Best type of bike for long distance commuting/touring? | Page 3 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Best type of bike for long distance commuting/touring?

The advantages (besides the obvious displacement/power bump) that the big ADV bikes have over the CB500X are longer suspension travel, higher clearance and a 19" wheel in the front, neither of which you'll need if you're just doing hard-packed gravel roads. Where you'll actually need these things is if you're trying to ride over rocks bigger than the size of your fist, and the higher clearance is going to help if you're trying to get over logs and boulders.

The reason why the ADV bike blew past your cruiser is mainly because of the seating position. With your feet out in front of you, you're pretty much stuck in one seating position, so when the tires move around on the loose surface, you're basically a passenger.

If you're sitting upright with your feet beneath you, you have the option of moving around, shifting your weight forward/backwards/sideways on the bike to compensate for the loss in traction. Additionally, if the surface gets too gnarly, you can also stand up on the pegs when the bike moves beneath you. That way, the pivot point becomes your feet, not your butt, making you feel more stable, but also giving you more control. Again, if it's just hard packed gravel, standing on the pegs is not needed.

I've ridden in so many developing countries where you see the western ADV guy riding their 1200cc bike on hard packed gravel, standing up on the pegs. Then a local guy zooms past him on a 125cc Pulsar with his wife and two kids sitting behind him, and they've all got their butts planted on the seat. They always give the ADV guy a puzzled look like, "What's the heck is wrong with his seat?"

If those tiny 125cc street bikes can do it, the CB500X will do just fine.
Exactly what he said.
 
I have to say the adventure touring segment is really starting to appeal to me. I really enjoy my cruiser, but at times I feel limited to where I would like to go, or most of the time I get myself into a spot I shouldn't be. Like the other day north at the end of dufferin, it turns into dirt and gravel, which sucked for me. Then this rider shows up on a, I am guessing, adventure bike, and blows past me.

From what I read so far you can ride all day, good gas mileage, carry enough stuff, and still haul ***. I won't say I will dump my cruiser tomorrow, but I think this segment is something I will consider in the near future.

Can the CB500x also do off road, dirt gravel out of the box? Or would something like African Twin or Triumph Tiger be more suited.
I can ride my CB500X through some of the easier singletrack sections of the Simcoe Forest, the Bethany and Creemore rides. All you really need are 50/50 tires like the TKC80 and a skid plate. You will go slower than the dirt bikes obviously.
 
Can the CB500x also do off road, dirt gravel out of the box?

Not out of the box but with the correct tires it will do off pavement nicely but not off road.

Adventure bikes can do limited off pavement and depending on the setup even some rougher stuff but it does not have the clearance of something like a KLR let alone a XL650 which is a true dual sport.

However for exploring gravel roads and dual forest tracks any of the adventure style bikes with decent tires will do. The seating position gives you good control and you can stand.
 
Thanks for all the feedback.

Besides the bike itself, I gather the right tires will allow you to go on more surfaces. I'll have a look at the TKC80's
They look similar to a set I noticed on a Tiger while taking a break at timmies.
Any other similar tires I might research?

See if I do end up going this direction, I doubt I would be going over logs, or rocks (maybe who knows) but basically when the pavement ends and turns to dirt or gravel type paths, my exploring shouldn't. I would rather be like ok I want to see what's down this way or whatever. I've been to a few spots like this already. I managed but it wasn't great, but wish I could to more.
 
Besides the bike itself, I gather the right tires will allow you to go on more surfaces. I'll have a look at the TKC80's

Dual Sport tires are going to be a balance between grip and longevity. The TKC80s you mentioned are very grippy because the tread pattern is so aggressive. But because of this and the soft compound its made of, the rubber will wear as if you are dragging an eraser behind your motorcycle. Also, when you're leaned over on knobbies on the pavement, the tires get very squidgy. Then you'll crap your pants and never lean the bike again.

On the other end of the spectrum are 90/10 (90% street, 10% dirt) tires like the Metzeler Tourance or Michelin Anakees. Better life, better high-speed cornering for the street, but IMO almost as crap as slicks for the dirt.

Middle ground between the TKCs and the 90/10 tires are 50/50 tires like Heidenau K60s or Mitas E07s. I used to run K60s a lot. They had amazing life, but because of the hard compound and the solid bar down the middle of the rear, it became very slippery in the wet. I've just started using E07s and the grip in dirt and wet is fantastic. I've heard good things about the longevity, but I'm still on my first set, so time will tell.
 
Mitas e-07

Gallery2.jpg


are what I use in Australia. Heidenau K60s wear forever and I found exceptionally stable on gravel but in all cases you do trade off some cornering tho Mitas 07 seem the best compromise of traction and durability.

Choose the bike, then the tire but in general yes a 50/50 tire is far more confidence building on gravel.

For reference single track is not the kind of "path" you want to be on without a real dual sport or off road bike with knobbies like Dunlop 606s.
In the main because adventure bikes are too heavy and not geared for getting overly agressive in mud and rocks.
Take a course at Motopark or some of the forest tours that are offered. It's good all around for your general riding skills to have some dirt experience.

hmmm - might be another contender - Sava MC-60

http://www.advpulse.com/adv-products/best-dual-sport-tires-sava-mc60/
 
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Based on what you just wrote, TKC80's are total overkill. And on pavement they will wear out too fast. A better type of tire would be an 80/20 tire with a tread pattern more suited to 80% pavement use and 20% hard packed non-pavement use. Some common examples include: Metzler Tourance, Michelin Anakee's and Shinko 705's to get you started.

Once you get your next bike, you can look into the tire options for the wheel size. As you can probably imagine, to has more to do with rider skill than tire selection. although a properly suited tire certainly helps.

FWIW, on my V-Strom, I am generally a pretty poor off road rider and yet with the tires slightly aired down, I have tons of fun on Metzler Tourances or the Anakee 3's. A few years ago, on a set of the Anakee 3's, I rode down to Deals Gap taking twisty paved back roads to get down there, but while down there, I primarily rode the twisty dirt roads. Than hauled home on the same tires taking more twisty paved roads. No need to overthink or overkill.
 
See if I do end up going this direction, I doubt I would be going over logs, or rocks (maybe who knows) but basically when the pavement ends and turns to dirt or gravel type paths, my exploring shouldn't. I would rather be like ok I want to see what's down this way or whatever. I've been to a few spots like this already. I managed but it wasn't great, but wish I could to more.

IMO, I think just street-oriented DS tires like the Tourance or Anakee are best for you. When you say "when the pavement ends", it tells me you are not specifically heading to any tracks that require an OFTR (Ontario Federation of Trail Riders) membership. So basically fire roads and other well-graded gravel roads.

Just so you can get a sense, this road was done using 90/10 tires, Anakees, specifically:

[video=youtube;nmbByZTmJfQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmbByZTmJfQ[/video]
 
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80/20s will also give you tire life for commuting and better traction there tho I've never had tire life like the K60s.
As you'll soon find out, there is no perfect bike or tire when you want to combine dirt, pavement and comfort for distance.

After reading this tho maybe the E-07 Mitas should still be a consideration ....impressive pavement performance.
 
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Can the CB500x also do off road, dirt gravel out of the box? Or would something like African Twin or Triumph Tiger be more suited.
The CB500x is exactly the same bike as the CB500 street bike -- just different plastics. Check side by side specs at Honda.ca -- the only differences are the handlebar setup (CB trees set lower on forks) and plastics, the bikes share the same specs. I can`t think of any reason why the CB500 and CB500x couldn`t run side by side on street or dirt.

Any standard bike will run on soft roads (dirt and gravel). Look around the world -- many countries have regular roads that are tougher than our trails, they do fine with small standard bikes. I have a 50 year old Triumph standard that`s happy to run fire roads all day long.

I`m looking at the adventure category myself and after speaking with a bunch of riders I see it three ways. There are riders who run highways and rough roads, occasionally off on a trail. They ride bigger miles on Vstroms, Versys, BMW-GS, ATs, Teneres etc. Then there are those who do some highway, but really want their time spent on rough roads and of road, they ride DRs, KLRs, XR. Now there is an emerging group that rides minis - VersysX, 310GS, CRF250 (more coming if you follow European releases).

I`m sure you know by now I`m not really a fan of the CB500x - maybe because I see it as an odd duck. Partly because I don`t think putting adv plastics on a street bike makes it an ADV bike, partly because ADV riding is mostly done in pairs or groups and I can`t figure out which group it belongs with. A CBx isn`t going to keep up with the big boys on the highway runs, and it`s not dirt tough enough to run with the 650 roughriders. Maybe it`s the big dog of the minis?
 
You could say the same for the 650 vstrom and the CB500x is lighter, more nimble and better gas mileage, friendlier to the smaller rider.
I suggest you read the Vstrom/CBX comparison
https://rideapart.com/articles/suzuki-v-strom-650-adventure-vs-honda-cb500x-comparison-test
and spend some time on the nearly 800 pages on ADVrider devoted to the CB500x.

http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/honda-cb500x.840842/page-780#post-34879045

Lot's of us prefer intermediates and the CB500x does just fine.......and by success Honda has had with it ....thousands agree.

The wet weight is only 430 lb. That's a big factor. 60 lb lighter than the 650 strom and the bike feels much lighter.
 
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Some have responded that there is no such thing as the "universal" bike. There are many universal bikes, just not super-sports and cruisers. These bikes excel at a few things, but not all.

If you are looking
at a commuter bike, you have got to think of your spine; you've got to be good to it. You've got to be sitting upright with a good deal of leg weight on the pegs. A cruiser will have you sitting low and much of the weight of your legs out in front of you, leaving you to sit on your tail-bone. A SS will have you crouched over for racing, and can be a real back killer, depending on your height, weight, etcetera.

You want the Honda 500. But don't believe me, test ride and ask. I attended virtually every demo day (when they were more plentiful) before I "lucked out".
 
You could say the same for the 650 vstrom and the CB500x is lighter, more nimble and better gas mileage, friendlier to the smaller rider.
I suggest you read the Vstrom/CBX comparison
https://rideapart.com/articles/suzuki-v-strom-650-adventure-vs-honda-cb500x-comparison-test
Yes, I read it -- I have to discount advertorials, particularly when they can't get spec comparisons right. The CB puts puts 27hp peak at the wheel at 8200rpm, the VSTROM is there at 4100RPM and hits 60+at 8200RPM. By the way, a Vstrom riding side by side with a CB500 gets about the same mileage. If you open her up for a romp, yes, more fuel.

The Vee is 35kg heavier, but it also has a 20%+ power to to weight advantage over the CB. A VEE will hit 100kms in 3.5 seconds, CB500 is 4.8...that's pokier than any 650 cruiser. Now speed isn't everything, but I can tell you it sucks when your bike can't keep up.
and spend some time on the nearly 800 pages on ADVrider devoted to the CB500x. http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/honda-cb500x.840842/page-780#post-34879045
I don't think you can judge popularity based on page count. The Super Tenere has almost 2000 pages, I think Yamaha sold 60 of them in Canada last year.
Lot's of us prefer intermediates and the CB500x does just fine.......and by success Honda has had with it ....thousands agree..
That's great, and I understand that most buyers are happy with their purchase while the have it. I'm in the throws of deciding what to buy in this category. I'm a bit of a speed/power freak so I'm drawn to the litre+ ADVs, but I'm also practical and know that at 1/2 the price the 650 versions performance is close enough to make them viable. I looked at the CB500x, talked to a few owners and it took all of 30 seconds to strike this as from the list. It's a beginner bike, it's not IMHO setup for tough roads or distance, and I can't imagine being a mile behind my fellow riders when running through twisties and hills.

That's me. I respect others don't value performance and for-purpose designs like I do. If performance was everything, we wouldn't have Cruzers.
 
. A VEE will hit 100kms in 3.5 seconds

We're not talking liter bikes.
The ergos are better on the Honda for smaller riders
Funny how thousands of riders find the 500 more than adequate :rolleyes:

It's a beginner bike
and he's a beginner.
:D

Y'know Honda classifies the CBF1000 as an adv bike ...you won't lack for power and still just under 500 lb.

No off pavement tho.
Mine's going cross country in June.
 
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If that's the case then my Goldwing was an adv bike as is my CRF250 Rally.Ya put the magazines and the devices down and you go on an adventure.
 
Complain to Honda

Honda CBF1000 (2008) - Canadian Biker Magazine
cdnbkr.ca/the-bikes-of-2008/honda-cbf1000-2008/
But, there are other kinds of adventure, for which Honda says its CBF1000 is eminently qualified. Bertrand Gahel explain. Please bear with me here as this is going to take some explaining. According to Honda Canada, the formerly Euro- only CBF1000 you see here is an adventure bike. Yep. The new CBF even shares a ..

I suspect they were so weak in any ADV sector, some ad wonk got desperate.

The Africa Twin at least has some adventure chops.

The VFR1200x ....not so much.

They even have an adv scoot. :rolleyes:

honda-city-adventure-concept.jpg
 
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If the cb500x hadnt come out when i was shopping, i'd be on a versys (albeit the 2011 model year)

Unlike what was mentioned above, the cb500x DOES HAVE a slightly longer suspension travel than its F or R counterparts although it's very minimal
cb500x
[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Front Suspension[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]41 mm telescopic fork; 125 mm (4.9 in.) travel[/FONT]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Rear Suspension[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Pro-Link® single shock with spring preload adjustment; 118 mm (4.6 in.) travel[/FONT]
[/FONT]
cb500f
[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Front Suspension[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]41 mm telescopic fork with spring preload adjustment; 108 mm (4.3 in.) travel[/FONT]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Rear Suspension[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Pro-Link® single shock with spring preload adjustment; 119 mm (4.7 in.) travel[/FONT]
[/FONT]

I have done some light offroad on the stock scorpions (90/10 tire) and on my metzelers (also 90/10 tires) and had no MAJOR issues on the fire roads and cottage roads or hard packed gravel i traveled on. Just had to calculate the paths taken better and use more predictive riding instead of just givin it like on the dirt bike

On the highway as long as you stay within reasonable speed limit (non-lose your license speed) the bike can keep up no problem, and it really shines in the twisties as you can just throw it in whatever direction you want and is super forgiving and easy to ride on, which won't necessarily be the same with other bigger top-heavier bikes, so you can actually push it a lot harder in the twisties with confidence without needing an as high skill level as other riders.

@Mad Mike are you looking at full on adv or more sport touring? FJ 09/Tracer 09 is a really nice option, enging of the fz in a tamer body, you might like it.
 
Complain to Honda



I suspect they were so weak in any ADV sector, some ad wonk got desperate.

The Africa Twin at least has some adventure chops.

The VFR1200x ....not so much.

They even have an adv scoot. :rolleyes:

honda-city-adventure-concept.jpg
That's actually a real adventure beast - not a street bike dressed in adv plastics. It looks like a scooter, but it's got a conventional motorcycle driveline with clutch & gears, serious brakes, suspension, and wheels. It generates a ton of power and has good low end grunt. Pretty sure this would eat most mid and mini ADVs on and off the road.
 
I agree with the above poster. the Honda cb would be perfect plus you are a beginner and insurance could be a deal killer when you shop around for quotes. A smaller bike will give you a much better learning experience especially in the twisties/ corners. Any squid can twist a throttle and go straight but experience and technique will shine in the corners. Just go up to the 507 on any weekend and try not to grind your teeth as you get stuck behind some squid who opens it up on the straights and parks it in the corners.

What about a BMW F650gs? Insurance friendly, excellent for new and returning riders, anybody really, comfortable and great fuel mileage. A well set up one will give good protection from the elements too, handguards and the right windscreen will do. Unfortunately though, now you are dealing with a BMW, parts and service are ridiculous as is trying to get parts, nothing in Stock and everything has to be ordered from Germany it seems sometimes. And I feel like a pretentious knob when I ride mine. lol.

BMW has very, very good test rides. The one out of endras is usually about 1.5 hours.

what about a ninja 650 r ? a versus? I kinda dug the gladuis myself. The Japanese bikes are much more wallet friendly but I find most of them are top heavy, aka the wee. and tall.....the more you read the more confused you may get!

EVERYBODY has an opinion!
 

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