Adventures are like adventurers, or snowflakes or rain ruts or subdural hematomas. They're all different. What's the best adventure bike? What's your idea of adventure? How far? How fast? How dirty do you want to get between that first cup of coffee and the last beer? Be honest. Is groomed gravel as far as you want to get from the pavement? Or are you downloading GPS coordinates for every logging track and goat trail between Cabo San Lucas and Chicken, Alaska?
Effectively a sit-up sport-tourer with attitude, the Buell is happiest on something that's been classified as a road sometime after the Louisiana Purchase. If what you want is a comfy sport-tourer that can carve up a good road and isn't afraid of bad ones or packing a passenger and gear, this is it, especially if your inseam measures less than 34 inches.
Fast enough to humiliate a sportbike in the twisty bits or threaten bona fide dirtbikes once you lever on proper knobbies, the KTM covers more terrain in less time than the others can dream of. It's just less comfortable than the GS for long-hauling you and your kit to the middle of nowhere and back, a little rough around the edges and not as rock-solid reliable. Did we mention it's fast?
But if your idea of adventure is waking up in a place the neighbors can't even spell, miles from the nearest motor homes and matching metal-flake bass boats, there is only the GS. With a towering seat height and a price tag to match, it's not for everyone. But when at least half the fun is following roads most people can't just to see what's at the other end, BMW still builds the best way to get there.
2007 Buell XB12X Ulysses
| PRICE |
| MSRP | $11,495 as tested |
| ENGINE |
| Type | a-c 45-degree V-twin |
| Valve arrangement | ohv, 4v |
| Bore x stroke | 88.9mm x 96.8mm |
| Displacement | 1203cc |
| Compression ratio | 10.0:1 |
| Transmission | 5-speed |
| Final drive | 14mm Hibrex belt |
| CHASSIS |
| Weight (wet) | 510 lb. (231kg) |
| Weight (dry) | 487 lb. (221kg) |
| Rake | 22.0 deg. |
| Trail | 4.8 in. (122mm) |
| Wheelbase | 54.1 in. (1374mm) |
| Seat height | 31.8 in. (808mm) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.4 gal. (17L) |
| SUSPENSION |
| Front | 43mm inverted fork, adjustable for spring preload, compression and rebound damping. |
| Rear | single shock, adjustable for spring preload, compression and rebound damping. |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Horsepower | 84.2 @ 7000 rpm |
| Torque | 67.5 lb.-ft. @ 6220 rpm |
| Corrected 1/4-mile* | 12.31 sec. @ 110.27 mph |
Fuel mileage
(low/high/average) | 31/50/43 |
*Performance with test-session weather conditions corrected to sea-level standard conditions (59 degrees F, 29.92 in. of mercury).
2007 KTM 990 Adventure
| PRICE |
| MSRP | $13,998 as tested |
| ENGINE |
| Type | l-c 75-degree V-twin |
| Valve arrangement | DohC, 8v |
| Bore x stroke | 101.0mm x 62.4mm |
| Displacement | 999cc |
| Compression ratio | 11.5:1 |
| Transmission | 6-speed |
| Final drive | #525 chain |
| CHASSIS |
| Weight (wet) | 517 lb. (235kg) |
| Weight (dry) | 482 lb. (219kg) |
| Rake | 26.6 deg. |
| Trail | 4.69 in. (119mm) |
| Wheelbase | 61.8 in. (1570mm) |
| Seat height | 33.9 in. (860mm) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.8 gal. (22L) |
| SUSPENSION |
| Front | 48mm inverted cartridge
fork, adjustable for spring preload, compression and rebound damping. |
| Rear | single shock, adjustable
for spring preload, compression and rebound damping. |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Horsepower | 92.7 @ 8770 rpm |
| Torque | 73.9 lb.-ft. @ 4780 rpm |
| Corrected 1/4-mile* | 11.73 sec. @ 111.63 mph |
Fuel mileage
(low/high/average) | 36/40/38 |
*Performance with test-session weather conditions corrected to sea-level standard conditions (59 degrees F, 29.92 in. of mercury).