When does an Adventure Bike become a Dual Sport? Best touring Scrambler & Shed update 

My first bike was an adventure bike. It was a Honda Z50A 'Mini Trail' back in 1974 ... (one of the first bikes with 'upside down forks'). Why do I say it's an 'adventure' bike you may ask? ... To me, an adventure was just going anywhere I had never been before.

650 badge was/is coming from SWM/old BMW/Italian Husqvarna factory. They had called it 650, because the previous model was TE-630, and the model before was TE-610.

Any bike can be an adventure’ bike but I think the key difference between dual sport v adventure is the comfort factor for long distance travel. My Tenere 660 is a single cylinder bike however it has large tank, screen, etc. Great vid Solid👍

I dunno, maybe I am wrong about this, but I think of bikes built off a dirt bike platform that are also street legal as dual sports. I think of bikes that are built around a street engine and modified chassis that have been given some off road capability as adventure bikes.

Great Q&A Solid! Just to confuse the issue, you could probably make a DS into an ADV by adding a windscreen, big tank, bags. And some of the so-called DS's should really be called street-legal enduro or trail bikes (EXCF's, XT's, 230's).

Cheers Solid! 🍻 Slowly getting there with the shed. Looking good. If only we had more time and a money tree…

I hate the way that everyone portrays the ECU upgrade for the 300l. Because of this, I put off considering the modification for two years because my perception of it was something totally different than what it actually is... I finally had my ECU flashed on my 300 Rally, not because I was expecting more power, I did it for the purpose of power management, to smoothen out how the power is delivered, and to achieve a smoother throttle increase throughout the rev range, also reducing twitchy throttle response, and richening up the mixture so that the engine runs cooler, which in turn will provide longevity. . But in the end, paired with a couple of other intake/exhaust mods, the bike did gain a surprisingly significant amount of power and torque that was much appreciated. No, not anything to the extreme, but There are several positive factors to consider when retuning the 300l. It’s not just for those who are searching for more power.

Great video. Many dual-sport bikes can become "adventure bikes" with the addition of a windshield, racks, and luggage. I rode the TAT, AZBDR, and COBDR on a WR250R with $1,000 of ADV farkles. Others have ridden the TAT on Groms and CT125s for minimalist adventure! As you described, "Adventure bikes" are modified road bikes - and can never be reduced to "dual-sports". Examples I've owned are the venerable V-Strom 650 and Tiger 800. Your decision is between a street-legal dirt bike or dirt-capable road bike? "Adventure" can be had with either!

I like the footage of the 701…friendly wave to the farmer…proceeds to roost his driveway into ruts 😅

Well that was fun and helpful; Yes I did have a Triumph Scrambler 900 and to me it was fun on dirt roads; I hope the shed gets finished off... David...Adelaide....Triumph Scrambler 1200X....one bike for all.....

Funny that the Honda 300 Rally is considered a dual sport, but Itchy Boots is one of the biggest adventure riders that ever rode on 2 wheels.

Nice little shed. I'm a carpenter, so I built my shop. The shed / shop are a multi-year project. Don't feel bad, I am still working on mine. My shop electrical is done, finally. The interior wall covering is taking me a long time. My problem is old and lazy. Keep after that shed, it will get finished. Texas on the prairie

Thanks for the video. CRF 300L: In terms of power, even 3HP more on a 27HP bike can help...my 2 cents.... Talking about decent suspensions out of the gate, why not KLX300 (instead CRF 300 - way too soft susp.)? The CRF 300 suspensions are comically soft unless you are Itchi Boots size - i.e. 55-60kg / i.e. 125 lbs..).

Sometimes I wonder if the difference between an ADV bike and a dual sport is just rider ability haha I think the 701 is truly the one bike to do it all. I'm biased as an owner of one but also I wouldn't have bought it if I didn't believe it. I agree that they're pretty reliable when you've sorted the few known issues. I'd encourage anyone who's in the market for one to keep an eye on the used market in the off season. Lots of people buy the 701 and then realize they'd be better off with and can afford to have two bikes, an ADV and a dual sport. Both of which will likely do a better job in their respective niche than the 701 will as it's trying to do both. These results in sometimes being able to snag a decently farkled bike for a low price. I bought my 2019 701 used with 2,300 miles for $7500. It wasn't too farkled but it had a seat concepts seat and a rear rack and a few other things. It could just be a coincidence but I've experience more growth as a rider on my 701 than every other bike I've had. It's so fun and having decent suspension makes such a HUGE difference. I cannot understate enough how important good suspension is. The bike truly rips. I bought it in late december, couldn't ride until late January cause of the snow. I've since put 3k miles on it(not commuting).

Thanks for answering my question mate! Appreciate it. 👍 If I designed/engineered the PR7, I would call it as it is. Currently a 600, drop the naming convention from PR7 to eliminate any confusion 🤷🏻‍♂️Just my humble opinion 😂. Besides that. I’d happily overlook these extremely minor details and just enjoy riding it. I’d love one. They look unique in the flesh too. Keep up the great work 👊

I had lots of adventures on my first bike- Honda CT125 so that’s an adventure bike

Always enjoy the Q&A videos 👍. Just a thought; See if your electrician will “water jet” the conduit under your concrete so you don’t have to cut through it 🤔. (Poor man’s directional boring 🤪.) As long as there’s not too many large rocks in the soil, it’s often quicker and cheaper.

I am with you on electrics or how we say it in America.... power . Super basic stuff I can tackle but 95% I won't touch if you paid me . Will say watch what those guys do at the connection points . Watch some videos by real professionals about how those types of connections should look . I have seen loose or sloppy wire connections before from the junior electrician on the project . Also consider laying a beefier line down along what you already have in mind in case you need more voltage for welding or whatever down the road , cheaper to have that done now for various reasons .

This is something I have always wondered. When did they start putting the ccs on bike badges?

Cheers again Solid. I hope you and the family are well. Any plans to go riding soon? I miss watching your adventures!

Solid intel

Every bike is an adventure bike to me.

Hello 😊 to you from Los Angeles Nick the Great

Another thing to remember is they use 220 voltage I Australia. Nothing to mess with!

For me, an adventure bike is basically a full packed dual-sport bike, which can be use both on paved and dirt roads.

PR - maybe stands for Pinto Racing. 🤷‍♂️

Consider solar instead of running power. It would save a couple grand for me. I'm in the same situation. I haven't made a decision yet, but I want the option to change an electric car or bike in the future and solar won't cut it for that. Currently, I just have an extension cord going to my shed. 😂

Also, adv bikes may have more street oriented smaller alloy wheels instead of 21" front spoke wheels. That puts the DR650/300L with long service intervals in a dual-sport area. KTM 390 Adv/ KTM 790 Atv goes in Adventure category with multiple cylinders OR alloy wheels, and the KTM 690 Enduro in dual-sport. Bikes like the CRF450RL, KTM 350 EXC-F, Beta 390 RS, etc., NEED a new classification because they have lots of off-road ability, but also have racing engines with short maintenance intervals. Perhaps call these street legal bikes with off-road racing engines, tagged dirt-bikes. PERHAPS, the dual-sport bikes with racing engines ARE REAL dual-sports while the semi-dirt focused bikes with street engines and long intervals should be called something else. If splitting hairs, the CRF300L has a street-type paper air filter while the DR650 has a dirt-focused oiled foam air filter.

Like the KTM 390, the WR250R makes most of its power at the top end. But it is based on a street engine, I think the same piston as an R1?

Surprised not to see you mention the Fantic 500 scrambler there. I'm strongly considering one if the Enfield Shotgun cant convince me to get off the dirt, and it's a nice looking bike especially the Explorer/Rally. One thing im torn on Solid, is Fantic dropped a 700 ""Scrambler" with that MT07 CP2 motor. Now, this looks like the least scrambler of thier line up, however, when they released the 500 line up it took a while for the rally model to come through. Whats your thoughts on waiting a bit and seeing if Fantic drop a 700 Rally version?

Is a Honda CRF 300 Rally a dual sport ? , as it’s basically the same as 300 L , just more fairing and larger tank ?

Solid - when does a dual-purpose bike become a dual-sport bike? The whole industry switched terms seemingly overnight when Suzuki introduced the DR series. But for guys riding XLs, XTs, etc back in the day, this class of bikes will always be “dual-purpose” and dual-sport will always just be some new fangled marketing term coined by Suzuki for their well promoted and local dealer hosted riding events on DRs, and other dual-purpose bikes.

How about the new swm superdual 650 t with Euro 5? It has a good price tag.

I think that I stumble more with Dual Sport vs Enduro, than DS vs ADV ….. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I would like to hear your opinion on the new cfmoto 450mt or as the the US version the Ibex 450.. and what is the status of the ktm 390 enduro and will husqvarna be making a version of it?

Have anyone experience with Beta ALP 4.0 (2024)??

I do like the Husky 701 but hard to justify when I can get a brand new Honda 300L AND a brand new CF Moto 450MT for the same money

Not a lot of attention for the CRF 450RL. Might be a better option for some that needs more than the 300.

What about the 501 - do they still make that? I remember that being voted best dual-sported in a MASSIVE users survey, albeit some years back now … Always made a lot of sense to me, though … dr650 is a little bit too road oriented to be the ideal; drz400 is a little bit too small for distance road riding (I have a drz-e with 4x4 mod etc, and can do 136 kmph on bitumen; albeit, it could use a but extra power and comfort for any real distance road riding) … hence, it’s always made sense to me that something like a well kitted-out 501 (or similar) would truly be the ‘ideal’ dual-sport … 🤔🤷🏻‍♂️

In my eyes, a dual sport is a dirt bike with bare minimum accessories to become road legal, and you can usually buy them unregistered from a dealership,. An adventure bike has the increase in road-specific features and comfort

The answer is simple… a dual sport is a dirt bike modified to run on the street, and an adventure bike is a street bike that is modified to run in the dirt. Proof…. Name a bike in those ranges… and see if that chassis/engine is being sold in another configuration… if it’s alternate is a dirt bike… it’s a dual sport, if it’s alternate is a street bike, it’s a adventure bike. Examples…. KTM390…. Adv and duke. CRF450… RL and R.

I don’t think people like to bash KTM due to reliability issues as much as it is well deserved. I’ve owned many KTM’s and have had many problems. But, they are the only game in town if you want performance.

Do you bro

For 5 grand why not solar?

It becomes a dual sport when I can ride all day 1400km on it on the motorway without loosing my teeth and killing my back. Otherwise it’s a heavy off-road bike, not a dual sport. That is KTM’s 690 in whatever disguise: GasGas, Husqy or so. My XT600Z was a dual sport, I rode 2.500km in 1.5days and went single-trail offroad at the destination. It never let me down on travel and on ridiculous weight (anything over 210Kg, fully ready to hit the worst and the fastest for ultra-long iron-butt like distance, I don’t care if single or twin, as long as it’s leightweight enough, powerful enough and comfy enough, while capable).

buy the 701, friends dont let friends waste money on HonDOGS

Buying a CRF 300 is just stupid when you can get a Voge 300 Rally. If they are sold in your country.

Adventure bike = marketing con for those whose ego is too big for them to buy a dual sport.

HI , I have a 300 L . I know its probably covered in one of your Videos . But can you give me a quick recommendation as to what I should purchase to upgrade the front and back suspension . Thanks .