Hi touring otai-otai and sifu,

As I am starting out on my new found passion (still L plate on the way to B), I am on the look out for a decent long distance reliable affordable future touring bike as I prefer to ride solo.

Please give me a price range too. It helps in the financial planning.

Any suggestion, tip and hints will be much appreciated.

Also on the look out for
1. Gear
2. Attire
3. Hints and recommendation

Thank in advance. All comment much appreciated.

Best for buck... Genuine Komine branded stuff...

Tips.... be alert whenever you at junction, met ah beng lala modded car & big trucks...

Suzuki V-Strom 650, probably around 40K with gears and you're good to go.

Dirt cheap = aveta 110
Cheap = mt 15
Moderate = c500x or V-strom 650
Pricy = anything you want but don't need
Money is not a problem = pretty much everything

Honda CBX500
Suzuki VStrom 650
KTM 390 Adventure
Benelli TRK 501

Wait Q2 of the year for Yamaha Tenere 700

If money is no problem, the Triumphs or the BMW GS range would be a good choice. They now have a slightly more affordable Triumph in the Tiger Sport 660. Lower down the monsey scale, the Honda CB500X is a reliable choice. Quite popular these days is the Benelli 502 TRK.

If you're willing to go left wing choice and really no issue with money, then try out the new Harley Davidson Pan America.

Those I suggested are all new and I suggested new because of warranty and also that there is no 'history' with a new bike.

As for used, there are many...the Versys 650 and VStrom 650 are good choices too in addition to used examples of the abovementioned bikes. You probably won't find the Pan America or the Tiger 660 used yet as they are still new. Maybe can find demo bikes.

This post has been edited by lowpro: Jun 21 2022, 08:30 AM

Thanks @fongzai92.

I think Komine is good and I am eyeing on the JK-069 jacket and pants.
Problem is that there are so many "vendors" that are offering, especially in Shopee.
I do not suppose here in KL, we have a outlet/dealer that deals with these genuine stuff.
Any ideas?

Ultimately it depends on how deep your pockets are and what sort of "adventuring" you intend to do.

For the bike, there are 2 standout budget options.

Honda cb500x and the vstrom 650
Both are under 40k and are very reliable and the 500x is exceptionally frugal.

Both will be fairly competent at light off roading if your off roading consists of gravel trails and broken tarmac when shod with more aggressive 30/70 tyres. Anything more serious and you'd ideally be looking for something lighter, more suspension travel and knobbies.

The TRK501 is not a first choice despite the price, it's a bit heavy and bulky to handle off road.

Won't go for the 390 ADV either, the single is buzzy at highway speeds past 130-140 and can get tiresome if you are doing longer miles on highway. It also has a very high seat.

Do note, these ADV bikes do sit quite tall, so unless you are 5-8 or taller (or vey heavy set), you might find them a bit tough to get your feet down in more tricky terrain, especially for a beginner.

As for gear, if you are looking for Komine gear, you can check out Hodaka Motoworld at PJCC. A word of advise though... Don't get tempted to get those fancy touring jackets, goreTex or not. It is just too hot for our weather. Get a good mesh jacket and if it rains, just wear a good rain shell over your jacket. For cheaper riding gear, you can check out Serdang motorcycle for lower tier riding gear like Benkia.

Factor in a budget minimum for 1200 for gear (jacket, pant, boots, gloves, rain shell, excluding helmet). These will be 2nd tier banded items and price goes up from there if you are looking for first tier brands. Spend on a good helmet, boots (as tall and stiff as you can find comfortable) and gloves (with hard palm sliders), that's where it counts most. Pants and jacket you can likely cheap out on and upgrade later by getting better aftermarket armour or a different jacket.

I have the JK 069 bought from a vendor from china. For all intents and purposes it served me well last 1 year and 23k km later.

I have since swapped out the rear protector pad with something that ventilates better. So far I had 1 broken zip and the velcro wrist straps have come loose, but DIY repair by epoxy it back. Works find till now.

Just to note, shopee seller usually sells Asian fit sizes. So check with them and give then your weight and height and they will size the correct fitment for you.

I typically wear an XS or S for gwailo size, but for Asian size I wear a L.

Hodaka Motorworld PJ https://goo.gl/maps/Nk5ofziVyu7i6KCMA

for Touring Bike? the best.. BMW R1200 RT ...

for ADV touring.. GS..

For your pocket.. whatever can afford..

Visit Motoworld pjcc

"adventure touring" usually refers to some form of off road riding mixed in with tarmac riding...if thats the case.... affordable would be kawasaki versys x 250 or atas abit the Honda CB500x (the models with 19" front wheel)

if purely on road, options are in abundance both new and used.

versys x 250
cb500x
versys 650
vstrom 650



as many have said... motoworld pjcc for komine and rs taichi stuff... i personally prefer rs taichi gloves as i find they are more comfy compared to the komines.. the touch screen bit on taichis are better too.

but u can also go to motogear malaysia based in gombak... also original taichi and komine stuff along with alot of other stuff like helmets etc.

The 'middleweight' ADV touring category now offers a shitload of choices between RM30k-RM60k.

CB500X is a damn good starting point, if you don't mind the 180-deg parallel-twin engine.

V-Strom 650 was being sold <RM40k at one point, so that too is a good choice with legendary bulletproof reliability although it's getting rather long in the tooth... if you can actually find it in stock. Its de facto competitor is of course the Versys 650 although I'm not sure if it's still available brand new since the demise of Kawasaki.

Failing that, there's the CFmoto MT650 that uses the old Versys engine. And while you're there, you may also consider the TRK502 which is very cheap now if you don't mind the weight. These round off your choices under RM40k.

In the >RM40k price bracket, there are now newer additions to this class that include the Moto Morini Xcape 650, also using the old Versys engine. Now there's also the SRT800 and upcoming CFmoto 800MT which starts to break the RM50k barrier.

And if you're willing to break the RM50k barrier, the Tiger 660 is a very nice choice. At the high end of that price bracket is the Tiger 850, which was at RM59k when I bought mine and it kept flying off the showroom floor as fast as Triumph could uncrate the damn thing... not sure what the price is now.



HINT:

It's all too tempting the accessorize the hell out of ADV touring bikes, so allocate the cash for it when you buy the bike. Crash bars are extremely useful esp in cases where you tip the bike over (tall bike, stuff in the luggage = jatuh bodoh)... but be wary of cosmetic ones that are too flimsy to actually afford much protection. Look at the type of steel used, thickness, tube diameter and mounting points.

Luggage is next popular accessory, but be wary of the empty weight (luggage + racks) and the loaded-up weight coz if you're new then weight is going to matter more than you think. I opted for lightweight soft luggage that I keep off the bike when I commute to reduce the bike's heft and girth when slipping thru traffic. As for aluminium luggage, they are not all created equal. Luggage mounts & racks must be solid as they must support the weight of the luggage bouncing up and down the road, so steer clear of the temptation to go for those cheap 'universal' ones that look like they came out of a Meccano set. Nothing annoys and saps confidence more than a luggage system that squeak on bumpy roads.

That said, there's nothing wrong touring with a large duffel bag strapped to the rear seat if all you do is ride solo. No luggage systems required, just Rockstraps & bungee cords.

A USB charging point somewhere around the cockpit is damn priceless to keep your phone charged up when you depend on Waze to navigate for hours on end. Some bikes have it already fitted, some have either the std 12v cig lighter socket or the new DIN-style socket. If apa pun tarak, consider adding it but pay close attention to how the shop taps into the bike's wiring to source the switched 12v supply - best is to use an automatic power distributor like the Healtech Thunderbox that doesn't require splicing into any of the bike's wiring. Pricey, but damn effing good.

Good luck.








This post has been edited by ZZR-Pilot: Jun 23 2022, 05:53 AM

R1200GS Adventure Pro

Bro , TS mentioned one of the keyword is affordable ~ Don't think a BMW R1200GS Pro is under that category of AFFORDABLE LOL

Keep it as your dream first then, ultimate riding machine.

LOL, ultimate it may be, but for most of us that actually go "adventuring" which includes some off road, a lighter more affordable bike is the way to go. You won't want to drop your expensive bike do you? If you go off road, that's almost a certainty. And lifting up a 250kg bike before luggage and crap by yourself?

This post has been edited by jaycee1: Jun 25 2022, 11:47 PM

Expensive? Dont care, just want to enjoy life with ultimate biking experience. I ride R1200GSA in desert even.

250kg bike not difficult to handle if dropped.

Bro, thanks very much for the hints. I really really appreciate it.

I be sticking under the around 40k 650cc or so barrier. Don't think i can handle anything more than that for now. Maybe after a few years of riding and if budget permits, a larger cc. if I am still into it.

As a newbie to the biking scene, I be looking for those popular "old" brands like Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha etc. which does not cost an arm and leg when I need to replace something. Considering repair knowledge and spare parts availability as well.

Totally agree with stuff made with quality. Touring and long distance rides made me realized although you can get away with some cheap but really when you need it, it just goes bust! Lesser headache on the road is a + point anytime.

Thanks also for recommending Healtech Thunderbox. I got a old FZ150i for riding/training towards my B license. As I do most of the mechanics needed for the bike, I was actually looking out for power equalizer. Think this might just do the trick and will port over to the new bike later on if ever I let go this one (getting kinda attach to it .. haha)

A key challenge when you want to add accessories such as spotlights, DVR, extra 12v socket or USB charging port (all of which I installed on my bike myself) is sourcing the required 12v power. This usually would require performing a tap that splices into an existing switched 12v supply whose circuit can accommodate the required amperage. Some bikes have an accessories circuit prepared for this, others... well... you have to get creative, usually involving a clumsy mechanical power distribution block. Bear in mind that newer electronics-heavy bikes may be sensitive to the way you screw around with the electrics.

Healtech Thunderbox makes the whole affair stupidly easy. It's basically a box that distributes up to a whopping 16 amps of 12v supply straight from the battery. What makes it really useful is that it automatically senses the power draw from the batt to know when the ignition is switched on, so you have the option of allowing power to be supplied only when the engine is running (to avoid accidental power drain when you forget to turn off the accessories when the bike is parked) or you can set it to supply power constantly. You just hook up the +ve & -ve cables directly to the battery terminals... and that's it! Its +ve and -ve output blocks have 4 clip-style connectors each, so you just strip the insulation off the power supply wiring for your accessory, twist the exposed copper stands tight and just stick em into the output blocks before clipping them in. It's as simple as that.

It can be programmed to supply power after a few seconds of delay when the ignition is on so that it won't draw power when power is needed the most when you crank the starter motor. When you kill the engine and switch off the ignition, it senses the drop in power and automatically cuts power to all accessories.

To transfer it to another bike, all you have to do is disconnect all wiring to the accessories and unhook it from the battery. Then just reattach it to the battery on the new bike. Totally idiot-proof!