I've been dabbling a little in the forums lately (Advrider.com and chinariders.net) mostly to dig up information on the Cyclone RX3. As forums go of course I found myself browsing all the topics and starting to plan some of the riding I would be doing. In one forum I was asked what kind of bike I was considering. I proceeded to list the following:CRF250l
CRF230l
KLX250
DR200
DR650
G650gs
F700
F800
Tiger 800
Triumph Scrambler
CB500x
As one forum member commented, "You've listed some good choices, but it depends on what kind of riding you plan to do."
This got me to thinking, what type of riding do I plan to do? I thought I knew but as it turns out that's not entirely true. I know I'd like to explore some trails, I know I'll be spending some time in the city, I know I'll need to touch a freeway here and there (that's the law of averages here in Southern California, at some point you have to deal with the freeways). Will it be 50% trail and 50% dirt? Or will it end up being like my 2013 Jeep Wrangler Sahara which is the gold standard 4 wheeling off road machine that hasn't seen a dirt road in nearly 2 years?
Then I figured it out. It's not so much the type of riding that I think I will do, more than it is the type of riding that the motorcycle will dictate I do. Let me explain.
I put my name on the list for the Cyclone RX3 mostly for 2 reasons. First the price is unbeatable. A full featured adventure bike with all the kit you need to get started with adventure motorcycling for about $3000. Second, I just love the look of the bike. I think it is one of the best styled motorcycles to hit the market recently. On that fact alone, I would buy it because I like it and then I would ride it based on its design and limitations. I also very much like the Triumph Scrambler for its classic style and its fantastic exhaust note. If I decided to put down the extra money to buy one of those, you can certainly bet I would ride it differently than the little Cyclone. Perhaps a little more freeway time because it is a bigger bike, and maybe I'd spend more time at classic motorcycle rallies showing off my bike and finding riders with similar bikes to ride with. At the end of the day, I would be happy with either the Cyclone taking me on mini adventures, the scrambler taking me on classic weekend rides, or even the 800gs taking me globe trotting. I just want to ride. I miss my old bike and the sense of freedom it gave me and if I could go back I would have never sold it and I would probably not be writing this right now and out riding instead.
So ultimately, how I ride will be determined by what I can afford and what looks good to me at the moment. As long as I get back into this soon, I'll be content whatever it is (as long as its not a Harley).
CRF230l
KLX250
DR200
DR650
G650gs
F700
F800
Tiger 800
Triumph Scrambler
CB500x
As one forum member commented, "You've listed some good choices, but it depends on what kind of riding you plan to do."
This got me to thinking, what type of riding do I plan to do? I thought I knew but as it turns out that's not entirely true. I know I'd like to explore some trails, I know I'll be spending some time in the city, I know I'll need to touch a freeway here and there (that's the law of averages here in Southern California, at some point you have to deal with the freeways). Will it be 50% trail and 50% dirt? Or will it end up being like my 2013 Jeep Wrangler Sahara which is the gold standard 4 wheeling off road machine that hasn't seen a dirt road in nearly 2 years?
Then I figured it out. It's not so much the type of riding that I think I will do, more than it is the type of riding that the motorcycle will dictate I do. Let me explain.
I put my name on the list for the Cyclone RX3 mostly for 2 reasons. First the price is unbeatable. A full featured adventure bike with all the kit you need to get started with adventure motorcycling for about $3000. Second, I just love the look of the bike. I think it is one of the best styled motorcycles to hit the market recently. On that fact alone, I would buy it because I like it and then I would ride it based on its design and limitations. I also very much like the Triumph Scrambler for its classic style and its fantastic exhaust note. If I decided to put down the extra money to buy one of those, you can certainly bet I would ride it differently than the little Cyclone. Perhaps a little more freeway time because it is a bigger bike, and maybe I'd spend more time at classic motorcycle rallies showing off my bike and finding riders with similar bikes to ride with. At the end of the day, I would be happy with either the Cyclone taking me on mini adventures, the scrambler taking me on classic weekend rides, or even the 800gs taking me globe trotting. I just want to ride. I miss my old bike and the sense of freedom it gave me and if I could go back I would have never sold it and I would probably not be writing this right now and out riding instead.
So ultimately, how I ride will be determined by what I can afford and what looks good to me at the moment. As long as I get back into this soon, I'll be content whatever it is (as long as its not a Harley).