‘Feeling like an adventure? Try one of these’
The variety and depth in the adventure bike market is so exhaustive that it’s amazing anyone ever manages to make a decision about which bike to buy. It’s lucky that manufacturers don’t tend to print brochures anymore, or there’d be no forests left to ride through, either. This week, we’ve got three brand-new adventurers to add further temptation to your shopping list of options.
First up is the new Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally (p30), the more off-road oriented member of the family (if you never get your boots dirty, go for the GT). Triumph appear to have taken every criticism we, and owners, levelled at the old model, and turned it into a tick-list of problems to solve – and they seem to have nailed almost every item.
But if the size, price, complexity, and capacity of the Tiger are all too hefty, how about the new Yamaha Ténéré 700 Extreme instead (p40) – taking on the middle part of the market with its brilliant CP2 engine and a new blend of attributes borrowed from across the range. Far from being a parts-bin special, it could well be the missing link that suddenly makes sense of the gene pool.
And if your budget means you thought a used bike was your only option, take a look at the new CFMoto 450MT we rode this week (p46). At £5699 it’s a whole lot of bike for your money. And just think how much fuel (even at today’s prices – p4) you could buy with the difference.