So.....Size Doesn't Matter?

[deeptekkie]

Admittedly, I too have always believed that a bike needs to be of bigger displacement to stand the endeavors of long touring rides. Obviously, with today's bikes/engines this simply isn't true! (Or is it?) I'm not talking about cumulative miles....I mean taking your bike on a LONG trip.
(I may have alluded to this in another post a week or so back but there have been too many blue lights and high-speed bugs since then so here goes:
I was in a local Kaw dealer a few weeks ago and they told me that the little Honda Rebel (250) sitting out front, (in TN), belonged to a guy that had ridden up here from Florida!
The next week I was in the local Yamaha shop and told them about it and they said that was nothing: That there was a girl in there the day before on a Suzuki 125cc going cross country, USA coast to coast! (They said she said that it would do 70 mph on the interstate, enough to keep her out of trouble but that was all she needed from it. Good logic!)
How do you all feel about long/extremely long trips on small bikes? Would you embark on a 3000 mile - 8000 mile round trip on such a small displacement bike?
(Just picking the brains of my trusted friends here on a Friday night. I'm sure that some of you have done this....or worse!)

 

[Botch]

I actually have a book about riding cross-country on old, small-displacement bikes, some that can't muster more than 45 mph, so just take the back roads only. There's a lot of Americana (or Canadia, or Greecia, or Austrailana) that you'd otherwise miss!
It's called "Lightweight Unsupported Motorcycle Travel for Terminal Cases", by ... wow, there's no author listed, only "Aero Design & Mfg. Co, Inc". I've just added it to my "read" pile again, great little book!

 

[mk2wilson]

It can be done. As long as the bike is in good working order and well maintained the bike will hold up fine. The real question is can the rider take it. I know I wouldn't want to ride a 125 or 250 that far. To be honest I really wouldn't want to ride my FZ that far in one trip. Now the electra glide I had I wouldn't even hesitate. I could put in 900 mile days on that thing and be in alright shape.

 

[jtarkany]

Wasn't there a guy that rode a lawnmower across country

Personally, I think I would be more concerned about the comfort factor than the mechanical factor of a small cc bike. I am sure that mechanically it would do just fine. The FZ6 is as small as I would want to go for comfort (having done one 3,000 miler averaging 500 miles a day I was pretty shaky by the end of each day).

Maybe the FZ16 it looks like it has similar ergos to the the FZ6.

 

[CombatPenguin]

The bike really won't be the problem and I would trust it. The problem is at 70mph on a 250 if you get passed or hit bad weather it's not that fun. My little virago 250 will get up to 80mph with me on it (230lbs with gear). Little bikes are a lot of fun, I can scrape the pegs on my virago in corners the are so light and agile just make for lots of fun in town.

 

[FZ1inNH]

Seems like a lot of stress on the motor and tranny for a small bike to sustain long trips like that but yes, it can be done. Would I? Not likely. I want a bike that cruises at low RPMs where there are less vibrations.

Winding up the squirrel in a small bike just does not sound like a great ride for me.

If I was going to circle the country, I'd want an FJR or a Connie and go in style.

 

[OZXJR]

As the saying goes:"There is no substitute for cubic capacity"

 

[robaho]

Being a lightweight, riding a small displacement bike for a long distance would be OK for me. That being said, the smaller displacement dual-sport bikes are "too light". My last bike was a Honda 230L. It was great to ride around in the city, but definitely would not recommend it for extended travel on freeways!
I think that a Honda Rebel would work out well.

 

[Shinn]

As the saying goes:"There is no substitute for cubic capacity"

I always though the saying was "There is no replacement for displacement".

As far as size goes, I rode about 1200km in two days on my 250 ninja, and I loved it. Small bikes can be even more fun than big ones. I have always wanted to go across canada on my FZ6.

 

[doc_simple]

I did an 8000 mile trip on my FZ6 last summer. Not quite a 125, but i passed alot of 1200's along the way :thumbup:

 

[Doorag]

A lot of 'adventurers' choose small capacity bikes (125-250) to travel across Africa, Asia, India, etc... simply for the fact that they can get parts for them if something goes wrong. I think one guy has ridden around the world on a Honda 125. It isn't such an issue in the US, maybe but anywhere else in the world, try to get a part for a 1200cc BMW (unless you have a film crew with you and the financial backing of a studio).

Don't discount the small bikes.

 

[Red Wazp]

I did an 8000 mile trip on my FZ6 last summer. Not quite a 125, but i passed alot of 1200's along the way :thumbup:

Harley's I would suspect.

 

[deeptekkie]

The bike really won't be the problem and I would trust it. The problem is at 70mph on a 250 if you get passed or hit bad weather it's not that fun. My little virago 250 will get up to 80mph with me on it (230lbs with gear). Little bikes are a lot of fun, I can scrape the pegs on my virago in corners the are so light and agile just make for lots of fun in town.

Little bikes ARE a lot of fun. Maybe it is their agility that makes them so much fun to ride. Maybe it's always downshifting to keep the power up. I dunno. I just know that I too have always loved riding smaller bikes myself.
Honestly: Riding a smaller displacement bike is more often than not more fun to me than riding a rocket. (There is something to be said about a white-knuckled grip on an orgasmic bike like a Busa though..... : ) Thanks for your input.
Safe riding!

 

[deeptekkie]

I always though the saying was "There is no replacement for displacement".

As far as size goes, I rode about 1200km in two days on my 250 ninja, and I loved it. Small bikes can be even more fun than big ones. I have always wanted to go across canada on my FZ6.

Small bikes ARE a lot of fun. You know? The more people I talk to and the more that I read, the little Kaw Ninja 250's must be one pretty fantastic bike!
I've never heard anything bad about them and except for displacement issues everyone seems to have loved their's! Thanks for your input.
Safe riding!

 

[deeptekkie]

A lot of 'adventurers' choose small capacity bikes (125-250) to travel across Africa, Asia, India, etc... simply for the fact that they can get parts for them if something goes wrong. I think one guy has ridden around the world on a Honda 125. It isn't such an issue in the US, maybe but anywhere else in the world, try to get a part for a 1200cc BMW (unless you have a film crew with you and the financial backing of a studio).

Don't discount the small bikes.

I remember reading once where a dude took an old Hodaka (?) the length of Alaska and back....diagonally I think - not important.
If I remember correctly these were like a 100 cc displacement bike. (?)
The pics they had in the article showed the bike many times and if that bike didn't burn up from lack of cooling on it's head, (due to caked-on mud), it had to be as tough as nails!
I fried a Honda engine once pulling the same stunt. (Caked-on mud - NOT riding across Alaska)
Perhaps if that dude didn't do a round trip he's still up there and starring The Deadliest Catch?
Thanks for your input.
Safe riding!

 

[Popeye70]

...and then there's this guy: Sydney to London on a moped called Dot :rockon:

 

[Dennis in NH]

As the saying goes:"There is no substitute for cubic capacity"

You got it wrong. You need to say it in a deep Southern accent and tell your friend Bubba -- like this: "Ya know Bubba, there ain't no replacement for displacement."

Seriously, I know you can do it but it would be all about being able to accomplish it (not a bad thing). I want it to be about the trip and the ride.

I rode a 1997 Rebel 250 for about 500 miles (before trading up) and discovered it just wasn't enough for what I wanted to do. It was my first bike and the first 40 miles felt really fast. I commuted in it once and that poor thing just didn't have enough power or speed for the highways I take. I still enjoyed the heck out of that bike while I had it.

Dennis

 

[TSRBrad]

This is a good spot to jump in as a new FZ6 owner...

I've been riding a Yamaha Morphous scooter (250cc) for the last couple of year. Included in that was a trip from St. Paul, MN to Denver, the on to the Black Hills for a couple of days and back home. Total miles for the trip were about 2250. Last year I did a trip from Mn. to Kentucky, about 1700 miles RT. The Kentucky trip included a 540mile day. I had a great time... the machine was comfortable, quiet and more than capable. I specifically avoided interstates unless absolutely necessary and tried to keep highway riding to a minimum.

My my guiding principle was (and still is) that you can ride anything to anywhere. It all depends on when you want to get there. There's also the old adage that it's the trip that's the reward and the destination is just an excuse.

So to sum up... engine size doesn't necessarily matter, it's what the engine happens to be pushing.

 

[tomari]

my friend, here in Greece they say: "Size DOES matter and whoever tells the opposite has a small *engine*"
too big its not always good!
too small is never good!
i think 600cc is the right "size" hehe

 

[scottsst]

I have always been of the mind "if it's got wheels ride it" so I think you can do any thing on what ever size bike you want. Hell I have read storie's on Adventure Rider Motorcycle Forum about a person riding XT225's from Spokane,wa to Minneapolis,mn pulling a trailer. Also threads on a couple kids on 500 dollar bikes across the US from NY to Cali. if I had the time or money for it I would love to ride RTW on my FZ6