I'm off to Spain to take a group through the Picos, Pyrenees and Alps and thought it a good chance to go through some of the bikes and work out which might best suit the trip. Tours for 2024 listed soon at www.dorothysspeedshop.com
I've had all the 'big adventure bikes' - GS, Africa Twin, Super Tenere etc. Without question, I've had more fun and better 'adventures' on my CRF. Far more versatile and you don't have the fear of getting stuck if you drop it or get into a tight situation. The 'sacrifice' of the highway cruising for a few hours is well worth it for having practicality everywhere else. I usually only take b-roads anyway - seeing small forgotten towns is part of the adventure.... 😎
I watch alot of RU-vid motorcycle content, but what i love about Nathan is his zero bullshit attitude. Talks absolute sense, and tells it how it is. None of this video is sponsored by all the usual suspects🙄. Great channel and a good egg. Keep up the great work Nathan, your opinions make a difference 👍
I've watched so many videos and trying to decide which ADV bike to purchase for a month now. This is the only channel that makes sense and points out important facts. I appreciate your work Nathan and wish you all the best.
EasyJet flight to Faro. Walked to Hertzride and rented a PCX125 for 11 days. No topbox but carry on backpack just about fitted under the seat. Stayed in Airbnb's and had a fun time echoin exploring Portugal. Obviously not a lot of off-roading but ample for tracks and point and squirt on the twisties. Roads are amazing btw!
Great review, free of brand bias, of so many likely suspects. I’m in the market for a long-term TET bike, was taken by Nathan’s review of the Voge, but still lean Himalayan for its luggage capacity - and for somehow looking like how a child would draw a motorcycle while in reality looking only like itself.
I’ve had loads of big adv’s over 50yrs and only now have I realised that it’s not the size but the way in which you get there that makes the journey, hence my current quest for one of these smaller adv bikes. You have been a real inspiration and I thank you. Stay safe John
I did it with a Royal Enfield Himalayan this last June. worked perfect. I had a quick resume in my youtube. Whatever the bike you going to enjoy a lot. There are some many great trails and awesome views. no mentioning the food! have fun guys!
Words of wisdom again Nathan! Just took the the Vespa GTS300 I took on the Garbage run in 2018 over to Switzerland doing a 10 day 5 country tour with others, fantastic trip, cruised at 60 to 70 on motorways and enjoyed the Alps and Black Forest etc without struggling with a big bike in the mountain roads. Used to have big bikes now love the the fun and freedom of the smaller classes. Have fun in Spain… very jealous!
At 61 I love taking my Honda Super Cub out for back country rides. So light and easy = fun. Took it for a ride in snow and ice in Australia & wouldn't have tried that with a heavier bike.
Excellent video, would love to see a future video that covers the competition for the bmw 310 in terms of on & off road performance, comfort, reliability and maintenance.
Brilliant honest advice as usual from you. Love the comment “we’ll worry about a service another time” 😂😂. Have a fantastic trip; wish I was coming with you 👍
It’s interesting that you mentioned the RV episode in the Picos. After the drama of his video I posted a comment pointing out that I hoped that people weren’t going to be put off attempting a very accessible track as a result of the way that the video was edited. I didn’t mention the groups affection for testosterone generating big name expensive adventure bikes nor the limited ability of their riders. I just pointed out that in my experience the track was straightforward and well worth riding. In reply I received a torrent of abuse, the funniest coming from Mr P English who claimed that I didn’t know what I was talking about because, unlike him, I didn’t have a back catalogue of RU-vid videos. I suppose I should have simply pointed out that I rode that route on a smaller lighter bike and have been improving my off-road skills since I bought my BSA Bantam to use in a local farmers field in 1970 when I was 13 but I’m not sure he would have understood either the concept of a smaller bike or indeed the notion of skill.
Great video as always, had the Voge pegged from the start of the video you even might have me convinced to look at chopping in the T7! All the best for the trip 🤟
Nathan, you had me on the edge of my seat. Oh the suspense! What a great little bike that Voge 300 Rally has turned out to be. You've come a long way since your presentation at Llandovery rugby club where I met you. You've become an impressive journalist. Keep up the good work.
Fantastic...If you can't make your mind up about what bike you really need after watching this and for that type of riding then you have an issue. Always comes across with a very experienced and honest review with no bull or selling attached. Been towing with what to go for myself after owning most the big adv bikes this has given me something to aim for so glad i came across it. Well done Brilliant👍👍
I hope you are doing a video on this trip, would love to see how the different mix of bikes with just the every day rider gets on. Great videos mates love it how you say it as it is.
Excellent vid Nathan and you summed it up very well. Totally agree with your thoughts on the larger adventure bikes. I actually wanted a CCM GP450 and was really interested in your assessment but got distracted by the CRF450L when it came out. Piggin expensive but a great, light, bike. You pay for what you haven’t got on that bike…..weight. Still got it and love it to bits. Cheers bud!
Great video explaining your thought process for each bike, shame you are not taking the Motor Morini, I’ve got my eye on one to replace my 660z, would have been interesting to see how it got on. Well done to Tom, a true gentleman. 👍 Looking forward to seeing the follow up video when you get back! Ride safe everyone.
Good advice from someone who had been there and done it .i had a ccm450 low seat it wa one of the best bikes i have owned .but like you said always in the back of your mind if it plays up it can be a bugger to fix .my mate has had his in the a garage for six months and they still can't get it going difficult to get any answers and advice from ccm factory . enjoy your trip Nathan .
Great video. We have had just about every single model of big adventure bike as PX on Himalayan's. Like you say, travel at 65 mph and then get max enjoyment from your destination 😀👍
Spot on Nathan. A smaller/lighter bike is always the better choice if part of your adventure is the freedom to take those unpaved tracks, especially if you don’t know in advance how challenging they may be. Earlier this year two of us flew into Marrakech and hired bikes for a 6 day tour of the Atlas Mountains doing roughly 50:50 tarmac/unpaved and had the choice of midsized bikes or BMW 310 GS’s and thankfully we took the 310’s.
Just great commentary and common sense. I thought you’d go for the KTM …. Lovely gesture from Tom donating the Himmy. Have a safe Trejo ( and get it serviced .. don’t want another Dorothy moment ! ) Ride safe
Totally agree about the small bike thing, been fettling my 27 year old Cagiva W12 350 over the summer (mostly routine stuff and a bit of cosmetics) and fankly can't wait to get back on it. Such a shame ahout the CCM, what a (nearly) wonderful bike, if only they'd had a bit more sensible engine available.
Great review, I took my KTM 390 Adv from Scotland to Stella Alpina this year, fully loaded with camping gear, and it was much more manageable than the CRF1000 I took in 2019. Sat at 90mph for 5 hours on the autobahn on way home, after spending too long in the alps. The Africa Twin only gets used for road blasts with my mates now. The 390 is my solo touring mule
This is what "adventure riders" need to hear! I have been doing lots of rides in North America in Colorado, Utah and now in Florida. Planning to do the SEAT, 1700 mile loop soon. Riding an 07 KLX with a 351 big bore kit. It is light, fast, and good off-road.
Marketing gets to a lot of people and misleads them into thinking the mid capacity and large capacity bikes are the best choice off road; they’re basically mostly touring machines with some offroad capabilities.The companies hire professional riders in controlled environments for their adverts, most people can only dream of handling the bikes the way we see in the adverts. You can’t go wrong with a DR650 type bike
Big bike / small bike we have discussed his before when I talked about buying something larger than my CRF Rally. In the end for local rides and more technical stuff - I stuck with my CRF250 Rally. honestly I don't have a problem traveling on it either as I avoid interstate highways when I travel. I purchased a lightly used Kawasaki KLR650 EFI for my big bike. It's fast enough, comfortable seating position, good weather protection, and capable enough off road. Are there downsides? Sure but no deal breakers and I think my big bike/small bike combo covers the full range of riding that I typically do.
Hilarious; I thought you were going to be taking the Benly for a moment. Of course you are taking the Voge - I called that right at the beginning, for all the reasons you've said many times, and of course its the right one, because its clear you love it. 👍
Amazing video and very wise choice I feel! Hope you enjoy that trip and fyi if I was rolling with you guys and could pick my bike of choice it would be the new Kove 450 rally...Chinese bikes all around lol, best of luck on your journey.
Great stuff I think you be talkin a lot of sense Nathan, for sure. Just remember to drop the oil and change the filter on the Voge and she’s good for another 2k trip! Have fun ride safe, not jealous honest….😉👍🤙
Quite agree with you Nathan, all my bikes are off road style, the Beta Alp 200 for tricky stuff , the Harley MT 350 for general purpose green laning and falling in muddy puddles but still light enough to pick up at 155 kg. For the road and light trails with Mitas EO7 tyres I have a Benelli TRK 502 X . A Chinese Italian like the Morini which I can't fault, but give me the two smaller bikes any day.
Hi Nathan I still love my little G310GS even more this weekend after riding Suzuki 1000cc road bike and Suzuki Vstrom 1000 today. Honestly bloody hard work to keep up with the owners riding the 310 and there suprise at how easy it was to ride (on the right roads) Bigger isn't always better 😉😂😂
The Morini does look nice tho in the red and black. The seat height loox less on a practical basis. This week I'm going to try the Himalayan and the Scram out.
Have a great trip, I did Picos 5 or so years ago on my Moto Guzzi V7 but have mellowed so much I'm riding a Honda CBR250R at the moment, off to Northern France for a week on it tomorrow, happy days. Did I hear you mention Rufus, if so would that be Magellan Rufus, that's who I did Picos with...
Tom, if I ever meet you. I might have to give you a hug. If I was doing the above tour, I'd take my 650 Transalp, its very comfortable on the road and having completed the ACT Pyrenees, previous Morocco and Knordkapp trips and 3 Stella Rally summits. The Transalp, has that Himalayan go anywhere on or off road ability. As proved at the recent Sweet Lamb Adventure Weekend. Unfortunately it has that other Enfield trait, its heavy. So as you haven't offered a Transalp as an option. The Voge Rally 300, would be my choice.
As always Nathan brilliant video :) having had the crf300 Rally, Himalayan an a 390 adv (dad had one at the same time both new) I agree with your takes on the bikes stock it was a shame the 390s we bought were plauged with tech issues for us as the engine was peppy like a rd350lc an for dad that was a good fit, apart from his constantly cutting out, build quality issues and both bikes suffering with tft issues (we both were riding in winter at altitude) both bikes went back for refunds at 147 an 269 miles both suffering with the same problems so wasn't much debate over it, Ktm now have a line in the warranty book not covering the tft displays 850 quid part an I know friends now who have had 3+ in the past (the lack of hazards was a shame to dads cut out on the start to a fast dual carriageway an wouldn't restart an no hazards so that lead to a few vans bibbing. Was an exciting bike to ride though an the suspension was very good for the money best of the 3 lightweight bikes I had. I'd never had to reject a new before so was alot of learning. The Himalayan I absolutely loved to ride but got a Sunday bike with that again alot of the issues should have been caught at pdi an it had chassis issues, + other problems all relating to a bad pdi the dealer agreed totally and apologised an offered me a much more expensive 310gs or another himmy or the money back. It was a real shame they just need to button a few of the issues down like the front brake light switches that keep packing in (heard that's meant to be a recall at some point) hitchocks also now sell a replacment switch, RE don't seem to deal with a few of the issues that are long term I think they need to to capture more of us owners that tend to go towards the Japanese bikes. Which lead to the 300 Rally which I got lucky finding one. Totally agree with your comments on the suspension after trying green laning an figuring out that's not my idea of adventure an living with it for a while as a pure road based adv with the need to do alot of motorway riding to view houses up in Scotland (7hour trips each way at the mo) I ended up letting her go to a dealers for stock, the Rally Raid Shock did transform it though but a different bike fitted my needs more :) I've got bikes like the fireblade which I've owned for 13 years since new Nortons for as long an an elsie 350 for longer but it's always interesting spending my money to try something new each year. Don't drink smoke etc so that covers any depreciation. Out of all the adv class bikes ive had the vstrom 650xt was my favourite for my sort of riding. Would certainly have another one but then I'm not trail riding any more if I was I'd look at either of the 3 bikes being aware that the suspension is rubbish on the Honda an the KTM an Himalayan can have gremlins it just depends on what fits each person's flavour is my take. I think adventure is an ever evolving an very personal thing thats for sure. I agree about the 450 was hoping for something similar to the current one with the Gremlins sorted out an a slightly bit more poke. Currently got an 1150gsa which I've just sunk 2 an a half grand into to sort out due to failiures down to poor previous maintenance in its life gonna be interesting to see what the sorted bike is like, got gs height brand new shocks on which make it manageable for my road based adventure travel anyway looking forward to getting back on that this week now I'm just finishing the work on her. Keep the awesome vids coming an kudos to Tom doing that with the Himalayan. Really good people about in the world
I’ve written about the G310GS on your videos before but I really do think they’re excellent. If I was doing a European tour it would be the bike I’d purchase. Cheap, light, fun on the right roads, comfortable and sits at 70 on the motorway.
Very well said. The lighter, the better on trails. The safer, the brisker. I'm thinking about the Voge 300 Rally or the Kove 450 Rally (once it has Euro 5) as substitute for my venerable Transalp 600. The new Beta Alp 4.0 falls through. Enjoy the Picos, Pyrenees and Alps. Günter/Nürnberg
I am hoping the 450 Himmy will be king amongst small ADV bikes when we see it next year, but sadly tubed tyres will still blight it unfortunately, so I will be factoring in the cost of tubeless conversion.
Fantastic gesture by Tom 👏🏻 Seriously- spend £8 on a 15t front sprocket, grind the chain catcher a bit and you’ll cruise at 74mph on the Voge and still have legs for the mountains 🏔️ Enjoy your trip 👍🏻
As always good marketing using professional riders influences people’s choice !! These companies are only interested in making as much money as they can from each customer !! It’s great having a top of the line moto but once you add adventure into your plans then cheap , light and small should be top of everyone’s list !! This is a good video from someone talking from experience. We’ll done 👍💪 24:17
I’ve been doing the Pyrenees on my 67 Triumph metisse. Super simple, super light and with a 3 gal tank I have over 180 mile range with 120kg wet! I still can’t find anything modern.with 650cc torque that compares.
Thank you for a great video. Another good option is the KTM500 or CRF450L with some mods these make good lightweight adventure bikes. There lighter than the CRF300 but with more power and way better suspension.
Agreed. Sold the 450l in favor of a Kove 450 Rally. The 450L needed a lot of mods and wasn't that comfortable on the road. It's essentially an MX bike with a few changes so long distances would be harsh.@@nathanthepostman
I've done 40.000 km's around Asia now on my 250 Rally, around the Mae Hong Song area, 17.000 corners friends on bigger bikes and even the 300 were struggeling somewhat, but we found out that the 250 has a steeper front forks angle and corners a bit quicker, however i still like my RD7 Africa Twin and 89 Super Tenere better as the ultimate Adventure bikes, there is just no limits with the 80's bikes i find.
I really like these vids in the new unit, very straight talking no bullshit or glitz just good information then it’s left up to you to agree or disagree, keep up the good work Nathan 👍
When you're younger, pushing the limits is not necessarily a bad thing. You learn. You're able to bounce back from those times when you grossly exceeded your limits. Get a little older and you become less interested in pushing your limits. Recovery times eat too much into work, family and hobby time. I'm pushing 70, so I choose the limits I'll consider pushing with great care. I value comfort more than I used to. Certain body parts (e.g. back) now make demands I can't ignore or put off. So smaller bikes are seriously on my radar, and even trailering a bike (hey, I'm in the Great American Southwest so some destinations are on the other end of very long hot boring roads) has a lot of allure.
Of course you could extend it to add in the older stuff. I personally don't rate the g and f 650s. Very top heavy for what they are. Transalps a good bet though.
Best review iv'e seen on these smaller capacity adventure bikes. I'm in the market for one at the minute after completely ruling out the GS's and V-Strom's of this world. branding means nothing to me so im not worried about that aspect. Tell me as i'm 6ft 2" which bike would you say would fit me best ive sat of the Himalayan and found it pretty low and the Honda just seems to sink into the tarmac because of the bad suspension. The Voge isn't for sale here in Ireland yet so im kind of focused on the KTM or Moto Morini.
For your height the Morini is definitely going to be a good fit. It's a full size 1000cc esque bike. The 390s not bad. Bob's not short on his 390. A Himalayan with a firmer taller seat might also work
For me, small capacity, light, dual purpose bikes are where it’s at. I can do everything that I can on a larger capacity machine, just at slightly lower speeds. Once off road, the little dual sports come into their own. On back lanes I couldn’t go much faster on any bike, in fact I doubt a bigger, more powerful bike could keep up with a little dual sport; the weight, power, suspension and brakes of large capacity machine become liabilities on a tight , gravel, grass and mud strewn C road and only make sense when a road opens out. I don’t do high speeds on popular biking roads anyway as I’m no longer comfortable with the perceived risks and the skill/reactions required - essentially I no longer have the bottle and attitude for it. Big bikes are wasted on me.
I'm biased. I own the Voge but I bought it with good reason and it still continues to impress. Light, agile and handles the off road stuff in a way that has re invigorated this 61yr old. What really can't be underestimated is the confidence it gives and I will go places I wouldn't dream of on a bigger (or more road oriented) bike. On thing though, an extra tooth on the front sprocket is an absolute must. The only other bike I've owned in your test is the KTM which has a peach of an engine but the ergonomics for off road riding are appalling. That's a road bike made to look a bit "adventure". Which leads me to.... As I understand it, CF Moto produce the KTM engine? So imagine CF Moto using that engine in something similar to the Voge frame with proper 21" 18" wheel combination and decent suspension travel. Priced somewhere in between the Voge and the Honda.... Could be an absolute winner. C'm on CF Moto.
You said all you need to say, take the himilayan, job done 👍 Tom, nice one mate, hats off to you 👍🤗 Not running? Sort it, if anyone can sort it, its you. C' mon Nathan, cest le esprit, no ?
I ride a 1200 GS but it's way too heavy to be throwing around on the tracks especially now I'm 65 years old, I'm really fancying a Voge 300 Rally but why o why did they have to make the seat height so high, it's higher than my GS and I can only just get the balls of my feet down on that. I'm going to have to find a dealer and have a sit on one to see if I feel comfortable, if I can't get both feet down then I won't feel confident riding it off road. Great videos and always informative, thanks.
@@nathanthepostman You are right, the Himalayan it is. You are also right about the 700 - but I've had a long-term love of these lumpy bikes so it's hard to let go.
Yeah very interested in the Kove. I think it's a bit too focussed to 'compete' with these bikes here, but for anyone after some proper off road action it should be ace
Thanks a million for your usual offering of what I always feel is like I've just bumped i to you at greasy Lil's cafe, shared a jaw over a sos+tom and basin of tea, li,e I was talking to a mate. BS'less fabulous conversation about stuff I have no solid experience of but have been captivated by. Thats a proper bloke with proper skills and attitude, that. At 5feet4, I doubt I could even sit on that Voge without loo,ing like a kid onhis grannys new big sofa! But, hey, it was fascinating information that I would not have known properly and any bloke who is more interested in the bikes and sharing his(genuinely proper) knowledge than the old crocs and mismatched outfit colours, or whether or not he needs a shave is just the perfect remedy for most of the utter tedium, virtue-signalling and fashionistas that I endure for a few seconds before going to clear up the dogs 'offerings' outside in preference. Take care of yourself, chap, have a good trip and I loom forward to more of your vlogs. Safe journeys, friend...
Hi. Thanks for the video. It was very interesting. I do understand that this video is about accessible bikes to you at the moment, but what would be your take on the husky 701 Enduro or the KTM 690 Enduro? On paper, they seem to be very close to the unicorn adventure bikes a bit more off road oriented , but with some mods can be comfortable for long-distance road riding as well.
Thanks for the video and your thoughts on all of the bikes! I have a Versys X 300 (we spoke at Sweetlamb recently), and am now thinking about a G 310GS... it sounds like the 310 would have been your first choice if you had finished fitting the Rally Raid bits... but would it have been your first choice if it was standard, or would the Voge/Morini edge ahead?
Good question rikky. A stock 310 GS is still a good bike and maybe I should just have used that. It would be better on the tarmac than the voge for sure, and lighter than the Morini. A 310 with uprated suspension is a great bike
@nathanthepostman Cheers Nathan for your thoughts on the 310 against those other two bikes. Also for me, the BMW feels smaller, gruntier and more fun than my Kawi so it's certainly got me thinking. Have a great trip 😀
What timing as Ive been contemplating a bike to do the European acts over the last week. (I wish my ct would sit at steady 60) my conclusion was a Himalayan or Maybe 650gs Dakar trouble is the Bmws would be well over 10 years old. I just cant get my head around a Vogue. I worry about resale. Are you going to buy a Vogue when your press bike is returned? The Himalayan was such a great gift for Richards fund 👏
It’s under 4 grand brand new. It’s almost a disposable motorcycle at that price. If Nathan got 10 long trips out of it and scrapped it, the cost would only be £400 per trip- far less than the depreciation on most new bikes. Buy a 12K bike from the dealer and in a year it will lose almost 6K and it will have required at least one service in that time. The Himmy loses much of its value once out of the showroom too-privately there are loads around for just over £2.5K hardly used and well looked after. If you’re using bikes off road they get scratched, broken and rusty anyway, so ideas of holding high resale values fly right of the window.
I’m buying a Voge 300 Rally as a second bike. It will replace my DR125 which I use all year round as a go anywhere bike all year round. The last thing on my mind will be depreciation. For the money it’s a great bike and as I plan on keeping it for a long time I plan on enjoying every minute. Some BMW, KTM and Ducati owners will lose more in depreciation in one year than I will be paying for my bike. Bikes are to be used and enjoyed not put away to protect their value.
Being biased, I'd ride the KTM. 200/250 miles in a day is enough. The new 390 engine sounds interesting. Cc hike from 373 to 399, and a longer stroke. If it's going in the new Duke, the Adventure will get it, too. Entertaining video, Nathan. Nick J
