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Small/mid Adventure bikes have promise

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670 cc: "I assumed the 400X is just a displacement reduced 500X made to align with rider licensing classifications in those countries where it is marketed. I think Japan jumps to a different license class at 400cc, so I saw specs that say the 400X is 399cc...."

Yes, anything at 400 and larger is the biggest class of licenses in Japan and the most difficult to obtain. Although we never saw any of that here, the domestic market Honda motorcycles had all sorts of trick stuff in their 250 (249) and 400 (399) offerings. I remember they even had a 50 cc, 2-stroke scooter with a foot-operated, exhaust port valve! :)
 
Hey Janus, here's one of two CB500X guys I met riding, this one up on the Blackfeet Nation coming down from Canada. The other was from Tennessee and camping in Glacier NP. We swapped bikes one day, he was as interested in the NC as I was in the 500, sorry I didn't have the camera with me then.

2017-05-21 16;08;17 by greenboy, on Flickr

2017-05-21 16;08;28 by greenboy, on Flickr

2017-05-21 16;10;10 by greenboy, on Flickr
I really like the 500. I came real close to buying one of those tan colored CB500Xs. I love that color scheme. In the end I decided it was too similar to the NC to own them side by side, so I bought a dual sport instead.
 
How did you like the CB?
Didn't have The Frunk ; }

A lot of similarity in power delivery, smooth, quiet, better seat than the NC. Seems like the forks felt nicer but that may be memory's deceit since this was several years ago. Now that the CB500X has a 19" up front I bet I'd like it even better. If anything, riding one at that time made me jump instantly to considering Rally Raid.

EDIT: In retrospect though, it's inevitable that any bike that gets ridden much off the pavement will need to be picked up. I'd rather have dirt bike-type plastics which can take a lot more abuse, as well as lower weight.
 
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I really like the 500. I came real close to buying one of those tan colored CB500Xs. I love that color scheme. In the end I decided it was too similar to the NC to own them side by side, so I bought a dual sport instead.
I only want two bikes around, so yeah, it's nice to have more spread between them. I really liked that tan color scheme too.
 
I only want two bikes around, so yeah, it's nice to have more spread between them. I really liked that tan color scheme too.
Right. I've settled on four diverse bikes. No point in having overlap in their purpose.

49cc Ruckus, scooter
249cc CRF, dual sport
670cc NC, solo, all purpose road bike
1832cc Gold Wing, two up and touring

I had added diversity with a 144cc dirt bike, but sold it last week as it overlapped somewhat with the dual sport.
 


And here's a LOL, something I would have thought was obvious but sales of bloatocycles have continued to prove otherwise: "Big surprise since everyone here already knows “heavier” and “more expensive” aren’t qualities on any adventure rider’s wish list. "
 
Right. I've settled on four diverse bikes. No point in having overlap in their purpose.

49cc Ruckus, scooter
249cc CRF, dual sport
670cc NC, solo, all purpose road bike
1832cc Gold Wing, two up and touring

I had added diversity with a 144cc dirt bike, but sold it last week as it overlapped somewhat with the dual sport.
Wow this is the dream stable for me! I might swap the Ruckus for a Super Cub though
 
Wow this is the dream stable for me! I might swap the Ruckus for a Super Cub though
Yes, I wish the Ruckus had a 150cc engine. Oh, well. Mainly have it because the wife also has one, and for her the Ruckus is easily modified to lower the seat height .
 
Right. I've settled on four diverse bikes. No point in having overlap in their purpose.

49cc Ruckus, scooter
249cc CRF, dual sport
670cc NC, solo, all purpose road bike
1832cc Gold Wing, two up and touring

I had added diversity with a 144cc dirt bike, but sold it last week as it overlapped somewhat with the dual sport.


Have four also. One is just a keepsake (NX650) and truth be known surplus to requirements. The Strom is for two up touring but still a fun bike solo. The CRF is for offroad mostly and the X-Adv is primarily for solo fun mostly on the road but gentle offroad when required similar to the NC. So I could make do with three and if absolutely necessary then two. Those two would be the CRF (a definite keeper) and either the Strom or the X-Adv, but I would have trouble making that choice.
 
A KTM 390 Adventure sure would make the nasty off-pavement side trips palatable when I'm out for a long day mostly on pavement. Example: On the NC yesterday toward the end of the day still 160+ miles from home, I could have gone 11+ miles into to a real cool ghost town with a lot of standing buildings. But it's on one of those primitive roads that you really aren't going to enjoy on an NC, winding up through lots of switchbacks into higher mining country, really bad skinny rocky road. It'd take a long time to do there and back, wouldn't allow much time for exploring, and it would not be fun riding.

I see non-paved "sidetrip" and longer connector roads like this a lot. Having done some, I don't relish spending way more time than I could do it on a DR650, a pre-2008 KLR650 etc. Especially when it's already been a longer ride and means showing up at home at night exhausted after worrying about hitting deer for a few hours. It's not a question of having more bikes to choose from at the start of the day to qualify on some "right tool for the job" checklist. Because I don't always know what I'm going to see later, often change routes from what I thought I would take based on exploring whims, weather, road construction...

There may be no unicorn, but I understand how a bike that's more competent off the pavement and pretty damn pleasing on it is a boon to riders like me.
 
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C'mon Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki – counter KTM's moves with a sub-400 pound adventure bike with a ~400-450cc engine and low service intervals, and body plastic that comes off easy for maintenance and can take a beating! No 300, thanks. Not everybody can ride or wants to ride a dualsport or plated dirt bike with 58" seat height.
 
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