AltRider Center Stand AltRider’s motto could easily be, “find a need and fill it.” From a Ténéré 700 perspective, they’ve created better crash bars, an adjustable kick stand, three-position lowering links, and several other key items. Their latest effort for the Ténéré is an all-aluminum center stand. The OEM stand on my T7 is fully…
Small Bike Adventure Tour – Part 2
Back in the Saddle (continued from Part 1) A locally sourced breakfast at the Cuyama Buckhorn prepped us for a long day in the saddle. Back on 166, we made tracks for Cerro Noroeste Road to start a 2,000-foot climb to the enclave of Pine Mountain Club. The small bikes were willing, but taxed. With…
Small Bike Adventure Tour – Part 1
Small bike adventure touring may sound cringeworthy to some riders, but that’s how I began exploring the backcountry while in high school. Schlepping my camping gear in a Kelty frame pack was an adventure in itself. Many years and miles later, and with Honda’s XR150L test bike in my garage, I was curious to see…
Triumph Tiger 1200 Updates for 2024
The 2024 Tiger 1200 line received several key updates designed to refine their already capable motorcycles. The new Triumph Tigers are easier to to ride off-road, more comfortable for eating pavement miles, better in the corners, and friendlier to their riders. The bikes in question are the Rally and GT Explorer models, the only two…
BDR NorCal Revealed
BDR NorCal has arrived. This is the news we’ve been waiting for since Backcountry Discovery Routes teased the new route in November 2023. On February 17, 2024, the organization screened the feature-length film for this BDR. The BDR folks also revealed the route on their website, made GPX files available and put maps in the…
Mosko Moto Dusty Lizard Campout Rocks Moab
The Dusty Lizard Campout by Mosko Moto scuttles into Moab, Utah, this April 19-21. It’s time to gear up, set the GPS, and prep your ADV machine for a spring trip to the canyon country. Red rocks, great rides, good food, and loads of fun await attendees at this event. Where? Area-BFE may sound like…
Buyer’s Guide: 8 Affordable ADV Motos
BMW’s R 80 G/S, which debuted in 1980, is considered by many to be the first ADV motorcycle. While it may be the first one sold for that purpose, it’s not the first to see adventure. People like Robert Edison Fulton (One Man Caravan) and Ted Simon (Jupiter’s Travels) were logging around-the-world adventures on other…
F Series BMW GS Models for 2024
BMW’s F series adventure bike line features all new machines for 2024. It includes an F 800 GS, F 900 GS, and F 900 Adventure (GSA). They get a new powerplant and a whole lot more. When the F 800 GS debuted in 2018, its lesser sibling was the F 700 GS. They shared the…
CABDR-North Video Released
Backcountry Discovery Routes (BDR) is about to announce the layout of their latest creation, the Northern California BDR, or CABDR-North. The new route completes a continuous BDR from Mexico to Canada. The reveal happens on Saturday, February 17, when their feature-length film premieres in Sacramento, California. Meantime, whet your curiosity on the trailer. Watch as…
Triumph Scrambler 1200 Models for 2024
Triumph is fielding two Scrambler 1200 models in 2024. The 1200 XE returns with upgrades and the 1200 X debuts as a more accessible model in both cost and ergonomics. The fraternal twins both run Triumph’s 1200cc Bonneville engine in a re-tuned state to deliver maximum power at lower rpm. Its claimed 89 horsepower are…
Field Tested :: Giant Loop Adventure Gear
Giant Loop has been creating innovative motorcycle luggage since 2008 when they hit the trail with their original horseshoe-shaped bag. Beginning with the Great Basin model, GL has used Rugged Bomb Shell vinyl-coated polyester with great success. The 8-liter Fandango tank bag and Pannier Pockets reviewed here are both constructed from it. As you’ll see,…
790 Adventure Returns to KTM Lineup for 2024
KTM’s 790 Adventure has returned from the grave for 2024, but this is no Zombie-cycle. Changes to several areas breathe new life into the retired machine, improving its overall performance while making it easier to enjoy and easier on the planet. Spoiler: $10,990 buys a lot of motorcycle. KTM Motor Mods Known for its quick…
2024 Stelvio from Moto Guzzi
Stelvio Pass is famous as a challenging Italian road over the Eastern Alps. The 2024 Moto Guzzi Stelvio is a new, tech-laden adventure motorcycle that looks to be an excellent mount for carving the pass’s 48 tight turns and cresting its 9,045-foot summit. It features Guzzi’s latest liquid-cooled 90-degree, transverse V-twin motor, which delivers a…
Touratech Gear for BMW R 1300 GS
Touratech plans to leave no BMW GS undressed. As any GS owner will tell you, the German accessory company has something for everyone. And they just announced 23 accessories for the 2024 R 1300 GS. Some are brand new for this bike or re-configured, some are existing universal items. R 1300 GS Only When BMW…
BDR Special Edition Ducati Desert X Up For Grabs
Win an adventure-ready Ducati DesertX while supporting Backcountry Discovery Routes. This “Cross Continent Special Edition” has been tricked-out by over a dozen accessory companies. Wolfman Motorcycle Luggage, Scotts steering dampers, and Black Dog Cycle Works have all contributed their specialized adventure products to this one-of-a-kind motorcycle. NorCal BDR Beckons This year’s drawing celebrates the upcoming…
Ducati DesertX Rally
Ducati’s DesertX Rally motorcycle is their most hardcore adventure bike yet. With any more capability, it would have to be considered a race machine. Coming on the heels of the 2023 DesertX, the 2024 Rally is a beefed up version of an already capable machine. Desmo Power At the Rally’s heart is the same DVT…
2024 BMW R 1300 GS Debut
BMW’s new R 1300 GS is ready to ride, and there’s no mistaking it with anything else. It may have a few nuts and bolts in common with their previous flagship, the R 1250 GS, but that and the propeller badge would be it. Sleek new looks put it in a class by itself. Christof…
2024 Honda XL750 Transalp
Honda’s XL750 Transalp has made it to America. The new-for-2024 model packs plenty of performance into a bike that lists for a buck less than $10,000. Boasting ride-by-wire, which enables multiple ride modes, and a new 755cc parallel twin motor based on the Honda Hornet from Europe, the Transalp is set to compete in the…
Giant Loop Armadillo Bag :: Field Tested
Of all the things that can put the brakes on a motorcycle journey, running out of gas has to be the easiest to avoid. I ride by this maxim: “Know thy range, read thy map, and carry extra fuel.” That last bit became much easier when I bought Giant Loop’s 2-gallon Armadillo Bag, which is…
Ural Gear Up Expedition :: New for 2023
Ural, king of the 2WD sidecar motorcycles, announces their top tier Gear Up Expedition model. The company modestly calls it “a fully equipped, go anywhere, do anything machine that can tackle nearly any situation on or off the road.” The Better Equipped Ural The Expedition comes straight from the factory with everything a rider and…