Ultimate Adventure Bike Issue 11

In the spirit of Brazilian writer, Paulo Coelho, who said, ‘If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello,’ it is now time for me to depart this very magazine. We started Australian Adventure Bike (AAB) just over two years ago. At the time some said it was a folly to launch a new print title. They had a point, but we believed we had a formula and something to offer that wasn’t available at the time. Ultimately, only the readers have the power that can prove us right or wrong and we have been greatly humbled by the reception AAB has received both from readers and those in the industry that could understand the value of what we were trying to achieve. It allowed…

Kawasaki has finally substantially updated the KLR650. That’s a sentence that has only been written once since 1987. The KLR was released when Bob Hawke was Prime Minister and it stayed in the same form until 2008 when Kawi made some decent if not sweeping upgrades. That’s one round of changes in 21 years. And here we are discussing the second round of changes, 34 years since its inception. It’s fair to say that the KLR650 has not troubled the Kawasaki engineers a great deal in over a quarter of a century. We would like to have seen more robust suspension and a sixth gear amongst the updates, but it wasn’t to be. The added weight of the 2021 isn’t exciting, but the increased fuel range offered by the updated fuel…

Front Suspension: 41mm telescopic fork Rear Suspension: Uni-Trak® gas charged shock with piggyback reservoir with adjustable rebound damping and spring preload Front Tyre: 90/90-21 Rear Tyre: 130/80-17 Front Brake: Single 300mm disc with 2-piston caliper, ABS Rear Brake: Single 240mm disc with single-piston caliper, ABS Frame Type: Tubular, semi-double cradle Ground Clearance: 210mm Seat Height: 871mm Kerb Weight: 209kg Fuel Capacity: 23 litres Colour Choices: Pearl Sand Khaki, Pearl Lava Orange Warranty: 12 months Engine: 4-stroke, single-cylinder, DOHC Displacement: 652cc Bore x Stroke: 100.0 x 83.0mm Fuel System: DFI w/40mm throttle body Transmission: 5-speed, return shift with wet multi-disc manual clutch Final Drive: Sealed chain Maximum Torque: 39.1 lb.-ft. @ 4500rpm…

ENGINE NEW Fuel Injection NEW Revised Cam Profiles NEW Exhaust Pipe Diameter NEW Updated Clutch NEW Increased Generator Output (from 17 to 26 amps) NEW Low Maintenance Battery NEW Lighter Starter, Ignition Coil, And Evaporator Canister NEW Honeycomb Catalyzer SUSPENSION & WHEELS NEW Front and Rear Suspension Settings NEW Larger Front Brake Disc NEW Thicker Rear Brake Disc NEW Optional ABS Models NEW Stronger Rear Wheel Rim Material NEW Larger-Diameter Axle Shafts ERGONOMICS NEW Fine-Tuned Handlebar and Footpeg Positions NEW Rubber Mounts on Handlebars and Footpegs NEW Fuel Tank Design with More Useable Volume NEW Taller Windshield for Increased Wind Protection NEW Seat Design and Materials for Improved Comfort NEW Pillion Grab Bars for Passenger Comfort NEW 30mm Shorter Side Stand BODYWORK & STYLING NEW Shroud, Side Cover, And Tail Cowl NEW Bright LED Headlight NEW Taillight and Turn Signal NEW All-Digital Instrument Panel NEW Longer Mirror Arms…

YAMAHA SUPER TÉNÉRÉ 1200 Farewell to the Yamaha Super Ténéré 1200. It didn’t set the world on fire, but for a decade it has been a damn solid, reliable bike as you’d expect from Yamaha. It’s actually a very fine bike to ride both on the road and off. It has its limitations, mainly through low ground clearance and an unspectacular fuel range, but the ride is always comfortable and the engine is a true all-rounder. It’s sad to see it go but it’s exciting that it may be replaced by something new. We’ve asked and there is no official word, but we can and will hope that the MT10 platform can birth a new Yamaha big bore Ténéré some time soon. YAMAHA WR250R The little trailbike that found its way onto adventure…

The FunnelWeb filter’s name is familiar and completely trusted by anyone in the enduro bike scene. In the absolute worst conditions, it’s good to know you have a FunnelWeb fitted and also that you’re supporting a solid Aussie company that makes it a priority to feed other local businesses itself. And the owner, John Rickman, is a super friendly and knowledgeable bloke who can talk bikes, and of course filters, all day and night. He’s always a great catch up and we had a chat to him about his latest filter, which is designed specifically for the KTM 790 Adventure and Adventure R. KTM built a bike that handles offroad riding like nothing else, but as with so many other adventure bikes, the filter quality and seal characteristics aren’t the best…