What if the best adventure bike already exists—just not the way the factories sell it?
For more than forty years, motorcycle manufacturers have tried to define the “adventure bike” by adding more of everything: bigger engines, taller suspensions, more electronics, more accessories, and more marketing. The result has been motorcycles that look adventurous but leave many riders exhausted, intimidated, and fighting their machines long before the ride is over.
That didn’t sit right with me.
I’ve spent over eighty years riding, racing, selling, importing, and redesigning motorcycles—not from behind a desk, but from the saddle and the shop floor. Long ago, I took an ordinary Honda commuter motorcycle, stripped away its city clothing, and turned it into the original Honda Trail Bike. Honda adopted that design, and it went on to change motorcycling worldwide.
Today, I see the same opportunity again.
In The Best Adventure Bike: How to Own the Best Adventure Bike Now, I explain why most modern adventure bikes are really just street bikes in disguise—and why true adventure riding demands a different way of thinking. This is not a book about brand loyalty, spec sheets, or the latest models. It’s about fundamentals: balance, fatigue, leverage, comfort, and real-world usability.
Adventure riders have never been asking for more horsepower or more complexity. They’ve been asking for motorcycles that are comfortable enough to ride all day, stable enough to inspire confidence, and honest enough to do what they claim—especially when the pavement ends, and the miles add up.
This book covers:
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- Why low center of gravity matters more than horsepower
- Why engine cylinders should point forward, not high in the frame
- Why independent front suspension dramatically reduces fatigue and improves control
- Why seat height adjustability is essential, not optional
- Why true utility can only be designed by riders with thousands of hours in the saddle
Rather than attacking manufacturers, I point out something more interesting: in at least one case, the factory is already almost there. Just like in the 1960s, the bones of a great adventure bike already exist—waiting for riders to see past the factory façade and finish the job.
Most importantly, this book doesn’t ask you to wait.
It shows how riders can apply these principles right now—by understanding platforms, recognizing good engineering when they see it, and choosing or modifying motorcycles intelligently rather than emotionally. The goal is simple: ride longer, ride farther, and arrive with energy left.
If you’ve ever thought an adventure bike felt promising at first but became exhausting over distance, this book is for you. And if you’ve ever said, there has to be a better way to design this, you’re probably right.
This book explains why—and shows you how to own the best adventure bike now.
— Herb Uhl