oh, lot's of things - more power, more fun, more reliability and durability etc

:D

IMO, it doesn't matter too much if there are electronics onboard - even older bikes have it. Few things that influence my decision:

• can the bike be ridden without an instrument console. IC generally one of the things that break if you do come off somewhere and is an expensive bit of gear to replace. Some bikes like 800GS and 800Tiger uses the IC will not run if there is no IC or if it is damaged. The 2016-2019 AT can be run without it.
• don't use a new model on the market - there is no proper support base for it and if you ask a technical question on a forum, you'd likely be the 1st person to ever encounter this problem and no easy-fix would be available
• what's the international support like for the model? it's unlikely there would be dealers everywhere for any model, but if you need spares - can you get them shipped in? I know BMW will ship parts anywhere, but seeing I can't even get some parts for my AT from Honda Australia for weeks at a time, I'd say its unlikely they'd be helpful in shipping overseas LOL. Obviously a good mate at home to take care of arrangements for you can greatly simplify things.
• personal preference - I don't like riding small bikes, so buying something local does not appeal to me, no matter how much sense it makes. I also like to set my bikes up, so getting on a standard model is always a let-down for me. I ride because I love riding, not because its cheaper etc. So if I don't get a smile walking to the boney in the morning, then I'm not in it.

One thing you probably won’t need is more power....


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Just about any bike made in last 5 years has multiple ECU's for engine, abs etc...

BMW has a huge footprint in the world, especially for overlanders and adventure riders.

I have seen very plentiful and avid BMW bikes in-

Morocco
South Africa
Colombia
Guatemala
Costa Rica
Mexico
Thailand
China

So parts wise...they have a huge reach.

Though I prefer Triumphs for torque and power, mainly the Tiger 800 series, I have owned 3, but only road in USA.

One thing I think a lot people forget, is a motorcycle is only as capable as its tires, and its pilot/rider. Those two factors make a HUGE difference on any motorcycle, especially Tires...50/50 is needed for anything off pavement IMO.

You'd have to get a 40-year-old bike to avoid electronic ignition.
The D-reg DR600 below packed up in Algeria when the 'black box' went as they sometimes did in those days (especially on Suzukis of that era).
Not had a bike do that since so I'd still take CDI over points and EFI over carbs any day.

I can understand where the OP is coming from. A lot of bikes have unnecessary complication – do we really need 3 levels of engine braking? But as has been said, there are many great RTW-ready travel bikes available now which remain just 'black box ignition' also managing the injection plus ABS (which won't affect braking if it packs up).

640 Adv
 

There are some KTM 640 Adv around still, in pretty good conditions. Quite vibey but very tough and ready to ride anywhere, for cheap. I rode mine thousansdof miles in Haiti, Dominica Republic, Canada, Europe, Egypt, Morocco already. It’s my «*ship to*» bike, low cost insurance and import wise, and easy to leave behind if th8ngs go South? I maintain it in top mechanical order for not so much, and will still use it this summer for some thousands more miles on the TET across the Balkans instead of my 790R or shiny R1250GS. Each bike has its purpose. 790R for the Alps, 1250 for touring with... For me it’s a no brainer, if I had only one bike to keep, it would be my 640 Adv. My 2 cents. Ride on!:scooter:

But did you like riding the KLR650? It sounds like the example you had was just old and knackered. Why not buy a newer, low mileage KLR?

Another cylinder, more power and reliability.

The test ride on the Himalayan revealed that it is not ideal for long highway stretches at high speed - it will do it but it made my fingers tingle through the vibrations - I am assured by Chris Scott that these vibes will ease up when the bike has some miles on it.

Power wise it has enough for what it is designed to do but the delivery is nice, lots of low down power. The bike is great fun on back roads - I didn't take it off road so can't comment.

Reliability was an issue but that appears to have been solved pretty well with the latest version.

I don't see a problem with a single cylinder engine - the KLR and DR650 seem to get by.

In much of the world you are not likely to be traveling over 60mph.....you don’t go RTW and spend your time on the main highways


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Not being argumentative but wouldn’t that depend on what RTW trip one is doing?


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STW
 

I suppose you will get your highly strung Nick Sanders types, but most of us here from wealthier developed Western societies see the big travel adventure of overlanding as exploring the backroads (or just ‘roads’) of less developed countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Part of this ‘adventure’ in th Global South is that you soon become aware of your exposure and other risks, and learn that most of the time it’s not possible or inadvisable to ride at speeds you could easily manage on a touring holiday back home.

So 60 or thereabouts sounds like a stress-free ideal to me, though I admit it’s better to not to be tapped-out at that speed (as on a 250 or a Him).

Maybe we need a new acronym: doing an STW (Seeing The…)

Yes you can go around the world on a northerly route and never step off the main highways, but if you are travelling through “ 3rd world” countries then smaller and cheaper will be the way to go. Power and speed are not required. The ability to get the bike through a Hostal’s front door or loaded onto a Small boat would be helpfu.