- Joined
- Jun 13, 2008
- Messages
- 1
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Antarctica (ex Cape Town)
- Bike
- BMW F650GS / Dakar
Forgive me if this discussion has happened somewhere before - I can't find something similar.
As one relatively new to DS riding but with a long history of back-country trips of other types, I'm exceptionally keen to take my bike for a 2-4 week tour through Southern Africa. I'm currently parked in one spot in Antarctica (see www.doctorross.co.za for insight) with plenty of time to plan, so the idea is getting lots of attention. Recently I watched the Long Way Round/Down series, and was particularly struck by how much the blokes struggled with their 1150/1200GS's when the going got really tough. As a F650GS Dakar owner, I can't help but wonder if things would not be easier on a smaller bike (ie, mine
). I know smaller bikes have done very long trips. Hence, the question:
What is the advantage of larger (990-1200) DS bikes over the smaller (600 range) models? Where are the strengths and weaknesses of each? Your insight is welcomed.
As one relatively new to DS riding but with a long history of back-country trips of other types, I'm exceptionally keen to take my bike for a 2-4 week tour through Southern Africa. I'm currently parked in one spot in Antarctica (see www.doctorross.co.za for insight) with plenty of time to plan, so the idea is getting lots of attention. Recently I watched the Long Way Round/Down series, and was particularly struck by how much the blokes struggled with their 1150/1200GS's when the going got really tough. As a F650GS Dakar owner, I can't help but wonder if things would not be easier on a smaller bike (ie, mine
). I know smaller bikes have done very long trips. Hence, the question:What is the advantage of larger (990-1200) DS bikes over the smaller (600 range) models? Where are the strengths and weaknesses of each? Your insight is welcomed.
