[vamsi.bobby]

I would like to share my experience with the market's entry-level ADV bike alternatives.

Nowadays, following Corona, everyone is talking about touring. People have come to the realization that living is better. Following the pandemic, there is a certain improvement in everyone's way of thinking and living. This also holds true for the biking community, as more people are willing to invest in bikes and go on cycle tours.

During my engineering studies from 2000 to 2004, I owned an LML Adreno-FX 110CC, which was the first bike to appear like a race bike. And I used to make the roughly 300-kilometer trip from Hyderabad, where I came from, to Palvancha, where I attended college. I use to travel every month once. I used to take only one break for a little refreshment, and everyone used to think I was a Super Human who had conquered Mount Everest. People used to think it was crazy to go so far in one sitting, but I found it to be enjoyable. I would start at midnight at 12 a.m. and be at my destination by 04.30 a.m., and along the way, I would sing loudly because no one else was on the road. The only worry was what may happen in the case of a puncture or an accident, which was very regular back then because of the narrow, one-lane highways.

After realizing that riding a bike was far more enjoyable to taking a train or bus, I developed a passion for riding for a long time. I continued my journey by riding my bike to see my buddies. My longest journey at the time, which involved two stops, was 680 km from Hyderabad to Vishakhapatnam.

I still enjoy doing long journeys, and my personal best was 700 km without stopping on my JAWA 42 from Hampi to the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore.

If we love riding, we can easily reach 1000 km in a day thanks to modern technology, bikes, and broader highways. These days there are a lot of gear like hydration bags, GPS systems, and helmet-mounted intercoms that let you enjoy the ride instead of pausing to answer a phone or ask for directions. I used to only go to new places during the day in the early days of my ride so that I could have people on the road to help me navigate. We even have offline maps on our devices these days for trips.

To get right to the point, people became interested in ADV touring because of the rise in long-distance touring and the opportunity to ride bikes on a variety of terrains. There is a big "?" when someone wants to enter this segment, mostly short riders like me.

I have a JAWA 42, and as I was planned for big rides, I considered upgrading from a cruse segment to an ADV. The market offers a wide range of options to suit your budget, from 1.5 Lakh to 20 Lakhs and beyond. It was really challenging for me to choose one because I am a short rider (5.4 feet tall) and have a limited budget. I believed that the Hero X-pulse and Suzuki V-storm SX were underpowered at first, but the Yezdi Adventure, RE Himalayan 450, KTM Adventure 390, and BMW GS 310 were all within my price range.

I then reasoned that I could spend the same amount of money on seconds instead of a brand-new bike, hence my alternatives then went to Honda CB 500 & Benelli TRK 502. Both were excellent bikes, but once more it got me to think: if I'm spending 3.5 to 4 lakhs on a second bike, why not spend an additional lakh on a super adventure bike? The Kawasaki Versys 650, Suzuki V-storm 650, and Triumph Tiger Sport 660 were my next options.

I created the following table based on my survey results.

According to my height, I felt at ease with the Benelli TRK 502 and the Yezdi Adventure, but my eyes were fixed on the Suzuki V-Storm 650 and the Kawasaki Versys 650. Later, I learnt that there are service issues in the HAMPI area where I live, and that even in metro areas, there are significant difficulties in obtaining parts for the Benelli TRK 502 and Suzuki V-Storm 650. directing me to Yezdi Adventure as my only choice.

I also believed that it would be best to start with a less expensive ADV and train ourselves so that we can ride the more expensive ADVs with confidence. I bought Yezdi Adventure 2024 because of this discussion

[robby0707]

The ability to handle a bike based on the weight and seat height is purely a personal thing. I have a friend who is 5ft 6in tall and handles the versys 650 quite nicely because he had good arm strength and technique. You will have to test ride these bikes in challenging conditions like broken roads and traffic to see how you are able to handle it. I would advise you to first try the single cylinder options and not stretch your budget a lot. The Himalayan 450 has an option to lower the seat height and is also on the lighter side. It is a very capable bike.

[jaganm]

Having owned both the Versys and the VStrom, both tall, heavy and with wide seats that I was able to ride comfortably on the road but had to be careful in specific situations like parking or uneven ground, I don’t think it’s particularly difficult to handle. However, I sold both over time and have come to the conclusion that I either want something that I can flatfoot or if I’m not able to do so, I want something that is 180 Kg instead of 230.

Luckily we have bikes like Himalayan, 400X, NX500 that fit this criteria

[shyamg28]

Originally Posted by jaganm

Having owned both the Versys and the VStrom, both tall, heavy and with wide seats that I was able to ride comfortably on the road but had to be careful in specific situations like parking or uneven ground, I don’t think it’s particularly difficult to handle. However, I sold both over time and have come to the conclusion that I either want something that I can flatfoot or if I’m not able to do so, I want something that is 180 Kg instead of 230.

Luckily we have bikes like Himalayan, 400x, nx500 that fit this criteria

This hits the nail on its head. I'm comfortably tall enough for the V Strom. But it's the slow speed turns, parking lots and what nots that really get me, and from my experience, others as well.
Most people I know have dropped it at parking

Above all, your comment on the weight makes so much sense! One thing I will add is that some motorcycles that weigh 215-230kg don't feel their weight, because of how well they're balanced and also very often because of tapering seats that narrow at the front. Makes a world of a difference when you can move your legs freely.

As an example, the V Strom 650 is 215kgs and the V Strom 800 DE is 230kgs. But the way that seat is designed and that suspension squat, made it feel so light & nimble. Similar with the Tiger 900GT or the 1200. They don't feel their weight as much.

All said, a KTM Adventure 390 feels like a 130kg bike compared to all these behemoths. Which is what we want more of, unanimously it would seem

[MileCruncher]

While riding a tall ADV requires skill, i also feel certain amount of foot on the ground is important. As a fellow 165cm person, I feel seat height of 825mm is perfect for me. Sometimes of the seat is narrow, you can move 5mm up.

However, as said above, it's always better to manage a 180Kg bike than a 230 Kg one!

[b16h22]

Originally Posted by vamsi.bobby

I would like to share my experience with the market's entry-level ADV bike alternatives.

I have a JAWA 42, and as I was planned for big rides, I considered upgrading from a cruse segment to an ADV. The market offers a wide range of options to suit your budget, from 1.5 Lakh to 20 Lakhs and beyond. It was really challenging for me to choose one because I am a short rider (5.4 feet tall) and have a limited budget. I believed that the Hero X-pulse and Suzuki V-storm SX were underpowered at first, but the Yezdi Adventure, RE Himalayan 450, KTM Adventure 390, and BMW GS 310 were all within my price range.

You have the H450(800-820mm) and new ADV390(825-835mm) with very accessible seat heights. That's about as low as an ADV can get without compromising the ADV capabilities. The new 390 is about 180+kg wet and KTMs manage to hide their weight beautifully. Weight is just as important as height. In the end it is all about getting used to the motorcycle. Keep in mind that, it'll only get better with time and usage. Seat heights are just numbers and don't always translate to real world experience. A narrow but taller seat might be better than a low but wider seat.

[rishi.roger]

810-825mm of seat height is more than what one can ask for in an Adv. Anything lower than that and its not a true Adv, because to get that height a lot of compromises must have been made by manufacturer.
This is something you will leanr during ownership - Wear taller shoes with good traction, swap tyres to lighter ones and remove unnecessary stuff from your motorbike (including keeping low fuel) to cut down on weight (when you ride in city and tight spaces). If you have spare money then swap same parts made with lighter components but it takes a lot of money and this is why built to cost machines like Himalayan is so heavy.
Light weight Advs are unicorns already and when you throw seat accessibility in the mixture you're asking for choice in unicorns.
There's 450GS that might rewrite the segment but at good cost and there's waiting involved. The new 390 Adv is closest we can get to this unicorn.

Right now the way Adv market is there, you'll be asked by the fellow community to build up skill but more than that confidence to compensate for height. It shouldn't be like that, not always but unfortunately this is what it will take.

My words as someone who rides a Himalayan 450 at 5'7, lightweight and tall motorbikes are super fun on trails/challenging roads whereas heavier motorbikes are fun on the highways particularly when they are not too tall.
You ideally need two different bikes for these 2 opposite genre of motorbiking. Finding one that suits both will come with compromises.
Get a 390 Adv! Make some mods to bring the height even lower.

[acex]

Just for fun in preparation to riding a taller (relatively) Adv I have set my bicycle's seat to the same height and am just trying out how different it feels. Of course a motorcycle and a bicycle are very different but it helps to get a sense of how we can ride a tall bicycle easily whereas it becomes daunting with a motorcycle.

I guess comes down to weight and the seat.

[BullettuPaandi]

I don't know how many have thought about this, but I didn't; and when I realised it, it was a bit of a 'of course that makes sense moment' for me.

I'm about 173cm tall- 5.67foot or a tad over 5'8". But my femur (thigh bone) is longer than typical for this height. I measure about 100cm to my pelvis from the ground. My XPulse after a seat mod, measures about 880mm above ground.

I'm fairly comfortable on this; while I can flat-foot on both ends, they're not planted enough for loose terrain. Meaning, I won't be exerting any significant weight on the ground via my heels; but just about enough to balance the bike at standstill with both legs, if need be. On loose terrain, like dirt/sand and fine gravel, it'd get a bit dicey if I try to plant both legs.

But some of my friends, who are equivalent or even taller than me, can't handle this height. One guy- roughly of the same height- can't even flat-foot on one side, without 'half-assing' the seat. But after 10 minutes or so trying to manage, he was able to comfortably ride the bike- that too on a hill station.

In my opinion, this shouldn't worry people too much. With some slow speed training, we can manage taller seats than we'd otherwise think. Sure, we'll probably drop the bike multiple times while learning that. But, what adventure are we supposed to have on an ADV, if/when afraid of dropping it?

[vamsi.bobby]

Thanks bro, I bought YEZDI Adventure 2024 and with a couple of ride i got comfortable with the weight and also the height. The only confidence to be build is for Right hand side turns and backing the bike from parking lots.

I do agree that Honda NX500 is the best pick in the lot, But the pricing is a little aggressive.

[Raghu2284]

Being 5'4", I can definitely relate to you. I currently own a Honda CB 350RS and have done several long rides, including a recent trip from Kanyakumari to Bangalore with just one break. After all these rides, I realized I need to switch to an adventure bike. My obvious choice was a twin-cylinder, weighing under 200 kg, with a minimum of 40 BHP, a seat height between 800-820 mm and within price bracket of 5 lakh. I tested most of them but couldn't flat-foot any. Now, I'm considering the Yamaha MT-03 and the Tuono 457. Let me know what you finalize once you've completed your search!

[sanchari]

Originally Posted by Raghu2284

Being 5'4", I can definitely relate to you. I currently own a Honda CB 350RS and have done several long rides, including a recent trip from Kanyakumari to Bangalore with just one break. After all these rides, I realized I need to switch to an adventure bike. My obvious choice was a twin-cylinder, weighing under 200 kg, with a minimum of 40 BHP, a seat height between 800-820 mm and within price bracket of 5 lakh. I tested most of them but couldn't flat-foot any. Now, I'm considering the Yamaha MT-03 and the Tuono 457. Let me know what you finalize once you've completed your search!

I am also 5'4". I am considering CB350. How is your experience with CB350 RS? I can't fully flat foot both legs together on CB350. Do you feel it is easy to manage in traffic and at low speeds? Does the weight of 187kgs cause any issues?

[Raghu2284]

Originally Posted by sanchari

I am also 5'4". I am considering CB350. How is your experience with CB350 RS? I can't fully flat foot both legs together on CB350. Do you feel it is easy to manage in traffic and at low speeds? Does the weight of 187kgs cause any issues?

It is manageable. I usually wear running shoes with thicker soles. but I still can't place my feet flat on the ground. The good thing is the weight distribution is excellent, there were few instances it was challenging to pull back the bike out of tight parking spaces.