Dual Sport Riding

While the outlook for riding during the winter period is typically grim in the UK, the turn of the new year is an exciting time as most motorcycle manufacturers choose to unveil and launch their newest motorcycles. The skinny steel tubes go a long way to isolating you from the small vibrations that can intrude into the ride quality, and, combined with the 30mm tyres, result in an ideal bike for making you feel at ease on many of the poorly maintained roads around the UK.

Endurance road bikes go up to about 32mm as a general rule, but gravel and adventure road bikes increase the clearance up to as much as 55mm. When it comes to motorcycle travel, some riders prefer to go it alone, some prefer group travel, or riding with a partner or friend.

The SWM SuperDual adventure bike will be launched sometime this year, we think in the first quarter of the year. Purchased new, the most commonly used bikes for adventure riding nowadays are fairly reliable, some more than others, but most major design faults have been identified, removed and refined from bikes ageing past their debut period.

Constructed with sports-style riding geometry which is less severe than that of a road bike and featuring wider, high volume tyres, your new adventure companion is ready for anything you choose to throw at it. With 230 mm of ground clearance and 150 mm of rear suspension travel, the TRK 502 promises to be no slouch off-road too.

It's not particularly great off-road green laning if you're not an experienced bush whacker. Long travel front suspension and an adjustable monoshock at the rear will give the XPulse decent off-road capability. From this essential starting point, we designed our double sweep roll: adventure bar, positioning the rider in a relaxed endurance oriented position.

Last year the Multistrada 950 signalled Ducati's desire to open up its adventure range to a wider audience by offering its luxury dual sport machine in a slightly smaller capacity, and 2018 has seen that bike's big brother get a capacity increase from 1198cc to 1262cc.

It's this commitment that lives on with the new Tiger 1200 and 800 ranges, which are at the very top of their class, packed with innovative technology, major engine updates delivering more responsive power, fantastic sound and thrilling torque from the characterful Triple engine.

The adventure travel motorcycle podcast and radio show. Unfortunately, we're going to have to wait a while for what looks like a lightweight, off-road focussed, mid-range adventure bike, with KTM unveiling the 790 as a prototype, but it looks like the wait might be worth it.

There had been many rumours circulating about a KTM 790 Adventure before Eicma, with some riders wishfully hoping that it might be launched for 2018. In this episode, Graham Field, motorcycle adventure traveller and author, talks about his experience with solo travel, and the pros and cons of it.

A big bike can be just as capable as a smaller bike in most” off-road conditions but it normally means a lot of extra effort and you often feel beat up at the end of a hard day. It provides a ride that is as lovely as the bike is to look at, with space for wide tyres for heading off into the wilderness or adding dirt and gravel roads to your route, and a high level of refinement.

When your road suddenly turns to muddy ruts it's often enough to make some riders turn around and head back the other way. These motorcycles are usually heavier and more durable than the models derived from off-road motorcycles. Typical lightweight adventure bikes normally weigh in at sub 140 kg (fuelled without gear).