Class 2B adventure motorcycles...

[scubasimon]

OK folks. I've done enough searches now and have gotten nowhere fast. So I am posting this up to see what you folks think. I need a bike that can:

 

1. Handle roads well (need to be able to handle start-stop without getting too hot).

2. Handle expressways well (need to be able to cruise comfortable at 120kph).

3. Have space for luggage (panniers a must!).

4. Handle off road trails well (just like a dual sport TW200 can).

5. Handle a pillion (for 2-up riding around SG).

 

Maintenance, FC, availability of modification parts etc are not that important to me though cost is a consideration. I have narrowed the list to 3 bikes (happy to hear other suggestions too) and would like your opinion of which makes more sense.

 

1. Terra 125

2. Terra Adventure

3. Varadero 125

 

I know some will say wait till class 2a or class 2. I would if I could but I, obviously, cannot. Hahaha! Furthermore, I can only think of the Transalp 400 that would fit this criteria in class 2a. So...would love your thoughts.

 

Especially would love to hear about real experiences from riders of the above bikes in the 5 areas listed above.

 

Mods, please help to move this if I posted in the wrong section.

 

Thanks in advance!

[cheekeon]

DR200!! 75cc bigger than any of the bike you mentioned

[scubasimon]

@cheekeon: thanks for the suggestion. i didn't think dr200 would cruise at 120kph all that well on expressways given the lack of fairing...can you share your experience on this? i know that i have trouble with wind even at 80kph on my tw200.

[ulysses_sc]

None of the 125cc bikes will be able to cruise comfortably at 120km/h. At that speed, the little engine is probably screaming near red-line already. Try to keep that up for long and you will have to rebuild the engine quite frequently.

 

Your requirements sound more suitable for a big 650cc thumper instead of a 200cc minime.

 

Personally I'd go for the DR200 as well, due to it's ultra reliable and fuel sipping engine, and generally better performing off-road.

[xXxRatedxXx]

i'm afraid you can't have your cake and eat it too....

 

2b scrams do not cruise well at high speeds, and 2b fairing bikes do not handle off road well.

 

the workaround is to wait for bigger capacity bikes.... hehe.

[ProFatSir]

think i make the right move!

[scubasimon]

thank you for the thoughts everyone.

 

maybe i wasn't clear enough. i am looking for an adventure bike that won't kill me on longer distance rides. so yes, the dr200 may fit that criteria loosely, it is a lot more capable off road than on road in my opinion. my requirements are a little opposite...more on road than off road.

 

sure, a 650cc thumper would do the trick...however, if i am already in possession of a class 2 license, i will go for one of the big boys (e.g. r1200gs, f800gs, 990 adventure or multistrada) rather than a thumper.

 

i do think i can have my cake and eat it lah...just maybe the flavour won't be so good...hahaha!

 

come on folks...your real life experiences with those three bikes (or other 2B bikes that fit my criteria) would be most appreciated.

 

keep them coming!

[kuroro3]

I'd say scrams are out of the question, since they fail quite a number of your requirements.

2-Up riding at 120 comfortably on a cub is out too.

You could go with sport bike/2 strokers but they fail in your luggage+off road need.

 

Like the guys are saying, its quite hard for a 2b bike.

If you could drop the speed requirement of 120 to around a little over a 100, more options should open up...

 

What i can think of on that end would be a CBF150 or probably a pulsar200. Your varadero is also a decent option.

Dr200 works too.

[dogshit2]

I heard abt this vara 125 a very durable bike 125cc V twin engine??

 

I wonder y...

Read some where 120km/h is possible with changing to arrow pipe... Not sure

if its legal or not...

 

The 3 bikes you stated are really meant for ruggged usage..

[scubasimon]

@kuroro3: i do have a 2 stroke sportsbike now and it sure can go fast. however, it cannot do off roading at all...and luggage, as you said, is limited to just my rjay saddlebags. so that is out of the question. cbf150 is similarly out as it cannot do off road either.

 

@dogshit2: your are absolutely right. i keep hearing people going at 120kph with vara 125v. just want to know how that feels and for how long a stretch.

 

for the record, terra bikes are single cylinder 4 stroke 125cc bikes. vara is v-twin 4 stroke 125cc bike. they are all advertised as adventure bikes that can do both on and off road...just want to hear first hand how they feel at higher road speeds...and what kind of off roading people do with them so far so i can decide.

[SC Gaban]

bro from my experience, its better to be patient n get a class 2 altogether. im simlar like u, looking for an adv bike like terra/vara for 2b. unfortunately, the world is too cruel enough not to produce bikes like transalp 400. lol! if ur lucky u might get a transalp 400 somewhere out there which i am currently looking for as well. riding my pulsar 180 up n down malaysia often at 110km/h at rpm 8000 isnt so bad. its just dat the posture is not dat comfortable. furthermore, vara125 doesnt have power on hills. i know cos ive tried with my pulsar. ive been doing research n search for a bike dat fits my needs for a YEAR!!!! however, its futile. i wish der was a terra 200 or vara 200. i duno wat d manufaturers r thinking. gd luck on both of us.

 

MY HEAD IS CRACKING!! ARRGHHH!!!! went to loois motor n found dis taiwan's yamaha breeze kyte 150 v twin. its a road bike. its rare!

 

btw, if u hav facebook, add me. my acc is [email protected]. browse my profile pics to where i travel so far. i travel alone often though.

 

if u dun hav facebk, visit http://s674.photobucket.com/home/Gaban84/allalbums. look under 'All Gaban84's Albums' or 'Group Albums'. again i wish the best of luck to both of us in our search.

Edited December 28, 2009 by SC Gaban

[scubasimon]

@SC Gaban: thanks for your thoughts. i can understand the dilemma one can be in if affordability is called into question. my situation is slightly different though. i can deal with a little lack of power as long as i can do what i want to do. i lack power now when i go uphill too and have to down shift on both my bikes and i can live with that. but what i must have is the ability to use the same bike for both road and off road to a certain extent. i think the compromise i have struck can work (i.e. cruise at 120kph and still do moderate off road trails). i almost definitely will be upgrading when i can to class 2a and then to class 2 when the time comes. i am not too concerned about that.

 

please keep the thoughts coming. of the three, which makes the most sense for my criteria? especially if you have ridden any one of them.

[SC Gaban]

@SC Gaban: thanks for your thoughts. i can understand the dilemma one can be in if affordability is called into question. my situation is slightly different though. i can deal with a little lack of power as long as i can do what i want to do. i lack power now when i go uphill too and have to down shift on both my bikes and i can live with that. but what i must have is the ability to use the same bike for both road and off road to a certain extent. i think the compromise i have struck can work (i.e. cruise at 120kph and still do moderate off road trails). i almost definitely will be upgrading when i can to class 2a and then to class 2 when the time comes. i am not too concerned about that.

 

please keep the thoughts coming. of the three, which makes the most sense for my criteria? especially if you have ridden any one of them.

 

hahhaa! spendid! i luv d way u think! wat i heard from others so far is dat both terra/adventure can travel around 120km/h at an estimated 7-8000 rpm. furthermore, some say dat the terra can be rebored to bigger hole which some say can go faster. however, i dun find dis to be believing. i dun know y, i just dun. well we never know until we try. tempting isnt it? however if u dun mind the SMALL tank capacity n d high cost of the bikes, which is roughly around 11-12k or more, den u should consider it. the tank for terra is 11 litres n adventure is 12litres.

 

wat is more tempting is abt d vtwin engine, which is vara125. however, the bike will scream wen u reach 100km/h at rpm of 9-10k. abt hills, wat im refering to is the hills along NS highway. there are hills dat can bring u down to even 70km/h which forces u to take the road shoulder. well, dats my pulsar cos im using spockets meant for long distances than pick up power.

[scubasimon]

@SC Gaban: hey thanks for the note. this is exactly what i was trying to understand. vara sounds very tempting and i've seen folks go quite fast on the road (everything is fast when i can only go at 60kph comfortably). but if it screams at 100kph, i wonder what will happen at 120kph!

 

anybody knows the range for the terra and vara?

[SC Gaban]

@SC Gaban: hey thanks for the note. this is exactly what i was trying to understand. vara sounds very tempting and i've seen folks go quite fast on the road (everything is fast when i can only go at 60kph comfortably). but if it screams at 100kph, i wonder what will happen at 120kph!

 

anybody knows the range for the terra and vara?

 

wat bike ur riding now?

[scubasimon]

tw200 and mito.

[SC Gaban]

check out the vara/terra theads.

[scubasimon]

i have checked out all the threads several times already. unfortunately, either i keep missing the important posts with the information i am looking for...or (more likely) they are not there. there are a lot of talk about being able to cruise comfortably...but what exactly does that mean? this isn't covered in most of the discussions. know what i mean?

[zyrofillica]

120kph comfortable cruising is quite far fetched on 2b bikes. I have tried 8 different 2b bikes. All engines screaming at 120km/h with harsh vibrations. i would think vara 125 is the closest to your requirements. v twin is smoother at higher rpms which translate to smoother ride at high speed. its able to handle decent off roading and it can take panniers(and looks good with panniers). Comfortable for 2 up riding too for a dual sport.

 

if you could have a lower expectation on the cruising speed, vara125 would be ideal. but varas are pricier than most 2b bikes and since you will be upgrading to 2a in 1/2 year? why not wait for a transalp.

 

To SC gaban: many developed countries have learner rider cap at 125cc. Hence many manufacturers cater to their market which is 1000 times bigger than singapore's market and stupid motorcycle class rules.

[scubasimon]

that sounds reasonable...i suppose cruising at 90-100kph is what i am really needing. i put it to 120kph just to see how far things can go...hahaha!

[dogshit2]

that sounds reasonable...i suppose cruising at 90-100kph is what i am really needing. i put it to 120kph just to see how far things can go...hahaha!

 

That's what I think too... why need 120km/h on sg roads...

 

I do 110km/h on north south highway only... because my TA200 max speed is 140km/h...

 

 

Unless you are racing you dont need power to reach your destination its about how long you can sit on your bike...

 

Most important is enjoy your ride and safety first..

[scubasimon]

anyone rides terra or vara? or is the best advice here to go with dr? hahaha! i would never have imagined!

[swiftee]

Have you tried honda XL200?

 

1. Handle roads well (need to be able to handle start-stop without getting too hot). yes

 

2. Handle expressways well (need to be able to cruise comfortable at 120kph). able to hit 110km/h in appropriate wind conditions, anything above that is torturing the bike

 

3. Have space for luggage (panniers a must!). put some panniers on the thing

 

4. Handle off road trails well (just like a dual sport TW200 can) i think it should perform better than a tw200 in this aspect

 

5. Handle a pillion (for 2-up riding around SG) comfortable for scrambler standards (meaning not as comfortable as a streetbike, but more comfortable than a ktm2/wr2 anyway)

 

someone rode an xl200 to thailand before (but slowly of course)

my xl200 handles short trips across to malaysia pretty well... if you want to go further than that you probably need to upgrade to a bigger tank and go with slower companions

Edited December 29, 2009 by swiftee

[scubasimon]

An XL200? I didn't even know something like this exists...is it possible to take a look at one in Singapore? You have one?

[swiftee]

An XL200? I didn't even know something like this exists...is it possible to take a look at one in Singapore? You have one?

 

have one. it doesnt look like a varadero, it's more like a dual purpose bike

but its a fine creature

pretty rare though

 

http://www.eurotech.cl/honda/images/stories/demo/xl200/xl200b.jpg