Love the commentary at the beginning. I have gone down the rabbit hole of researching and listening to everyone else's opinions to try to decide the best bike, but everything changed once I put a leg over and test rode a bike- bought the Triumph 400x a few months ago, already have 1000 miles on it and absolutely love that bike. everyone says don't take it off road but with a bit more aggressive tires it shines off road and does a fantastic job!
Another brilliant video mate :) it’s a great point you made about riding them an also I think if financially able don’t be afraid to change bike if it’s not turned out to be quite what you were after. All to often we stick with stuff that’s not worked out and as I found out with my dads unexpected stage 3b/4 prostate cancer diagnosis life’s to short really. We actually went looking at the Triumphs yesterday saw a speed 400 which was nice and the T100 an T120 a street scrambler both used to own a 865 T100 an I used to have an ex iom TT 675 Daytona as well as a road one so always enjoyed the Triumphs. You could see the difference in the fit and finish but for the price absolutely amazing really. It’s looking like a second hand water cooled T100 or Street twin for us to possibly replace the Tenere 700 as we arnt green laning now with dads cancer and step through seat height has become the most important factor as well so it doesn’t hurt dad getting on an off, gonna try some 20 Mm yam links and a comfort seat if we stick with it which will be a 860mm seat height or just change it out to the Triumph t100 with a 790mm seat height which is awesome for dad and he also wants a twin for the refinement. I love the look of that scrambler great looking fun bike for my road riding. Having had the 300 rally I agree with everyone’s take on it good do it all bike I think if they had put 500x seats on it an another 50cc would have been spot on oh an a better rear shock Keep up the brilliant videos Nathan an look forward to the next one. Life is all about change
I'm not surprised by the Triumph. While it's not best suited for lane riding at least compared to the CRF and other that engine is so sweet and tractable.
When i test rode one i thought the engine was punchy, what killed it for me, personally, was an overly firm front end which seemed at odds with the styling / segment it was being pitched at. Given it's popularity I've just come to the conclusion that I'm unusual is preferring a more supple, compliant front end.
@@BikingChap i was hoping with the longer travel suspension it might be better on the atrocious roads we have to suffer. Did you change your NC suspension ?
@@jonathanmellish4439 no I left it stock, which was why what i feel is an overly firm front end on the 400x was even more of a surprise because the NC front suspension is far from great itself.
Got my on Friday. It really is a nice bike, good suspension (still adjusting it), comfortable, good power, good quality (although I got unlucky, clutch lever missing the pivot bushing). You are correct, the 6th and or final gearing is too short. At 125 kmh the motor sits around 7000k. It's too bad, I got the 450 for more on road/adv riding (I have tuned up Rally 300 for more dirt oriented stuff). Still really like the MT, bigger front sprocket should help a bit.
Looks glorious down there, future trip methinks. There's a lot of discussion regarding the 'Unicorn' bike but I think as you've helped show, it's a different bike for everybody. Manufacturers are up against it, I reckon. They have to please as many people as possible so end up compromising in so many areas. Good fun choosing, mind. All the best!
Shame the Voge wasn't in the mix but, all things considered I'm not surprised at the choices made from this bunch of bikes. On the road and gravel I'd probably like the Triumph for its engine, but on the dirt the lighter and better suspended CRF would shine. (though I'm sure the Voge would have shone more). Perhaps, if there had been some deep muddy sections, the 411 would have come into it's own? I can't honestly see a place for the BMW which to me is "neither use nor ornament". I'm tempted to say the same about the new RE 450 but I've not ridden one. Of course experience plays it's part and I'm sure people opinions would and will change as their abilities increase. As a wild card, a DRZ400 would be an interesting bike to add to your arsenal. I used to "greenlane" one and it was a proper go anywhere bike and completely indestructible. Not for short inexperienced riders though.
Having only ridden my 310gs with an upgraded windscreen I don’t know how much I’d like the naked scrambler wind blast. I’m sure the triumph is a great bike and it looks great but I’ve gotten used to the wind protection.
Nice review again Nathan I rode the New Himmy yesterday , yes more power obviously than my 411 but more vibes 4th gear at 3000revs @30mph it gave me numb fingers , longer gearshift for really smooth changing other than that ok heavy off the side stand. I have to ride the Triumph adv yet but waiting for the CF450 Moto MT no doubt you will be there when available.
Said the same myself for ages. I don’t know what they are playing at. A 450 rally, less than 150kg weight and some half decent suspension for less than £7500 would have Everyone chomping at the bit.
Through the reviews I've done on my channel I've come to the conclusion that there are few 'bad' bikes anymore. Every bike has a mix of strengths and weaknesses and the best bike for anyone is the one whose strengths most closely match the persons priorities. In short folk need to honestly access what their priorities are and then ride as many bikes as possible and read those reviews that try to pull out the bikes various pros and cons.
How surprising to hear the results. I believe The Warrior may have considered the CB 350 with knobbies. Apparently, Triumph and CF Moto are making leaps and bounds in this category. I wonder if the Honda CRF 300 or 450 would hold up in this category. I would consider the BMW being a 411 owner.
Had a Bm R310R motor let go twice within 4000 miles spent more time in the dealers than me riding it + electrical problems, for me on a long adventure with luggage it would be 411 Himalayan,
Looking to get my first bike at the start of spring (it's the middle of winter down here in NZ) and I've narrowed it down to the CRF, the Triumph and the Himalayan 450. I have concerns about each. The CRF would be my first choice but I'm concerned about power, we have mountains in NZ and I'm worried about it being able to do 100km/h uphill. The Triumph looks the best but the ground clearance and muffler location seems like it would be easy to damage the muffler. And the Himalayan I'm concerned about aftermarket support and reliability, is it true you have to buy tyres from RE? Are these valid concerns or nothing to worry about?
Very helpful. Thank you. I do have a question for Nathan but only if he's got the time. He often says the 411 is the better overlander and the G310GS is the better commuter out of the 2, but how is the beemer a better commuter than the Himmy? And vise-a-versa what makes the beemer not as suitable for long distance? Seems like being good at one would make it good at the other.
I would assume that the "overlander" tag includes more of the off-road stuff (so value is in low-end power etc.), whereas the "commuter" tag implies that you'll mostly be driving fairly normal roads (where top-end matters a lot more).
@@godfreytomlinson2282 If you don't care for off/half-road performance, I'd expect the GS to be better; ADVs sit on a spectrum of on-road performance to off-road performance ratio, and the GS sits more on the on-road side than the Himmy. I haven't ridden it, but gut-feeling I'd expect the GS to just perform better and be more comfortable in that context. That said, if you're not actually considering off/half-road performance, there's probably lots of other interesting options that don't try to also tick the off-road boxes (which inherently are sacrifices when it comes to on-road performance). I've got a Himalayan (411) myself, and I think it's great, but I also think if you're planning to spend most of your time at speeds in excess of 90kmh, the Himalayan just doesn't make that much sense. It's very clearly designed for lower speeds.
Happy to try and answer. BMW as a commuter especially if faster roads involved makes better sense as it's a touch quicker and will happily sit at 70mph. Longer service intervals. Better weather protection. More road biased wheels/tyres The Himalayan will commute just as the GS will tour, but things like center stand, optional hard cases and better off road capability to me make the Himalayan the better travel bike. If you're touring Europe on the road tho maybe you would take the 310. But the Himalayan is a better 'GS' (on road/off road) than the BMW. in my opinion of course
the crf is better for trails, the triumph is better looking and good for roads/communting (and in honesty for their age the triumph badge matters)...the more versatile ones that dont have a clear stand are often overlooked
Not sure to be honest Had a 72 year old today. Get in touch and let me know some more details. Contact me through the website www.dorothysspeedshop.com
Did I see in brief as you rode round Lee Beach, the Lee Bay Hotel has gone..! Didn't look too good in passing, when walked the South/West Coast Path back in the last 90's.. Round that same time the House on the Beach was a prize with a Sunday Newspaper.. might have been Sunday Express.? Identifiable, as having recently walk passed the House, that close the Beach, likely the Sea would be in it with a really bad storm. These bikes are getting more difficult to make a call on anyone being the best.. I've no plans on charging the 411. Cheers, stay safe.
@@nathanthepostman Cheers Nathan, That stretch of the Coast Path was so memorable an beautiful from Ilfracombe to Woolacombe, how odd the weather seamed much better then..! Having driven much of the Coast Roads.. be even nicer the ride the Himalaya round them.. just time and distance to there first.. Hey Ho..
Hmm not what I expected but hey don't knock it until you've ridden it. If I were buying new I'd go for the Triumph too. However I could buy at least 4 good used bikes for that money 🤔
Unfortunately there are only so many bikes one person and one business can afford. I did have a cb500x on fleet a year or so back and most people over looked it so I sold it on. They are a good bike but not much to discover about them. The CF Moto 450 mt holds a lot more interest personally. Or a reiju 500 adventura.
@@nathanthepostman Yes, the CB500X has been around for awhile now and it's not ever been a sexy bike that everyone talks about. Nonetheless, it's super reliable and, since the 2022 addition of a Showa inverted shock up front, a capable off pavement bike too - in spite of limited ground clearance (thanks Rally Raid for the beefy skidplate!). It's a fantastic bike for a novice rider, yet experienced riders will appreciate just how smooth and easy it is to ride. I would love to try out a CRF-300L. Honda should partner with Noraly and make an Itchy Boots edition! :-)
For trail, no brainer the CRF. The triumph and KTM can do them but not so well or as competently. The real comparison there is the KTM and triumph. Might try and do something on that
It was consistently liked by everyone, just not favoured. After riding it some more I think it's problem is that it's brilliant at going fast and poor at going slow. Which for this type of riding is more of what you need.
this is a great way to review bikes. Get a general consensus from the troops. Maybe do this on all the "Dorothy" rides? Real world comments. No Royal enfield eh? 🇬🇧🇨🇦🇺🇸
We're out all day and so some bikes get left behind. I think the KTM would have done ok to be fair. But Triumph engine is more suited to this type of riding; ie better low down grunt and midrange so is more suited to slower back road riding.
@@nathanthepostman I understand, it is not an update over cb500x exepct the front mask and the screen. Can wait for the CFmoto 450mt, also please adjust throttle cable before reviewing because they came loose from the factory, dont know why.
@@hctim96 yeh, guess so. Do like the 21" front wheel though, must be fairly capable off road but yeh, probably quite hefty compared to the 390 Adventure. Lot lighter than my old 650 Transalp though 😁
The Himalayan 450 is the best of them all.....its a very versatile bike....the engine on Himalayan 450 the Sherpa....its a gem...very refine,powerful and efficient....and the gearbox its amazing ....smoooth....Himalayan 450 needs a bit time to adapt by the rider....after that it does all the jobs....
@@onenoodles I got it for around 3000 pounds if I convert it into your currency.....it's a steal deal....worth every single penny.....and I think it looks like a 6000 pound motorcycle.....it's beautiful
@@abhishekmeena2277 Hi, if that is what it converts to for you and its a true equivalent then its a bargain I agree ... however, when I rode it then I could not see it at £6000 and I think there are better value bikes out there for less or better used bikes for that ... not saying its a bad bike and I agree it looks lovely, better looking than the 411 in my opinion but I think in the UK its too expensive for what it is ... enjoy you bike though, all bikes are ace! 🤟
