Table of contents for Travel and Adventure 2015 in Cycle World

If there’s one material device that defines motorcycle adventure, I submit it’s not a knobby-tired ADV bike. It’s not 12 inches of suspension travel. It’s not a 28-liter fuel tank or a windshield or a skid plate. It’s the noble yet humble bungee cord. A thing of pure genius: Inexpensive, adaptable, and simple, the bungee is universal, fitting just about every make and model ever made. Archimedes said, “Give me a lever and a place to stand, and I can move the world.” Motorcycle riders say, “Give me enough bungee cords and a place to hook them, and I can carry anything.” And it’s that carrying capacity that lets us adventure. We use bungee cords to secure extra clothing, bedrolls, and tents on the backs of our bikes, or extra…

For those who take serious issue with adventure-touring machines growing larger and more street-oriented year after year, looking at a middleweight ADV might be the solution. Currently, only Triumph and BMW (F800GS) have completely modern versions in their lineups. Triumph’s Tiger 800 XC has impressed us over the years, especially with its street chops. Any complaints with the smaller Tiger have focused on the bike’s off-road abilities. But as an adventure tourer used primarily on the street, the Tiger is awesome. Even so, the ADV class has been maturing at a quick clip lately, as KTM and BMW have pushed the technological boundaries with advanced traction control and the latest ABS. Triumph was beginning to fall behind. Now, though, for 2015, Triumph’s four Tiger 800 models have made up some…

You want to stir up a hornet’s nest? Forget about politics, religion, and stuff like that. Just ask a group of motorcyclists about technology. Start with something like traction control or ride by wire. Half will tell you they’re Satan’s handiwork, while the other half are all for it, viewing the traditionalists as Luddites who think motorcycling started heading straight down the porcelain convenience with adoption of pneumatic tires and automatic oiling systems. It’s only been 15 years since accurate, user-friendly GPS has entered the civilian world, and already it’s hard to imagine how we lived without it. At least for some of us. Others cleave to tattered paper maps. So who’s getting the better end of this deal? For many, if GPS is fast food (convenient and efficient), then…

It’s a crazy/genius idea: Riding a dirt bike, you see some beautiful country, perfect for a mountain bike too. So why not opt for a little two-wheeled surf and turf, a combo meal of the best in the backcountry? No one’s really sure who came up with the idea, but seven years ago enduro racer Russell Bobbitt strapped a mountain bike to a Suzuki DR200 and headed off for an adventure. Soon fellow enduro racers Cole Kirkpatrick and Nick Fahringer got involved, and the concept of “Bikes on Bikes” was born. For Bobbitt, Kirkpatrick, and Fahringer, it was the perfect way to feed their addiction for both dual-sport riding and mountain biking. An adventure bike can get you to some really extreme MTB riding areas that you can’t typically access…

Who hasn’t had the dream? Hop on a bike, throw a sleeping bag on the back, and go where life takes you. Forget about slavin’ away for the man; you’re a cowboy wandering the West. Seeking adventure and truth. Enlightening others with your freedom. A wingfooted god of the highway. Easy Rider. Then Came Bronson. Long Way Round. All you need is a bitchin’ new ADV bike that lets you go anywhere. But they cost, like, 20 grand by the time you get them kitted out. Hmmm. Looks like we’re sayin’ hello to the man again on Monday morning. Of course, there’s another way. You just ride what you have, make it work, and look for the cheap way out. Hotel? Bloody luxury—we’ll sleep on the ground. Starbucks coffee? Pack…

TOURATECH AVENTURO CARBON ADV bikes and adventure-touring have given rise to billed hybrid helmets like the Touratech Aventuro Carbon. This is really three helmets in one: Without tools, it can transform from an ADV helmet into a face shield-less MX lid or no-visor street protection. The large faceport makes it goggle friendly. XS–XXL | $649 SHOEI HORNET X2 Cycle World’s Mark Hoyer chooses the Shoei Hornet X2 as his go-to adventure/dual-sport helmet. Notable features include a new V-460 visor that’s longer and wider than the previous model’s. The interior liner is easy to remove and offers loads of adjustment. There’s even a “cheekpad exchange program” at no cost. XS–XXL | $594.99–$715.99 SHOEI NEOTEC Flip-front modular helmets are popular in Europe, and Shoei’s Neotec is one of our favorites. The helmet…

When the KTM 1290 Super Duke R concept broke cover at EICMA in 2012, we couldn’t believe our eyes. It seemed so over the top—but that was then. Now we’ve lived with a Super Duke R for more than a year. And more to the point for an ADV rider, stuffing the 1,301cc twin into the brand-new KTM 1290 Super Adventure makes complete sense. How so? The Super Adventure can be anything you want it to be. Mile-eating tourer. Roost-chucking adventurer. Wheelie-crazed hooligan. What makes it all possible? Simply put, a great engine and one of the very best electronic packages in all of motorcycling. With engine—and now suspension—management so advanced, there is no such thing as too much horsepower. A couple of quick ficks through the onboard menu and…

If sport-touring appeals to you but you’re looking for more versatility than an über-size sporty bike, a street-oriented adventure tourer like Kawasaki’s new-to-the-US 1,043cc inline-four powered Versys 1000 is a bike worth considering. Redesigned for 2015, the Versys 1000 LT has a host of standard features, and its $12,799 price means it significantly undercuts the competition from Europe (BMW, Triumph, KTM) and Japan (Yamaha and Suzuki). Standard fare on the LT is generous, including colormatched 28-liter single-key hard cases, hand guards, a manually adjustable (without tools) windshield, ABS, KTRC traction control (with four settings), two power modes, a slipper clutch (with lever lightening assist function), and a fully adjustable KYB fork and shock with provisions for preload and rebound adjustments. True to the Versys name’s “versatile system” mash-up, the bike’s…

Word-association time: You’re a motor cyclist, and I say “Europe.” You probably think “Alps” and for good reason. Those picturesque, twisting mountain passes in Switzerland, Northern Italy, Austria, and spilling over into France are pure magic. But here’s a secret: It’s a road less traveled but just as spectacular. The routes are just as grand, the weather is (usually) even better, and the food is a refreshing change. It’s an undiscovered gem for most American riders. Want an even greater endorsement? If you live in the Alps, it’s the place where you go for a riding vacation. Spain. We’re here for a trifecta of a trip: to experience the new TomTom Rider GPS (see page 30), to interface that with Schuberth’s new Bluetooth equipped M1 Metropolitan helmet (page 74), and…

I knew what it was. I was pretty sure I knew why it was. And I thought I knew what it could become. But as the ensuing 40 years proved beyond a shadow of a doubt, I had not the faintest clue what the future would hold for motorcycles called Gold Wing. In 1975, I was editor-inchief of the now-long-gone Cycle Guide, and Honda had just rolled out the first GL1000 Gold Wing, a motorcycle unlike anything the industry had ever seen—a 999cc, SOHC, liquid-cooled, horizontally opposed fourcylinder weighing more than 600 pounds. Shaft final drive and a dummy gas tank, the real tank under the seat. The rest of the naked GL was conventional, with carburetion, suspension, instruments, and lights very similar to those on other Hondas. But I…

We know you’d never make a mistake like running out of gas, but what about one of your riding buds? Or what happens when there’s a big bang deep down between your feet, and suddenly you can see that stuff Kevin Cameron is always talking about inside your engine? Every adventure-bike rider should be ready to fix a flat, repair a chain, or slap some epoxy on a rockcracked case. But sometimes there’s only one way back to civilization, short of hoofing it out. Time to break out the tow strap. We’ve developed two methods for towing bikes. The general principles are the same for both: The less experienced rider should be on the towing (front) machine, the more experienced on the disabled bike. The rear rider is in charge…

The Canary Islands might be just off the coast of northwestern Africa, yet they’re under Spanish rule. The archipelago is unique in its wide variance of microclimates: The western islands are lush, while Lanzarote, the eastern most, is severely arid. Yet something these islands all have in common is the intense trade winds that blow every day. Every day. As sure as the world spins, the wind blows across the Canary Islands. The wind is so constant and harsh that it affects and limits local agriculture. Named for the dog-like seals that once filled its beaches, the Canary Islands were created by a hot spot beneath the Earth’s mantle, just like the Hawai ian Islands. Also like Hawaii, the ground is still hot, even though nothing on Lanzarote has spurted…

If there were any lingering doubts that the revived Indian is here to stay, a relaxing ride on the 2015 Roadmaster sends them into the dust at the side of a long road. As I wandered down the Mississippi River south of Minneapolis in the heart of American touring country, the bike’s plush leather seat and excellent ergonomics were highly reminiscent of the company’s Chieftain bagger, which makes perfect sense because the Roadmaster is essentially a fully decked-out Chieftain. In fact, it’s more accurate to say the Chieftain bagger is a stripped Roadmaster. “This bike was developed before the Chieftain,” said Gary Gray, director of motorcycle product for Polaris, parent company that also produces Victory motorcycles. “We learned with the Victory V92C that starting with a cruiser and adding things…

Push or pull? In our everyday life, most of us probably use GPS to pull us someplace; TomTom’s new Rider model has a different approach. An explanation: In general principles, the hardware of TomTom’s Rider functions like most other GPS devices, reading satellites to determine your position, speed, elevation, etc. You can enter a destination, and the Rider will “pull” you there along the most efficient route. But the Rider’s software is what sets this GPS apart, since it’s designed specifically for motorcyclists. Consider this scenario: You’re in an unfamiliar area and you’re looking for a fun motorcycle route. The Rider lets you choose from three levels of road “twistiness” and three levels of hilliness. If you’re after a sedate touring route suited for a Gold Wing towing a trailer,…

Italy is a rider’s dream. We asked European Editor Bruno de Prato for a few of his favorite rides in his native country. Enjoy! —ML A LONG HAUL TO THE SOUTH From Siena we head east by southeast toward Sinalunga and then Perugia, going through the hills surrounding lake Trasimeno. (The small Magione Race Track lies just east.) Past Perugia we can either ride south on the SS75 or southeast on SS147 then rejoin the SS75 south, toward Foligno, then to the SS3 to Trevi and Campello sul Clitunno, and then to SS4 to Antrodoco, L’Aquila. At Popoli we turn east on the A25 Highway. We get near the Adriatic coast where the A25 connects to the A14, going south. It is a good, sweeping highway, and riding there is…

Back in the “good” old days of magneto ignition and leatherbelt final drives, roadside repairs on a motorcycle were the rule, not the exception. Today, so long as you’re not a crasher, you can probably ride a new bike across a continent without doing anything more than topping off the tank every few hundred miles and maybe changing the oil and filters. Except for tires. Don’t get us wrong: Modern motorcycle tires are about a million times better than what we had just 30 years ago, but flats are still the bane of an ADV rider’s existence. And the more interesting and less traveled the road, the greater the chance of a flat. What to do? With the tubeless tires on bigger ADV bikes, a plug is the go-to solution,…

(LUTZ) DECIDED THE COMPANY SHOULD BUILD A 900cc FLAGSHIP THAT COULD COMPETE WITH THE LIKES OF HIS HONDA 750 FOUR, THE MIGHTY KAWASAKI Z1, NORTON COMMANDO, TRIUMPH/BSA 750 TRIPLES, DUCATI 750SS, GUZZI V-7 SPORT, ETC. Memory is an unreliable tape recorder, but I think the first time I ever heard the term “sport-touring” was right after the BMW R90S came out in 1974. It was also the first time I heard the words, “I may have to buy a BMW motorcycle some day,” come out of my own mouth. At that point, I’d ridden only one BMW in my life, and that was a late ’60s R50/2 with an Earles fork, offered for sale through the classifieds in our local newspaper. Although I saw myself as more of a Triumph/Honda…

They say water is life. But when the BMW R1200RT was redesigned and reintroduced for 2014, it gained the radiators that had been first introduced on the GS a year before, and traditionalists wondered if the well-balanced spirit of Munich’s Reise Tourer bike would survive this and the many other upgrades. Bringing water (cooling) to Sedona, a spiritual place itself, seemed like the perfect way to find out. The roads and sights within a two-hour radius of Sedona are magnificent (um, Grand Canyon, anyone?). Flagstaff is a fun rip uphill and a nice destination in its own right. But if you have one molecule of gearhead enthusiasm, you’ll make your first outing to Jerome, an old hillside mining town to the southwest on a glorious stretch of Highway 89A. Jerome…