Rennie Scaysbrook | December 26, 2022
Let me start by asking you a question: What good is life if you don’t make an adventure out of it?
The word adventure is, by Wikipedia definition, “an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky.” You could easily be providing a definition for motorcycling as a whole with that one, so when you marry the thrill of an adventure with a motorcycle designed to undertake such a journey, you’ve got a match made in two-wheeled heaven.
Adventure riding is the hottest ticket in town right now if you are a major motorcycle manufacturer. If you don’t have at least a couple of purpose-built ADV machines in your stable, you’re missing out on some pretty hefty revenue.
That’s because we are currently in the midst of an adventure riding boom. The pandemic sped up people’s want for solitude and to experience the world not through their phones but with their own eyes, making ADV riding, in all its forms, in the perfect position to capitalize.
With that in mind, we thought we’d fire up the Cycle News machine one last time in 2022 and present our very own adventure-specific issue. The past 12 months have seen the CN team travel all over the world, often to places with little or no tarmac and endless dirt roads to explore, and we have some fantastic stories and videos for you to feast on over the winter.
I went for a lifechanging expedition to Iceland with Dainese on its Expedition Masters tour, Simon Cudby used his considerable photographic strength to bring you a stunning ride in our own American backyard in Colorado, and Jesse Ziegler got a download from the G.O.A.T, Ricky Carmichael, about his fascination with ADV riding and a summer adventure he had with some his riding buddies, and he also finds out more on Ricky’s partnership with Triumph. All of those stories are featured right here.
We’ve put the KTM 890 Adventure R up against the new kid on the ADV block in the Ducati DesertX, Jesse pitches the Honda Africa Twin against one of our favorite bikes, the Yamaha Tenere 700, and Keith heads to Portugal to test out the 2023 KTM 890 Adventure base model.
And if you want to throw some money back into the economy, we’ve got you covered with a massive bike and gear buyer’s guide that covers everything from tires to riding gear, luggage to tools, and of course, the latest rides from all the players in the ADV market.
What we’re aiming at here is to present you with a one-stop shop for all your ADV content cravings. This sector of motorcycling is the place to be right now—the bikes have never been better or more technically advanced, the riding gear is reaching levels unheard of barely a few years ago, and there’s never been more tour companies or people to help you get out there and make those adventure dreams a reality.
Enjoy this labor of ADV love and we hope to see you on the trails in 2023.CN
