ADVLife - What do you think?

[switchback]

Today I received via e-mail from many vendors I purchase from with advertisements for http://www.advlife.us/home.html a site oriented toward ADV riding, community, products, and services run by RawHyde Adventures. Interested in what you think about the site? Seems like just another way to market rather than a way to unite ADV Riders. Perhaps I feel this way because all the communities are sponsored by BMW dealers, the rides are RawHyde Adventures, and the products and services are products and services. Considering the site is somewhat BMW centric it also clarifies what other motorcycle brands including Yamaha are missing, direct marketing to Adventurers. I think that until this marketing situation is resolved it will always be a BMW dominated side of the motorcycle community. Anyone have thoughts on this?

On a side note I have no problem with the site, intent, or BMW. This is all part of free enterprise. I do take issue with how other manufacturers neglect this segment whether or not they offer adventure oriented bikes.

 

[thecynic]

I got the same thing. I didn't spend a lot of time looking at it, but my first take is that it is much more of a marketing site and was definitely slanted toward BMW owners. Now, as a previous BMW owner, I still think they are great bikes and don't want to start anything. ::005::

It will be interesting to see what happens as the site evolves.

 

[Venture]

Here's a novel concept, how would you guys like a set of sites, specific to the various adventure bike segments (most likely split by manufacturer and/or model), that are all integrated with each other such that they can share information across the specific sites? Basically a set of individual forums, integrated with each other, with a focus on community (as you see here on this site)? Kind of a collection of individuals, yet part of a bigger whole?

 

[elizilla]

Isn't that what ADVRider is for?

 

[elizilla]

I think the difficult thing with all of this, is that nothing is ever inclusive enough, unless it's overwhelmingly large and busy. I don't post to ADVRider because it's just too darned overwhelming. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate what they do - I like ADVRider. But I don't want to be the annoying person posting to say what someone else just said, and I don't have time to catch up with everything that other people said before I post. So I mostly just read a little now and then, and lurk. Building an ADVRider clone won't help with this problem.

 

[jajpko]

I also got the email notice and took a short look. Not much for me, but I did bookmark it and plan on following. If it doesn't get better I'll delete it.

 

[Venture]

I think the difficult thing with all of this, is that nothing is ever inclusive enough, unless it's overwhelmingly large and busy. I don't post to ADVRider because it's just too darned overwhelming. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate what they do - I like ADVRider. But I don't want to be the annoying person posting to say what someone else just said, and I don't have time to catch up with everything that other people said before I post. So I mostly just read a little now and then, and lurk. Building an ADVRider clone won't help with this problem.

I agree with you 100% on this. The key is to figure out how to be all-inclusive, but also break down the information and organize it all so that it is consumable.

 

[SisuTen]

Chris,

I'm not so sure that we should be all-inclusive to all brands. ADVrider is a hodge podge of pretty unfocused masses. I think that we need to allow ourselves to grow as an Super Tenere forum for a while. It seems to me that our forum is populated primarily by ST riders who, by definition aren't "adventure riders". A poll could possibly sort this out, but it seems that most here came from the touring ranks, as witness the Yukon meet. I think it's great, but my riding experience rules out a three week, 7000 mile trip. My experience is from dirt and weekends are the norm. I would guess that most riders here who came from dirt are the same. Our inclusivity should naturally extend to the wide variety of ST riders, their styles, likes and dislikes and leave it at that.

Until this bike attracts some of the "adventure riders" from other brands, I think we'll pretty much be what we are. Right now, BMW riders have the corner on adventure riding. We have many street and dirt riders who are neophytes regarding adventure riding. That will change in time.

I don't think we should water down our exclusivity by trying to be "all things to all riders". As owners of this quite amazing bike, which I've gone on and on about how versatile and great it is, we don't deserve to be the ugly sister tagging along behind BMW. Our unique identity needs to be established.

I think you should continue on as-is, but add content designed to attract the "adventure rider" to this brand. Develop sources and vendors who can design and produce useful accessories that exploit the "adventure"versatility of the ST. Perhaps a tech section that contains compact and concise how-to's for not only common repairs, but more complex solutions. Hunting through threads willy-nilly is profoundly time consuming and discouraging. Organizing this data and becoming "THE" resource is one way to draw attention. Once the others find we're serious, we'll gain credibility and the forum will grow.

My 2 cents.

Paul

 

[gfoulke]

::026:: well said, Paul.

 

[houndman]

Coming in from the Harley's to the adv.bike niche. I did a little checking out things before I actually bought a bike. I attended a Rawhyde presentation at a BMW dealer. That dude and his outfit seem to be definately BMW centric. What shut me off to BMW was the stupid answers I got when I inquired about reliance problems, especially the final drive issues ::007::. I talked of Yamaha and it was like I blasphemed Jesus O at a baptist church. I don't have a problem with BMW motorcycles, but the strange arrogance that I ran into with some of the owners. Are all like that? Probably not. But this is a growing niche in motorcycling and it needs to get beyond BMW or any arrogance(maybe it was the Harley shirt). I like Harley's but guess what, Star and Victory are right there as far as quality goes and it gives many choices to all. I am glad this forum is here for guys like me because I need info. And info is what I am getting. For the bike that I own. ::008::

 

[GrahamD]

Chris,

I'm not so sure that we should be all-inclusive to all brands. ..........
....
My 2 cents.

Paul

::026:: ::008::

It's a quality machine, with a few niggles and it's really good to have a place where resources are targeted. Being respectful of other peoples choices is fine. Offering help and advice is fine, but there are plenty of generic eyeball chasing sites out there anyway. Better to keep resources concentrated. As far as new Tenere's go. fine I would say but try and focus on the bike with limited time and resources IMHO.

One thing I would love, even though it's probably impossible, is insights from the design team etc, those who know the real nuts and bolts of this bike.

'tis but a dream though.

 

[switchback]

Interesting conversation and one that I did not expect. I will chime in where I can.

I too am of the opinion that this site remain the same regarding its dedication to the S10. I also agree that ADVRider is really the place for the entire ADV community. BMWs, Vstroms, TW200s, .... all have their own forums and that is the reason I come here. I don't go to ADV to talk bikes, the conversation too often descends into the mine is better than yours threads. I go there for the large number of equipment, GPS, Apparral, ride reports, rallies, and other topic areas. There is an overall sense of community in these areas. For S10 products, how to threads, and camaraderie I come here.

Again, I am not starting a BMW bashing thread here but am looking at the question of why is BMW the only manufacturer actively marketing the adventure market? Ads don't cut it, if Yamaha Honda, and Suzuki really want a piece of the market they need to participate as BMW is. As riders of a bike that we would like to see evolve in the US, how do we take our synergy and get Yamaha NA to wake up?

As for Rawhyde, they are in BMWs pocket being their official trainers but I do find it odd that if they are trying to build a holistic adventure site why are they not reaching out elsewhere ( outside of BMW clubs), particularly in the community area?

 

[houndman]

I think it is interesting that Yamaha does pin their name on an AMA adventure riding series. I think they are doing better than others outside of BMW concerning the type of bike it is. KTM 990, Moto Guzzi Stelvio, Ducati, lots of choices huh? But little exposure for them, KTM being in there. ::022::

 

[Buckeye56]

Yamaha may be taking a wait and see attitude to gage how well the Tenere will seek here before jumping I with both feet. For example, the US is only about 2 percent of Honda's' total sales worldwide. I think the bike will sell well once it gets a little better known. Will that translate into more aggressive sales tactics or the like? Only time will tell. I really lik eth while and hope that it sells well enough that Yamaha will continue to import it to the US of for no other reason than competition improves the breed.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

I don't post to ADVRider because it's just too darned overwhelming.

I occasionally post to ADVrider, but I also agree with your point. Best I can tell if you use ADV you're supposed flipping fellow riders the middle finger as a greeting? That's what happened to me yesterday. I pulled over to check something on the GPS. A car pulled up next to me and the driver said, "are you on ADVrider.com?" When I said yes, he flipped me the bird and said, " some name says hello." Then he laughed and drove off. I'm guessing the name was Baldy. It was an odd experience.

 

[Firefight911]

It was an odd experience.

It makes me think of all those douche bags who thought they were hot shit in high school with their jock/cheer cliques. Now, they've grown up, gotten fat, bald, and realized they weren't all that but still live under the pretense that they are something.

 

[reverend12]

BMW has worked hard to promote the ADV style of riding, I didn't say they invented it but they sure took the concept and made it their own by promoting and bringing it to light. So I say thanks to BMW, without their persistance we wouldn't be here on this site and there would certainly be no Super Tenere.

 

[Desert Dave]

Sites like the one we're on right now are a great place for bike specific information and I like it that way. As for it being a community I find it hard to get TO involved here or other similar sites (Stromtrooper, F800GS riders forum, KLR World etc) as at some point I'll probably sell the bike and won't want to spend time here anymore. That's what I like about ADVrider, and thankfully I recognize many of the names here so if we at some point part our Tenere ways we will still have a community there.

Problem with ADVrider is it just got to big. Seems my first ride reports I posted there stayed on the front page for a week, now it may last only hours. I kind of miss the smaller community where I "knew" everybody. Just the other day I ran into a guy with an ADVrider sticker on his bike and when I went to strike up a conversation he looked at me like "why was I talking to him?". Seems the ADV stickers have become just another fashion statement .

But that's my problem, as soon as stuff gets popular seems I don't like it anymore as everything gets dragged down to the lowest common denominator But if it didn't get popular we wouldn't have the choice in adventure bikes that we do now. Catch 22 I guess.

Got an invite for an "adventure bike " ralley in Tahoe this summer. After reading the info it looks no different than the Harley rallies put on by for profit groups, kind of a disneyland biker experience with a T-shirt all included for one price. Whatever happened to getting together around the campfire? Most of the campouts I see on these sites are still pretty grassroots, and I like that, but if we keep getting popular big business will be the futurte of our rallies to.

What's the answer? I haven't a clue, I'll just keep doing my own thing until I feel to crowded and then move on to something else

 

[houndman]

Sites like the one we're on right now are a great place for bike specific information and I like it that way. As for it being a community I find it hard to get TO involved here or other similar sites (Stromtrooper, F800GS riders forum, KLR World etc) as at some point I'll probably sell the bike and won't want to spend time here anymore. That's what I like about ADVrider, and thankfully I recognize many of the names here so if we at some point part our Tenere ways we will still have a community there.

Problem with ADVrider is it just got to big. Seems my first ride reports I posted there stayed on the front page for a week, now it may last only hours. I kind of miss the smaller community where I "knew" everybody. Just the other day I ran into a guy with an ADVrider sticker on his bike and when I went to strike up a conversation he looked at me like "why was I talking to him?". Seems the ADV stickers have become just another fashion statement .

But that's my problem, as soon as stuff gets popular seems I don't like it anymore as everything gets dragged down to the lowest common denominator But if it didn't get popular we wouldn't have the choice in adventure bikes that we do now. Catch 22 I guess.

Got an invite for an "adventure bike " ralley in Tahoe this summer. After reading the info it looks no different than the Harley rallies put on by for profit groups, kind of a disneyland biker experience with a T-shirt all included for one price. Whatever happened to getting together around the campfire? Most of the campouts I see on these sites are still pretty grassroots, and I like that, but if we keep getting popular big business will be the futurte of our rallies to.

What's the answer? I haven't a clue, I'll just keep doing my own thing until I feel to crowded and then move on to something else

The answer.. ::021::, a bike rally,no matter how big or small , will not change anything. But after I get through with a few grassroot get togethers and campouts, I am seriously thinking of going to Tahoe now and spend a few of my hard earned bucks on a convention of like minded motorcycle enthusiasts! Better than sittin in a bar or on the couch! ::008::. As long as there are dudes like Firefight getting riders together here and there sharing and promoting the passion of our sport by organizing rides then the grassroots are alive and well.

 

[Mellow]

I think the difficult thing with all of this, is that nothing is ever inclusive enough, unless it's overwhelmingly large and busy. I don't post to ADVRider because it's just too darned overwhelming. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate what they do - I like ADVRider. But I don't want to be the annoying person posting to say what someone else just said, and I don't have time to catch up with everything that other people said before I post. So I mostly just read a little now and then, and lurk. Building an ADVRider clone won't help with this problem.

<insert evil laugh> I'm working on something... he he he...