McGuinness: ‘Long trip? Give me an adventure bike any day’
They make sense but it’s hard not to scratch that sportsbike itch
You just can’t ignore adventure bikes these days. They are absolutely everywhere and it’s easy to see why – ten or 15 years ago they were big heavy things and pretty basic, but that’s all changed. Then you take a look at the guys who are riding them. A lot of them are folks who’ve crashed bikes and got manky knees but the upright ergonomics and extra legroom work well for them. They can get on an adventure bike and be happy because it is comfy. Many of them are the sort of people who’d have had a Blade or
‘THEY’RE BUILT FOR THE RIDING THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY DO’
a ZX-9R back in the 90s but that’s changed now. Another factor is that the latest sportsbikes are so incredible that people are bit scared of them. Of course, if you short-shift and go steady they are pussycats but people worry. Adventure bikes have opened up a whole new world for bikers, not just in terms of the bikes themselves but also the gear they wear, helmets, jackets, heated clothing – it’s no longer all about race replica helmets and onepiece leathers. It just makes the whole riding experience easier. If there was a line of bikes and we were heading off to ride in
Scotland I’d take an adventure bike, but if you said we’re going for a blast to Devil’s Bridge I’d take a sportsbike and even after all the bikes I’ve ridden in my career – it would blow my skirt up! You can only really get that wow factor from a sportsbike – that moment where the thing is on the back wheel with the traction kicking in and antiwheelie kicking in.
On an adventure bike it’s different, some of them are still incredibly high-tec but ultimately they offer a fit-for-purpose experience. They are designed for what people actually do.