Ducati vs Triumph vs adventure bike

I'm not a big fan of street riding either but this is kind of a unique situation. I will be working 3;00 pm to 11:00pm so not a busy time for traffic and 1/2, 30 miles of the commute, is a rural winding two lane that is practically deserted all the time. Deer would be the biggest hazard. The other 1/2 is a 20 mile jaunt on a 70mph interstate hwy. so a small displacement bike would get it's neck wrung for 20 min each way.

I rode a 2012 Hypermotard 796 for a few days around the L.A. area while I was working out there a few years ago. I loved that bike so much. Tons of fun to ride and plenty of power. A friend of mine has one of those Buells and has put many, many miles on it without issue.

I would give a close look at the KTM 950/990. I had a 04 950 for a year or so and put 7000 miles on it. Really a fun bike but when I was having fun the mileage dropped into the lower thirties and even a bit more a time or two. The best I could do was around 42MPG.
My adventure riding requires at least a 200 mile range and I couldn't get close to that ( couldn't resist making those Akrapvics sing ) in spite of numerous jet changes/tuning, so I sold the bike.
The later models are EFI and probably get better mileage. The 950/990 can pack a load and handle much better that a 12 GS. If you are close to town range won't be an issue.
Just sayin
Good luck.

Revival of thread...... Abandon all thought go dirt with a Hypermotard?? Check this out from way back in the summer of 2008
http://ducati.com/news/the_hypermotard_rules_pike_s_peak/2008/07/25/index.do

I've been up and down Pikes Peak, I guess my idea of dirt is more than a stretch of graded dirt road. Yes it's technically dirt but not the rough single track I was thinking that I'd take a dual sport or light adventure bike. I still haven't made a choice, it's below freezing here and bound to stay that way for the next 4 months so I expect to find a good deal on something this winter. Meanwhile I've been laying down $150 per week in gas money to get to my new job.

For sure not single track, but some cajones to ride that particular gravel road on a street bike with gravel suitable tires at 80+ knots :-)

This ain't no weak ass Triumph!!

I own a 2014 Ducati Hypermotard SP. The Supercorsas will cost around $475 M/B. As for a daily commuter you may as well surrender your license. Its an inch taller than the standard hypermotard but corners like a sportbike. Like the gentleman posted eariler, maintenance costs will be a little on the high side if thats a concern. Other than that, the bike is most excellent to ride. Good luck on your search.

this doesnt really add anything to the thread but i ride this thing. pretty solid bike all around, and can fit a gallon of milk under the seat after going to pods. i like how the zrx 1100 bikes run, good torque everywhere but still has some rush up top, especially after being uncorked a bit..i havent rode much of any kind of dual sport bike, i would like to try one, perhaps some day


my friend has one of the newer bonneville bikes and they are done very tastefully..he installed a set of cheap dunstall megaphones on it and that little twin sounds fantastic, not too loud but a nice snarl. even though over 6 feet tall it was very comfortable. i could see getting bored with it, but seemed like a nice bike. all the charm but just about all the gremlins gone.

call me a freak but i gotta thang 4 ol duck tail kawi's

that sucks dad said he saw gas for $1.91 in webb city mo yesterday

I have a 2014 Ducati Multistrada Pikes Peak. 150hp and a sexy Italian. Ducati considers it a light dirt duty ADV bike, I consider it a sport tourer and it is excellent at that.

I bought it in Virginia while visiting relatives and rode it home to California this last October. Here's a couple pics of me riding the Tail of the Dragon on it.

ya now that gas has dropped to about $2 I'm only spending about $120 per week.

This is a fun thread. I have ridden most everything listed so far and have to agree that a Scrambler (British Type) will probably pull last place. The bike is darn reliable, but not really great at anything. I'd say that it is a great all around bike for shorter runs and around town/back road jaunts. The other Triumph listed above: Tiger 1050: is probably one of my all time favorite bikes and I'm a naked bike fan. The 1050 had all the fun factor of the 1050 Speed Triple, but was MUCH more useable. I wish Triumph would have kept the 1050 in the US and conceded the Ultra Large ADV segment to BMW and KTM. That Explorer is a travesty, IMO. The 1050 Tiger (or 955i Tiger if you can find one) would be a top pick for me. Nothing special in terms of doodads and gizmos, but it is as solid as a motorcycle can get.

Hypermotard: HMMM now you are talking. I had put about 1,000 miles on a 2008 Hyper S back in 2009 and have ridden every variant to date and have to say that going the hyper route would lead me to one of the aircooled 1100/evo bikes. When I rode the new liquid cooled/4-valve bike for the first time I could tell that the torque numbers were off from the older air cooled brother. It didn't have the same overall punch as the older bike and was, well, less hyper. The only down side here is that if you find an aircooled bike for sale the prices are high (people want them) and the service is more involved (more frequent intervals). If you wanted the newer version with the riding modes and other goodies you could score a Hyperstrada at a fire sale price since they are not selling well. Same engine as the regular liquid cooled hyper, but different setup and settings. For your 50 mile trip I'd say it is a worth contender.

The Multi quickly became a favorite bike of mine. However, being all legs, I feel that I need a little more room to take advantage of the long haul capabilities of this bike. The cool thing is that the Multi is like an overgrown Hyper of sorts. Fun and functional, but $$$$.

I hope this helped. Remember, these are only my opinions and the only way to really know what fits is to try them out for yourself.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G4XFfTqh3M

How silly/stupid to have a reviewer with a go pro on a stick and one hand on the bars and a hoodie flopping around. Fine if that's a target market rider but come on and promote safe riding with two hands and proper riding gear.

That might be a riding jacket, over his hoodie. One handed isn't too unsafe, until he has to grab the clutch, with the stick in his hand!


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM9WF7Kgja8

Now that's what I call a pro. road test editor:
Open face helmet
Skinny jeans
Unlaced squid tennies
Chin on the tank racer posture
Organ donor card in wallet