Big or Small?

We took two very different bikes out to the Peak District to see if size matters - one way or another...

- Chris Moss

Regular MSL readers will recall the account of last summer's highly rewarding off-road biking adventure, when Mikko and I explored the scenic beauty and riding challenges of the Peak District's wonderful byways.

Expertly guided by knowledgeable local Steve Hague, we rode a couple of very different adventure machines along narrow, twisting and undulating routes, constantly testing our mettle on the muddy and rocky terrain. The efforts were well worthwhile though, giving us the opportunity to see some of the more peaceful and remote parts of the spectacular region that you can't access on a road bike. The memorable outing, on a Honda CRF300L and KTM 890 Adventure R, was great fun, letting us learn plenty of new techniques to improve our bike handling while we were at it.

The story focused on our experiences away from the road, also serving as a basic how-to guide for anyone who fancies having a go at tackling rides on the rough stuff on their adventure bikes. This time round though, we're going to examine what the Honda and KTM are like to live with day to day in the environment where the vast majority of owners are likely to use them - on public roads.

KTM 890 ADVENTURE-R

I was looking forward to my 140-mile run up to the Peaks on the more off-road focused 890 Adventure-R. Having done several thousand very enjoyable miles on a variety of this model's derivatives, including road tours of Scotland and Austria on the more road-based, yet still dirt capable 790 and 890 Adventure versions, and some mixed riding on a standard 790 and 790 Adventure-R in Wales, there were plenty of reasons to be cheerful.