That’s Rocco, or dog 1. 9 year old black lab retriever. Dog 2 was hiding, another rescue, that would be Lucy, but you’ll never see her.

@@PeakMotorcycles Mojo, my 13 year old rescue choccie lab says "Hi!" When he wakes up, that is..

Thanks for that! It seems very well put together.

Yup, though some have flexibility on such things when it comes to iPhones or other technology.

He's one of two. And though still behave like pups, he's 9 and the other is 10. I look forward to when they calm down a bit. No sign of that so far!

Yes they do. I took them off after a few rides.

Thanks for that. I also wondered if the shape of the ends allowed for more directional adjustment that the RAM balls. They are definitely an improvement.

I think the angle of the chin camera makes it look far more obscured than it actually is. It’s mounted on the Nav bar on the bike, so if not that, that’s were the GPS goes. The chin camera I have is mounted quite low on the helmet so it gives a point of view perhaps 8-10” below my eye line. To put it another way, the top of the screen is below my shoulders so I’m very much looking over the screen and not through it. I hope that makes sense.

Low fuel 🤣. (It came on 2 miles into my ride and I didn’t fill it up until the end)

Nice to meet you. I hope you had a great time! AC⚡️DC were awesome at Croke Park. (Day 5 of the Colombia trip might be of more interest as there’s less bikes and more silly things in boats!

Thanks

Perhaps, but I haven’t tried it. The protectors work very well, however they work best when fixed to undamaged plastics. I had a cracked lower plastic on the left side of the bike but fitted the guard anyway. It’s lasted me 2 years and a couple of dozen drops, but at a recent event (Sweet Lamb Baja) at some point on day two it came off and wasn’t to be found… (it was pretty rough going). So now I have the choice to buy another, but know I should really replace the plastic first, or just cut the plastics. I’m tempted to do the latter. This is due to the amount of mud and clay I ended up having inside the bodywork. It came out in the end but it was significant so I’m wondering if removing the lower bodywork and cutting the side panels and then fitting an ‘L’ skid plate might be worth trying. I’d also need an exhaust heat shield but I’ll see what I can find.

@@PeakMotorcycles thank you very much for your reply!!

🤣 I don’t really watch KZbin (unless I’m stuck on something) so I don’t really have anything to compare it too. I’m quite certain there is better out there, but thank you.

I can's speak for those that only want to tour, but I can speak for me. I use my GS for both touring and trail riding. I have a second set of wheels with Karoo 4 50/50 tyres and I've used the bike for RallyMoto roadbook rallys as well as riding trails in my local area. I also have trail bikes, so I tend to take what matches who I'm riding with. If I'm doing some easier trails connected by road, and riding with others on large adventure bikes, then the GS makes sense. If riding with other small trailies, I'd take the CRF. For the touring, if I know it's 100% good quality paved roads then road tyres go on my other wheels. If it's to somewhere where it's mostly paved but you still get gravel, (eastern europe, north africa etc.) then a GS still makes sense, even for touring. I have ridden the Tracer 9GT (not sure if it was a plus...) and it was a great bike. I love that triple engine and it has plenty of go. I didn't like the old 'muppets face' dash, but the new TFT is much better. I know it's not a big thing, but when riding, it's something to look at a lot of the time. It's also a pretty heavy bike at 220Kg wet. I know this is 17Kg less than a 1300GS, but the boxer engines carry the weight low down and I think my 1250GS feels lighter to ride than the Tracer. The Tiger felt heavy and I've not ridden the latest super adventure, so can't comment on that, but I personally can't see me changing out my 1250GS for a Tracer 9 any time soon. On a side note, I am very interested in trying the new Voge 900DSX that's coming out shortly. At £9000 it's less than half the price of a new 1300GS, and £6000 less than a Tracer 9GT+, and that price is with a full set of luggage. It doesn't have the peak power of the Tracer 9, but then it makes it's peak lower down the rev range (and how many people would take the Tracer to 10k rpm to make the most of it?)

@@PeakMotorcycles great answer, I’ll definitely look out for that Vogue 900

Not sure, it’s in a sub-menu, so perhaps not, but next time I’m having a play I’ll see what it’ll do. If not, it’s a ‘down-down’ on the left thumb toggle.

It was great. Also good to do the edit three months on and see it all again. It's so easy to forget when it's six straight days. I do get to do it again in February though! peakmotorcycles.com/pages/colombia

Sometimes it's the same.... or will be. (I'm going back to Colombia in February to do this tour again and one new one)

Hi Nick, It's a Klim Induction Pro. It helps, but at the end of the day, it's still hot, at least for my blood that is accustomed to the north of England! Returning to Medellin and going through Manizales were the only bits of town/city riding that we did really. And even for Medellin, it was just the return as we left early on a Sunday morning when the city was just waking up.

@@PeakMotorcycles Yes, all mesh jackets are hot when not moving. I need a new mesh jacket. I had to take my old Belstaff mesh number, the first mesh jacket ever, out of retirement recently.

It's a long old climb, in biking gear, at 2000m elevation, in hot and humid conditions. It is stairs, but still, it's not as easy as relaxing in the hammocks in the restaurant at the bottom where we had lunch. (I did that too, just not in the video!). I wasn't walking my dogs while I was away, so perhaps it slightly made up for that, and offset a very small amount of the excellent Colombian cuisine that featured at every meal on the trip!

I'm not sure it's a bit more money. I just spec'd up a 650XT with the bigger footpegs, centre stand, led turn signals and metal luggage with frames/mounting plates and locks it's £11,722+OTR costs. It's not double the price, but it's a lot more than the £6,899 of the Benelli. And for the extra £5000, you don't get a TFT dash, metal framed handguards or an LED headlamp. If you added those with aftermarket parts, I think it would be close to double. They do both have a 20L fuel tank, and the Suzuki is 2kg lighter (216kg vs 218kg), but that's stock without any of the accessories. The 650XT is an older bike and hasn't yet made the jump to more common things like a TFT screen, not that that should be a key thing for a bike, but it does feel older and for £5000 extra, that's a significant cost increase over the Benelli. I would pick the 702X if it was my money.

🤣 anything that feeds the algorithm! I’m a bit disappointed too now…

Unknown, I’m afraid. I do think that would be a weak point, but then if it even came loose, the tablet would start to drop so you’d have some advance notice. I’ve just done 5000 miles to Romania and back, all on road, but some was a 140km/h motorway dash with the small Rallye screen and the back of the mount took a battering from the wind (and lots of flies) and survived, so so far so good.

Is it? The website says 218kg www.benelli.co.uk/model/2024-benelli-trk-702x-1283 which I know is no lightweight, far from it in fact, but it’s not going to be cheap, well spec’d, with luggage and light. Something has to give, and when building your a budget it’s often weight. A Versys 650 is 219kg and they sell quite a few of those.

@@PeakMotorcycles that’s the dry weight. Have a look around, it is listed on multiple sites as 235kg with oil and petrol. If you check the Australian Bennelli website it is listed at 218kg dry. Wasn’t saying anything more than it’s 235kg, it’s a heavy bike. It rather go for the 500 for the lower weight

Yup, but that’s not unique to Benelli… on the plus side, it’s no Suzuki! 🤣

That is a shame. Though I’ll bet you have a lot of choice of 250’s. For a long time we didn’t have much to choose from between 250-500cc.

@@PeakMotorcycles I always follow your channel I have a Benelli TRK 249 right now, but the 502 and 702 are a different experience. We love you from Iran I have a motorcycle startup in Iran and I hope to welcome you in Iran one day

Too big and boxy for what? Some people like big and boxy, especially if travelling 2 up. I'm not one of them, I have metal boxes and a vario top box for my GS and I don't use any of them. I have some Enduristan Monsoon Evo panniers and use a large pannier topper as a top box. When fully packed, they way the same as the metal boxes and top box do empty...

Yup. Tomorrow. #spoileralert it's a very good bike, with luggage for the price, but unsurprisingly it's not the best bike in the world at any price.

There is a horse for every cowboy (or cowgirl)! For anyone on a budget, I think it's a good choice. It's not fancy but comes well equipped and with luggage, and has enough power to tour fast A-Roads and motorways, so for a cheap tourer, I suspect that is both it's intended market, and also not one in which you sit! Neither do I, but if I was fly-riding somewhere for a couple of months, I'd consider buying one and selling it when done as it would probably be significantly cheaper and if in a part of the world with a good dealer network, I would expect the loss would be less than the shipping cost.

I'd be happy to, though it's generally a challenge to get all of the bikes. Even to make a standalone video is probably 4-8hrs of work with the bike logistics, filming, editing and publishing. For a channel of this size, a popular video might make as much as £50 over a year, but many for already available bikes less than £10, or to put it another way, to do content like this pays somewhere between 10-30% of minimum wage. To be clear, I don't do it for the money (this is lucky!) but at the same time, to put together something like the video you suggested is probably a week of work, for little more reward and for me personally, I just can't afford to do that. Hopefully some of the publications who can request bikes from the manufacturers and have the back office and production staff to do the work can provide what you want. You have my apologies.

Sounds luxurious to have a set for each bike. Perhaps I'm being a bit tight by just buying one set! 🤣

@@PeakMotorcycles Yep, these new Double Takes are expensive. Biding my time to buy a set.

🤣. I get the too young thing every day…. Ok, maybe 25 years ago!

🤣

Actually, I'm back home for a few weeks before heading off to India to ride the Spiti Valley... I recorded most of these videos before the Romania tour thinking I'd have some time away to edit, but never did. With the India trip looming, I'm trying to clear the backlog, as I'll have a load to do when I get back from that trip, and then it'll be EICMA....

Most will join you!

The Benelli feels bigger and heavier than the Ducati, and it is. The Ducati is 186Kg and makes 75hp to the Benelli's 234kg to 76hp, so I'd expect the Ducati to win a drag race, but then these bikes are rarely used for such things. Perhaps a better comparison (though also subjective) is if you prefer an inline twin to a V-Twin and how that power is delivered. I think the Ducati is better offroad, this is partly weight related and partly demostrated through the 'Desert Sled' variant which is very capable for it's class. (Mine is just an Icon, so doesn't have the high front mudguard or the extra suspension travel of the Desert Sled). By contrast, the 800 Trail is derived from the Leoncino 800, which is a good road bike. The last comparison is the price, the Benelli is £7,000 and a new Scrambler 800 is £10,000. On top of that the Ducati servicing does get a bit eye watering, I think the Desmo service on my 800 is £800 or thereabouts. If size and weight is important, and money no object, I'd get the Ducati. If you're a larger person (this includes me at 6'1") and will be using it mostly on road, then I think the Benelli is better value. Does that help?

Sounds fun, but yes, not every bike is everything to all roads. I do like the Z900RS’s though. Colorado is on my list, though lately I’ve mostly made it there in the winter. I’ll get there for biking eventually. Cheers

The Benelli office is still in Pesaro, Italy, and though the ownership is with Geely, and the manufacturing is done in China, there is still some italian design flare, but with modern, automated manufacturing.

@@PeakMotorcycles The Italians have lost that design flare. I would argue the Japanese have it now if you look at their car designs as well as they are engineered to actually function.

Do you mean a comparison with the Kove? I think they are very different bikes that sort of meet in the 'Adventure bike' space. The Kove is a Rally bike, essentially an enduro with a big fuel tank and a screen. Off road there's no comparison, the Kove is the better bike. For many (including me), I don't plan on entering any rallys, or riding enduro on it. It's also £3000 more than the CFMoto, which is a good value, well spec'd adventure bike. (I think it's 30kg heavier than the Kove, dry) but the price difference alone doesn't allow the same spec of components. Horses for courses like so many things.

@@PeakMotorcycles no sorry interesting to see how reviews go with it being allegedly lighter than most in that category and it’s value for money

That seems to be a popular upgrade (downgrade?) choice. Both from a size, weight, function, and very much value. I have no doubt that a new 1300GS is an incredible motorcycle, but they are 4x the price of a 450MT, and if you don't need the extra that they offer, perhaps a 450 twin is enough.

Very wise!

It was. I’m glad we could share it! It’s been a nice reminder to go through the video footage a few months on to edit this. I guess when it’s new things every day, it all blurs a little!

It really does!

Hi Nick, My Duc scrambler 800 is a 2016 (so the model before the current one) and yes, it has been reliable. There were a few niggles, corrosion on the fuel filler bolts that were replaced with stainless at the first service without charge, and when I upgraded the rear shock to an Ohlins, the steel bolt in the alloy swingarm required an act of god to budge it. (One of 'those' 20 minute jobs that takes a few days...) Otherwise it's been great. I have the Termi race pipe from new with the Ducati map to go with it and it burbles away quite nicely.

@@PeakMotorcycles That's good to hear. When I moved to Thailand in late 2017, a Ducati Scrambler 800 was going to be the bike I bought, but I never got one. I still really like them.

@@user-sw2lv3zp6o I did worry about the electrics or any other problems, but I suppose on the one hand they are quite simple. Also The engines aren’t tuned particularly highly either. They were/are made to a budget vs the top end super (insert bike type here) offerings, but that seems to have been through simplicity not loss of quality or reliability.

That would be annoying. That said, I could take or leave the little lion! 🤣 (As long as it comes off cleanly and didn't damage the bike in the process...)

Hello Nick, can you explain the bit about appalling depreciation? All the New bikes listed for sale are being retailed at £1000 off the original RRP at £6,999 - there are only x2 used bikes listed for sale, a part ex at Crewe Honda for £6,495 and a 22 plate bike with 125 miles at MCO bikes for £6,399. That's not appalling depreciation, it's bloody brilliant. Find me another £7K bike that only ducks £500 the moment you ride away from the dealers..... that's a depreciation figure that most new bike owners can only dream of !

@@aftersales-k3n Maybe I'm out of date. Benellis used to depriciate fast, but I'm in Thailand. I think the 800 Trail is a stunning bike.

What ^ said about the depreciation. (I had a quick look on Autotrader and the depreciation does seem to be very good). I suppose with some motorcycles that were made cheaply, they didn’t last long and either rusted or needed a lot to keep them running so the depreciation was high. Benelli seem to have done a very good job here, and though it’s impossible to know the problems that might occur in 3-5 years time, overall customer experiences are positive.

@@PeakMotorcycles Everyone who has had one in Chiang Rai [the 500 model] has something positive to say about them. They are very reliable.

Of course you may. It's 224kg. But it carries it well. I owned a 2020 CB1000R which was 212kg, but the prior model (pre-2020) was the same weight as the Benelli at 224kg. It still wasn't a light bike, but given the size of it and the noise it makes for the price, I quite like the Benelli. (First Ride video coming tomorrow (Tuesday)

Or fall in yourself....

@@PeakMotorcycles Indeed. Lord knows what lurks beneath the surface.

Thanks for watching!

Weight is a problem, but it doesn't stop other, heavier bikes from selling. I think it's about 10kg lighter than a T7 or a Versys 650, though with less power than both. I suppose it'll come down to how it carries it. For the rear tyre, Bridgestone and Dunlop make road tyres in that size. 130/80's seem popular enough, so perhaps that would get close enough to the stock 140/70? (Either that or a 140/80?) Maybe even a 150/70 if there's enough clearance on the swingarm. If the bike sells well enough I expect there will be tyres coming out to fit. We shall see.

@@PeakMotorcycles Pricing, low seat height and style will make it a success, Andre. Looking forward to your next rides, Günter/Nürnberg

@@enduromotorradtouren I had a look at the TUV tyre requirements for Germany. We don’t have that here (or in many/most? other countries.) I can see why that would be a problem in Germany. Hopefully they sort it.

@@PeakMotorcycles Indeed, Andre, it's buerocratic over here to change the tyre size. And it costs money. I just found out that German CF Moto dealers have a way of officially licencing 140/80-18, so all unpaved problems are solved. All the best, Günter

Hi, thanks. I can take a look, but I have a bit of a backlog at the moment and I'm away on a trip to the himalayas in a few weeks. I'll try to get to it before I go, but please accept my apologies if it comes later in September once I'm back.

@@PeakMotorcyclesThanks. Have a safe trip.

🤣. If it’s just the dash, then yes. If it’s checking what the light means, which saves you a trip to the dealer, or you know it’s just the sticking exhaust flap, then it can be quite useful. Particularly if you’re travelling and the nearest dealer is a few days, weeks or countries away. I find that after a rally event, I have all sorts of warnings from when the bikes been on its side or had an ABS rotor clogged with mud. To clean it off, and then check all the diagnostics from home is a lot easier than making an appointment at my nearest dealer which is an hour away.