Hi, I am brand new to the bike scene. I want to do a trip starting from somewhere from Europe going to as far east as I want to/have time to/have money to (Which means unknown road condition in countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, etc.)

I would think the roads will be around 80% tarmac but with pot holes and in generally bad condition. I have therefore looked into an Adventure Touring or Dual Purpose bike from Kawasaki and Honda (since they looked quite reasonably priced).

My budget is MAX 9000 USD but I would definitely prefer something in the 5000-7000 USD price range (4500 - 6000 Euros).
I want my ride to be comfortable and seating position should be upright. I am going to have around 15 kilos of luggage on the back including my skinny body of around 72 kilos. I am quite tall 185 cm (6"1). I am only allowed to drive a 48 HP machine but it can be reduced from upwards of 96 HP.

I have looked into 3 bikes, but since I have not owned a bike before I am not brand dependent or have any bias towards any brand. The bikes should, of course, be reliable and relatively easy to fix by me or a normal mechanic in Kazakhstan.

Bike #1 Kawasaki Versys X 300
Bike #2 Honda CB500X
Bike #3 Kawasaki KLR650 2016 (but it is not sold in Europe?)

Any other bikes I should look into or any of these three bikes I should forget about?

I would like to buy a new bike, but I am open to ideas.

Teach me, masters!

Edit #1: I am looking to buy the bike in Germany and get export plates since getting a bike registered in my home country (Denmark) is just too expensive (nearly double the price (80% extra to be kind of precise))

If it was my decision, I would go with the KLR - if you can buy one. They've been around for many years and will be a bit easier to get parts for than the other two.


That said, if you can't buy one in Germany I'm not sure how it made it to your short list...


The other two bikes seem to have a pretty good rep. I don't think you could go wrong with either one.

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Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

I would love to get your recommendations for some other bikes that could make my short list a bit longer. Variety is always good

I have heard that the newer KLR650 models are not allowed in the EU because of either pollution or noise... So I, unfortunately, think they are a bit hard to find without being very old.

Do you think that the Versys X 300 or CB500X could do 15000 km on asphalt which is bumpy and torn down?

Suzuki Drz 400 or a Suzuki Dr650, but the 650 will have the same availability problems as the Klr in Europe.

Apart from that any 250 will be great, Kawa Klx 250, Honda Crf 250l, Yamaha Wr 250r etc. Light weight, great fuel milage, cheap to buy, lightweighted which makes them great offroad and other places where the going gets though. Weight is your biggest enemy offroad and when the going gets though.

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In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

Do you think a Dual purpose would be comfortable on highways for long periods of time?

And will 250 be enough, I think most roads on my trip will be either highways or at least 50 mph (80 km/h) roads?

tarmac? what tarmac?



not sure why you're allowed ride only 48hp but if so look for xt660z tenere,
you're tall you can manage. Rock solid bike with very good bad roads and off-road capabilities and easy to fix. (if you can still get one because it was discontinued this year in EU) Personally I would not bother with less then 500c bike for such trip. Honda CB500x is good choice too, especially with adventure kit.

Well - you might need to upgrade and adjust the bike you choose to your preferances, but that is goes for any bike. Seat, footpegs, handlebars, windscreen, grips etc.

A modern 250 will easliy cruise at 90-100 km/h and even more so your speed demands will be handled ok. I cant really see the need to go faster on a loaded travelbike. A 250 will be so much better than a big and heavy bike when the roads get tough and so much better for your wallet too.

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In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

The KLR would be my choice of the three listed but it's a bit of a moot point if there's none for sale in Germany. If you are, as you say, tall, skinny and inexperienced then I'd suggest as light a bike as possible and a 250 trail bike would be a great choice. Others have listed the possibilities and any of them would work.

A few points to consider though:

Don't dismiss the advantages of light weight and get seduced by power output and engine size. On anything but Euro motorways / trunk roads you'll rarely need more than about 30bhp.

Reliability is paramount, and especially so if grease under the fingernails hasn't featured much in your past. You can forgive a bike a lot if it starts ups and moves under its own power when you're in the middle of nowhere. IMHO and your circumstances stay away from anything that doesn't have its parentage somewhere in Japan.

Once out of Europe you'll bless the day you chose something with decent suspension. Small trailies (or big ones come to that) are not generally blessed with all day comfortable seats but at least the suspension eases the pain when you hit a pothole. Aftermarket "fixes" / reupholsters litter the internet but believe me when I say that your posterior does (eventually) adapt.

If you think choosing the bike is tricky, just wait till you start dealing with the paperwork!

Good luck though, it sounds like a great trip.

I found this yesterday. You might relate.

You can start watching at 5:30...

https://youtu.be/hAjlV2DdC5o

I am definitely open to doing some aftermarket parts on a 250 dual purpose but since I know jack shit about bikes, I don't know what to get, how to put it on, etc.

For me, I think it would be a safer bet to get something that works from the get go, right?

Yeah, I looked a bit around for a XT660Z new-ish model with low mileage. Anything I should be aware of when buying a used bike?

I am only allowed to ride a 48hp bike because I have not got the "full" driver's license which you can get at age 24. I've got the medium one, which you can get at age 20. (I'm 21)

I can definitely relate to the "never rode a bike in his entire life guy"

That's the trouble with the internet; you ask 10 people a question and you'll get 20 different answers. The reality is that most of the gnarly old stagers on here would do a trip such as yours on whatever they've got rather than starting from scratch. I've done trips this year on half a dozen different bikes ranging from a mid 70's 125 Suzuki two stroke to a Honda GoldWing - including a KLR650 which I quite like as a travel bike. It's fairly basic but it kind of "fits" and I feel comfortable riding it long distance.

A KLR (if you could get one), a DR650 (again if you could get one) or a XT-Z would probably be the mainstream choice, but that mainstream would consist of people who have years of experience behind them. For someone starting out I think weight is the biggest hurdle you'll face. By the time you load any of those bikes up (and with the extra power of the 600s it's easy to keep piling stuff on) you'll be struggling at low speed. Maybe if you were built like a night club bouncer it wouldn't be so bad but if you're not it can become a real struggle at times. It's easier with experience but you have to get there first.

That's why I suggested a 250. Sure, you can't mix it with the Porsches on the autobahn and it can be a bit of a grind on long mountain climbs but the lack of weight will make riding it a pleasure the rest of the time. Use soft luggage (there's quite a few decent makes around) and if you can keep it down to around 15kg (I'd have my doubts ) you'll feel the benefit when the tarmac runs out (or breaks up). Personally I'd avoid loading the bike up with aftermarket parts - soft luggage (depending on the bike you might need some kind of add-on to keep it off the exhaust) and thinking about fuel range would be it.

Before planning anything else I would check with whatever travel (medical) insurance company that you plan to use that you will be covered, UK insurers will not cover anyone who does not have a full motorcycle licence, also check you can get an International driving permit or you may not be legal to ride outside of the EU.

bike with low mileage, well maintained and clean title history should not be a problem, would not worry about it. Take some mechanic with you so he can check it for you.

BTW, if you're new to biking I would advice take some training on and off-road once you buy a bike to get to know each other before such long trip.