Its easygoing nature and effortlessly cool desert sled vibe have ensured continued popularity. But there's always room for improvement.

Anyone who's seen Ari casually loft the front wheel of a motorcycle seems to fall into one of two camps: “I can't wait to do that” or “I wish I knew how to do that.” If you're in the latter camp, I sympathize.

Every two years the German city of Cologne gets swamped with the sounds of roaring engines, but it's not a bad thing; it's Intermot, the international trade fair for the motorized two-wheel scene. This year had the usual graybeard demographic representing, but word on the street was that large numbers of younger two-wheel fans were flowing through the halls of Koelnmesse too, getting the full motorcycle show experience.

One of Cape Coral's most popular events is back this Saturday as Bike Night returns to Southeast 47th Terrace for a night of impressive choppers, great food and drinks and live music. “We'd like to welcome the community out to Cape Coral for another awesome Bike Night and rock n'roll,” said Cape Coral Special Events Coordinator, Todd King.

While the majority of the South African adventure biking community has squabbled over the BMW/KTM issue and given them a thorough testing often in excess of what the factory envisioned, the rest of the world, with nowhere near the amount of adventure riding possibilities available on their doorsteps – and, possibly, lacking the level of adventurous spirit of South Africans – has seen these bikes in a slightly different role; that of a large, comfortable, capable, all-round machine that will devour miles as easily as a dedicated touring bike, but one which can cut it in a variety of different terrains. Looked at in that light, the Triumph Tiger 1200XCx is a genuine contender for best all-round adventure bike.