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How different is the riding experience on a rugged classic like the Honda XR650L versus a high-tech marvel like BMW’s R 1300 GS Trophy, and can money really buy you a better adventure? We headed north on sections of the all-new Northern California Backcountry Discovery Route with these wildly different bikes to find out, stopping along the way to take in the scenery and explore both ends of the adventure and dual-sport spectrum. What kind of adventure do you prefer, low-tech and simple, or fully modern? Let us know in the comments!”
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How different is the riding experience on a rugged classic like the Honda XR650L versus a high-tech marvel like BMW’s R 1300 GS Trophy, and can money really buy you a better adventure? We headed north on sections of the all-new Northern California Backcountry Discovery Route with these wildly different bikes to find out, stopping along the way to take in the scenery and explore both ends of the adventure and dual-sport spectrum. What kind of adventure do you prefer, low-tech and simple, or fully modern? Let us know in the comments!”
Read the best motorcycle news and reviews: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/
Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/c/MotorcyclistMag
Motorcyclist Shirts: https://teespring.com/stores/motorcyclist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motorcyclistonline/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/motorcyclistmag/
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SportsTranscript
00:00Power. Performance. Electronics.
00:05This is the 2024 Honda XR650L, and it has almost none of those things.
00:11But this exquisite mass of German engineering, otherwise known as the BMW R1300GS, does.
00:19And oh, by the way, it is all new for 2024.
00:22Something Honda's XR650L hasn't been able to claim pretty much since dinosaurs roamed the earth.
00:30So, how different is the riding experience when you go from a two-wheeled stone axe to one of the most advanced motorcycles on the market?
00:38Can money buy ADV happiness?
00:41And is Bradley compensating for something with his $28,000 adventure bike?
00:46We're in Northern California to ride sections of the new NorCal BDR and find out.
00:51But before we get going, we gotta talk about these bikes.
01:00And heads up, there's a lot to cover when it comes to the trusty old XR650L.
01:05Just kidding.
01:07The beauty of the XR650 is it's been around for 30 years, and it hasn't changed in 30 years.
01:12It's literally your dad's dual sport from the 90s.
01:15It's a 644 air-cooled single, carbureted.
01:19You got proper off-road wheel sizes, 18-21, and a steel tube chassis.
01:24Got dual disc brakes, adjustable suspension.
01:27Not the latest and greatest, but it is adjustable.
01:30The downside, this massively tall 37-inch seat height, which is made for giants like Bradley over there.
01:36The R1300GS's path to greatness is a little bit more involved.
01:41It all started in 1980 with the R80G forward slash S, German for Galandestraße, or open country slash street, if you're to believe Google Translate.
01:51Technically, there was the international six days off-road prototypes before that,
01:55but the R80GS was different in that it wasn't an off-road racer,
01:59but a bike for people who wanted to travel from the farthest corners of South America to the edges of the Arctic.
02:05That doesn't mean the factory stopped racing.
02:08In fact, a lot of the R80GS's success is owed to that bike's accomplishments in the Paris-Dakar rally,
02:14a grueling 6,000-plus mile endurance race that highlighted the bike's massive potential
02:19and spawned special Paris-Dakar editions of the R80GS.
02:23That was only the start, though.
02:25BMW added parallel lever suspension to the R100GS in 1987,
02:30then a telelever front on the four-valve 1994 R1100GS.
02:35It launched the larger R1150GS in 1999,
02:39and then the first R1150GS Adventure in 2002.
02:43A larger displacement R1200GS rolled onto the scene in 2004,
02:48while electronic suspension was a big talking point in 2008.
02:51BMW made an even bigger leap with the partially water-cooled 2013 R1200GS,
02:57and then, in 2019, it introduced the R1250GS with BMW ShiftCam technology.
03:04Big as those updates were, nothing comes close to the massively overhauled R1300GS,
03:10or R1300GS Trophy in this case,
03:13because if you're going to do a high-low comparison, you might as well go really high.
03:18As for the details, we can do an entire video on the changes to this bike,
03:23but the short version is that this machine is 26 pounds lighter than the R1250 that it replaces,
03:29and a total rethink for BMW.
03:31It's got a more powerful engine,
03:33and the transmission now mounts below the engine for better packaging.
03:37A steel tube frame is replaced by a new sheet metal shell frame,
03:41and there are approximately a bazillion other small changes throughout,
03:45making this one of the most nipped and tucked BMW adventure bikes in decades.
03:50And it's all yours for just $18,995.
03:54Kind of.
03:55Technically, our bike has BMW's Trophy, Premium, and Enduro Pro packages,
04:00bringing MSRP up to around $28,000,
04:03meaning you can buy approximately four XR650Ls for the price of this GS.
04:09Does that mean you're going to have four times as much fun?
04:12I think it means I need to be four times as careful to not drop this thing.
04:23We're officially butts in seat.
04:25Let's go, we're kickstands up.
04:27I'm going to give you a second because you're all carbureted up.
04:29Probably need a little warm that bad boy up, huh?
04:32Let's see.
04:33Yeah, better put the choke on.
04:34Choke her up.
04:36That's right, it's part of the experience.
04:38It gives it character.
04:39I planned it out as best as I could.
04:41Hopefully we don't get lost.
04:42That's the goal for today.
04:43Should be pretty easy, I think.
04:45Yeah, and no flats.
04:47The one rule, no flats.
04:49Let's make the other rule no crashing,
04:52especially with this thing.
04:54That's my goal, is to not drop this.
04:58I could drop this thing four times before I have to pay what you do.
05:02Yeah, I guess we'll let the XR go first.
05:04Age before beauty, some might say.
05:07Seniority.
05:12We'd be lying if we said kickstands were up with any respect for the miles that lay ahead.
05:17But after a long morning of final preparations,
05:20we pulled stakes from our starting point in the historic town of Sutter Creek
05:25in search of the thing that fuels every globe-trotting adventure rider.
05:31Starbucks, baby?
05:32How?
05:33Come on!
05:36After Bradley's mandatory stop at the Mecca for ADV enthusiasts,
05:40we received our blessings, loaded up on caffeine,
05:43and then our ride could really begin.
05:56This whole area is just so stinking beautiful, man.
05:59Gosh.
06:00Yeah.
06:01It's like this area was kissed by the gods.
06:04Not only is it beautiful and picturesque,
06:07but they found gold here, and it just made it all the better.
06:10Yeah, until they died.
06:13Jesus!
06:15It's a morbid thought.
06:17Well, at least we get to enjoy it now.
06:19It's beautiful.
06:20Jesus!
06:22It's a morbid thought.
06:23Well, at least we get to enjoy it now, I suppose.
06:25I don't know.
06:26That was a rough life, dude.
06:28Not an easy life coming out here and being a gold miner.
06:31No, yeah, I guess not.
06:32You're right.
06:33Ride bikes with your buddies is definitely an easier job, I think.
06:36Except for probably a couple people that just struck absolute gold mines, you know?
06:43These roads are just in darn near perfect condition, too.
06:47Yeah.
06:48Especially this surface where it's a little chunky, good for the knobby tires.
06:54Yeah, yeah.
06:55It's taking a minute to get used to this BMW, I will tell you.
06:58This thing is, there is so much to it.
07:02I feel like a proper adventure guy, too.
07:04I got my big TFT dash.
07:06I got my little BMW navigation unit up top.
07:09I got my phone.
07:10I got my GoPro.
07:11Just got all the screens and equipment up here.
07:14Meanwhile, back there.
07:15I mean, this thing's just easy to ride.
07:17If you've been on an older dirt bike, that's just what this feels like.
07:22And riding dirt bikes a bunch, it's just, I'm comfortable on it right away.
07:28I like this seat.
07:29It's big and squishy.
07:30And honestly, this thing doesn't vibrate very much either.
07:33I ain't going to complain about smoothness on this thing.
07:36This thing is just buttery smooth.
07:38Better be for 30 grand.
07:40The good news is that for 28 grand,
07:43you get comfort and a lot more on the R1300GS Trophy.
07:47Like a sublime chassis and character-rich engine
07:50that's as friendly as it is fun.
07:52Fitting, since we started a few beautiful roads away
07:55from where the NorCal BDR cuts through this part of Gold Rush territory
08:00for the start of Section 3.
08:02Section 1 and 2 are further south.
08:04They look equal parts scenic and entertaining,
08:07but by focusing on Sections 3 and 4 of this 940-ish mile route
08:12that cuts from Mammoth Lakes to the California-Oregon border,
08:15we get to hang our helmets in Lake Tahoe,
08:17which felt like a fitting end,
08:19given Evan and I had only seen Tahoe's crystal clear water in photos.
08:25Beautiful dirt.
08:27That means we have found it.
08:28We are officially at the start of the BDR section
08:30that we are going to be riding today.
08:32I'm excited because this is the first BDR section
08:35that I will have ever ridden, so I think that's pretty neat.
08:38I loved all that on-road stuff.
08:40The BMW loved it, but this is going to be a lot of fun, I think.
08:44You were the last one to check on this section.
08:46Remind us again how many miles we got here until we get over the hill.
08:51It's going to be about 100 miles from here to the other side.
08:54What we know is it's pretty smooth and not technical,
08:57but you never know until you know
08:59and something unexpected could come up.
09:01Ah, the old unexpected surprise.
09:03Got to love it, right?
09:04I like my odds on the GS.
09:06I think it's going to show the versatility of this thing.
09:08Obviously, I loved it on the pavement that we just got off of.
09:11Brilliant there.
09:12I'll be honest.
09:13It took a little bit more time to get comfortable on the thing.
09:15It is a complex and complicated machine.
09:18There are so many electronics on this thing, and it's a lot.
09:21It's overwhelming at first,
09:22but I think it's going to be a lot of fun out here.
09:25What about the old XR?
09:26I know I've already heard you make a couple of comments
09:28on loving the simplicity there, right?
09:30Oh, yeah. It's analog, man.
09:32But I'm excited.
09:33This thing's made for sections like this.
09:35Just kick up some dust, slide some corners,
09:38and just chug along on an air-cooled dumper.
09:40So I'm excited.
09:41I think we just need to get going.
09:43Let's do it.
09:44All right. Let's go.
09:49It felt good having dirt under our tires
09:51and nothing but beautiful mountain passes ahead of us.
09:54The road was ours, mostly.
09:58What's for lunch? Beef?
09:59Geez, too soon, man.
10:00We haven't even got to buy them yet.
10:02Maybe I should go first,
10:03because your spaceship's going to freak them out.
10:05They're going to think you're going to run us over.
10:07Yeah, they're going to respect this XR.
10:08Let's see.
10:09All right.
10:11Guide me through.
10:13Just charging them, huh?
10:16Geez.
10:17Oh, yeah, they don't.
10:20That's not the way to do it, huh?
10:22Oh, look at this.
10:25Okay, thanks for that.
10:28Okay.
10:30Nice. They're nice cows.
10:32With our cattle friends behind us,
10:34we headed north toward the peaks of Stanislaus National Forest
10:38via an intricate network of dusty logging roads
10:42and ultimately to our first important decision.
10:46All right, here's the dilemma.
10:48We got the bypass 40 miles of pavement this way
10:52or the BDR this way,
10:54which has a closed gate, potentially.
10:56For some reason, we don't know.
10:58Whoa, whoa, whoa.
11:00Don't listen to this guy.
11:02I know him.
11:03He actually did know.
11:05Well, kind of.
11:07The BDR route was updated before they took off,
11:10showing there's a required bypass,
11:12but they didn't want to listen.
11:16So we could go that way.
11:18It'll be sick. It looks fun.
11:20But we could potentially get turned around
11:22who knows how far down the road.
11:24What should we do?
11:26I think it's a rhetorical question, man.
11:28I think you already know the answer.
11:32Pavement, cool, but that section looks way too fun.
11:36We got to try it.
11:38We got to see what this GS is capable of.
11:40We got to try to break that XR.
11:42We're going for it, man. We're going for it.
11:44Wish us luck.
11:45Let's send it.
11:47Okay.
11:48Do it.
11:50What gate closure?
11:53If anything, this will fit around the gate closure.
11:56We can't say that.
11:58We don't do that, folks.
12:00We're responsible motorcyclists.
12:02I am, at least.
12:04Yeah, you are. For sure you are.
12:08This is the stuff we've been looking for.
12:11If I ever start a band,
12:13that's what I'm going to name it.
12:15Rocky II track on the mic.
12:18It's good so far.
12:20Yeah, not bad. Just entertaining enough.
12:22This is going to be more challenging on the GS than it is the XR.
12:26Yeah.
12:28The XR loves this stuff.
12:30Does not mean this thing ain't capable of it.
12:33It's a tight single track. That would be hard on that thing.
12:36Yeah, exactly.
12:38Like technical tight single track.
12:40This thing's got 13 inches of ground clearance, this XR.
12:44It's insane.
12:46Yeah.
12:48I just love where you can take a motorcycle.
12:50This is so cool.
12:52We haven't really seen anybody for hours.
12:55This is so perfect.
12:57So beautiful.
12:59Got my own lines.
13:01That's how you know it.
13:03Alright.
13:05Well, it wasn't so bad as far as I could tell.
13:07Yeah, that was fun.
13:09I had a good time.
13:11Interesting stuff we've ridden so far.
13:13Yeah, it was.
13:15It was nice to get off some of the easier fire road slash logging road stuff.
13:18Do a little two track, a little rocky, a little sandy downhill.
13:21It was good.
13:23A nice little break here.
13:25Hopefully we see some more of that.
13:27Uh-oh.
13:29We found it.
13:31Dang.
13:33We talked too soon.
13:35Oh, no.
13:37Double splatter up this thing.
13:40What does it say when it opens?
13:42No, it just says you're paying the big bucks if you decide to go around it.
13:48So we did have some fun, but we're not going this way.
13:53It is definitely closed.
13:55Yeah.
13:57I guess we should do a better job of following instructions.
13:59I was never good at that.
14:02It's such a tease now that we see it.
14:05And you see the trail going that way.
14:07And actually, you see some tire marks that go around this berm and right out there.
14:15But we are not going to do that.
14:17We're responsible motorcyclists 90% of the time.
14:21So we're going back.
14:25And forget about the joke I said earlier about this not being Easy Street YouTube.
14:31Because we are apparently going to take the easy street.
14:35The only street.
14:37The only street. There you go.
14:39Honestly, even if we knew for a fact that this was here, it still would have been worth just ripping here and back just to get that section in.
14:49And now we get to do it again.
14:51The best part so far. Times two.
14:53Okay. Well, I appreciate the attempt there.
14:57You always got to try.
14:59But we're turning around.
15:03With our tails between our legs, we turned back and embraced the bypass.
15:07Despite spending more time on pavement, we soaked in the scenery and found a way to make it fun.
15:15Well, it may be a required bypass, but at least it's pretty.
15:19Yeah. At least it's pretty.
15:21You're never having a bad time on a motorcycle.
15:23I shouldn't say that yet.
15:25Things could go bad.
15:27Like when you break your leg out in the middle of nowhere.
15:29Speaking from experience.
15:31That was a pretty good wheelie you had there earlier, bud.
15:35This thing's one of the best wheelie bikes, I swear.
15:37Even at altitude, it does it.
15:39Yeah.
15:41Fun fact about the XR650L, folks.
15:43It's excellent at wheelies, according to Evan Allen here.
15:45Yeah.
15:47Second gear, oh, no problem.
15:49No problem at altitude?
15:51Watch. See a demonstration?
15:53You got to commit to it a little bit.
15:55Yeah, that'll do.
15:57That'll do.
15:59Oh, there's your straight road.
16:01All right, let's see what the BMW can do.
16:03Oh, yeah.
16:05This is going to worry me a little bit.
16:07There we go.
16:09Woo-hoo-hoo!
16:11That's a lot of motorcycle.
16:13This also does no stoppies, though, too.
16:15Yeah.
16:17So good.
16:19So good.
16:21Look how much fun you can have on an XR650.
16:23Exactly.
16:25$7,000 worth of fun.
16:27$7,000 worth of fun.
16:29$7,000 toy.
16:31A few wheelie attempts later,
16:33and we were back on the main highway,
16:35following the suggested bypass to the original route.
16:37We weren't sure exactly what we'd missed
16:39on the closed section,
16:41but the upcoming roads looked just as scenic and fun.
16:43The problem?
16:45We hadn't made great time,
16:47and with the sun starting to dip behind the mountains,
16:49it seemed less likely we'd reach town before dark.
16:51Could we cover enough ground
16:53to avoid riding out of the forest at night?
16:55The answer?
16:57Not a chance.
16:59But riding at night added a whole new level of excitement
17:01and made the trail a little more challenging,
17:03especially on the XR.
17:05I have to admit,
17:07motorcycle lighting has come a long way
17:09in the last 30 years.
17:11In fact, I'm pretty sure Bradley's BMW
17:13is bright enough to be seen from space.
17:25Okay, day two of our adventure.
17:27Feeling a little bit tired this morning.
17:29We made yesterday longer
17:31than it needed to be.
17:33The plan for today is to
17:35not add any more miles.
17:37We're going to do the pre-planned section of BDR,
17:39which should be about 105 miles.
17:41We are going to end up in Lake Tahoe.
17:43The things I'm excited about
17:45is we get to do part of the
17:47historic Pony Express Trail,
17:49and then we get to go through the Donner Pass,
17:51which we've all heard the stories of that.
17:53I haven't been there yet,
17:55so that'll be my first time getting to experience that.
17:57Looking forward to it.
17:59What about you, Evan? How are you feeling, bud?
18:01I'm a little sore.
18:03I took a digger yesterday,
18:05so my ankle's a little swollen.
18:07I'm equally as excited for the Pony Express.
18:09I did a school project on the Pony Express
18:11back in elementary school.
18:13Talked about Bronco Charlie,
18:15so I'm looking forward to being my own
18:17Bronco Charlie on an iron horse today.
18:19Maybe find something a little more technical,
18:21maybe jump and get the hog airborne.
18:23There you go. You heard it here first from Evan.
18:25We're getting the XR in the air today,
18:27and I guarantee you we're going to have some fun.
18:29Let's get to it.
18:51All right, we found our first jump of the day.
18:53I know this thing can hit it,
18:55but will that spaceship fly?
18:57I'm confident.
18:59I'm not confident it'll fly further than that,
19:01but we're going to get this thing in the air.
19:03So what we are going to do,
19:05we're going to turn it into a little competition,
19:07because of course, that's what we do, right?
19:09So we'll take two attempts each,
19:11and we'll see who does it the fastest.
19:13I'm going to go first.
19:15I'm going to go first.
19:17I'm going to go first.
19:19We'll take two attempts each,
19:21and we'll see who jumps the furthest,
19:23and I guess whoever does will get the last uncrustable
19:25I got tucked into my little pocket here.
19:27How about that?
19:29That uncrustable is mine.
19:31Watch this.
19:33I hope Bradley knows that catching air
19:35means both wheels have to come off the ground.
19:37All right, I got nature's marking stick.
19:39Evan went up the hill.
19:41Should be down here in just a second.
19:43We'll see how this goes.
19:45Hopefully good.
19:47Hopefully we don't mess things up early in the morning.
19:49Bradley thinks he has a chance.
19:53Third gear.
19:59All right, that was all right.
20:01That was all right.
20:03I think I could go a little farther maybe.
20:05Not as much pop as I would have liked,
20:07but we'll see.
20:09First mark is down.
20:11Your first mark is down, bud.
20:13We got you right here.
20:15That's pretty far, honestly.
20:17It is terrifying watching you race down the hill like that.
20:19All right, let's see it.
20:21Let's see if I can make it.
20:23Let's see if my front tire can make it out of the shade down there.
20:27Whatever it is, double it.
20:29I don't know if I'm more nervous
20:31for myself
20:33or for Evan.
20:35This is actually kind of terrifying to watch.
20:37All right, that was just
20:39the warm-up attempt.
20:41How to get comfortable.
20:43Oh, my gosh!
20:45I think I got it.
20:47I think I got it.
20:49I felt like my front tire
20:51got out of the shade there.
20:53I'm genuinely shocked right now.
20:55My heart just dropped.
21:01Oh, my gosh.
21:03It doesn't feel that big.
21:05I feel like I could definitely go more.
21:07I wish I had a little more pop.
21:09I'm wondering if fourth gear is the call.
21:11I'm tempted to
21:13forfeit before I even go.
21:15I don't
21:17even want to have to try that.
21:19I think my goal now has just become
21:21to
21:23get at least half the distance of yours.
21:25Oh, my God.
21:27I literally need to take a break
21:29for my heart rate to come down, I feel like.
21:31Clean the visor.
21:35Probably only
21:3750 feet, huh?
21:39Probably only.
21:41All right, here I come.
21:43Let's do it.
21:47Okay.
21:49All right.
21:51We can do this.
21:53Here comes Bradley. Can he do it?
21:55That looks pretty sick, actually.
21:57He got a little style points there.
21:59All right. We worked our way in.
22:01We worked our way into it.
22:03Do you want to try another one?
22:05I think you're about right here.
22:07All right.
22:09Where am I? Let's get a reference to where I am and you are.
22:11You made it just into the shade.
22:13I made it into the shade.
22:15I'm honestly okay with that.
22:17I might have given you a little extra.
22:19I think that might have been your front tire.
22:21Two more GSs to jump.
22:23Yeah.
22:25You had style points.
22:27We can do it.
22:29You got all that horsepower. You should be jumping twice
22:31as far as me.
22:33I have horsepower and I also have a lot more weight.
22:35That's true.
22:37I guess I do have electronic suspension.
22:39Yeah.
22:41Does it have some fly control assist?
22:43Yeah.
22:45Jump assist.
22:47I don't have winglets.
22:49That's next year's model.
22:51Okay. All right. We got this.
22:53I feel less nervous this time.
22:55I'm ready to go. I'm going. I'm just going for it.
22:57Okay.
22:59All right. Let's see it.
23:01Give her the beans.
23:05Nice.
23:07Okay.
23:09You landed in the same spot.
23:11Okay.
23:13Consistency.
23:15Consistency.
23:17You're just getting into the shade.
23:19I'll take it.
23:21I'll take leaving that in one piece.
23:23My size nine CD boots.
23:25I jumped one, two,
23:27three, four,
23:2917, 18,
23:31about 19.
23:33Size nine boots.
23:35I'm just happy to come out in one piece.
23:37Yeah. Hand that over.
23:39That's all yours, bud.
23:41I served.
23:43We call this the breakfast of champions.
23:47With adrenaline levels restored,
23:49we continued along sections
23:51of the historic Pony Express trail
23:53through the sea of pine
23:55that covers this part of the state.
23:57While not overly technical,
23:59this section of BDR offers
24:01amazing views at every turn,
24:03and if curiosity gets the better of you,
24:05there are still chances to venture off the main route.
24:11All right. Well, the story here
24:13is that we saw a little play area
24:15off the side of the road,
24:17and I followed Evan on his XR,
24:19and it's relatively easy stuff,
24:21I think. It's just the whole point
24:23is on a big bike like this,
24:25all of a sudden, everything looks
24:27a little bit bigger,
24:29and the sand looks a little bit softer,
24:31and now I kind of got myself
24:33in a position, I mean, a line
24:35that I didn't really want to be on,
24:37but I ain't exactly backing it up
24:39up this hill, and
24:41I got to man up and just drop down this thing,
24:43so I'm going to go,
24:45and you're going to follow me, huh?
24:47Okay. Show me the fast line.
24:49Okay. I'm told
24:51that momentum is my friend here.
24:53Yeah. I wouldn't touch the front brake.
24:55I would stay on the gas all the way to the bottom.
24:57Thank you for that advice.
24:59This is the second time in a very short period
25:01that I've been extremely nervous.
25:03I don't think it's that bad, but...
25:05Yeah, it's just the softness,
25:07so you're going to want to stay on the gas.
25:09Three, two, one, go.
25:11Okay.
25:13We're good.
25:15Nice.
25:21Yeah, bud.
25:23That was cool.
25:25I want to be cool like you.
25:27By XLR.
25:29I did it.
25:31I didn't cartwheel a BMW.
25:33Yeah, I know.
25:35It's all soft. It was at the bottom.
25:37I know how much weight that thing has up front.
25:39That's why I was like, oh, if it starts plowing
25:41and giving you that, it's not going to be fun.
25:43Okay. Cool. All right.
25:45On to the next. All right. Sweet.
25:47After Bradley conquered his fears
25:49on the bunny slope, we got back on the road.
25:51Northern California continued
25:53to deliver epic experiences
25:55around every corner.
25:57From beautiful roads etched into the hillside
25:59to vast stretches of sculpted forest,
26:01we especially enjoyed
26:03Eleven Pines Road
26:05and crossing over the majestic Rubicon River
26:07as we worked our way north
26:09through a valley of fallen trees.
26:11Speaking of trees,
26:13we had one more challenge to go.
26:15Okay.
26:17Here's the deal. We found a log
26:19in the middle of a trail that we were doing
26:21a little exploring on, and Evan
26:23is basically not going to let me
26:25find another way around the thing.
26:27He's making me go over it.
26:29Will the GS do it? Of course it will.
26:31Can I do it
26:33on the GS? That's another question.
26:35But, yeah,
26:37you're basically just not giving me any other option
26:39at this point. No other option.
26:41I mean, if you're riding a trail and there's a downed log,
26:43you have no other option but
26:45to conquer it. You're not going to turn around.
26:47You just got to send it. I get that.
26:49I get what you're trying to prove.
26:51The XR, it's lighter.
26:53Anyone can ride it thing.
26:55The big old adventure bike
26:57is a different story.
26:59I'm not very excited about this, honestly.
27:01It's putting a little pit in my stomach.
27:03I think I'm going to just
27:05get up and try to go do the thing because
27:07every extra second I sit here, I get a little bit
27:09more nervous about it.
27:11Wish me luck, I guess.
27:13I don't know.
27:15Let's do it. You got it.
27:19What am I doing?
27:21Do I go up there and set?
27:25If I go up there,
27:27I can
27:29go and then straight,
27:31which I want to do.
27:33Patience, guys. Thank you. Appreciate it.
27:41Can I get over there?
27:43I don't think I can do that.
27:45It's like, I almost can.
27:47No. Alright. I have to do it the way...
27:53Actually, Evan, can you go show me
27:55where that rock is?
27:57This is the rock.
27:59Okay, so that second willow.
28:01I'm just not very stoked about this.
28:05I know I don't need to jump it.
28:07I'm not even thinking about jumping it.
28:09I'm just thinking about getting over it.
28:11I'm going to keep talking myself out of it
28:13if I just sit here.
28:15We can do this.
28:17We can do this.
28:19Just don't spin that rear.
28:23There you go.
28:25Easy, right?
28:29I don't want to do it again.
28:31It's just a fear factor.
28:33It looks intimidating.
28:35I'm over the log.
28:37It feels really good.
28:39It just reminded me of you
28:41going around Chuck Wall and being like,
28:43it's just like me
28:45and being like, I don't like this.
28:47What gear did you do it in, Bradley?
28:49First.
28:51I think I'm going to try second.
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29:47Alright, here we go.
29:49Let me show you how a dual sporter does it.
29:51Let's do some style points.
29:53Oh!
29:55Oh!
29:57Oh my god!
29:59Oh no!
30:01Oh no!
30:03I guess this is that pick your bike up challenge.
30:05We're doing a pick your bike up challenge.
30:07Oh my god.
30:09Oh yeah!
30:11That's what I get for being too cocky.
30:13Oh!
30:15I started seeing it go sideways.
30:17I know, I didn't square it up enough.
30:19Oh man.
30:21Got cocky on them.
30:23Geez.
30:25Can't let my XR friends know about that.
30:29I would just like to make a note.
30:31BMW GS, over the log, easy.
30:33Had it the whole time.
30:35Evan here on the XR.
30:37I feel like I need a redemption.
30:39I'll go for it, but it's already on camera.
30:41That's fine, that's fine.
30:43I just got to show I can do it.
30:45You won jump contest, apparently I won log contest.
30:47You did, good job.
30:49Wow, I did not anticipate that.
30:53Oh my god.
30:55Nice job, bud.
30:57It was a good air.
30:59It was impressive.
31:01Some style points.
31:03Did take two tries.
31:05Victor.
31:07Okay, let's be honest.
31:09He would normally do it better.
31:11He was trying to show off.
31:13But you know what?
31:15I'm going to take the little victory.
31:17We still don't know if you can pick that bike up though.
31:19What if you did what I did?
31:21Alright.
31:23I see where your head's at.
31:25I see where your head's at.
31:27I'm going to lay mine down gently.
31:29Because, $28,000 and all.
31:31Yep, it's pretty.
31:33But, Evan is insinuating
31:35my bike is too big to pick up
31:37had I dropped it.
31:41I hope I don't make a fool out of myself now.
31:43Okay.
31:45Come on little BMW.
31:47I promise I don't mean to hurt you.
31:49Oh god, it's heavy going down.
31:51Okay.
31:53Got to look at this.
31:55Because it's not going to happen again.
31:57Dude, I don't know if I can pick this thing up.
31:59Okay.
32:01Well, the trick is.
32:03You just got to do that.
32:05Oh wow.
32:07Wow.
32:09That was not bad at all.
32:11Well, you know, I've been hitting the gym a lot lately.
32:13So.
32:15Yep, and the Uncrustables.
32:17There was a moment
32:19There was a moment
32:21where I was like.
32:23Alright, I'm up.
32:25Now we get to see if Evan can pick it up.
32:27Oh man.
32:29I mean, I'm not kidding. It feels heavy going down.
32:31So.
32:33I'm going to need to go to the chiropractor after this.
32:35So that's the trick.
32:37Is you back it up. I've never done that.
32:39Yeah, that's what I've been seeing
32:41in the photos.
32:43I was prepping.
32:45Alright, let's see.
32:47Posture right. Don't lift with the back. Lift with the legs.
32:49Is that what you did?
32:51Yeah, I mean.
32:53I just did it with pure muscle.
32:55Alright, I'm going to do it with pure will.
32:59Okay, I'm going to start there.
33:01Oh, he's up.
33:03Oh, what?
33:05Nice job.
33:07Okay, it's up.
33:09Alright, let's get that kickstand down.
33:11Wow, that's a good technique.
33:13That actually was not bad at all.
33:15You can pick up a 1300GS.
33:1726 pounds lighter this year.
33:21Just for that reason.
33:23I mean, that says a lot.
33:25Don't recommend it.
33:27I'm 120 pounds. That says a lot.
33:29So most people with that technique
33:31should be able to pick up their big heavy adventure bike.
33:33I'll give kudos to that.
33:35Good job.
33:37I have officially broken a sweat.
33:39Nice one, dude.
33:41Let's finish this ride off.
33:55Alright, so obviously
33:57this is a bit of an apples versus oranges thing.
33:59But it's really cool to see the difference
34:01between XR and GS.
34:03Especially now that we've got to ride it
34:05in so many different situations.
34:07The cool thing for me is I finally
34:09really have been able to wrap my head
34:11around this BMW
34:13and really understand it.
34:15And I think the big thing for me
34:17that I've realized is what
34:19BMW has done in terms of
34:21adding just a little bit of sharpness
34:23to this thing.
34:25It just feels just a touch more aggressive
34:27than any of the previous
34:291250s that I've ridden.
34:31And I always thought these big adventure bikes
34:33the ones that I'd ridden a couple years ago
34:35I always described them as
34:37the big adventure bike
34:39dance where they just kind of felt
34:41a little bit like a hinge
34:43in them and you had to kind of let them
34:45just move around the trail a little bit.
34:47It seems like manufacturers
34:49have started to go away from that as
34:51people start to do more and more with these
34:53bikes and it seems like that's really what BMW
34:55is doing with this.
34:57It's a bike that feels just a lot
34:59more, I wouldn't say on edge, but
35:01it just feels sharper.
35:03After a full day of riding yesterday, I don't know about
35:05you Evan, but I was
35:07pretty sore, I'll be honest with you.
35:09Outside of your foot, I'm assuming you probably
35:11weren't as sore as I was just because
35:13it's a lot of bike to muscle around and you know
35:15those times where we were picking up the pace
35:17and riding a little bit faster
35:19it's still a lot of weight
35:21to muscle around. Obviously there are
35:23bikes that, almost any bike
35:25can do what we've been doing.
35:27There are bikes that can do this better
35:29bikes that can do this stuff much
35:31better, but
35:33the cool thing is that the BMW, you can do
35:35everything that we've been doing, be it
35:37some of the technical rocky stuff that we've got
35:39to play in, or
35:41some little bit sandy stuff, the
35:43fast pace, any of the off-road stuff, and then
35:45you can jump on the highway, and I could have
35:47ridden this thing to New York
35:49yesterday after our ride.
35:51Sorry bud!
35:55It's just, I love how
35:57not only can you do
35:59this stuff with the GS, but you can do
36:01so much more.
36:03Yeah, I mean the Honda, obviously there's nothing
36:05new to talk about, same bike for 30 years
36:07but it's just
36:09it just does everything pretty decent
36:11like, it's got
36:13this fun torquey motor, it makes
36:15around 34 or so horsepower
36:1730, 31 pound-feet
36:19of torque, and it's just like
36:21a tractor, just cruising along at these speeds
36:23and soft suspension, it absorbs
36:25the stuff really well. I know it's not
36:27a super light dual sport, and it can
36:29this bike's pretty tall, so
36:31it does feel a little top-heavy at times
36:33but
36:35it just, it's not going to do
36:37anything the best, but it's just
36:39it just has this classic dual sport
36:41air-cooled thumper vibe
36:43to it. That's just fun, you know
36:45you slow your pace down a little
36:47and just enjoy chugging along
36:49but it still is pretty capable in the right hands
36:51the handlebars, I will say, are
36:53pretty low, especially when you stand up
36:55that's something I would change pretty instantly if I got
36:57the bike, but other than that
36:59there's nothing else I really
37:01don't like about this bike
37:03it's just a classic air-cooled thumper
37:05dual sport, that's perfect for
37:07going and exploring your local mountain roads
37:09and riding to work
37:11going to the grocery store, and just
37:13having a good time on a motorcycle
37:15and I think that's why, you know, they haven't
37:17felt the need to change it in 30 years, is because
37:19there's still people out here looking
37:21for this, you know, classic
37:23dual sport, and it's still
37:25simple. Yeah, exactly
37:27and that's what I like about this thing
37:29nice and simple
37:31Motorcycling in its simplest form
37:33Yep. This is not
37:35motorcycling in its simplest form, but I am still
37:37having fun nonetheless. It's been a lot
37:39of fun. I'm going to pick up the pace a little bit here
37:41bud, and have some fun on this trail
37:43because this thing is pretty cool. Let's go for it
37:45Yep, let's do it.
37:49The last stretch of our BDR
37:51adventure turned out to be one of the best
37:53It was twisty, flowy, and
37:55never seemed to end
38:01However, we did
38:03encounter one unexpected hiccup
38:09Evan decided he wanted to break
38:11one last rule before
38:13we finished
38:15He said no flat tires
38:17for about
38:19maybe 40
38:21minutes
38:23from the hotel to finish off
38:25our adventure
38:27and that was my rule too
38:29Once the tire was fixed, despite Bradley's
38:31lack of assistance, it was clear we
38:33wouldn't reach Lake Tahoe before sundown
38:35Neither of us
38:37would catch our first glimpse of the lake until
38:39the following morning
38:43Turns out, Lake Tahoe
38:45is as beautiful as everyone
38:47says it is. The new NorCal BDR
38:49route is really neat too
38:51I wish we had more time and got
38:53to do the full route because what we've seen
38:55is just a spectacular
38:57addition to their lineup of routes
38:59You have a bunch of different mixed surfaces
39:01awesome pavement, great off-road
39:03sections, and just beautiful scenery
39:05Yeah, and for me, what an
39:07incredible motorcycle to experience it on
39:09I mean, this GS is a
39:11phenomenal companion on the open highway
39:13but the added aggression that BMW
39:15has pumped into this latest
39:17package means it's even more fun
39:19and more capable off-road
39:21I mean, it's not just as good as it's ever been
39:23it's better than it's ever been
39:25Yeah, and this thing, it's as
39:27good as it's always been because it's the same bike
39:29that it's always been. But seriously,
39:31it never fell out of place. It's tried
39:33and true. This thing's a hammer
39:35You just get on it, twist the throttle
39:37and you'll end up in a beautiful destination
39:39like Lake Tahoe or somewhere else
39:41At the end of the day
39:43it's not about what you're out riding
39:45but that you were, in fact,
39:47riding. Don't wait until life
39:49affords you the chance to be on the best
39:51motorcycle money can buy. Yes
39:53you'll very much enjoy your adventure
39:55on a bike like the R1300GS
39:57but the reality is that any
39:59machine with two wheels and a motor
40:01will get you there. Whether you're on a top-tier
40:03adventure bike or a modest
40:05outdated dual sport, the joy
40:07freedom, and thrill of riding
40:09remain the same. Any motorcycle
40:11with two wheels and a motor can carry
40:13you to adventure. It's up to
40:15you to embrace the ride.