Depends on terrain, imo.
On a heavy adventure touring bike, such as the Triumph Explorer, KTM 1290 Tourer, or BMW GS ADV, most whom buy them are posers who rarely leave tarmac or ride them on graded dirt roads and tell their friends they rode off-road, prefer a heavy bike for anti deflection.
For riders that really ride their adventure tourers in gnarly terrain, lighter is righter!
Simple physics really. If one bike is 20 pounds heavier than a competitor, the rider has to wrestle that 20 pounds all day and will be more fatigued at the end of the day.
I enjoyed my 1200GS ADV and Super 10, but my 1290 SAR feels like a Corvette ZO6 while the GS and S10 feel like driving a V6 powered Toyota truck, overweight and abysmally underpowered.
Big Oil,
Why the statement that most GS ADV riders are posers just because they stay on tarmac or ride graded roads. The same should then hold true for someone buying a Corvette Z06 that can do 205MPH but 99% of the owners will never see more than 100mph or take it to a race track. I am a GSA owner that do 90% tarmac. I bought the bike because I liked the look and also because of the comfortable riding position. When I do want to hit the gravel roads then the bike is more than capable. I think the bulk of the big KTM’s in SA are also mainly used on tarmac and the occasional run through the Karoo gravel roads. There is nothing wrong with that…
I know the bike is heavy and not the fastest but hell, it puts a huge grin on my face when I get to take it out - tarmac or dirt roads.
I’m not singling out just GS ADV riders, I also listed Triumph Explorer and KTM SAT riders as well!! I don’t feel there’s anything wrong with how you use your GS ADV, when I’m old I’ll probably do the same thing.
My issue isn’t with those of you who only ride graded gravel roads, my issue is with the guys who ride their GS ADV’s, Triumph Explorers, AND KTM Super Adventure T’s to Starbucks and talk about how they did a bunch of off road, then you ask them where, and they tell you of graded gravel roads. That’s my pet peeve with those types. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with using either of the bikes I mentioned for all pavement use, as you said, and I agree with you, I like the looks and seating position as well.
As far as your ZO6 explanation, I agree with that too. Though again, my perspective is most likely much different from yours. I have personally driven cars at extremely high speeds in my state and Texas, where there are wide open spaces with little to no traffic. I rode shotgun in a C6 ZO6 when we embarrassed a Ferrari F430 on our way to about 190mph. Talk about pissed off, nothing pisses off a Lamborghini or Ferrari driver more than when a ZO6 embarrasses their $250,000 exotic sports car!!! I agree with you that most ZO6 buyers will not see that kind of action, but there are those who do track days and race their cars as well.
Happy riding on your GS
Topic: Why all the squabbling about bike weight? (Read 3773 times)
