024 model year yet mind you) isn't even enough of an adventure bike stock, if you want to put adventure into the overly big CRF1100L, you'll have to pay an extra 2.8k, so an MSRP of $17,300 before dealer fees and dealer markup. Absolutely ridiculous and just seems to shout excess, but hey at least it has AndroidAuto now as well as Apple Carplay, consumerism at it's finest, shame a fantastic branding/name had to be ruined/turned into this. Truthfully, if Honda released an Africa Single proper, and not just fans calling their CRF300L Rally that, and it was 650cc.. Honda would have a lot of buyers immediately. At least some of us in the younger-can't-afford-shit generation(s) want a good reliable mode of transportation for sub 10k, and want the benefits that come with Dual Sport and Adventure bikes (bigger gas tank, not a small seat height, good ground clearance and suspension travel for some of these under maintained roads around here, plenty luggage support in the aftermarket, etc etc) as well as gpod fuel mileage that comes with single cylinder, but living in America in the land of the car-centric road design, 300cc on interstate travel can be pretty sketchy with a car doing 85mph on your tail in the right lane as you're already doing 80mph, so having a single cylinder for the good gas mileage, and having 650cc as it seems to be a good area for single cylinder displacement are all positives, as for the PR Reps at Honda, they could spin all thos as being a callback to the original, the practical, the great.. NXR650. And so naturally they'd put a Retro-Tax on it :p but hey, step in the better direction.
BMW r80 gs was released in 1980 and that was arguably the first 'true adventure bike' Good video though. I owned a 1989 AT 650. Was splendid! Easy to work on and remarkably good for off road touring, if not a little thirsty.
In 1981, Hubert Auriol, riding a BMW R 80 G/S prepared by German company HPN Motorradtechnik, won the Paris-Dakar Rally. He repeated his success on an 870 cc version of the R 80 G/S in 1983. Gaston Rahier won the Dakar on a R 80 G/S in 1984, and then again on a larger 1,000 cc engined R 80 G/S in 1985. First of it’s kind 👍
Just found this channel from your car based one. Both are very well done. I think however, most people have forgotten about the underwelming XL600V Transalp. Honda's first kick at the can in the adventure bike category. Cheers.
Underwhelming :-). I dont think so. I have both - an 89 RD03 and an 87 Transalp. The Transalp is actually the better bike for 70 percent of 'adventure' riding.
