Ultimate Adventure Bike

MIND YOUR HEAD Like a scene out of a classic Road Runner cartoon, this Triumph rider takes extra care to make sure that brand-spanking-new Tiger doesn’t get a scratch on it while ripping through a crazy red-rock canyon. It’s so awesome that riding an adventure bike lets you get up close and personal with places that qualify as true freaks of nature. THE ONLY WAY IS UP It’s been 12 years since we turned a wheel in the mountains of Colorado, but rest assured we’re busting to get back there and do it again. This is the trail up to Ophir Pass that reaches for the sky between Silverton and Telluride. And on a blue-sky day like this, you bet we made plenty of stops for some glorious Kodak moments. A SAND CANVAS It will…

You know you’re onto a good thing when you seek the wise counsel of a trusted wingman and their response is immediate and succinct. “You’re kidding me, Clubby, is this a trick question?” Russ fired back mere nanoseconds after I’d sent him details of a Yamaha XTZ750 Super Ténéré coming up for sale and asked if he wanted to come see it. A guy on the edge of the Victorian High Country had emailed me out of the blue, saying he had a classic Super T that had barely been ridden in ages, and asking if I could help him find a good home for it. Of course I could help, so we swapped a few emails and text messages with details and images of the bike, then barely 24 hours later Russ…

The Chinese New Year animal for 2022 is the Tiger. It’s also a model of Triumph that’s had a truckload of upgrades for the new year. And it’s not the only model that’s had significant boosts for 2022. The KTM 1290 Super Adventure R, a mile-munching dirt-oriented super tourer, has a reworked frame that drops seat height significantly. For many prospective customers, seat height is a deal breaker. Riders love being able to plant two feet flat firmly on the ground. Like a canary in a coal mine, KTM senses 2022 is going to be one of the most challenging years on record for getting people to depart with cash to live the adventure dream. Lowering seat height removes one more hurdle (pardon the pun) on their journey to purchase. It’s…

There’s no doubt 2022 is going to be one of the very best years ever for buyers of shiny new ADV hardware, with an absolute feast of mouthwatering machinery touching down on showroom floors in coming months. And one of the most keenly awaited ADV weapons for Aussie riders is the new Desert X from Ducati — yeah, that’s right, Ducati! In the ADV sphere, the mighty Italian brand has been best known for its Multistrada range, which it’s fair to say has long been aimed more at soft-road riding than hardcore off-road action. But now Ducati has muscled up and will no longer have sand kicked in its face, as the Desert X takes Ducati way deeper into the dirt than ever before. First sighted at the EICMA show in 2019 as…

+ 937 cc Testastretta 11-degree engine, 81kW (110hp) at 9,250rpm and 92Nm at 6,500rpm + Exhaust with single silencer + Tubular steel trellis frame with cast aluminium double-sided swingarm + 21-litre fuel tank, optional eight-litre rear tank + Tubeless spoke rims with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres: 90/90-21 front, 150/70 R18 rear + KYB 46mm fully adjustable front fork with 230 mm travel + KYB fully adjustable shock with 220mm travel + Ground clearance 250mm + Claimed dry weight 202kg + Six customisable riding modes (Sport, Touring, Urban, Wet, Enduro, Rally) + Four power modes on three power levels + Bosch ABS Cornering, three levels + DTC, eight levels + Ducati Wheelie Control + Engine Brake Control + 5-inch TFT colour instrumentation + Ducati Brake Light + Ducati Quick Shift Up and Down + Ducati Cruise Control + Full LED lighting system + $24,200 ride-away + Due third quarter 2022…

If you’re a true Dakar Rally disciple, you will fast recognise the name Tuareg. It’s the label Italian manufacturer Aprilia used on a vast range of rally raid replica bikes back in the day. Living proof that everything old is new again, Aprilia has relaunched the Tuareg badge in the form of a brand-new 660 twin-cylinder ADV machine that at first look appears ready to make a very serious stab at the mid-capacity adventure bike ranks. The Tuareg 660 is powered by the liquid-cooled parallel twin-cylinder engine from Aprilia’s sporty Tuono and RS road bikes, retuned, of course, for on- and off-road duty. Maximum power is a claimed 80HP. There’s a full suite of electronic aids including traction control, cruise control, engine brake control and engine mapping, while ride modes include Urban, Explore…