What bike for the TAT?
 

Hi all,

I will be doing the Transamerica trail in late March/early April next year (skipping the parts covered in snow) however I'm requiring some advice on what bike to take.

My needs are;
- Able to ride the TAT with soft panniers and bag on the back
-Ability to ride two up with my partner for road/highway riding from North Carolina up to Toronto
-Can ride highways as well as off-road

I was looking at a modified DR650 but riding two up seems tot be an issue. I would love a honda africa but have concerns with riding this on the TAT.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

The African Twin and the GS1200 are VERY capable bikes.I would not hesitate to use either one of them to do the TAT or the BDRs. Riding two up on the route seems to be more of an issue. I would not want to be two up on the TAT through OK.

I rode the TAT last summer. I was on a F800GSA and rode with some guys on DR650s, XR650L and Africa Twin.

I'd say the DR650s were the best bikes for the trip. But, like you said, two up is an issue.

The Africa Twin is a good bike and did OK as did my F800GSA. I would say that the areas that will be difficult on these bikes though is Colorado and Utah. There is some really tough stuff in there.

Eastern part of the TAT is very simple till Colorado. Not terrible in Oregon except a few parts.

Hi Tdela - So it sounds like you are planning heading east to finish in North Carolina, then riding by road up to Toronto?

As you surmise, the higher elevation sections through Colorado will be closed due to snow, and you'll probably find higher elevations in Utah (in the middle, east of Ephraim, and again the La Sal mountains) will be snow-bound still too.

You'll still have an awesome trip, but a very small/light bike is not so necessary perhaps - just be aware that Oklahoma, Mississippi and Tennessee all have very muddy sections, which early in the year can be very slippery and miserable on two wheels - so be prepared to adjust your route accordingly. Fortunately in those states there are a good number of paved options to bypass anything really sticky and snotty.

There is a reason the KLR650 and DR650 are still considered the de facto TAT bikes - with the KLR being slightly better two-up for the final road ride up to Toronto.

If you've got the budget for a larger/more expensive bike - the F700/800GS or an Africa Twin would also be more that capable (as long as you are) on the TAT, and even nicer for the two-up final stage.

If you're looking for more budget conscious twin-cylinder alternative to the KLR/DR650s, don't discount the Honda CB500X either - they are really good with the Rally-Raid wheels and suspension, but even a stock bike on the right tyres with a skid plate and hand-guards is capable of traversing the TAT.

Have fun - just take some warm and waterproof gear with you!

Jenny x

One of the most important factors, regardless of the bike you choose, is the tires for the off surface and gravel/mud/sand areas. You need a 50/50 tires, which dont last as long as street tires 90/10 etc.

I would outfit the bike in Denver area with new 50/50 Shinkos or similar for the off road areas you will encounter.

I took a Triumph Tiger 800 on many fire roads and logging trails and atv trails in the Smokeys, Tennessee, Kentucky, North/South Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and having grip on gravel roads is night and day for speed, cornering and breaking, especially two up and loaded down, weight transfer in corners and braking is paramount to control...

We really need to know more about you and your passenger.

For the 'serious' parts of the TAT, the smaller the bike the better off you will be. For the 'boring' parts of the TAT, and any pavement, you will want something larger just to smooth out the ride some.

The modern GSA is probably the best pavement 2-up bike on the planet right now, with more spare weight capacity than anything else on the market. But, it's a beast, and if you aren't sure about your off-road skills it can be a nightmare.

If you and your passenger are smaller, an 800 might be a good compromise, smaller than the big GS but still able to deal with longer mile pavement days.

I know at least one couple traveling on a 650, and perfectly happy. They are on the smaller side, so it works for them.