REALITY VERSUS FANTASY: THOUGHTS ON SCRAMBLERS

[Doug-504]

Quite an interesting article in “The Vintagent”, re: do we need “adventure” bikes? I ponder this question as I frequently tour rural Northumberland on my 1989 R80RT, and on occasions deliberately “get lost” on single track routes not too dissimilar to those in the YouTube videos shown in the article by Nick Adams. Whilst out on such routes I rarely see any other bikes but on the way back home at the end of a day will frequently see them, (of a variety of makes) parked up outside the coffee stops in Stanhope. No problem in that, I also do runs to my favourite coffee stops but are the oversized “adventure bikes” the 2 wheeled equivalent of the Chelsea tractors seen in the supermarket car park?
Link to the article below, and have a look at Nick Adams YouTube channel of his trips on his 1972 Moto Guzzi Eldorado.

https://thevintagent.com/2024/10/21/rea ... cramblers/

[melville]

I've had no issues getting my street-tired bikes to any sensible dirt road destination, like a hiking trailhead and the like:





Sometimes I get turned back (actually I left the bike here and hiked a half mile to the viewpoint):



Sometimes my pillion takes selfies on a dirt road:





Hot springs destinations:







Trailheads:







Anyway, I sometimes contemplate putting knobby or ADV tires on one* of my Airheads but I think that would just get me into bigger trouble further away from help than I would do with the current level of equipment. Like if I can't get the bike going from a stop (uphill in soft dirt, it's happened a few times) it's probably time for me to turn around before I end up under a 500 lb motorbike.

Jeff (ME 109) may chime in with his R100RS enduro footage sometime. Brave man!

If you're enjoying the ride and the view there's no problem with just tractoring your way around in 2nd gear. We ain't racing these things.


*I have an incomplete R75/6 that could be Scramblerized but at this point I think I'd rather make it a minimalist cafe racer. I am quietly looking for a B31 or B33 to make a trail bike.

[SteveD]

Airheads were the adventure bikes in the 1970's (at least) here in Oz. They were all over the outback.

I'm not as brave as Jeff with the RS on bad dirt...I've added a cheap R1100gs for that stuff. Airhead gs type adventure bikes are far too expensive.

[Rob Frankham]

I think we should, perhaps, leave people to ride what they want to ride and avoid making derogatory comments about their chosen 'style'.

Rob

[Doug-504]

Great photographs Melville, I really must begin to take some images on my runs out into Northumberland. Small scale landscapes compared to your routes no doubt. I’m never further than 90 minutes from “civilisation” but it can feel remote at time’s, particularly when you haven’t seen another person on the route.

[ME 109]

Hmmm perhaps not bravery, maybe stupid and reckless. It was bloody fun tho.
Road tyres for dry conditions, road tyres in mud with due caution. Mostly works.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF42L7v ... ZjgxcnM%3D

[boxden]

@melvile where's this place?

[melville]

@melvile where's this place?

Pix in my post are from Northern California and Southern Oregon. Call it the State of Jefferson:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson ... fic_state)

I've lived the past 25 years in the area on both sides of the existing border.