Lorraine,

For the desert half more power would be useful, but if you're on say a 350 travelling suitably light that should be adequate. For the mud and muck it's a no-brainer - the lighter the better, especially since you're small. Good modern 4-strokes are very reliable, and should be just as reliable as a bigger engine.

Re picking up the bike, first off you MUST be able to pick up the bike yourself without having to remove everything. If you need to remove the top box/pack and tank bag to do so that's fine, they should come off very quickly and easily - make sure they do.

You should then be able to pick it up. If you can't, then I strongly recommend rethinking the bike and your load.

The Links page has an article on how to pick up a bike, well worth reading for smaller people - and even us bigger folks trying to pick up a loaded bike.

The inflator bag is a poor option imho - what if it fails? - what if you can't start the bike? And you probably can't when it's lying on it's side, most bikes won't run lying down. A battery powered version would be dodgy - what it the bike then won't start because you've drained the battery getting it vertical? And you can bet the whole rig is going to be bulky and HEAVY and you will have to pack it - ummm, on the top box/rack, which you will have to unpack, and the clip will always be on the down side... and then repack it covered with mud... mmmm, naaa.

You should make a point of travelling extremely lightly. There is a young German girl I know that rides an R100GS - with no tank bag, no top box/bag, only half-full saddlebags for months on her own in North Africa. She's not a big girl, she's very slender and around 5' 8". She manages the R100GS fine because it's relatively very light unloaded and the centre of gravity is low. But it's not good in the mud and muck, as it is still much heavier than a good 250-350 dirt bike, and nowhere near as easy to ride off-road. If you've never ridden a decent modern trail bike, only street bikes, you will NOT believe how big a difference there is off-road. It's night and day.

Another very small girl rode a Suzuki DR350 from Alaska to Ushuaia and was very happy with it. Her boyfriend was on an Africa Twin I think, and they were both impressed with the DR350.

hope that rather lengthy answer helps! Feel free to ask more questions. And don't forget to keep us informed on your progress and let us know when you leave!

------------------
Grant Johnson

Share the Dream!
at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

I’ve heard there is a device you can attach to the muffler of a Land Rover that then inflates a bellows.......

It's called an Air-Jack. You can get it in every 4X4 shop but...It is, like Grant said, extremly heavy and large and you can't use it with a bike since it is not stable. Besides all that, it's also very expensive

Maarten

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Hmm. Yes, the air inflator sounds great but the reality could be somewhat different as you both point out!

The old Honda 360CB is the only bike I’ve ever owned and it was a perfect size and I could pick it up. Only off-road bike was what I learnt on, a 125 Bultaco and a Yamaha Enduro. Yes, these new on-off road bikes are a different breed.

I do keep hearing of the DR350, but I hear they’re not making it now? Hear they’re making a 400 DRz, and when I look at the seat height, ( at 36.8 inches ) it’s really too high. I’m finding that seat height is also having to be my starting place . Anything is the 90cm is too high. There’s only so much a bike can be lowered and the cushioning taken out. Right? Part of the problem at the moment is I live in Kenya, and am getting fantastic advice on other aspects of touring, because this is where people are doing it. But, there’s only a BMW and KTM dealer here. So info limited. I’ll probably be going to England in March, but want as much info as possible before then. The actual trip won’t be until next December or so, but I’m pretty excited, have my list, made a trial packing the other week (yes, very light, very little). And ok, ok, this is a book project involving four women traveling solo by four different modes of transport via four different routes to Timbuktu. Then I’ll be continuing on to South Africa.

Thanks for directing me to the Links page.
Lorraine

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Based on my research, if I want to take the small is smart route, but still keep to the dual sport type, I'll narrow my choices to two very similar, very keen, bikes - Honda Baja 250 XR and Suzuki Djebel 250 XC. Both are Japanese market only machines but may be available as grey imports in some countries. There are companies which export them including good-as-new second hand ones. Try www.oandkjapan.co.jp.

Both bikes are highly specced - c, 6 speed, with impressive power, around 30 hp. What's more, they are fitted out for LDT if not exactly RTW with a 17 litre fuel tank in the case of the Djebel.

If not the KTM 640 Adventure R or BMW 650 GS Dakar, mark the Djebel for me!

I will be traveling the Trans American trail this summer on my trusty 1971 Honda CT90. It has a few modifications but its a great simple little bike. It gets about 100 mpg and I have enough gas to go 150 miles or so. The bike is simple and has an abundant amount of parts which are fairly inexpensive. It has a 4 speed clutchless transmission with a hi/lo setup. top speed in hi is 55mph, in low is 25 mph. Its a small bike but it works, and I cant afford anything else righ now.

Seth, have fun on the CT90 - they're tough, and they have been ridden around the world more than once.

When on the Transam Trail, don't make Ted Simons famous mistake - just because you get 150 miles out of a tank on the street doesn't mean you will off-road. In fact I'd expect somewhere around half. Or less. Or better! Depends very much on conditions. Half is a good calculator, but leave yourself spare!

(Ted almost died in the Sudan on his first trip around the world, not realising that riding in first gear in heavy sand with lots of pushing and wheel spinning meant his gas mileage was cut drastically.)

So are you going to send us trip reports? Have you seen Russell Fishers report on his trip on the trail in the travellers stories pages?


------------------
Grant Johnson

One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

just to add further....

I have a 650cc honda dommie which i rode india to uk, great bike and super strong, but this time when i went to india i hired a CBZ Hero Honda 150cc and toured for 3 months. It really impressed me, fast, strong, much more comfortable saddle, super good economy,and crucially light like a toy and therefore really easy to handle and great for offroad exploring. Plus its a local bike so had the added advantage of not drawing the staring crowds.

I can't recommend it enough to travellers thinking of going to india who don't want the hassle of an enfield, plus it cost only 150rupees a day rental.(about 3.5 U$)

I think the machismo of motorcycling can mislead us on what really is the right machine for the job. small is beautiful.

I'll be sure to do some gas calculations and experimenting before I go. I have read Russel Fishers report of his ride on the transamtrail and I have tried emailing him but have had no responses. I also emailed sam correro, but havent heard anything back yet. I have been reading all the accounts of the trail that i can, and absorbing as much info as possible.
I will certainly try and post updates to as my travels progress. if that os not possible then I will be sure to put up a thorough write up with pictures when I finish.

any suggestions on how to get ahold of Sam Correro would be appreciated.

Seth S

well i wondered about touring on a honda cg125 after reading these pages i thought why not. thanks

yep, pretty much whatever you have or whatever your budget can support is good for touring on. A moped might be a little on the extreme, but if its all I had, I'd pack light and say what the hell.

Seth S

Hi,
Going the light bike route has all sorts of other advantages, certainly in southern Africa where I do most of my riding.
I'm about to test my 'speed doesn't matter' theory with my little Honda 200cc ag bike.
I sometimes mix 'n match, using trucks or trains for parts of journeys, so the lighter and smaller the bike, the easier it is to persuade some pick-up driver to load it on back. And if something breaks in northern Mozambique, well, a battered van will come along some time and save my ass.
Have owned and toured on Suzuki SP370, XT500 and CJ750. The trail bikes were great but spares are getting expensive and impossible to find in most of Africa. The CJ was just too heavy although sidecars do have their uses when touring two up.
In India (Yezdi 250 2-stroke) and Vietnam (Honda Cub and Minsk 125), having cheap and reliable, if slow, transport took care of all the worries.
Going bike camping this weekend on the Honda. Nice dirt and mountains around Cape Town. Ag Country!

Nothing against light bikes:

I met a japanese girl on my trip in Australia!
She rode a 50cc Ex-Australia-Post Moped that would only do 50 km/h, BUT

1. it took only 2-2,5 liters per one hunded kilometers. (40-50 km per Liter)-that way the extra petrol she took with her lasted around 200 KM!!!!

2. It was lightweight - without the luggage she could actually CARRY it through rivers!

3. She took an enormous box on the back which the bike didn't really seem to impress - it was almost more luggage than I had.

4. NOONE steals such a bike - at least less often than a big one.

5. Because she could only do 50 km/h (I assume around 26 miles an hour), it took her longer to go somewhere....
BUT she could ride all day long, 'cause with 50 km/h no Kangaroo or Cow really was a problem, where I was worrying about bumping into one at dusk or night...

BUT if it was only budgetwise, is it REALLY that expensive in other places???
You get a 250cc or 650cc at the same price around here, when they have the same mileage and shape...
AND they both start at around 650 EUROS (well now THAT is a bargain, but you CAN get it) - or US-Dollars - whatever you want...

I do buy a KLR 650 with 26.000 km on the clock WITH carrier and boxes right now!
Supposed to be in good shape, garage-maintained (even if I do not REALLY count on those fellows) and stored in a garage...

And it's supposed to take around 5 liters with a 20 liter tank...

Interested to hear more...

Greetings Mel

P.S. It's always a good idea to buy a bike OFF-SEASON

[This message has been edited by onlycookie (edited 10 October 2002).]

Here is a link a guy who did it RTW on a CT90:

http://www.dispatch.co.za/1998/02/25...ncape/SLOW.HTM

Hello fellow travelers,

What Bike?: Any bike you want. Shakespear's Hamlet said once, "There's a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will."

I switched to Honda XR250L from a heavy 1000cc non off road beemer and I'll never go back. I have nearly 30,000 miles on the ol girl and nearly every mile has been pure pounding, often fully loaded and fully wound up until you'd swear it was going to melt down. I like really fast, heavily loaded, long distance enduro bash trips taking dirt when ever I can and enjoying plenty of airtime to boot! I smell the roses too, but trying to find the human and mechanical limits really is fun! I have taken good mechanical care of it but I'll be the first to admit I have been extremely hard on it and I don't see it needing any major work anytime soon. I'd like to hear some tales from other readers on how far they've seen the RFVC 250 engine go in terms of mileage. I believe this one could go 60,000 miles before major engine work. Anyone?

[This message has been edited by Jason Smolka (edited 15 November 2002).]

Hihi, interesting topic. I own a XR250R, very good offroad bike but cant really bring it for distance. My gasket wore off easily, like after 500-700km. Does anyone there have same encounter?

Tot of getting a Yamaha XT for road use. Will be mainly for highway. What's the comfortable top speed it can go?

Pls drop me a mail at lavazero@singnet.com.sg