Bikes: Why we ride ADV Bikes. (Because golf sucks - sorry Greg)

So if you are even mildly into motorcycles, you may have noticed from 1968 onwards, a new bike format arrived on the scene. The trail bike. When Yamaha released the then revolutionary DT1 250 two stroke, they said.. "Because one day somebody decided to take a shortcut on a motorbike."

Gregory Howard Sier's favourite bike!

Before that there were road bikes and scramblers. Basically a road bike with an upturned exhaust for higher ground clearance and a set on knobby tyres.

And then somewhere in the 80s... the adventure bike was born.

So just what is an adventure bike? Good question. On another forum there always is a hot debate going on between enthusiasts over just what constitutes  an ADV bike. Basically a fair description would be a bigger version of the original trail bike design; an all road bike, higher ground clearance, larger fuel tank and hence range.. and the ability to carry a fair amount of luggage.

So bikes like the Kawasaki KLR650  at one end up through KTM 990 Adventure to the Yamaha Super Tenere 1200 and topping out with the BMW GS Adventure.

Good all road tourers.. and with the exception of the KLR (single cylinder) all capable of comfortable high speed touring.

So now you know what constitutes an ADV bike.. so why do we ride them?

Well apart from golf sucking (sorry again Greg) the ability to see a different part of the world than where your car will take you and to be at one with the environment is part of that magic.

Take last Sunday morning.. breakfast at Woodford was calling. That old town and I shared some sweet history going back 40 years or so. How to get to Woodford?

Well you could drive up the highway and turn left at Caboolture and head inland.

NW/GF/FO as Doc Neeson used to say. Why not take the long way round and use some roads less travelled?

So with Cruz and Big Daddee (truly) leading onwards we navigated our way out through the old Pine Rivers Shire until we arrived at this road closed sign. Well, it would be closed to your average Commodore. Onwards and upwards we go on this incredibly rough dirt road.... that brought us out at Ocean View on Mt Mee.

What a magic climb... a bit of an adrenaline rush as it was the first time I had ridden Fat Max up such a steep hill.

Wow! This beats the living daylights out of golf! (Sorry yet again Greg!)

From here we hit the bitumen for a nice twisty ride down the other side (past the nice Policeman) and on to Woodford.

God is it great to be alive! And to have this fabulous freedom machine in the shed just waiting for me to decide where and when to go.. well life is a pretty rich feast.

The Super Tenere. Freedom machine extraordinaire.

I know what you are thinking, but no it is not all motorbikes in my life. The bride and I spend a lot of time touring around some weekends on 4 wheels too! She has her Z4 roadster and we have a family hack as well!

But having said that.... there is nothing like coming home covered in dust and feeling completely stuffed after a good day's riding with your biker mates.

So why do I ride an ADV bike?

Because life is short, golf is for pussies (sorry yet again Greg) and.. because I can!

And the buzz has to be experienced to be appreciated!