Just to clear one thing up, Che used a single cylinder 1930's Norton. For some reason H4 is in my mind, but I know nothing of Nortons if that is even a real type. I might just be thinking of light bulbs

Thumpers have a limited range between snatching the transmission and running into vibration at higher revs. If that 'sweet spot' is around the speed at which you want to travel they can be really relaxing.
Twins, and by that I mean twins with even firing strokes have power pulses a mere 180 degrees apart, a third of the time between a thumpers power pulses at 540 degrees apart. So twins can run at slower rpm smoothly than singles. Singles though tend to be more fuel efficient at normal speeds.
Personally I would probably take an Enfield, as for less than £500 I could have 400 mile range tank, bash plate, 21" front wheel and a big fat ass sprung single seat. Not everybody though would enjoy cruising with 55Mph as your most comfortable speed.

Your definition of "constructive" is different from mine. You can as easily use the search function as I can, and can therefore find threads which address all your questions as easily as I. My definition of constructive, in this instance: suggesting that you go ahead and do that, then return when you've refined your questions. Many here don't want to do the work for you, and many don't want to answer the same basic questions repeatedly for the benefit of people who don't want to do their own research. You need to know this.

That's why on every internet forum since Al Gore's first glimmerings you'll find something which says, in essence, "Lurk for a while before posting," and then "Use the search function before posting." Sound advice.

Constructively yours,

Mark

@oldbmw-

Thank you for a very clear and well explained response. My mistake on the Che bike- I thought I had read it was a Triumph. Funny you mentioned the Enfields- last I was in India, I was a breath away from buying one and touring the subcontinent. If only I hadn't been carried away by the distraction of a beautiful girl I like your more unconventional approach to touring S.Am. and your way of thinking is appreciated.

@marc-

Thanks, but I don't feel I will be requiring your input any further. I wish you the best of luck finding new ways to best spend your time and energy.

And best of luck to you in soliciting the information you crave.

Safe journeys!

Mark

(from Uruguay, where the internet is sluggish but omnipresent)

Getting out and riding a few bikes is probably the best way to gauge what suits you. Riders can politic all day about the bikes they prefer, but at some point you'll
need to get on something and see how it feels.

Sorry to see some "Attitude" here and what seems like some misunderstandings. HUBB is usually pretty friendly but Mark is right in that lots of the same stuff is asked. Most don't mind putting forth an opinion, I don't anyway.

Mark is in the middle of a Butt kicking long S. America ride so who knows what else he's going through. I've been there. Life on the road can make you crazy sometimes. Not all puppies, lollypops and Moonbeams.

That KLR shown above looks like a very good deal and not a bad beginner bike. I don't think you can go too wrong on that bike. The new KLR's may look ugly, but they work better than the old one.

Training
There is a guy in Colorado who posts on ADV. Neduro. He teaches off road/dual sport riding technique classes. He's good. I've seen his instructional DVD. Since you are in CO, I would contact him and sign up for a class.

The only danger is he'll try to convince you to buy a $16,000 KTM
He bleeds Orange. (KTM sponsor him)

If he can't help himself, perhaps he can recommend an instructor for off road for you. A few days on the trails with a good teacher and you'll be years ahead.

Any off road training you get will instantly transfer over to On Road riding as well. So it's all good! After that its just a bit of practice and putting in seat time.

As your riding life progresses you will likely fall in and out of love with many bikes. This is just what happens. Best to get on and ride and do the best you can with whatever you get. Have fun, stay safe!

Outside of two weeks of putzing around Bali on a rented bike, how much riding experience do you have? On road, off road, doesn't matter...

If you've never ridden before, get yourself a plated XR400 or a DRZ400S and ride the hell out of them around home. Spend a few days out camping off of a bike unsupported, take some long multi-day rides (try the TransAmerica Trail first for example, the eastern half as far as Salida is pretty easy going but gets more difficult out west), make sure you enjoy it (not everyone does), and get some seat time.

Personally I'd recommend the bike I have now (Yamaha WR250R) over any of the bikes you've looked at so far, but I'm biased because I love my little blue pill. Motor's strong enough to cruise comfortably at 65-70mph smoothly while still being geared right for tight off-road riding, the suspensions pretty good for a dual sport, I found the stock saddle comfortable for 400+ mile days with a sheepskin cover, and had 17,000+ trouble free miles on my first one before it was stolen (replaced it with an identical bike a month later).

__________________
2008 Yamaha WR250R

I don't think you can generalise like this. There's more to it than just engine layout. Fueling, ignition timing, and flywheel weight are all going to make massive differences to engine 'character' and performance.


I think the original poster needs to decide what amount of off road exploration they're going to be doing. Most people who do long distance motorcycle travel don't really do much off road at all, even if they're riding a lightweight dirtbike. Rough potholed and gravel roads are more likely and often are what people mean when they use the term off road, but anything on two wheels can get down these as long as you don't go so fast as to exceed your suspension capability.

__________________
UK to Mongolia 2009, on a DR350

More advertising I'm afraid. BMW's break down through using the same ****y, bought in components that every other manufacturer uses. BMW's higher price is a very well thought out part of their advertising and a result of speading a lot of weird development over too few bikes, not different components. I've had four and when some garbage electrical connector or seal decides not to play it doesn't matter what the logo on the tank is. The thing with getting places is to know your bike. Doesn't matter if it's a swollen carb O-ring on an Enfield or the CAN-Bus to Ring antenna interface on an LT1300, if you know what it is and where it is you've a chance to fix it, if you don't you can't.

Andy

What about a DL650 V-Strom?
I'd get that or the KLR 650. F800GS has had a pretty bad rap for reliability on a number of fronts....
The KLR would free up a lot of cash for the travels.....and if it got nicked, it's a lot less to lose than the wonga you'll have forked out for the beemer.

Yes, all those things have an effect on the characteristics, But the three times longer ( actually a bit more) time between power pulses allow the transmission time to 'relax' much more on a single. Hence a greater likelihood of snatch. It is a time thing, the weight of the transmission parts (usually the chains and clutch) need so much time to move. For instance a 1949 7:1 CR Triumph Thunderbird was good to go from 20mph to 100mph on 65 octane 'pool' petrol. I doubt you can find a single that would do this.
Overgearing a single is also a bad as it increases both the road speed necessary and the load (and consequently the strength of the power pulses) on the chains.
You wont notice this effect as much on a C50 as on a 500cc Enfield, Because the C50 has smaller power pulses and usually spins faster than an Enfield. The enfields transmission parts may be heavier than the C50's but the engine turns disproportionately slower and thumps heavier than a C50 even though its flywheels are much heavier.
From a riders viewpoint though, generally, the more pistons and the smaller they are gives less perceived vibration than those engines with few heavy pistons. In my view the best of all are the triples, as the pistons stop one at a time. unlike on inline fours which all stop at the same time. This often leads to a feeling of 'buzziness'.

I am not a World Traveler by any stretch. Never been over 5,000 miles from home by bike but I do have an opinion!

I have read ALL the stuff that Mark recommended and agree that it would be good prep for you, if you have time.

I have put 20,000 miles on a pre 08 KLR, 18,000 miles on a DR650, 3,000 miles on a DRZ 400s and about 80,000 miles between a Goldwing 1800/ BMW 1150 GS Adventure.
The Goldwing is gone it did not work well for the Adventure type riding that I love!

If you expect you average speed to be over 60mph I would recommend the multi cylinder bike.
If under 60 mph average I would take a thumper!

I am a Thumper guy , I like my KLR but changed over to the DR 650 which I prefer for my type riding.
I may have lost my mind last week :-) and added a BMW 650 x challenge. I think it is going to be my favorite but time will tell!

Thank you again to everyone who has responded. With more research, I seem to be focusing in. Of the more readily available bikes in my region, (no africa twins or teneres) , I am starting to get really stoked on the DR650. With the suspension mods, bigger tank, corbin, etc, it seems pretty ideal.
A recent poster asked how much Id be offroad. My position is I would want to do a fair amount of off tarmac/ trail riding, as Ill have the time on my trip to do so. I just want to be able to cruise the tarmac comfortably at normal speeds. I can get a used DR cheap, which would compensate for the cost of all the mods. Once its all kitted up and ready, it just seems like a sweet setup. I find that parts should be readily available, and that it would be a bike I could fix myself without undue aggravation. During my life, I have ridden bikes on numerous occasions, but never full on like I am about to. I am going to take up the offer from another poster above and take an extensive off-road training course, and will take a mechanics course as well. I want to be able to dissect that bike myself. I have a long history with bicycles, camping, and international travel, so I've no doubts keeping me from jumping in head first. Thanks again for the input. I am really starting to get anxious to get things together! I watch member videos and read their photo journals, and I start crawling out of my skin with anticipation.

2 more things-

If one would want a bit more power on the DR, any thoughts on boring the cylinder? (this just sprang to mind- i will also use the 'search' option)

Some of the Husqvarnas like the TE 610 or 630 seem pretty sweet, but that if anything goes wrong with them in C.Am. or S.Am. you will have a bitch of a time finding parts. can anyone confirm this? Seems like a great bike but for Europe or staying in the USA because of the parts issues.

The DR is a good choice. I had a KLR and sold it to buy a DR650. The KLR used to be King among many US Adventure riders but in the last few years the DR650 has sort of taken over the throne as "best travel dual sport".

ADV rider has much more info on the DR650 than anywhere ... perhaps a bit too much! The main DR650 thread on the ADV rider Thumpers forum is huge: 3.7 million views, 2200 pages, 33,000 posts. Insane. But its all there ... usually three or four times probably!

the DR650 thread - ADVrider

IMHO, I would not go to big bore DR. A good friend just did this. No problems with his bike at all, runs fine. But its really NO FASTER than my stock (but well tuned) DR. His bike also has the Mikuni TM40 Pumper Carb.
Poor fuel economy and a little stronger off the bottom from stock, but overall, IMO, not worth the expense.

Best to get a nice stock, low mileage DR and do the required mods. Take a few shake down rides locally in Colorado this Summer, make adjustments and go.

+1 to that. Anything standard is less likely to fail because it was someones job to put thousands and thousands of hours testing in to get the tolerances and clearances right. Anything modified gains in one area (power and torque in this case) but you won't really have a clue what areas (bearings, con-rods, fuel economy??) it'll subtract from and by how much. Secondly, if/when it does go pop it's far easier to wheel a standard bike into some workshop, point at the duff bit and make crunching noises than it is to explain in Portugese that the cylinder was bored out to 63.7 mm, the piston is from a 1973 Ford Capri and the valve timing was set up by a bloke called Nigel in Barnsley who seemed to know what he was doing.

If you feel the need for a 70+ mph road crusing speed, you need to be back looking at BMW's, V stroms etc. Honestly though so long as you aren't the slowest thing on the road you'll soon tune your head in to what the bike will do. As an ex-Enfield owner, there are limits if you are trying to use a 40 mph bike on 80 mph roads, but I wouldn't say the singles and trip you are looking at fall into that category.

Andy