So many wishes, so many choices
The main characters, beside ourselves, are going to be our bikes. We must choose them with care, because we will have to rely on them for quite some time.
Ofcourse we have our own bikes at the moment, but they are in no way suitable for the journey we're about to make. So eventually they will make place for something completely new: All-Road-Bikes. The Diversion and GTR will stay with us for as long as they can, but eventuatlly, we'll have to cheat on them: practice will be necessary because All-Road-Bikes and the terrains we might encounter need a different driving-style.
The bikes will have to conform to some criteria we will elaborate along the way planning the journey. Some of them we allready stated:
- Look cool
- Not too heavy
- Bikeparts must be accessible around the world
- Not too high (short legs, hmkay!)
Yamaha XT660Z Ténéré
The Yamaha XT660Z Ténéré is the bike we've kind of fallen in love with. At the moment, it is our most likely choice and the Yamaha Dealer in Nijmegen, Termaat Motoren has promised us that as soon as the Demo is ready, we can have a testdrive on it!
So well, we don't have to wait too long to have a try.... I sure hope the bike rides as great as it looks... Wolve has already claimed the "Khaki", and Faithy has the hots for the Midnight-Black-edition.
In short
Displacement: 660.00 ccm (40.27 cubic inches)
Dry weight: 183kg
Seat height: 895 mm (35.2 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting.
Engine type: Single cylinder
Fuel system: Injection
Follow your imagination
The Ténéré 660 is a rugged, functional and stylish dual-purpose bike that has the capability to take you on an adventure whenever and wherever the mood takes you. With over 30 years’ experience in the manufacture of single-cylinder 4-stroke adventure bikes, Yamaha knows exactly what it takes to build a machine that can handle everything from Europe’s streets and highways through to the dust and rocks of deepest Africa. At the heart of this tough intercontinental explorer is a liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, 4-valve, single cylinder, SOHC engine that produces plenty of power across a wide rpm range, allowing the Ténéré to master just about any riding situation. Its 23-litre fuel tank delivers a good range – and the comfortable dual seat and wind-beating rally-raid style nose cowl and high screen take the strain on longer journeys. And with a wide range of accessories available, it’s easy to adapt your Ténéré 660 to suit individual needs. (From the Offical Yamaha Website.)
Practice bikes
Before we are going to "smash" some really new bikes, we would like to practice driving (single cylinder) on an all-road bike on all sorts of terrain. Even though we really like our current bikes, they are very unsuitable for such training.
The Yamaha XT 600 would be a suitable choice, or it's close relatives the XT 600 E, the XT 600 Ténéré or the XT 600 Z Ténéré. With a slightly different engine, there is also the XTZ 660 Ténéré.
Honda also has a bike with almost the same configuration, the NX 650 Dominator. A bit more off-road minded, Honda also offers the XR 500, the XR 600 R, the XR 650, the XR 650 L and the XR 650 R.
Honda XL 600 R
As can be read on the main page, we have bought us a first practice bike! A Honda XL 600 R. It's not ours yet, but we hope that somewhere between today and two weeks we will be able to pick it up from Heerhugowaard, Noord Holland.
In short
Displacement: 589.00 ccm (35.94 cubic inches)
Dry weight: 146.0 kg
Engine type: Single cylinder
Fuel system: OHC