Originally Posted by neduro
Our eyes meet and right away I know, this is the one for me. I approach her, and I feel at once apprehensive about her supermodel legs and obvious athleticism, excited about getting to know her better, and warm because she responds so instantly to my touch.
I love this bike. I absolutely love it. This almost doesn’t fit in the sweep of this report, because it’s an emotion that repeated itself over and over, every time I saw 20x, but how can you leave your partner out? I’d peer over the balcony first thing in the morning, stretching to catch a glimpse of her at rest and excited to ride all day once I did. I’d come out of a tienda and spot her across the road and my heart would skip a beat, momentarily forgetting that she is mine, all mine. I find her exotic and smart and competent and sexy and dirty and classy all at once.
When there’s beer being consumed by one or more motorcyclists, the subject at hand is always which bike would be perfect. I always knew I had the best answer in the room.
I really enjoy riding a certain pace off-road, and having the bike respond to my inputs precisely. A KLR or DR 650 or XR-L or GS is capable of going all the places I went, but you can't ride them the same way, because they lack the precision of engine and suspension that make it pleasureable. These companies could make an awesome dual-sport, but they haven’t bothered, either stopping at a cheaped up commuter bike, or going too far and adding gee-gaw gadgets but forgetting that suspension and simplicity are the recipe for success. The bikes will carry you everywhere you could want to go, but your soul might not make the same trip.
This feeling of competence at speed the Superenduro gives isn’t just academic, here’s a picture of that very same bike at the finish line of the 2007 Baja 1000, in which Pyndon, Hilslamer, and I raced the bike to 18th Open Pro over 1300 miles, against mostly 450’s. Yes, that’s tire smoke.
It feels like a racebike, because it IS a racebike. I love that feel, it’s not necessary to the trip but it’s what turns my crank in a motorcycle. It’s the panache of the bike that makes me smile so wide.
But she’s not a one trick pony, far from it. She’s as good at 150kph on the quota as she is at 15kph on some nasty sand road somewhere. She hauls luggage and passengers without a care in the world, never straining to keep up. In fact, the motor gives the impression that the entire world is downhill and downwind from here. You never work it very hard, you never get that “I’m givin’ ‘er all she’s got, cap’n” feeling, she’s always got more in reserve if you have the balls to ask.
Next, I love her because she’s reliable. Nothing else can be ridden, or perhaps flogged is a better word, like this bike can with so little fussiness and maintenance. Here we are executing a passing maneuver on another advrider, who kindly snapped a picture:
A little work at the beginning to simplify her and set her up as God, Fabrizio Meoni, and advtank.com intended, free of charcoal canisters and the like, and she asks for almost nothing but rear tires.
She’s simple, no CANBUS to break, no FI to choke on watered down gas, no final drive to strand me. There’s nothing I can’t wrap my head around given enough time and some basic tools. I can count on her, and I have for many epic adventures and I will for many more.
Gotta love this "ode" to the SE from Neduro,famous Adv rider!
Our eyes meet and right away I know, this is the one for me. I approach her, and I feel at once apprehensive about her supermodel legs and obvious athleticism, excited about getting to know her better, and warm because she responds so instantly to my touch.
I love this bike. I absolutely love it. This almost doesn’t fit in the sweep of this report, because it’s an emotion that repeated itself over and over, every time I saw 20x, but how can you leave your partner out? I’d peer over the balcony first thing in the morning, stretching to catch a glimpse of her at rest and excited to ride all day once I did. I’d come out of a tienda and spot her across the road and my heart would skip a beat, momentarily forgetting that she is mine, all mine. I find her exotic and smart and competent and sexy and dirty and classy all at once.
When there’s beer being consumed by one or more motorcyclists, the subject at hand is always which bike would be perfect. I always knew I had the best answer in the room.
I really enjoy riding a certain pace off-road, and having the bike respond to my inputs precisely. A KLR or DR 650 or XR-L or GS is capable of going all the places I went, but you can't ride them the same way, because they lack the precision of engine and suspension that make it pleasureable. These companies could make an awesome dual-sport, but they haven’t bothered, either stopping at a cheaped up commuter bike, or going too far and adding gee-gaw gadgets but forgetting that suspension and simplicity are the recipe for success. The bikes will carry you everywhere you could want to go, but your soul might not make the same trip.
This feeling of competence at speed the Superenduro gives isn’t just academic, here’s a picture of that very same bike at the finish line of the 2007 Baja 1000, in which Pyndon, Hilslamer, and I raced the bike to 18th Open Pro over 1300 miles, against mostly 450’s. Yes, that’s tire smoke.
It feels like a racebike, because it IS a racebike. I love that feel, it’s not necessary to the trip but it’s what turns my crank in a motorcycle. It’s the panache of the bike that makes me smile so wide.
But she’s not a one trick pony, far from it. She’s as good at 150kph on the quota as she is at 15kph on some nasty sand road somewhere. She hauls luggage and passengers without a care in the world, never straining to keep up. In fact, the motor gives the impression that the entire world is downhill and downwind from here. You never work it very hard, you never get that “I’m givin’ ‘er all she’s got, cap’n” feeling, she’s always got more in reserve if you have the balls to ask.
Next, I love her because she’s reliable. Nothing else can be ridden, or perhaps flogged is a better word, like this bike can with so little fussiness and maintenance. Here we are executing a passing maneuver on another advrider, who kindly snapped a picture:
A little work at the beginning to simplify her and set her up as God, Fabrizio Meoni, and advtank.com intended, free of charcoal canisters and the like, and she asks for almost nothing but rear tires.
She’s simple, no CANBUS to break, no FI to choke on watered down gas, no final drive to strand me. There’s nothing I can’t wrap my head around given enough time and some basic tools. I can count on her, and I have for many epic adventures and I will for many more.
Gotta love this "ode" to the SE from Neduro,famous Adv rider!
