Why a true 50/50 Adventure Motorcycle will never be built

[killvino]

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I had a 690R.

It's a great bike and is about as close to 50/50 as you can get. It's as happy on the 401 as it is on a rail trail. I didn't find the vibration to be intrusive anywhere and the motor is just plain excellent with power to spare everywhere. It's well suspended and soaks up whatever you throw at it. absolutely an ideal explorer/back road bike and even without a sumo setup it's a ton of fun on the road. I spent full days in the saddle and never felt worn out or down by the vibration or the bike. I added an airhawk for the highway droning and was quite comfy.

What it isn't good at is single track. It's too heavy, it carries too much weight up high (So do I!) making it a high effort bike in tight trails, and it's not geared low enough. In short, it's just no fun in single track. Wide ATV or multi-use trails and rail trails are well within its capabilities and are lots of fun though and there's miles and miles of those in Ontario.

If you're a supremely skilled rider it WILL manage any trail. I remember Blair Sharpless gliding through some single track in the Ganaraska on a KLR650 WITH A PASSENGER in Preparation for a Great Pine Enduro, but even a great rider will have more fun on a smaller bike.

was this the older one?
I've found the newest gen pretty good with weight compared to a drz400. lighter, carried lower and more balanced (gas tank in the rear). If you are comparing to a true enduro, off-roader (exc, crf) then yes, there is no comparison.

 

[xrljoel]

was this the older one?
I've found the newest gen pretty good with weight compared to a drz400. lighter, carried lower and more balanced (gas tank in the rear). If you are comparing to a true enduro, off-roader (exc, crf) then yes, there is no comparison.

Yeah it was a 2012, but I'm absolutely sure the new ones, while likely better in every way would still be subject to the limitations and weight issues I noted.

I am absolutely comparing it to the Husky/KTM 250,350 and 500 enduro bikes and the WR250R as well, though that's an assumption as I haven't ridden one. I'm not too surprised the 690 would be better both on and off road than the DRZ. The top shelf suspension alone would tip the scale in its favor.

I had an XR650L a few years ago. I had the suspension re-valved and re-spring, and did a bunch of other stuff. I was a much faster (and quicker healing) rider back then and I could muscle/hustle that thing around pretty quicky...until I got tired. Then the weight and the physics took over and it would gleefully drive me into the ground like a tent peg. The 690 was/is a far superior bike but in my experience is still too big and heavy to be truly FUN in single track, particularly if you like going out for several hours.

 

[Relax]

Easy answer: it has to be able to handle the impacts of off-road riding while still offering a warranty. The RS and baby Tuono don't. Aluminum isn't a great material for adventure bike frames, as it doesn't flex well and develops metal fatigue much earlier. Also, an aluminum subframe means the wrong kind of crash will need replacement, while steel can often be straightened out.

It's also at the high end of the segment on price, and losing weight costs money. I'm sure they could get it close to 400 lbs, but then it'd cost as much as a full size ADV bike.

The SXV frames are a strategic mix of steel and aluminum, presumably to address that.

SXV dry weight = 270
SXV motor = -80
Tuareg 660 motor = assume 150 (RSV4 is about 175)
18.4L fuel = 31 (using Tuareg tank size)
20L tank incremental weight = 5?
3L oil = 6 lbs

Total = 382 plus fork/shock oil, coolant, and brake fluid.



RSV4 engine weight:

RSV4 Engine Weight?

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SXV engine weight:

550 motor weight?

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