August 19, 2026 · A field report from WaarMoto.com
Morning. Two things this week are worth clearing an evening for. Romaniacs settled its Hard Adventure class after five days of full-size bikes going where full-size bikes shouldn't, and Andy Scherer sat down to talk about being abducted in Mexico - not a comfortable listen, but the honest kind. Our actual lead is gentler: a stack of photos from southern Brazil that stopped us mid-scroll, canyons and deserted beaches and one very large waterfall in the mix. Elsewhere, Royal Enfield wants us to keep two Himalayans straight, seven airbags go head to head, and Robert Baldinger came back from Pakistan calling it the most beautiful country he's ridden. Keith closes out with a short note from the garage.
— Andrea
Reading time: 4 minutes.
This Week's Lead
What it is — Adventure Bike Rider runs a photo-led piece following riders through southern Brazil, threading beaches, canyons and mountain passes into one trip.
The detail — The route strings together deserted beaches, muddy trail sections, towering canyons and one of the world's biggest waterfalls, all in a single stretch of southern Brazil.
Where it falls short — It's a photo essay, not a turn-by-turn route guide - no GPS track or day-by-day breakdown for anyone actually trying to plan the trip.
Why it matters — If South America has been sitting on your someday list, this is worth a slow scroll before you start narrowing down which country to fly a bike into first.
Source: Adventure Bike Rider
—Andrea
Every issue starts with a week of digging through forums, gear reviews and ride reports so you don't have to. Coffee is what keeps us digging.
Special Feature
One event the whole ADV world was watching.
KRANKiT's Day 5 coverage of the Hard Adventure class at Red Bull Romaniacs, where the result finally settled after five days of riders taking full-size adventure bikes through terrain most of us would think twice about on a dirt bike. We don't normally cover racing here, and this is the exception that earns it: once a year this class gives the clearest answer going to what a big ADV machine and a rider willing to suffer can actually do. Worth watching even if you have no intention of ever entering.
Source: KRANKiT (YouTube)
—K/A
Industry & Bikes
What it is — ADV Pulse reports on a new midsize BMW GS prototype caught testing, following the F 450 GS's launch as the brand's new entry-level adventure bike.
The detail — The sighting follows directly on the heels of the F 450 GS, which replaced the G 310 GS at EICMA 2025, and speculation centers on whether this mule revives the old F650GS Dakar name.
Where it falls short — It's a prototype sighting, not a spec sheet - no confirmed displacement, price, or release window yet.
Why it matters — If you've been holding off on a midsize GS purchase, this is a reason to wait a little longer before committing to the current lineup.
Source: ADV Pulse
—Keith
What it is — RideApart digs into why Royal Enfield is bringing out a Himalayan 440 alongside the existing Himalayan 450, two bikes with nearly matching names.
The detail — Despite the close displacement numbers, RideApart confirms these are two completely different motorcycles under the skin, not a simple trim update.
Where it falls short — The piece raises the question more clearly than it answers it - full spec comparisons and pricing for the 440 aren't nailed down yet.
Why it matters — Worth reading before you assume 'Himalayan' means one bike - shoppers need to know which version a dealer is actually quoting.
Source: RideApart
—Keith
Gear & Parts
What it is — Ultimate Motorcycling's first look at Sena's Prism 2, a 4K action camera built to record Mesh Intercom conversations alongside your riding footage.
The detail — It shoots 4K at 30fps through a 165-degree lens, takes 20-megapixel stills, and carries an IPX7 waterproof rating.
Where it falls short — It's a first-look spec rundown, not a field test - no word yet on battery life over a real trail day or how the mesh audio holds up with a group spread out.
Why it matters — If you ride in a group and want your intercom chatter baked into the footage, watch for a proper long-term test before you buy.
Source: Ultimate Motorcycling
—Keith
What it is — Big Rock Moto compares seven motorcycle airbag systems against each other and against passive armor, walking through how each reduces injury risk.
The detail — The video runs through seven separate airbag systems side by side, covering deployment method and how each stacks up against standard armor pads.
Where it falls short — It's a comparison video, not a crash-lab report, so the injury-reduction claims lean on manufacturer data rather than independent testing.
Why it matters — If you've been riding without airbag protection because the options seemed confusing, this sorts the field before you spend the money.
Source: Big Rock Moto (YouTube)
—Andrea
One Big Number
38,000
That's how many Royal Enfield Himalayan 450s now sell worldwide in a year — up more than 53% year over year, and roughly four times the volume the bike was moving when it launched at the end of 2023. Worth holding onto while the rest of us sort out which Himalayan is which.
Source: Autocar India
No paywall, and no ads for gear we wouldn't ride ourselves. Just riders chipping in when the mood strikes.
Riding Skills
A straightforward rundown from RIDE Adventures on the maintenance steps that keep a bike from turning into a spring project - fuel stabilizer, battery tender, tire pressure, the usual suspects. Nothing fancy, but it's the kind of checklist worth keeping handy if your bike is about to sit for a few months.
Source: RIDE Adventures
—Keith
A short clip from longtime ADV instructor Bret Tkacs on keeping a playful, low-stakes mindset while practicing off-road maneuvers. There's no step-by-step breakdown here, just a reminder that deliberately messing around in an open lot is how real trail skill gets built.
Source: Bret Tkacs ADV (YouTube)
—Andrea
Travel & Routes
Expedition Portal profiles adventure travel writer Lois Pryce, who's built a long career riding small, low-key bikes through remote and sometimes tense regions, mostly solo. Her point worth sitting with: a humble, unremarkable bike does more for a solo rider's safety than horsepower ever will.
Source: Expedition Portal
—Andrea
Robert Baldinger spends this one making the case that Pakistan is the most beautiful place he has ridden, which is worth hearing out from someone who has covered as much ground as he has. It is a country most riders file under someday-maybe, usually on the strength of headlines rather than anyone who has actually been. Worth watching before you decide it isn't for you.
Source: Robert Baldinger (YouTube)
—K/A
The Long Listen
Something extra this week — one story worth an hour and a half of your time.
Andy Scherer was riding alone through a remote stretch of Mexico when a run of uneasy encounters turned into armed roadblocks, and then into his abduction. He tells it here with his daughter Leslie beside him, walking through what he decided in the moment and what he would do differently now. It runs an hour and a half and it is not a comfortable listen, but it is the most clear-eyed account of a trip going badly wrong that we have come across in a long time. Part of Adventure Rider Radio's Deep Trouble series, and worth the time before your next solo run somewhere thin on cell coverage.
Source: Adventure Rider Radio (podcast)
—Keith
From Our Garage
A short, honest answer to the question we get asked more than any other: why ride at all. Less about the postcard reasons and more about the quiet ones, and a fitting bookend to a week full of other people's routes and gear.
That's the stack for this week. If you only have room for one thing, make it the Adventure Rider Radio episode — it'll sit with you a while. Ride safe out there.
— Keith
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One for the Road
One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.
— Henry Miller