What to look for
In truth, while adventure machines often look like they’re built to take on huge hardcore travels, most don’t do anything of the sort, and spend most of their time commuting. Owners tend to be more sensible than sportsbike and hyper-naked fans, so real abuse of clutches, gearboxes, head bearings and the like from wheelies and hard riding is most unlikely. Shaft drive machines obviously cut out chain and sprockets from the checklist – but do make sure the final drive oil has been looked after: some folk never check levels at all, and a small leak can lead to expensive repairs.
Examine exhaust, tyres and brakes, as usual, for wear or damage, and factor into your budgeting as appropriate. Wheel bearings can get a hard life if the bike spends much time off-road (as can swingarm bushes and sleeves), with mud and dirt creeping in, before being jetwashed out again… Hard off-roading will also give forks and shocks a tough time, so look for leaky seals, damaged piston rods and the like.
Most of the engines used in these bikes are low-tuned, reliable, mature designs, so serious trouble is unlikely, with some exceptions. Big singles get a hard life, often spending a long time flat-out compared with twins and triples, so can wear out faster. Also, anything with a competition-based engine (like the 450 enduro or MX class) will be fragile if you press it into tough, highmileage service. Converting that road-legal Yamaha WR450 into a hardcore Rally Raider adventure bike is a supercool idea: but don’t expect its titanium valves and short-skirt race piston to cope well with all-day 90mph jaunts along autobahns…
These bikes often come loaded up with accessories and bolt-ons. Most are dead useful: hard luggage, hot grips, sat-navs, even heated seats all make long trips easier. Make sure everything works, and has been properly installed – loose bullet connectors and Scotchlok connectors are a bad sign on aftermarket lighting kits, hot grips, or accessory sockets, and can leave you stranded with blown fuses or burned-out regulators.
With accessories, it’s also important to think of what you’re planning to use the bike for. If you’re going to be doing stacks of off-road riding, then good tyres, crash protection and reduced mass might be more useful to you than a heated seat or a touring windshield.