R 1200 GS vs Explorer vs Crosstourer

As far as adventure shootouts go, this one just about encompassed it all.  Freeway morphed into back county roads, then dirt, followed by a slew of twisties before the transport section home – well after sunset and without aching bodies.

Is it any wonder this class is the current flavour of the month?

And that’s something which Triumph and Honda are well aware of, which is why they are the latest to throw their hat into the big-bore adventure ring, with the Explorer and Crosstourer models respectively. And of course, there’s the venerable BMW R 1200 GS, which has more cachet and runs on the board than anyone cares to imagine.

Only recently, we rode the Explorer form Adelaide to Uluru on its Australian press launch – and it impressed across the board -- but we were yet to sample the VFR1200F-engined Crosstourer in Australian conditions.

With the Honda void requiring attention, it provided the perfect opportunity to pitch all three together – a fearsome battle between twin (BMW), triple (Triumph) and four (Honda).

But it wasn’t a routine exercise, with one bike showing a clean pair of heels in the dirt, another a finely tuned practitioner on the road, and another which straddles both mediums with plenty of guile. And the bikes may have different engine configurations, but they all show a similar flair for the occasion.

Plenty of deliberating, and you can read the full comparison report on the Bikesales Network next week.