The Holy Trinity of Motorcycling: Light, Inexpensive and Easy to Handle

We seem to be entering an era where many motorcyclists, and not just older ones, want to experience off-road, mountainous or desert trails where their typical mid-sized or liter-sized sport tourer simply can’t go. Finding the holy grail for a small motorcycle that has chops both on and offroad is not as simple as one would think. Especially so if one wants to cover long distances to, or in the outback country.

I, for one, love getting to the mountains and then spending time discovering what they have to offer, either due to altitude or sheer remoteness. The problem is that between me and the mountains lies a thousand miles of straight, flat, asphalt. If you live in close proximity to the mountains, then owning an off-road capable, sub-500 cc motorcyle is really a no-brainer.

But what about those of us who either can’t trailer a bike to the mountains, or who want capability while maintaining what has been called by several magazines, the holy trinity of motorcycling?

I have my preferred sport tourer, and it is a wonderful, proficient, fast and comfortable motorcycle, BUT, it can’t be something it’s not. In a previous blog I talked about finding ‘a or the’ Swiss Army Knife of motorcycles, that being a bike that maintains the intent of light, inexpensive and easy to handle, while getting me cross country in some semblance of comfort and without vibrating the teeth out of my head.

Fortunately there are several bikes today that I’m becoming more and more enamored with, that seem to fit the bill. Time and space preclude my listing them all, but defining what it is that constitutes that particular mechanical marvel goes a long way to at least confining the search.

Here are my ‘parameters’ if you will with respect to my search;

• Sub-500 lbs. weight
• Sub- $10k price
• Comfort at highway speeds for lengthy periods (70 mph).
• Truly, off-road capable
• Excellent manners and handling capabilities.

I’ll restrict the choices, as I see it, to the motorcycles that are available to me in Western Canada, as some excellent machines are simply unavailable.

1. BMW 310 Adventure – $8,845.00 CDN.
2. KTM 390 Adventure – $8,717.00 CDN.
3. Kawasaki Versys – X 300 – $7,249.00 CDN.
4. Royal Enfield Himalayan – $7,199.00 CDN.
5. Honda CB500X – $9,727.00 CDN.
6. CFMoto 450MT – Price?
7. Suzuki VStrom 650 – $9,199.00 CDN.
8. CFMoto 650 Aventura – $7,899.00 CDN.

This isn’t an exhaustive list, obviously, but it does illustrate clearly what a buyer confronts when looking for a motorcycle that offers a balance between highway competence and off-road competence. The balance, depending on the machine shifts from one side to the other like a pendulum. The only person who can answer the question related to balance is the purchaser. For me, having a bike that displaces more and doesn’t have to be pinned at 9,000 rpm, leaving your hands and feet tingling after only an hour on the road, is important. Equally, and the point of this exercise is that the motorcycle has to have the capability to take you off-road without creating so many issues in terms of handling that you wish you hadn’t.

Personally, for me it is unfair to determine which Swiss Army Knife will actually fit the bill. The proof will come in the riding. A subject I’ll return to this spring, as I do intend to ride each and provide my own review, based on the criteria I’ve laid down.

As an aside, if you own one of these motorcycles, please leave a comment on the three criteria I’ve been using in terms of your bike’s competence.

Is it light enough? Is it inexpensive enough? Does it handle well, and include whether it has enough power to actually be safe on the highway while not deadening your hands and feet with vibration?

Thanks for coming. Please subscribe and we’ll see you down the road.

Ciao.