Great video again Nathan with your usual common sense based wisdom. A breath of fresh air amongst the normal YT motorcycle fare.👍👍

Wise words Nathan. Marketing sells you a dream, the reality is (usually) much different.

100% agree with you Nathan, The manufacturers marketing teams have sold us a dream…. Using the likes of Chris Birch and Adam Reimann, riding gods who do unimaginable things on big heavy ADV bikes, going to far flung places, with amazing views and awesome riding. But in reality we, the general public, the ones watching the awesome vids of all the new models and dreaming of doing the same things, simply can’t, that’s not belittling anyone, it’s just a fact. Chris and Adam didn’t become offroad riding gods over night, they’ve honed their skills over many decades from a young age and they are some of the best riders in the world. The average Joe on an adv is much older, unfit and has most likely only ridden on road, or has very little offroad skills.

Until I purchased my Himalayan 411, I never really considered that the bike would be 'more than enough' for what I want. At 58, I doubt that I'll ever outperform, or overstretch the capabilities of the bike. However, the risk, as you have identified, is buying/riding a more than capable bike that becomes a problem: too heavy, too much power, unstable at slow speeds etc. The more I watch your travels, the more I get it! A really interesting concept to grasp, follow and enjoy 😉

A great watch. Reminds me that I must get out on my GP450 again 🙂

Very good advice. My ADV weapons of choice are a 2019 Himalayan 411, and a 2022 G310GS I picked up used for a song and a dance, even loaded with all sorts of ADV farkles (crash bars, skid plate, barkbusters). For the road I use my good old 2015 NC700X DCT. Cheers!

Great vlog. You are looking more like Tom Hanks in castaway every episode. Watching long way round shows you how difficult bigger bikes are off road. Think they spent most of their time on their side.

The Adventure Equation. Nathan Millward + Common Sense = Wisdom. Ride safe 👍

“Up shit creek without a paddle” is a very apt discription Nathan. The industry has led new riders by the nose for a while now. Wise words my friend 🧐

Spot on as ever with the big bikes. Reflects my own experience on tours with others. Looks like a serious adventure, really enjoying the common sense reports.

These daily updates are most inspiring, I’d never really considered a 790 being too big but it makes great sense because I spend the majority of my life working and although in my head I feel I can tackle most things thrown at me I don’t get the practice I need to be able to do it and stay upright, I spent a surprising amount of time on my arse when I had I crf 250, I think a 411 himi might be the way to go for me next, anybody want to buy a Moto guzzi V11 Le Mans ? ? ? 😜

Well done all..challenging terrain there. Think I’d have rather been on a c90 than the KTM to be honest. Well done for making it through all of you 👏🏼

Excellent update Nathan, and your light weight adventure bike philosophy is worth pushing.

So basically you are saying that Grom riders have the right idea 😋😁😋😁😋

One of the few unpretentious, down to earth voices of reason on KZfaq. I've no idea why this channel doesn't have more subscribers. It looks like you've set up a great off-road adventure that mear mortals can both ride and afford.

Hi, I am watching your vids and loving them! I'm 52 and considering a new motorcycle. Was hoping you take the CFmoto 450MT to Iceland to see how it copes.

Great vid and insight. Reminds me how much I miss my 02 KTM640Adventure. It was ahead of it's time.

I have no pretensions of off road riding but the adventure style bikes, as travel bikes, are hard to beat. And here is where I come to get the best low down, not just on what's available but all the thought processes around buying and using them, that's your USP Nathan and it's much appreciated...

Well said indeed Nathan. Once I bought my Voge 300 Rally it was goodbye Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro. No looking back. #livelongrideon

I really enjoy your down to earth videos Nathan. Ride safe.

A lesson in practicality as well as humility. Great little vlog, as usual. Keep safe. 🙏

Looks like you all had a great adventure with great roads /scenery 😊💪, well done to all 👏👏

Love your attitude and outlook Nathan! Looks like a wonderful place to be and to ride. Les

Spot on about bike choice and marketing nonsense too Nathan.👌

Looks like an excellent day and what a destination, it trully is a desolate place in areas but always delievers. It's great seeing how your view of the bikes is developing and some great advice.

Well said about bike size. I recently sold my CRF 250L and bought a Beta X trainer 300 because although I have years of experience I am getting old and I'm not as fit as I once was and bones break easier.

I certainly wouldn't have chosen a big bike with metal boxes. How about a VanVan 200. I love 'em. Nick

Right on the mark again! I am saddened that at some point, maybe 10 or so years ago we were being told that 600/700cc was a mid size bike, and a 450 was a small bike. Lets get back to reality, as your message is slowly becoming taken notice of, 250 is reasonably light, 450 is heavier but manageable by most. Lets get away from small, mid, etc its just a way of pushing bigger bike sales.

Spot on as always Nathan - was going to buy a mid size adv bike but now realise it’s pointless if you’re planning to do any reasonable off road stuff. Remember times when anything over 500cc was considered a big bike, because if you judge bikes by weight that’s correct. Tempted by the cf Moto 450mt at about 185kg wet but that’s still 400lbs +! We need manufacturers to get serious and to start building more competent, much lighter, smaller capacity adv bikes in the 300 - 500cc range.

Loving the trip videos and your comments are so ture. The dealer where I go has a chambered car park and the amount of riders that have issues just parking their huge adventure bikes make me wonder if they are enjoying their day out? Red faced and stressed. I like the old royal enfield himalayan because of its eases of maintenance.

Brilliant vid n take on it I think a lot comes down to each individuals idea of adventure :) an the riding environment, one tip for Paul, Nathan Id get those panniers an top box in your van and watch the capability increase of the bigger bike. Hope he's having an awesome trip overcoming the challenge absolute trip of a lifetime for many. That’s a hekkin lot of extra weight right where you don’t want it on the KTM, even just empty the pannier an top box are putting it in the wrong place and affecting the mass centralisation on the bike. It’s all outboard an to far back on the bike. That speaking from personal experience, as someone who’s got lots of mile on larger adv bikes. The only time I used my hard luggage on my 1150GSA was to carry my landscape n wildlife camera gear about safely with the cost of it as I didn’t want it to smash in soft luggage with the huge cost of it all. All pros n cons. The same applied to the Tenere I didn’t run crash bars on it as it put the weight in the wrong place with them an it was very manageable on the lanes (as you know I previously green laned my 300 Rally) I think as well from a personal point of view I always ride within my limits and stop when I need to so that helped with fatigue. What’s my idea of proper adventure now well for dad and I it’s road based I think it all comes down to personal experience personal circumstance just for dad to do a trip for me now where we stay in hotels will be an absolutely huge challenge for him with his new normal with his stage 3b/4 prostate cancer. We just got our NX500 yesterday and the difference in manageability to the T7 is massive more manageable seat height lower centre of gravity an tubeless wheels should be perfect for our riding environment. If I could afford to keep my 1150gsa I would as for me n my riding with its gs height suspension it’s just so much fun, I do agree though the T7, 790,890 I put them in the same category as my 1150GSA. They are heavyweights in the same way the 1150 is. If I start green laning in Devon I’ll be buying a 300 Rally to go along with the Nx all about the right motorcycle for the right environment. I found the T7 was far too compromised on the road for me as a pure road adventure bike compared to a lowered GSA. It all comes down to the individual and there skill set and you hit the nail on the head with that. I don’t struggle with my 1150 one bit yet my dad wouldn’t be able to ride it an that’s where the NX500 comes in. Would I take the 1150gsa green laning heck no personally wrong tool for the job as you said others with the right skill set would, I’d take a 300 rally every day of the week would I take the 1150gsa road adventure travelling over a 300 rally yep :) tubeless boxer engine comfort range and most of all built in foot warmers with the cylinders lol I do agree with the marketing comments I’ve not liked this endurofication of adventure that’s my take on it though :) seeing a rider on a motorcycle he doesn’t own tearing down a gravel road or desert isn’t the real world for all of us that own our own bikes dropping them has a real cost consequence and this tends to hold you back on a lane. Really enjoyable video Nathan thanks again for sharing :) I always find your videos really thought provoking and interesting mate What is proper adventure the one that opens the personal horizon of the Individual be it a road or green lane a hotel or tent. That’s my take on it we all see the world through our own individual experiences and eyes always something new to see and experience. Even if others have seen it because they are not you :)

I cab recommend Husavik which is where they filmed euro vision and where there is an excellent municipal hot spring

Who'd of thought that saying Iceland was busy etc etc....😉 as a himalayan owner I've tryed a voge 300rally absolutely loved it road ride only but although I'm not doing a lot off road now the 300 is bl.....y brilliant especially for the money...atb have fun folks

Great trip shows what you can do without going down the bmw et all tractor types

💯 agree with you Nathan

Now at that age where "Adventure Touring" is more appealing aka Road Touring + Gravel Roads + Camping. This opens up bikes like Suzuki V-STROM 800DE to me (day test ride this weekend) - 230kg wet - but nagging fear is if solo riding and drop it, I won't be able to pick it up by myself. Alternative is ultra light-weight adventure bike builds, but they are very expensive for the amount of riding I can realistically do. Leads me all the way back to my current bike Suzuki V-STROM 250SX as the best compromise of above on reliability, weight, comfort and affordability for me.

We holidayed in Iceland in Dec 23, and thoroughly enjoyed it, but we are Scottish and used to short winter days. No-one would rent me a bike, but we adventured in a rented Dacia Duster 4wd, the most popular car on the road. Ventured out to Geysir in good weather, turned into 70mph cross winds ontop of 2ft of snow, my heart was in my mouth but it was thrilling. It won't be your sort of thing for this trip, but The Perlan science museum in Reykjavik is phenomenal, as is The Sky Lagoon at sunset.

Very well put! Can you also advise on the brands of the tail luggage.

Shouldn’t have a rack mounted top box on unpaved roads…makes riding a whole more difficult…bad packing.

You could argue every bike ‘trend’ has the same curse of the marketeers as you call them. Sports bikes of the 90/00s where the same, massive upselling of 1000cc’s which only double digit numbers of riders could only really take advantage of on the road, with 600cc being close to the same. 400s where left for the Asian markets, new or older riders, when they where in fact extremely capable on both road and track (the class that has now been replaced by the exceptionally popular 650 twins).

Looks great Nathan, stock tyres on the 790, look like pirelli scorpion str I think? Wouldn't have been my first choice for Iceland, might have to book in for next year.....QQ did the Morocco recce go ahead? Could be up for that too?

Book weight of the (older 790 ADV) and 411 are not that different at around 190kg dry, The new RE450 and CF-Moto 450 are also similar weight. I am struggling with the proposition some bikes around the 200kg (wet) mark are ok for inexperienced riders on off road, and others not! My 990 ktm is 193kg dry after taking off a few unnecessary parts, lithium battery, no extra crash protection needed if you don’t mind scratched tanks, yet it’s still NOT a good option for an inexperienced rider off road 😏. NZ only allows bikes to be imported that have ABS so a VOGE is not an option.

Any tips on riding in high winds? Especially on these light bikes? Absolutely shit myself personally 😂

they looked a bit over loaded with gear for mine

I wonder how a trip like this would pan out if you had an electric bike? The future for us all. :-(

Sorry Nathan, loving everything going on but I am fascinated with the constant blue flowers everywhere, please tell?

Where is the best? Mt450

Are there no trees on Iceland?

@nathanthepostman could a dr650 with long range tank do a trip like this or still too heavy/carb/cold issues?

'Washboard surface' means roads with jarring undulations, I thought, not nice & easy. Maybe I'm wrong.