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hello and welcome back in this episode we're going to look at the pros and cons
of downsizing so sit back relax and let's figure out if downsizing is right for you
and I get asked all the time is Sean do you miss your Africa twin
the short answer is no but we're going to discuss the long answer and figure out why
when I decided to purchase my Africa twin I was already into adventure riding I'd done
many Adventure rides on smaller bikes like the Yamaha wr250r Honda's xr650 Suzuki DRZ400
and a very well set up KTM 530 all these bikes had been set up for adventure riding
but I thought I needed something bigger hell I haven't built my own adventure bike at one stage
if you are already considering downsizing I'm gonna guess there's something about
your current bigger bike that you're not exactly happy with
I went through the same thing with my Africa twin and the main concern for me was weight big bikes
are great but they do have their advantages and disadvantages let's have a look at those
so some of the advantages are they're more stable at speed they have more power for overtaking and
they're able to carry a heavier loads with less effect on handling some of the disadvantages
though especially off-road they're harder to get unstuck they're harder to pick up and
they're more effort to ride and maneuver off-road especially if you're not the biggest strongest guy
for me the cons outweighed the pros and I found myself rotting less as a result
that's when I decided to downsize the next question I get asked is do I miss
the power my answer is yes and no I missed the power and acceleration of a big bike but
really you can only use that power in certain circumstances on the open road power sliding
out of fast flowing dirt corners and covering big distances at higher speeds in the outback
in reality if you ask yourself what you enjoy most about adventure riding like me it's probably not
those things yes we have to do transport sections and some long boring freeway or highway miles but
as you can see here a small bike can do it easily maybe just add a more relaxed and legal pace
sure when I spent two weeks during the Outback I could have gone faster between
towns on a bigger bike but I wouldn't have enjoyed crossing the Simpson desert on one
my little bike did that with ease so yes you might initially miss that power but
you very quickly get over that and enjoy all the other benefits
next time you are out on your big adventure bike take note of how often you're using all
that power take a note of your average Trail speed I did that while riding my Africa twin
and I was surprised sure there was a lot of wheel spin and acceleration but the average
speed was less than I imagined as you can see here smaller bikes can do this
average speed easily if not easier than big bikes especially over rough Terrain
one area where the big bikes usually outperform smaller bikes is on the highway
this is where all that power and size makes things easier especially when you're all loaded up
this is the main situation where you'll notice a difference between the big bike and a smaller bike
now it's going to be up to you if you can live with this difference if you can live with a
little bit less power on the freeway then you'll be able to live with a small bike and enjoy all
the benefits the last question I get is can you carry everything on a smaller bike the answer is
yes but you may have to pack smarter big bikes are larger and can carry a load more easily as
the weight of the luggage is a smaller percentage of the bike you don't feel it as much as you do
on a smaller bike so pack smarter use lighter gear and luggage and you'll be just as happy
when you get to the campsite as your friends fully loaded up with everything on their bigger bikes
so are you ready to downsize or are you still thinking about it
leave a comment below and let us know why or what you're thinking about
either way we don't mind just get out there and enjoy your adventure bike
thanks for watching and we'll see you next time
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