The choice of motorcycle depends on road trip destination. Let’s take the example of Australia.
Suitable models
The main Australian road network is in good condition and without much elevation. The type and size of the engine is therefore irrelevant as long as the motorcycle reaches the maximum speed allowed (130 km/h in the Northern Territory). But some areas are deserted by humans and it is not exceptional to have to travel more than 200 km to find a gas station. I look for a range of more than 250 km. Or even more, we will come back to it. The electric bikes are not yet up to the task.
To cover these great distances, you might as well take a comfortable saddle and driving position with a good carrying capacity ‘locked’ in panniers and /or a top case. Solutions exist to take more, mainly by bloodying a bag on the passenger saddle. With the obligation to unseal it at every step and bring it with you to avoid theft, this is not practical. So goodbye to sports cars that do not have storage. Roadsters without minimum wind protection are also out of the race.
The whole must also have a reasonable weight. A heavy motorcycle has more inertia. It is more tiring to enter in corners and maneuver at low speeds. Its braking distances are longer, it consumes and is damaged more. And in the event of a battery failure, pushing start is more difficult.
Unlike major roads, a large part of the secondary network is unpaved. To explore it, the high position and suspensions with great travel of a trail are the best suited.
Maintenance remains. All models have their weakness. The choice of the perfect motorcycle is not as important as selecting a widespread model, for which spare parts are easy to find during the road trip.
In Australia, bmw’s big trails are very successful, especially the GS.
To travel the tracks, it is not one but two GS that compete on the land of Oz: the R1250 and the F850. Both machines can be equipped with the brand’s adventure suitcases, with a volume of 38 liters on the left and 44 on the right (exterior: 46×20 to 30×40). The official top case is 32 liters. A total of 114 liters will be enough. And if not, Givi offers a huge ‘Trekker Outback‘ set with more than 150 liters in total (2 bags of 48 liters plus a top case of 58). SW Motech also sells a 120 liters adventure set (37 + 45, plus 38 liters in the top case). The Terra kit from Shad is almost as big (47 + 47 liters in the bags, 48 in the top case).
With an adapted pneumatic lift (Michelin Anakee Wild or Pirelli Scorpion Rally), the Germans have some enduro skills. They pass over the corrugated sheet of the tracks without problem. Ditches don’t scare them with their high ground clearance. They are however limited by their weight in off-road (248kg for the F850GSA and 268kg for the 1250 Advendure, with the full… but without the weight of the luggage)
In terms of comfort, with or without the active suspension option (ESA) these frames absorb shocks well. The handling is good, with a small advantage for the 1250 whose Telelever suspension at the front better controls the dive when braking. BMW saddles are not the worst, but I find them very uncomfortable over long distances. Without going as far as buying a custom saddle, there are gel cushions that improve the seating. The ‘Trail’ configuration of these machines is a benefit because it allows you to ride upright to relieve your posterior. For the design, the only words that come to me are synonyms of ugly, but that’s a personal opinion.
The engines are twin-cylinders with reasonable consumption: nearly 5.10 l/100km for the big one, 4.60 l/100km for the other. Equipped with a 20-liter tank (including 4 liters of reserve), the first course 390 km. Her little sister must stop every 320 km to fill her 15 liters. The Adventure model of the F850 GS, with its 23 liters of tank, runs nearly 500km before the dry breakdown. But it is not widespread. The other also offers an Adventure model with 30 liters but it is not necessary.
On the other hand, the time between maintenance is quite short. BMW likes a lot (too much?) see its customers return. Every year and every 10000km.
The R1250GS and F750GS are therefore valid choices. That being said, in English-speaking countries the Harley Davidson network is often well established and offers interesting customs.
Live to ride in Harley Electra Glide?
At Harley, the side cases are not very wide, probably so as not to unbalance the aesthetics of the bike. The inside of these suitcases, measured on an Electra Glide, is 54cm long x 16-17 cm larg x 26 cm deep. A capacity of 25 liters each, too little to consider itinerant camping. The ‘Limited’ versions of the Touring series (Electra Glide and Road Glide) add a top case of 49 liters. Measured at 52-58 wide x 42 long x 16-25.5cm deep we comfortably fit a tent bag 55cm long.
Some top cases are topped with a rack with a capacity of 5 kg depending on the manufacturer (some load it more, but for reasons of mass centering I do not think it is a good thing). The rear saddle allows you to add a bag 46 wide and 22 deep. The backsplash is 40cm high. With all this, the loading capacity is very sufficient.
On the maintenance side, Harley imposes appointments every 20 to 40,000km (see table opposite). Changing the transmission belt is a long operation, but it is only required every 80,000km.
Among trails, cruisers and roads over 800cc, there are four times more Occasions Harley than BMW. In addition, Harley is the largest seller of road motorcycles according to the FCAI. Parts shouldn’t be hard to find.
If we believe the readings of some owners, the consumption of the Electra Glide is reasonable: 5.4 l / 100km. Its 22.7 liters of gasoline allow it nearly 400 km between two gas stations.
No doubt that the comfort of the Touring series is among the best, including for the passenger. The standard audio system incorporates Bluetooth and USB connections that will be more useful than radio in the middle of australia’s great expanses. The bike is low which makes it possible to put the feet flat at a standstill, but penalizes the ground clearance: the turntables rest foot scrape quite quickly on the road in the corners.
We can say it, the Electra Glide is heavy. The low center of gravity is placed facilitates maneuvers at low speeds. But this should not make us forget the excessive overweight of the American: 400kg empty. And Harley fares are heavy too. These excesses remove any desire to get out of the long tarred ribbons. After all, who would be stupid enough to drive the Gibb river road with an anvil with short shock absorbers, low ground clearance, unprotected gearbox housing, pavement of road tires, whose air filter is located barely 50cm from the ground and propelled by a belt that is difficult to change?
Harleys are therefore another valid choice provided you plan a suitable route. What are the other suitable models?
Other motorcycles options for a road trip
If we accept the limitations of the Electra Glide, we might as well consider the other big touring bikes : Honda Goldwing and BMW K1600GTL (or even BMW K1200, Kawa 1400 GTR …). Their range of nearly 400 km is sufficient. And their carrying capacity is close to the R1250GS: 113 liters for the K1600GTL, 110 liters for the current Goldwing (but 150 liters on the previous model). A 6-cylinder engine provides them a significant torque with a soft sound that contributes to a high level of comfort.
Australia’s long distances would be an ideal playground, but these machines are not widespread outside of Sydney and Brisbane. Their maintenance is reduced thanks to a shaft transmission. Despite, I prefer to keep them in ‘Plan B’ because of their inability to get off the road but also possible repairs: between the high cost of these models and their low diffusion, the chances increase to stay several days stuck waiting for an expensive part.
For its part, the BMW R1250GS is competing with other maxi trails such as the Yamaha 1200 Super Ténéré, the KTM Avdenture 1190 and the Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sport (whose manufacturer’s suitcases are 30l on the right, 40 on the left and a top case of 35l). The Super Ténéré consumes 5.30 l/100, which gives 430 km with its 23-liter tank. It seems well sought after, but not very available. Too bad because it is a model that would be very suitable provided you equip it with the luggage that it does not offer original.
I’m not a fan of the KTM. It is a machine with an energetic motor, very efficient on the trails. But the discomfort of the KTMs I tried, especially with regard to their saddle, prevents to repeat the long journeys of 380km that its tank of 23 liters and its consumption of 6l / 100 allows. Remains the Africa Twin Adventure Sport. It was too recent at the time of this writing to easily find it second hand. Here too, it is unfortunate because it is an excellent machine to get off the roads, with a good driving pleasure and a small appetite (4.75 l / 100) which offers more than 500 km of autonomy (‘only’ 385km for the standard Africa Twin).