What Size Adventure Bike is Right for You? Here's how to decide.

JOIN ME AT THE UPCOMING REVZILLA GET ON ADV RALLY IN THE MOJAVE DESERT OF CALIFORNIA APRIL 21-24:

What size adventure bike is right for you? Many are facing the choice of what size ADV bike to buy. There are ups and downs to each size. I lay out a comparison chart to help you make a decision.

00:00 Intro
00:35 ADV Defined
01:35 Size Classes
03:50 Scorecard
04:30 Price
05:03 Weight
07:24 Carrying Capacity
08:44 Power
10:25 Urban Roads
11:10 Highway
11:43 Gravel
12:38 Technical Trails
14:44 Final Thoughts

🏍 SUPPORT BIG ROCK MOTO BY SHOPPING AT ROCKY MOUNTAIN AND REVZILLA USING THE LINKS BELOW:

🏍 My Riding Gear:

🏍 Camping & Other:

🏍 Motorcycle Accessories (see bike specific videos for more):

⚠️Welcome to Big Rock Moto
⚠️Subscribe and hit the bell, thumbs up, and leave comments

[BigRockMoto]

Support Big Rock Moto! Shop at Revzilla and Rocky Mountain ATV/MC using my links!

[cyclemoto]

This is the most honest and accurate review of the difference between the beefcake and midsize adv bikes. Anyone other than a pro who thinks they're going to ride a beefcake on anything other than graded dirt/gravel roads is in for an expensive surprise and disappointment. Thanks for the content. Cheers from OZ

[dw]

I really appreciate your channel. It's one of only two motorcycle channels I follow, because of the great content. I'd only add one thing - adventure is in the use. Ed March turned a Honda C90 into an ADV bike because of how he used it. Not that a Goldwing or a Street Glide is no different than a T7, but that we get so caught up in having the "right" bike or gear, we can miss the adventure. Ride what you own, upgrade as you need, but most importantly - have a good time (and be safe if you can). Again, great video, great channel, great advice.

[NomadSweden]

I have learnt that even old topics are worth watching when you take them on. Great work. /Rob

[nairolfnednilruz]

You forgott to mention something very important: Emotions! Many of us buy a bike just because we like it so much (I bought an Adventure R, knowing it is lightyears better then I will ever be offroad :). Thanks for your clips mate, I like them alot.
Greetings from the heart of Switzerland.

[Mothaibayo]

I think there should be 4 size classification small up to 450cc, medium 450cc to 750cc, large 750cc to 1000cc and over sized 1000cc + . But not be restricted to just classed by engine size.

[CaptainVelveeta]

Dude, you seriously have the most comprehensive videos, time after time, than anyone...thanks for putting all the work into keeping the rest of us fully informed.

[johnpagejr.]

I think you hit the nail on the head. Excellent brake down between the different bikes. I have a Honda NC700X that I have set up and used as a adventure bike and I just changed to a Honda CRF300L Rally because the 700 is just to heavy for me to be picking up. I guess I am a little more of a off road rider then I thought I would be at age 70.

[trevorduffin]

I’ve gone for a 2014 BMW G650gs. It seemed the right size for me as I’m not very tall. I did 3, 300km over eight days and it handed the trip like a breeze 😃

[BrandonC]

Excellent perspective. I think biggest takeaways are:
1) Don't ride bikes that intimidate you (it could save your life)
2) Be humble enough to take training/classes
3) Be realistic with where your riding skills are at and start small/light and build up

[williamlee]

Riding skills should not be underestimated. Ive been riding 500-850cc bikes and once i got a GS1200 and went off roading....i dropped that pig of a bike so much that i was tired from picking it back up each time. It's also not just the size overall but the height of these european bikes too. At shy of less than 6' tall, my heels don't touch the ground and going reverse was tough at times. 😅

[vtrack]

Your comments on riding highways in the western USA are right on. Speeds are very high. In my case, I’ve found it helpful to be able to control my interactions with large trucks/RVs that create huge wind buffeting. That heavily tilts the scale towards bikes that have the power to pass or not get passed by these vehicles (unless you want them to pass you). The amount of weight you intend to carry obviously affects the perceived power you need. As you rightly included fuel distance also plays a huge role. For example, when riding locally my fuel range on a Suzuki VStrom 1000 is routinely 220-240 miles. When the bike is loaded and I’m doing interstate highway travel that range drops to 150-160 miles.

[cheifthumbs]

Major consideration is can you pick it up by yourself if you lay it down in the mud? Anything over 400lbs starts to get ridiculous for most folks. So that 1250 BMW is at the fat end of no thank you.

[mototurystyka]

In most EU countries we have 130-140 km/h on the highway (except on some German freeways where there is no limit at all). Between countries the highway are connected and this way you can travel for hours or even days.
I personally use a highway speed between 130-150km/h in my GSA 1200.
At this speed with a full load the GSA runs smoothly.
Off the highway we usually drive at 100 km/h- 110 km/h. To move with pleasure in central Europe it is good to have good acceleration. In town we mostly use 50+;) km/h.

[amanwithadream]

I've watched a couple video's from this channel and must say that out of all the content I've watched, listened to, and researched in pursuit of the right ADV bike for two-up riding, this individual seems to put together all the information very well and easy to comprehend. He articulates the info very well and his experience comes through as very knowledgeable.

[Adik]

Right to the point! I’ve recently moved from a GS1200 Adv to 890R and after some mods it seems perfect to me (at 6ft6 and 240 pounds). 50 kilos less of a bike and superb off-road suspension gets the work done :-)

[Diego-SocialSkills]

on Off road the best are the "small" ADV, Like: Honda 300l, Suzuki V-Strom SX 250, Royal Endfield Hymalayan, Kawasaki Versys 300, BMW GS 310 (TVS brand).

[trekOCLVone]

The fastest growing Adventure class is the small adventure bikes. I bought the Kawasaki Versys X300 - why - it is easy to handle and lighter than the larger offerings. Why is light important? it is what I can handle with my aging capabilities. And it is just fun, and you can modify the X300 in many different ways. Please see my channel for videos on many upgrades. Also, it is cheap. Also, it means the X300 meets your four criteria in the beginning of the video. It's just doesn't have the big power. But for me I've gotten all the go fast 130+ mph out of my system back in my youth. Enjoy what you can handle and afford. Great video. and thanks for sharing.

[MotoTvWoodsFarm]

In Asia we typically use 70cc to 150cc road bikes all year round all weathers. Usually with the cheapest road tires we can find. Keep the technology simple you may need to repair it alone mile from any where

[fredpetit]

Mid size is the best for me. It is easier and cheaper to maintain. It is cheaper to buy. It is lighter to lift up when you drop the bike on the trail. If you get a 650cc or more with a twin engine, you have enough speed and power to ride on highways. I have a VStrom 650 and she does everything I need her to do. I have enough power to keep up with bikes having a bigger displacement. She is the perfect bike for me.