Could the twin-tanked, A2 licence legal, Rieju Aventura be the do-anything big-mile machine we’ve been waiting for?
If you’re an adventurous type who’s not fussed about having the biggest, baddest or most expensive steed in your stable, then you’re absolutely spoilt for choice in 2024.
There’s an ever-growing abundance of small-to-mid-capacity bikes to choose from. No matter whether you want a rugged round-the-world ride like the Royal Enfield Himalayan, or a reliable, revvy mile-muncher like the Honda NX500. But there’s another choice: and it’s got a pretty unique selling point.
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The firm’s Rieju, the bike’s the Aventura 500, and its party trick is a whopping 40-litre fuel tank which could carry you 1000km (621 miles) from a single trip to the petrol station. Pretty impressive, right?
Ever heard of Rieju before? The Spanish firm has actually been building bikes with engines in since the mid-1940s, but it’s probably best known in recent times for its competition-ready enduro and supermoto machines, and its small but mighty range of learner legal bikes.
But now it’s getting into bigger bikes; making use of a copy of Honda’s CB-powering 500cc parallel twin motor that’s built by Loncin over in China. Don’t let that put you off though, they’ve got a solid track record and have been building small engines for BMW since 2007.
The 47bhp liquid-cooled motor might not be the most innovative, or the most exciting, but it’s a capable thing, happy being worked hard all-day long. There’s more good stuff: fully adjustable suspension with 190mm of travel at the front and rear. It gets spoked tubeless wheels, with an 18-inch rear and 21-inch front, and a sump guard, engine bars, handguards, a centre stand and a radiator guard.
Its seat stands a fairly manageable 840mm, and dry weight is believed to be a reasonable enough 190kg. However, fill that 40-itre twin fuel tank set up to the brim and you’re going to have a bit of a lump on your hands.
The Rieju definitely looks to be an interesting option in the mid-sized ADV market. Ww know it’s priced at a fairly hefty £7499, which (along with the photos of it in action) suggests that it should be a fairly capable bit of kit. We’re not going to have to wait too much longer to find out for sure though, as it’s arrived in the UK. You can find our more at www.rieju.co.uk
