One Bike to Rule Them All?

[MotoNews]

Published in: Bikes

For years, the Kawasaki KLR650 and Suzuki DR650 have been considered go-to machines for those looking for a trusty RTW mount. They are simple, cheap, easy to fix and maintain, and reliable. Having ridden my own second-hand 2011 DR650 across the Americas and Europe, as well as attempted several rally races on it, I can attest to two things: The bike is indestructible (I’ve tried countless times to break it!), and it’s indeed cheap, simple, and easy to maintain, even by such an unmechanically-minded individual as me.

Then again, the DR is also an inelegant 650cc thumper that struggles on faster highways or when facing steep, rock-littered hill climbs. In other words, it’s not a high-performance road bike nor a hard enduro. That’s precisely the DR650’s point, of course. It will plow through anything you throw at it without complaining. It doesn’t do anything spectacularly, but it does do everything—with the flair of a stumpy but stubborn Shetland pony.

I’m not alone in this assessment. Plenty of veteran RTW riders, such as Michnus and Elsebie Olivier (Piki Piki Overland) or RTWPaul, have put hundreds of thousands of miles on their DRs. Heck, before there was Ewan and Charley’s The Long Way Round, there was Austin Vince and the Mondo Enduro and Terra Circa teams. In the ’90s and the early 2000s, they circumnavigated the world the hard way twice aboard Suzuki DR350s, the little cousin of the DR650.

The Kawasaki KLR650 has a similar reputation—sometimes lovingly called “The Cucaracha” (“The Cockroach”) for its amazing resilience, the KLR is a bike that can do it all. That versatility, plus the fact that any self-taught mechanic should be able to fix it, makes the KLR a solid choice for countless round-the-world travelers.

Still, it’s 2023, and plenty of new and exciting ADV machines are on the market. Is it possible riders no longer need to compromise speed or off-road capability for resilience? I chatted with several devoted RTW travelers to find out.

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• BMW F800GS: On Her Bike

On the road since 2017, Kinga “On Her Bike” Tanajewska, has traveled through Australia, Asia, Europe, and Africa and is currently exploring North America. Her BMW F800GS has seen all kinds of rough terrain, and despite having some 140,000 kilometers on the clock, it’s still going strong.

“I think it is the most reliable bike out there. I’ve been riding it continuously for the last six years, and it’s been incredibly dependable. I wonder if perhaps bikes that are being used almost daily when you’re riding around the world do better than those that get parked away for the winter?” Kinga shares.

According to her, the beauty of the 800GS is its simple design and engine. “The engine isn’t high-performance, but it’s perfect for me. It’s economical, consuming about 5.5–6.5 liters per hundred kilometers, and I’ve never had any major issues with it except for a blown rear shock in Tajikistan. That resulted in traversing the Pamir Highway yo-yo style until I could get a replacement shock shipped, but eventually, I upgraded to an adjustable TFX replacement. I think a good suspension setup is essential when you’re traveling with luggage. Additionally, I’ve got a steering damper and an auxiliary seven-liter tank, so I’ve modified the bike for my needs.

“I’ll ride it as long as I can—I can’t see any other bike on the market that would make sense for me. I tend to maintain it well and do major service before I head to more remote places like Africa; it’s been reliable, and we’re just going to keep going. It’s like she’s my companion, not just a motorcycle—it’s always been just the two of us against the world,” Kinga explains.

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• KTM 1190: Two Up and Overloaded

Tim and Marissa Notier have been riding around the world on their KTM 1190 Adventure S for six years, traversing the Americas and Africa. Their motorcycle has over 95,000 miles on it, and the couple has no plans of getting another any time soon. There’s a common myth that the KTMs are capricious and unreliable, but for Tim and Marisa, their 1190 has served well across three continents and counting.

“We love our KTM 1190 Adventure S, although I often tell myself that I would be on a much smaller bike if we weren’t two-up and so overloaded. But as our first ‘Adventure Bike,’ I daydreamed of climbing over mountain passes and crossing deep rivers well before we ever left the U.S.” Tim continues, “After what I’d call extensive testing and what others may call abuse of the KTM 1190 over the course of 95k miles, I couldn’t be happier with it. Our beast of burden has indeed taken us to the top of Peru’s remote mountain passes, across Namibian deserts, and splashed through glacier rivers in Alaska. There have been times when I wished there was less of the “Ready to Race” insanity that is the 1190’s powerhouse of an engine and more of a, ‘Hey, let’s take it nice and slow through this particular section because it seems a little difficult.’ But that’s not really a catchy slogan.

“The 1190 is more capable than my skill set allows, but day by day, I am building those skills as the KTM patiently waits for me to ride it to its full potential....

“Does this motorcycle have the ability to take you around the world? Absolutely. From the day we dreamt about climbing mountains to the day we proudly looked from the apex of one, we couldn’t be happier with our KTM 1190,” Tim shares.

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• Royal Enfield Himalayan: Explo.Redd

Traveler Redd “Explo.Redd” Walitzki has ridden her Royal Enfield Himalayan from North America down to Costa Rica, traveling slowly and racking up 44,500 miles since 2020. In many ways, the Himalayan is an iconic motorcycle despite its comparatively short production run, but how well does it hold up over long distances and rough terrain?

“As a new rider at the time I bought it, I wanted a simple motorcycle that could easily be worked on by mechanics around the world. As a shorter rider, it was also important that I could reach the ground, and the Himalayan is one of the few bikes with a low seat,” Redd explains.

In her first year of traveling, Redd rode 27,000 miles across the American West. In 2021, she crossed into Mexico and has wound her way down to Costa Rica since. According to Redd, the bike is performing well. “It’s proved to be a bike that can eagerly (if a little slowly) carry me wherever the road leads. As I’ve grown as a rider, I do see its pros and cons more now, but I still adore it. Perhaps because it has a bit of character, and my style of exploring is slow travel, we are suited to each other in a particular way.

“Part of the simplicity and old-school technology that attracted me also means it needs a bit more work than something like a Honda. My bike seems to eat headstock bearings, and my stator failed after about 25,000 miles. Recently, it had an oil leak on the countershaft sprocket, but that was probably from all the volcanic rock I never cleaned in there. A little preventative maintenance goes a long way with these machines.

“My dream is to journey with my Himalayan for as long as circumstances will allows. Whatever slice of the world that is, it’s sure to be full of magic to discover!” Redd shares.

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• Yamaha Ténéré 700: Winding Wheels

When the T7 came out, it seemed everyone wanted one. It looks and feels great, it’s relatively simple, has decent ground clearance and a good power-to-weight ratio, and it happily bites into any gnarly terrain you may encounter… but could it be the next most reliable RTW motorcycle?

Dutch travelers Jessica and Maarten, AKA “Winding Wheels,” believe so. Having crossed Europe and Africa on their Yamaha Ténéré 700s and clocking 50,000 kilometers, the couple explains their only issues on the road were two flat tires.

“I’m pretty sure any bike can be your round-the-world motorcycle as long as it gives you a smile every time you swing your leg over the saddle. And riding an adventure bike gives me that can-go-anywhere feeling with goosebumps. So why the T7? It’s like the R&D department of Yamaha had one single objective to fulfill creating the Ténéré 700. Whatever it was, they succeeded in bringing the motorcycle adventure unicorn to the market. It literally ticks all the boxes you are looking for on a world tour. It’s agile enough to ride up gnarly goat trails in Morocco, yet dynamic enough to make the footpegs scrape the Alpine roads while remaining simple and reliable,” Jessica explains.

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• Honda CRF250L: For the Love of Wheels

Not strictly an adventure bike? The Honda CRF250L may not be categorized as such, but quite a few riders have taken it around the world—from Steph Jeavons to Noraly Schoenmaker, AKA “Itchy Boots,” who has favored the CRF for her Africa and South America leg of an RTW journey.

Henriette “For the Love of Wheels” Thimm has been traveling Africa and beyond on her CRF250L since 2020. Previously, she rode a BMW F650GS but says she felt it wasn’t reliable. “I always had issues with it, so I decided to get a new bike, but I wanted it to be cheap and lightweight. I also needed something that was very off-road capable and was tried and tested by other riders. Finally, I needed it to be simple—a bike with minimal electronics that I could fix myself or trust a roadside mechanic. The CRF ticked all those boxes,” Henriette shares.

Henriette has put some 80,000 kilometers on her 250 since buying it new in 2020. “I’m super happy with the Honda. I do sometimes miss a little power if I’m on the highway for many hours, but I don’t mind it because the second I hit the dirt, it’s perfect. The relatively cheap price was a big factor—the more money spent on a bike, the less time you have to travel. With a bigger bike, you also spend more on tires, insurance, and the like. While I had a couple of issues, the bike is performing great. I maintain it well and make sure it’s always in good shape,” Henriette explains.

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In the end, is it about the bike or the determination of the rider? While the new Ténéré 700 sounds very promising as an RTW motorcycle, the Honda CRF250L wins on dirt, and the Himalayan seems to do well over long distances. The brand name on the tank doesn’t matter, but rather a few common factors across the board: the simplicity, the need and/or ease of maintenance and repairs, and the rider’s attitude. Most RTW travelers I spoke with share a special bond with their motorcycles, viewing them as loyal travel companions rather than just machines. Perhaps it’s this bond that keeps both the bike and the rider running for years, covering serious distances.

As for my own DR, I have no desire to replace it with anything else. I’ll ride it until it kicks the bucket, and at around 150,000 kilometers, it still has plenty of steam left.

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Eglė Gerulaitytė is a freelance writer on a quest to ride around the world and race amateur rallies whenever she can find them. You can follow her adventures on Instagram at @egleontheroad.

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