I have been asked repeatedly about outgrowing a 250cc bike and whether or not one can actually take a tour on such a small motorcycle. Well, the answer is, it depends upon the rider. Obviously there are some challenges riding such a small bike on the freeway or riding where you would have to spend hours at high revs just to keep you little bike out of danger. There would be the challenge of the pass roads where there are miles of hill climbs; however, if you carefully route your travel there is absolutely NO reason it can’t be done on your 250cc machine. Back roads and by-ways are the answer to a fun and successful small displacement tour!

Modern bikes are simply much more maneuverable and powerful, even the smaller displacement bikes. So, if you are riding an older machine, you may experience some trying times, but a new machine should have little to no problems, sans the ones mentioned above. Yes, it will take you longer but with patience and determination, you can still have a marvelous time touring!

My first bike, a 250 Honda Rebel, and I did some pretty ambitious trips together. This was our first tour together in Nevada. The journey was a short one but fraught with challenge. There are other examples as well, 250 Rebel 7500 miles across America on pashnit.com, including a wonderful tale of an ambitious rider. Even Tim, owner of pashnit.com, took an unplanned 700 mile journey on a 250 Ninja. In addition to these local tales, is another about riding a Honda CT110, or postie bike, used for postal delivery in Australia. “Dot,” as Nathan called her, is 105cc, 7bhp and capable of 85km/h. You can read his adventures from Sydney to London at The Postman.

We are seeing more and more of these sorts of adventures as people realize it doesn’t take a huge fast motorcycle to have a good time seeing new country and meeting new friends. Believing is half the battle. So… if you’ve got a small displacement bike and see yourself soaring… go for it, as I’m certain it will be an adventure you are sure to remember!