Best Post Apocalypse Motorcycle
We are going to talk about the most practical motorcycle for commuting post apocalypse. So there are many considerations to be kept in mind like fuel practicality, accessibility, price point, ease of maintenance, durability, loudness, and off-road abilities. Along these lines, weather and the climate that you are in are also going to be crucial factors that you’re going to have to consider when trying to make a plan for short-term emergency scenarios. Be that as it may, your current vehicle even an A2 motorcycle will suffice for anything less than a Mad Max scenario, unless of course you rely on public transportation; you may then want to consider one of the options we will talk about today. So let us begin and take a look at some of the best survival bikes that will prove essential post apocalypse.
Svartpilen 401
Now the one type of motorcycle that everybody should have in their arsenal because it’s so cheap to do so is a Husqvarna Svartpilen 401. It requires less fuel, they are small, agile and relatively cheap. Of course you can spend a lot of money on bikes nowadays, but generally speaking you can find a used motorcycle on craigslist for around 2500 dollars or less. A 401 is a practical, economical and simplest bike you can have. Besides, you don’t have to be a mechanic to understand the basic stuff.
So why is Svartpilen 401 best for a post apocalypse event?
Husqvarna have actually been around since 1903. In the 20’s they entered the racing club with their street bikes and then post World War II in the mid-50s, the company limited itself to lightweight two-stroke models. At this time Husqvarna started making dirt bikes and became pioneers of motocross and that’s really what they have been known for nearly 70 years. In 2014, they decided to get back on the streets and that’s really when Svartpilen 401 was born. It is powered by 373 cc single cylinder engine which punches out 44 horsepower and 37 newton meters of torque. The engine is then paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The stopping power comes from hydraulic vibrate disc brake calipers 320 mm up front and 230 mm at the rear (both equipped with ABS). The front suspension features 43 mm open cartridge forks while its rear has a progressive damping system connected directly to the swing arm.
The ground clearance is 170 mm, the seat height is 835 mm and the wet weight of the bike is 145 kilograms which is really light, so despite being a little tall bike, it’s pretty swift.
If the specifications sound familiar, it’s because KTM owns Husqvarna and the engine is the same as you’ll find on the 390 Duke RC and Adventure. However, they did tune it better as this bike actually runs smoother on lower speeds than KTM’s. The seating position is lovely providing an upright and relaxed riding experience. The handlebars are nice and high ideal for a scrambler such as this and in the long run the performance of the engine will won’t let you down.
The word Svartpilen is Swedish for ‘The Black Arrow’; the name really suits the way this bike looks. Even people who aren’t into motorcycles will be astounded at first look. So whether you’re into bikes or not; a machine like Svartpilen 401 will surely come in handy post apocalypse.
Norden 901
With a striking distinctive visual style in their Vitpilen, Svartpilen and modern retro bikes; Norden 901 is themed around the adventure bike segment. In their attempt to build a lightweight adventure touring bike, the 901 uses 889.5 cc parallel twin engines specifically tuned for adventure usage. Since Husqvarna is owned by KTM, their bikes are built around existing KTM models. The Vitpilen and Svartpilen bikes are based on the KTM 390 Duke and the larger capacities 701’s are built around the 690 Duke, as such the Norden 901 uses the KTM 890 adventure as a platform. Husqvarna is aiming to strike the perfect balance between off-road performance and touring ability with a 21-inch front wheel and an 18-inch rear. The Norden also comes with the same WP branded suspension components as many other bikes do in the KTM range.
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Besides the aesthetics, it is also purposeful with the crash bars, hand guards, tall stance, and luggage space at the back. The engine in the Norden 901 and KTM 890 Adventure are much the same albeit with a different tune which will emphasize mid-range grunt. The handling is sharp and agile, the seat is tall and firm and it keeps you on your toes. All in all, it’s an absolute blast for day in day out ride.
BMW F 800GS Adventure
BMW started this adventure package for people who are really serious about off road adventure. It is something like a sports utility vehicle. It has traction control, off road modes, ABS, heated grips, expanded dash functionality, a center stand, LED fog lights, and electronic suspension adjustment.
In fact this GS is more than fully loaded; it comes equipped with a GPS, skid plate, and full factory aluminum BMW saddlebags. So the first thing that you will notice if you ride an F800 GS Adventure around is how it quite simply does not feel like it weighs 254 kilograms. It’s narrow between your legs, it feels light and it has a 21 inch front wheel yet it doesn’t kill its handling at all. The bike feels really good around twisty pavement roads. The 800 GS carries its huge fuel payload in an under seat gas tank that doubles at the tail section, this helps to maintain a low center of gravity.
The bike will go along a paved road for hundreds of miles without any trouble. But what makes it perfect for any apocalyptic event is its huge windscreen that looks like a riot shield for a police officer in a third-world country. This windscreen actually provides excellent aerodynamics and is best for rider’s protection. The F800 GS is ultra-comfortable and that’s because BMW knows that the riders who will buy this bike may probably go on a long distance road trip. So regardless of the surface, the bike will make your expedition smooth with its comfortable seat, wide flat handlebars, and an upright seating position. With its 6.3 gallons of gas tank underneath the seat, you can go straight 250 miles. But that’s not all, when you’re riding off-roader like this, with wide flat dirt bike handlebars, big off-road foot pegs, and a narrow chassis between your knees, it just makes your journey effortless.
KTM 990 Baja
When it comes to off-road riding there’s no better adventure bike than the KTM 990 adventure. Its entire existence stems directly from the big 950 cc Dakar racers from the early 2000s. The 990 Adventure Baja maintains a balance between the aesthetics and ergonomics more than any other bike in this segment can do.
KTM’s are famous for making big adventure bikes. 990 is a huge adventure bike and people ride them all over the world for cross-country travel. It’s got ton of power due to its 2-cylinder, 4-stroke liquid-cooled engine. With a displacement of 999 cc it produces a massive 113.3 horse power. The front end that instills confidence combined with the best suspension for off-road riding and the adventure by class makes KTM easily the best bike in the dirt. On-road the 990 is right in the hunt, it offers a good wind protection along with a nice seat in a comfortable riding position. Also the Baja comes equipped with crash bars, hand guards, a GPS mount, and a tailback on an extended rack. Out of the crate, the 990 Baja’s are most likely to survive a tussle with rocks.
Royal Enfield Classic 500
Royal Enfield produced their first motorcycle in around 1901. The first motorcycle to be produced in India was around 1955 when Royal Enfield set up a factory in India to produce motorcycles for the Indian army. At that time Enfield bullets were used for close to 30 years in India and were sold domestically as well as to the Indian Army.
Visually the Classic 500 shares the same vintage styling as the decade old model but with a modern technology. The long traditional twin seat now features a single seat with an optional pillion seat and a grab rail. The front section now gets the classic touch but the traditional speedometer, round headlight and the signature tiger eye lamps go untouched to retain the charm of the good old thumper.
Single seat actually is also a sprung saddle so it really gives you that classic 1940s look. Though, if you look at this motorcycle alongside a period Royal Enfield of that era you would of course find that they are completely different in that respect. The handling of the motorcycle is really quite confidence-inspiring. Part of the reason why the steering is slow is due to its fairly large wheels; it has a 19-inch wheel on the front which is a steel rim laced spoke wheel and an 18-inch at the back and again that is sort of like a period-correct wheel combination from the 50’s and the 60’s and it certainly aids in that slightly slower steering. Now suspension wise you get conventional fork on the front which is 35 mm; they are non-adjustable and have around 130 mm of travel.
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Braking wise it has a 280 mm disc on the front which is fitted with a 2 piston caliper. The front brake is more than adequate for the performance of this motorcycle and certainly pulls this motorcycle up. The rear brake is a 153 mm drum brake and whilst it requires a fair bit of lever travel, it has never shown any signs of lockup. This motorcycle really outshines on long routes, thus widely used in touring the Himalayas. It is a completely different motorcycle as compared to modern day machine and you get a completely different feeling. It is more like meditating on a motorcycle in some respects and that’s what encapsulates the experience you get on this motorcycle. Thus, aimed for someone who is looking to relive the riding experiences of the 40’s and 50’s post any kind of apocalypse.
IMZ-Ural
The 1939 Molotov Ribbentrop Soviet Nazi non-aggression pact led to the sharing of BMWs 750 cc air-cooled boxer twin. Russia moved production to Siberia far from German bombs where they continued to modify BMWs for winter war. When the war ended Ural became a communist make-work project. The new models were so streamlined that for just two grand over the base price you could get LED fog lights, jerry can, utility shovel, universal spare wheel, luggage rack, and bash bar.
As of today, the Ural’s have become one of the wildest machines with a completely different ride from any traditional motorcycle. It has a 749 cc air cooled 2-cylinder 4 stroke boxer twin that produces 41 horsepower and 42 foot-pounds of torque. The wet weight is close to 330 kilograms and ground clearance of 6.8 inches. It has a fuel injection system, Brembo brake calipers on both main as well as side car, and IMZ leading link forks, yet at its heart it’s really old. One of our favorite things about Ural is how ridiculously large its trunk space is (Trunk volume: 2.9 cubic feet). You can fit anything you need to in here. It also comes equipped with a shovel on the side of it, so for the rough and tumble landscapes you can easily break some ground. You can also drop a gear and go into two-wheel drive which makes it easy when you’re stuck off-road. And the best part; it has a reverse gear, so if you get stuck in a pile of zombies or somehow get hit by a tree, you can just pop in reverse and back it out!
Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro
The Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro is built purely from the ground and is a completely different motorcycle when compared to its predecessors. The engine powering the bike is a 888 cc 4-stroke liquid cooled 12-valve fuel-injected DOHC inline 3-cylinder engine that puts out 94 BHP of max power at 8,750 RPM and 87 NM’s of maximum torque at 7,250 RPM. You get a six-speed gearbox but the main point to note here is the new T-Plane crankshaft. So what triumph has tried to offer here is an inline triple that also behaves like a twin at low to mid-range RPM. This helps in better off-roading performance especially lower down in the RPM’s. Though the new Tiger 900 puts out the same 94 BHP of max power as its predecessors, however it makes 750 rpm lower on the rev band, this results in better bottom end and mid-range performance. The best part of Rally Pro is the weight distribution and improved center of gravity which makes the bike perfectly balanced and easy to handle even at lower speeds.
The streamlined bodywork and sleek design makes the bike much more comfortable to steer and maneuver. The new Tiger also comes equipped with Brembo Stylema® 4-piston calipers with dual 320 mm rotors and radial master cylinder. At the back it has a single 255 mm disc with single piston Brembo caliper. The Rally Pro also gets wire spoke wheels; a 21 inch wheel up front and a 17-inch at the back. You also get engine guard and auxiliary lamps as standard fitment on the Rally Pro. Another thing that you will absolutely love about this bike is the saddle, the Tiger 900 comes along with the most comfortable saddle in its price segment, and the seating space is also abundant both for the rider as well as the pillion.
Fully adjustable Showa suspension with 45 mm USD Forks up front and an adjustable rear monoshock, the Rally Pro comes with two unique riding modes; the off-road pro where traction control and ABS can be switched off completely, and then you have the fully customizable rider mode to personalize as per your needs.
Ténéré 700 Rally Edition (Best Survival Bike)
Be it on-road, off-road, tight hairpin bends, or fast turns; the Yamaha Ténéré 700 Rally Edition will leave you stoked in all kinds of situation. This bike has a cross-plane 2-cylinder four-stroke motor that is known to be very reliable and powerful. With good mechanical components, genuine off-road capability, and an accessible price point; the Ténéré 700 is powered by the proven parallel twin that’s also used in the MT-07. From its 689 cc it produces a respectable 72 horsepower at 9,000 RPM and 68 NM’s of maximum torque at 6,500 RPM. The major difference from the MT-07 is the final drive ratio of 16:43 is replaced by a 15:46, which is about 10% lower and thus allowing more torque at the rear wheel. Another interesting thing about this bike is the Akrapovič slip-on muffler, used to enhance the performance and beauty by producing a throaty-rich sound.
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It uses a 270° crank which produces a satisfying cross-plane sound. So if you are looking for a good, simple, solid and reliable bike with decent enough power, Ténéré 700 is the answer. In an attempt to build something that’s usable both on-road and off-road, the double cradle tubular steel frame and aluminum swing arm are not taken directly from the MT-07, rather they are customized especially for Ténéré.
In order to cope with the demands of undulating surfaces, the body of the bike is made narrow that aids weight transfer and enhances agility. The seat height is relatively tall at 875 mm owing to a substantial ground clearance of 240 mm. Yet at 205 kilograms, it’s certainly not the heaviest middleweight adventure bike. The 16 liter tank offers plenty of range. Upside down telescopic forks and a swingarm are courtesy of KYB and offer 210 mm and 200 mm of travel respectively. Both are fully adjustable, so preload and rebound in compression damping can all be tweaked to your liking with a remote preload adjuster on the shock. Brakes are from Brembo with twin 2-pot calipers on 282 mm wavy discs at the front and a single 245 mm disc at rear, which come quite handy on loose surfaces. All in all, with such stunning specifications, the Ténéré 700 can prove to be the best survival bike for you!
