Then you found yourself with a desire for an adventure, you have your motorcycle in the garage but for some reason, you think it wasn’t built for the job. When we first started to form Ecuador Bike Rental’s fleet, we wanted to do our best to accommodate the different needs of potential clients. That included the test drive, comprehensive research. We did a lots and lots of reading to see what could benefit riders that are passing by in Ecuador and would like to rent a specific motorcycle for touring around. So here are 10 best touring motorcycles for your holidays: Motorcycles Needless to say that every person is different, not only in sizes and shapes, strength, gender, and peculiar habits but also their touring circumstances are different. For some its a Han-Solo job, for others the means to share the adventure with their significant others and be more involved as a couple. You can have different ideas on luggage and riding gear, etc. The point is, that based on our research and what usually works for people. We’ve decided to divide this list into 3 categories: small motorcycles, mid-size and the big ones. Also, bear in mind that there are different definitions for this kind of motorcycles, such as dual, adventure, and touring. In a nutshell, a dual motorcycle is as Wikipedia states: “A dual-sport motorcycle is a type of street-legal motorcycle that is designed for both on and off-road use.” And yes, it’s basically that. You are riding along with the asphalt and suddenly is in your best’s adventure interests to jump onto the side dirt road 5 meters ahead aware that its suspension, tires, and frame are able to cope with the sudden change. An adventure motorcycle, as defined by many, is a kind of an added marketing name for a wide range of bikes. That goes from upright touring asphalt-purposed to dual / Enduro categories. From alloy to wire/spoke rims, tall seat foot controls in middle positions and wide handlebars. And on the other hand, we have touring motorcycles, which are bikes designed to hit the open road, mainly on asphalt. Big engines power these motorcycles, as they are intended to cover large distances with luggage and often carry two riders. Small size motorcycles These bikes used very often on off-roads, usually with no passenger and only the essentials to be carried. Its lightweight comes from engines that top around the 400cc, fewer accessories, and light but resistant body structure. There are many stories about people riding around the world with these bikes and also many rental companies on the planet use them as part of their fleet. Here we mention a few good models that have been battled tested by us and our clients. They are cheap to rent and cheap to fix. Royal Enfield Himalaya We thought of this motorcycle because hey, they use it in hardcore tours in the Himalayas. It has a 400cc engine based on a carburetor that is extremely easy to fix. Its position is comfortable. You can fit or adapt a lot of parts from other bikes in case of an emergency until you arrive at your destination. Its power around the Andes, needless to say, has proven to be more than enough. The factory equips it with some safety features such as skid plates and hand guards. Additionally, it includes a windshield high enough to cover up to the chin guard in your helmet. This bike simply has well-designed ergonomics. Placed with the right saddlebag mounts, you can carry two 35 lt soft luggage on each side, plus a 40 lt duffel on top. Is so easy to ride it, that I taught my girlfriend to ride on this one. Its the perfect tool for beginners and experienced adventurers alike. HONDA XRE300 A semi Enduro motorcycle ready to be taken off-road. This one came to replace in the market the hard-to-kill Honda Tornado. It have better features like fuel injection system, an electronic dashboard, and a pretty friendly fresh look. Its 27 HP and 28 Nm in torque have been enough to see customers taking off for more than 20 days fully loaded and come back more than happy. Once set with proper damage mitigators like skid plates and handguards. This bike has all it needs to throw the worse at it worry-free. No need to mention how maneuverable this motorcycle can be while touring around the city Yamaha XT250 With a strong off-road focus, the XT250 has been proven also worth its reputation. Despite its road-oriented bias, is the perfect companion for light trails during the weekend and urban traffic. It has what you need to enjoy your time on the bike and is pretty easy to work upon problems it might present. Mid-Size Motorcycles In this category fall most of the dual-sport models. Not a firm rule, but their engine ranges go from anywhere high 400cc to close to 800cc. Depending on the make and model, these bikes are the perfect companion for any adventure. As they are the most common in any region for spare parts, they are easy to repair. Any motorcycle touring magazine will give you more than one recommendation to look into these for a long-term adventure. The ones that make the grade for sure are: Suzuki DR650 It has what you need, period. Simple to fix, to maintain, to be loved. This motorcycle is the one we use to open routes with, to throw ourselves into the unknown. To know for sure we’ll come out flawless after going into rocky paths, or deep mud. The factory delivers around 44 HP from its engine, but you can easily tweak it to your liking. We’ve been lucky to house few overlanders like Suzie and Kelvin. Their way to Ushuaia and they had some not recent models of these bikes. Still, they made it all the way from Colombia to La Patagonia on not so friendly paths. We have some of these in
