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Morning.
First real snow is sitting on the fir trees behind the garage, the bikes are on battery tenders, and the whole motorcycle world is in Milan for EICMA. We'll cover all of it on the 13th, but we couldn't resist an early look: Yamaha's Ténéré 4 Concept leads this week, and the early ADV headlines follow right after: a new Africa Twin and a 750 Himalayan.
Also inside: a hands-on Beta 430 RS dual-sport build leading Gear, why small bikes make better riders, and Kinga Tanajewska on nine years around the world.
— Andrea
Reading time: 6 minutes.
WELCOME ABOARD
201
new riders joined us since Issue 16.
201 new riders have joined us since Issue 16, from 14 countries. The biggest group rode in from the United States — 86 — followed by South Africa (44), Canada (23), Australia (20), New Zealand (10), the United Kingdom (6), Ireland (4) and Sweden (2), with one apiece from Albania, the DR Congo, Malawi, Mauritius, Singapore and Uruguay. Welcome aboard, all of you.
If this is your first Dispatch, welcome. We are Keith and Andrea, two riders in Calgary, Alberta, Canada who put this field report together every week. To everyone who has been here a while, thank you for sticking with us. Hit reply any time with a route, a repair or a question. We read every one.
✦ THIS WEEK'S LEAD
Yamaha Ténéré 4 Concept: A Light, A2-Friendly Ténéré ARTICLE
What it is — Yamaha's Ténéré 4 Concept, revealed in Milan the evening before EICMA opened: a smaller, single-cylinder Ténéré aimed squarely at A2 licence riders. It's a light, A2-friendly ADV concept, not the rumoured Ténéré 900.
The detail — A new trellis frame, a 21-inch spoked front and 18-inch rear on Michelin Anakee Wild tires, upside-down KYB forks, a high-rise Akrapovič exhaust, a bash plate and a flat one-piece seat for moving around standing up. Yamaha hasn't confirmed engine size or a production date, but the new RW350 scooter's 327 cc liquid-cooled single is a likely hint.
Why it matters — Yamaha Motor Europe's president says it's meant to be properly capable off pavement, not ADV styling only. If it reaches showrooms it lands against the BMW F 450 GS, KTM 390 Adventure R and CFMOTO 450MT, and a lighter Ténéré is the bike a lot of riders have been asking for.
Source: Motorcycle News
✦ INDUSTRY & BIKES
EICMA Milan — Early ADV Headlines ARTICLE
Honda CRF1150L Africa Twin — A full model change, and three variants now, including a new Enduro Sports. The Adventure Sports gets optional Honda SENSING RIDE radar, and the 1,131 cc twin makes about 87.5 kW and 119 Nm. Honda →
Royal Enfield Himalayan 750 — A new 743 cc twin with 55 PS and 63 Nm, priced from £6,999 in the UK. The 450's bigger sibling is the mid-size ADV a lot of riders have been waiting for. Motoroids →
This is the preview. Our full post-show special lands Friday, November 13, with everything adventure and dual-sport that came out of the halls.
ALSO WORTH A LOOK
✦ GEAR & PARTS
2026 Beta 430 RS Dual Sport Project ARTICLE
What it is — Cycle News (Sean Finley) on a hands-on dual-sport parts build for the 2026 Beta 430 RS — tires, a Seat Concepts seat, Doubletake mirrors, an IMS tank, handguards and heated grips.
The detail — Dirt-first RS bikes still leave a few gaps. Mitas Terra Force-EF Super tires, a Seat Concepts Comfort seat, Doubletake mirrors, a 3.5-gallon IMS tank (about 80 more kilometres of range), Enduro Engineering handguards and A'ME heated grips close them; motor and suspension stay stock. Parts list: about US$1,661.
Why it matters — If you want an off-road-focused dual sport that actually works for long days, this is the practical upgrade path — comfort, range and protection before you chase horsepower.
Source: Cycle News Read it →
Building A Bike For Bad Weather ARTICLE
What it is — ADVrider's Zac Kurylyk on setting up an adventure bike for cold, wet shoulder-season riding.
The detail — He has ridden in Labrador, Cape Breton and the BC Kootenays, and his setup starts with wind protection, then range: bigger tanks and tank panniers, plus the rest of the kit that keeps a long cold day bearable.
Why it matters — Here in Alberta, shoulder season is half the riding year. If you want to stretch yours into November, start with this before you buy another heated layer.
Source: ADVrider Read it →
ALSO WORTH A LOOK
✦ ONE BIG NUMBER
+14.6%
Year-on-year rise in new motorcycle registrations across the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, January to September 2026, to 944,129 bikes. That is the whole motorcycle market, not adventure bikes alone, and Europe's big five are still growing.
THE TIP JAR
We read the forums so you don’t have to.
Every issue costs us a couple of evenings, a worrying amount of coffee, and at least one argument about tire pressures. If the Dispatch saved you a scroll this week, a coffee keeps the garage lights on. No paywall, no sponsored tiers, no guilt trip - the next one lands Thursday either way.
FROM OUR PARTNER
We ride our own bikes, so most of the day there's some distance between us. An intercom closes that gap.
Use code WAARMOTO at cardosystems.com for 10% off list price on PACKTALK, FREECOM X, SPIRIT and EDGEPHONES. Affiliate-only flash sales may change the discount.
WaarMoto earns a small commission on purchases made with this code.
✦ RIDING SKILLS
Why Small Bikes Build Better Riders VIDEO
What it is — The Girl On A Bike spends a day at former pro MX/SX rider Luke George's compound in Australia, testing whether small bikes build better technique than big horsepower (9:50; YouTube title: "What the Motorcycle Industry Won't Tell You").
The detail — Low power and low weight let you practise body position, throttle and line choice over and over without the bike punishing every mistake. Big bikes tend to hide sloppy habits until they really cost you.
Why it matters — If you've jumped straight onto a 250 kg ADV, a winter season on something small and light might do more for your riding than another farkle.
Source: The Girl On A Bike (YouTube) Watch it →
Lean the Bike, Not Your Body VIDEO
What it is — RIDE Adventures breaks down off-road cornering around one simple cue: lean the bike, not your body (8:40, posted around Oct 11, 2026).
The detail — On loose surfaces, you stay upright over the pegs and push the bike down beneath you, weighting the outside peg. Keeping your body over the contact patch helps the tires bite instead of washing out.
Why it matters — Most riders carry road habits onto gravel and lean with the bike. Flipping that cue is one of the quickest ways to feel calmer and more in control in dirt corners on a heavy ADV.
Source: RIDE Adventures (YouTube) Watch it →
✦ TRAVEL & ROUTES
Don't Ride Remote Morocco Without A Tent VIDEO
A British couple on CRF300 Rallys hit the emptiest stretch of Chris Scott's Trans Morocco Trail with no fuel stops, almost no beds and no tent (episode 4, 21:18). A good reminder that "remote" on a route map means you should plan to sleep out.
Source: The Wandering Honda (YouTube) Watch it →
Lost Coast BDR-X and Beyond: Deer, Dirt, and a Borrowed Axe ARTICLE
What it is — Ultimate Motorcycling's two-week, two-rider trip on Northern California's new Lost Coast BDR-X, one of the Backcountry Discovery Routes' shorter "X" loops.
The detail — On a BMW R 12 G/S and a Honda Africa Twin, the route turned out considerably more technical than the map suggested. They navigated with Butler maps and Organic Maps offline, and at one point needed a borrowed axe to clear the way.
Why it matters — A BDR-X looks like an easy long weekend on paper. If the Lost Coast is on your list for next season, read this first and pack for harder dirt and slower days than the mileage implies.
Source: Ultimate Motorcycling
ALSO WORTH A LOOK
✦ PODCASTS
Kinga Tanajewska: Nine Years Riding Around the World PODCAST
Recorded live at the 2026 ABR Festival, the On Her Bike creator talks through a devastating accident, her recovery, and nine years on the road from the Outback to South America. Worth an hour for anyone wondering how a long trip survives a really bad day.
Source: Adventure Bike Rider Listen to it →
EP181: How to Start Adventure Riding for $200 a Month? PODCAST
Moto Adventurer Unscripted maps out a budget way into ADV riding (59:28). If a friend keeps saying they can't afford to start, send them this one.
Source: Moto Adventurer Unscripted Listen to it →
✦ FROM OUR GARAGE
“That’s the stack for this week. EICMA is still filling the halls in Milan. On Friday, November 13 we send our first post-EICMA special edition, built around what came out of the show. Battery tender on before you blame the bike in spring.”
ONE FOR THE ROAD
“I had not quite realised that the interruptions were the journey.”
— Ted Simon
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Forward it to them — or hit reply with a route, a repair, or a correction. We read every one.
WORLD ADV DISPATCH · A FIELD REPORT FROM WAARMOTO.COM
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