Good article on ADV bikes!

[colorider]

And the SuperT is even mentioned!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/automobiles/tough-bikes-for-suburban-adventurers.html?_r=2&src=rechp
::015::

 

[rem]

Ah, yes .... the European Terminators .... or perhaps ... the Euronators ... if you will. R

 

[snuffcityrider]

The Star Bucks that I go to has many a man eating pot hole.... O0

 

[troll]

A great article, the writer speaks the truth. our fantasies always out shine reality - marketers have known this since we stood up from all fours and started bank accounts that could be mined ::012:: ::017::

 

[Venture]

Adventure bikes are the SUVs of the motorcycle world. Just without the poor gas mileage.

Is their growing popularity any real wonder?

With that said, a go-(almost)anywhere motorcycle is like a loaded 357 Magnum, or a 400HP V8 - do you really need it? Perhaps not, but it's sure nice to know it's there.

 

[colorider]

With that said, a go-(almost)anywhere motorcycle is like a loaded 357 Magnum, or a 400HP V8 - do you really need it? Perhaps not, but it's sure nice to know it's there.

I know I sure enjoy my 400+HP V8 in my Mustang!!! And I NEED it!!!!
;D

 

[GrahamD]

All I got from that article is BMW is the new Harley.

And the fact that the person writing it has been paid/misinformed re the Dakar history. Dakar = YAMAHA / KTM and BMW occasionally.

 

[20valves]

And the fact that the person writing it has been paid/misinformed

Well, it is the NYT after all. Suitable for bird cage liner, not much else.

 

[Storm]

It's an OK article...found it to be an interesting look from a quasi-journalistic view. I'm sure it was a good five minute read for Long Island soccer moms on a Thursday morning. Most of us who are on the inside have far more knowledge on the subject than this writer.

Wish the article had much more content about the actual riders of these bikes and what they (we) are doing with them instead of how he drank red wine every night and tooled around Europe with guides who catered to his every need. Must have been a tough time for ol' Dexter...

 

[elizilla]

Apart from the BMW worship, the article matches what I say when people ask me, "What is a TDM/V-Strom/Super10? Is it as crotch rocket or a cruiser?" The answer is "If a crotch rocket is a sports car and a cruiser is a classic car, my bike is an SUV. It's too big for a mere mortal like myself to take offroad, but it has some offroad flourishes. Which makes it perfect for places like Michigan, where the riding on-road can resemble what you find offroad." (This always gets a laugh from locals.) "And unlike the SUV, it handles well and gets decent gas mileage. The long travel suspension means it can carry loads well and soak up the bumps well, which makes it great for touring and utilitarian riding, which is the majority of what I do. Since I am long of leg but short of arm, it fits me rather better than a cruiser or sportbike, with its high seat and closer bars. The neutral riding position is more manageable for an awkward clumsy person like me. That's why I keep buying bikes in this category."

 

[Twisties]

Well he spends the first half of the piece dissing them, then he starts into some real reasons one might ride one (other than going off road, which is simply not done)... then suddenly we are talking origins and the piece just ends in mid-air... or would I see more if I subscribed... there was a little subscribe linky at the bottom, but it wasn't clear.

In any event, the assumption that only a tiny percent will go off road seems to be belied by our experiences here, and what I have seen on adv rider and other forums. Sounds more like perpetuation of stereotypes and hearsay than informed writing.