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ChapMoto Review: Are They Any Good?

ChapMoto, otherwise known as Chaparral Motorsports, is an online motorcycle store with mixed reviews and some complaints.

Essentially, not everyone is happy with their customer service team. Here at Frontaer, we wanted to provide some unbiased input here. Essentially, we aren’t paid for our online reviews or opinions by anyone.

Let’s begin.

ChapMoto Review

Just like you, we’ve shopped online and in retail stores for our gear for many years now. We expect to have good customer service and great parts availability.

What’s also quite important is knowing who is behind the store that you’re buying from, and if they’re genuinely motorcycle riders. With ChapMoto, it certainly appears that they are!

We did the research so you don’t have to, including looking at their social media accounts and company status. If you’re ready to get started, then this is a rock-solid store worth buying from, but let’s go deeper first.

Range of Gear

ChapMoto makes it very obvious that they have the biggest range of motorcycling gear for offroad and on-road riders in North America. They certainly don’t mess around!

Not only do they stock a lot of gear, but they also keep it in stock. There is nothing more frustrating than coming across a part that’s out of stock. Argh! Not with these guys since they have an entire team whose job it is to keep things in stock for riders around the country…and even around the world! They do ship to Australia after all.

Customer Service

The customer service behind this team is reasonably high and our experience was very pleasant. We’re the type that always has our guard up when shopping too.

It’s their team that makes all the difference. They have some staff that specialize in road-based gear and others which specialize in dirt bike gear. Thus, you can get someone who really speaks your language.

Most importantly – when things go bad (and they eventually do go bad at one point), the team is there to fix up issues along the way.

Negative Reviews of ChapMoto

Have you seen the negative reviews online and customer complaints surrouding ChapMoto? These are to be taken with a grain of salt.

You see, most people aren’t likely to be leaving a 5-star review. Once something happens (let’s say the wrong part was sent or something was lost in shipping), these customers turn into a businesses’ worst nightmare.

This is what explains the lower than average review rating of their store on places like TrustPilot. ChapMoto has grown so large that the negative experiences do come up on occasions, but positive experiences are bountiful.

In Summary

Buying your gear online these days is more safer than it has ever been! So much so that using these stores is often easier than going down to your local dealership, even with the price of shipping.

While everyone else shops on Amazon, you can be rest assured that your purchase is going to support a local and honest store that’s doing the right thing for consumers. With many products on their shelves, we do look forward to seeing Frontaer on there real soon.

Continue Reading More Guides by Frontaer

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🔧 7 Tools Every Dirt Bike Rider Must Carry (To Avoid Those Awkward Rescue Calls)

🥾 Best Dirt Bike Boots That Go The Distance (Who's Got The Best for 2021?)

Can You Take a Royal Enfield Offroad and Go Camping?

Ever wondered if you can take a Royal Enfield off the beaten track and on to adventures far beyond the polished dealership floor?

As an adventure motorcyle brand, Frontaer often looks at a variety of motorcycles to see what they can and can’t do out there.

Royal Enfield’s can easily be taken offroad and used for multi-day or multi-week camping trips. In fact, dozens of these motorcycles have been ridden literally across the world. Unfortunately, their shortcomings are the low profile tyres which means it’s best to ride a Royal Enfield on dirt roads rather than tight forest tracks and technical sections.

If you’re looking for a good dual-sport that certainly turns heads, then this is it. The perfect classic cruiser which can reach well beyond the pavement.

Royal Enfields Offroad

If you’ve spent any length of time on ADV Rider Forums, you’ve no doubt come across the Royal Enfield subsection of riders. It’s these individuals who inspire others to get out there and start exploring on 2 wheels.

You’ll find all sorts of inspirational threads and comments from people who have found the perfect luggage solution, to those who have discovered the ideal secret campsite. Certainly it’s these riders who are true adventure riders instead of the keyboard warriors found in YouTube comments.

With Royal Enfield’s, you either love them or they aren’t for you. There’s no denying that the classic look is one to be appreciated, taking you back 50 years when engines weren’t dependent on extensive electricial circulatory.

Genuine Shortcomings

Now, it isn’t so popular to take a Royal Enfield into offroad environments. There are shortcomings where it just wouldn’t be our first choice.

It’s not just us and many Royal Enfield riders would agree with us on these points:

  1. The fuel tanks are quite small. To get extra fuel mounted on a Royal Enfield, you’ll need to buy a bigger aftermarket fuel tank (which are hard to find), or carry extra fuel with a Rotopax/Fuelpax container.
  2. You’ll want an adventure fairing pretty soon. Oddly enough, most riders choose not to get a fairing as it takes away from the classic look of this motorcycle. After thousands of miles of being battered by the wind, you may have other thoughts.
  3. The stock tyres aren’t offroad friendly. These are best for riding on the bitumen, though they do well on gravel roads and hard-packed mountain terrain. Take them through the sand and mud and you’ll soon see the genuine shortcomings.
  4. Their power is quite tame. Let’s admit – they aren’t a performance bike, but one to be admired and ridden. You aren’t going to win speed records, nor are you going to have serious power to get over that sand dune that lays in front. In fact, you probably wouldn’t even attempt a sand dune in the first place.
  5. Suspension travel is minimal. Yep, those front and rear forks just aren’t designed for whoop sections and gaining some airtime. They’ll hold you, the weight of your gear and a full tank of gas, but the suspension will bottom out pretty soon.

A Fair Analysis

Now to be clear – this isn’t a hate pitch towards the epic line of Royal Enfield motorcycles. We love them just as much as the next person for their style and sophistication, but for genuine offroad appeal, you’ll find some better options.

For the open country, they are certainly a fantastic dual-sport with a more ergonomic approach to riding. They are the motorcycle of choice for several hire companies throughout South America, India, Nepal and Europe too.

In Short

If you’re looking to ride around your state, your country or even the world, you can easily spend much of that time on sealed highways. On occasions you might find yourself on a dirt road where a Royal Enfield will continue to shine.

For many riders, this is more than enough to ‘see it all’ and experience the thrill of life behind the handlebars, instead of behind YouTube.

Yet if you’re looking for that little bit extra, including that single track off to the side that looks inviting, then the Royal Enfield may struggle on the more technical sections. That’s it.

For crossing Mongolia and Peru with side open country, there is nothing more appealing, unique and individual than these ADV-inspired motorcycles.

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👉 39 Most Common Dirt Bike Terms (How Many Do You Really Know?)

🔥 21 Awesome Dirt Bike Riding Tips ('Cause We Want You Safe Out There!)

🌲 How To Go Camping With Your Dirt Bike (And Arrive Home Safely)

🔧 7 Tools Every Dirt Bike Rider Must Carry (To Avoid Those Awkward Rescue Calls)

🥾 Best Dirt Bike Boots That Go The Distance (Who's Got The Best for 2021?)

Motocross vs Enduro: What Is The Difference?

If you’re new to the offroad competitive racing world, some of the lingo is confusing including the difference between enduro and motocross.

While enduro and motocross motorcycles share many of the same components, they are used for different riding conditions. Motocross competitions require the competitor to race in a closed-circuit environment, and thus the gear ratios are shorter, the top speeds are lower and they have higher torque. Enduro motorcycles are used for open country racing with larger fuel capacities and wider gear ratios to reach faster speeds.

Let’s delve a little deeper on the more suttle differeences between both types of dirt bikes.

Enduro vs Motocross

It’s easy to simply dismiss both of these motorcycles as dirt bikes, but they are certainly used for different occasions. Those racing MX will have a hard time taking the same motorcycle into the Enduro area and claiming a top 10 finish, while the same is said for taking an Enduro motorcycle on a closed-circuit race track.

For casual trail bike riding, you’re much better off with an enduro motorcycle. At first the power will seem very aggressive but it’s the type of dirt bike that you can grow into overtime as opposed to getting bored in the first 2 months.

Gross Weights

One of the key differences is weight. Enduro motorcycles are designed to operate at very high speeds and deal with rough terrain including gnarly sections of rocky outcrops, water crossings and hill climbs. On the other hand, it appears MX riders have it easy with their well-groomed tracks.

Given their tracks and close proximity to fuel (the race tent), the fuel tanks are smaller on motocross motorcycles and they don’t have navigational aids such as map rolls, nor will you see them sporting an adventure fairing.

Differences in Engines

In addition to the weights, the engines can be quite different too in both type and capacity.

In years gone by, the 2-stroke (called by many as the 2 bangers) was the weapon of choice on the dirt tracks, while enduro motorcycles didn’t need so much torque and found the 4-stroke to be a better option. However, 4-stroke engine technology has really caught up in recent years and you’ll find plenty of 4-strokes keeping up with their 2-stroke counterparts.

You’ll also find a difference in the engine capacities. A motocross rider will get more than enough power to win championships with a 250cc MX bike and anything more will be quite a handful to handle on the tight motocross track. Meanwhile, an enduro motorcycle really becomes a race weapon at 300cc and above, with 450cc being typical for some of the toughest enduro races in the world, including Dakar.

Many years ago it was the 600cc and high classes that claimed wins. Technology has really improved where a 450cc is more than enough to cruise at 100+ miles per hour.

Jumping and Stuntwork

Jumping around and getting 10 feet of airtime looks great, but only one of these dirt bikes allows you to really do it safely. Motocross dirt bikes are born to jump and get significant airtime based on how light they are and the constant flying (several jump sections and tabletops on each lap) that the riders do behind the handlebars.

Most enduro dirt bikes can’t go jumping because they are just so heavy. That said – in the right hands – any of these can get some decent airtime and be used. They’re just harder to throw around on the tracks. As for wheelies, well these bikes are certainly built for it!

Everyday Liveability

You may want to use your dirt bike for more than just racing. Thus, can you use a motocross or enduro motorcycle for weekend trail rides? Well, yes you can!

Of the two types of dirt bikes, an enduro is better for casual trail riding. They’re much easier to get registered and more comfortable to ride over longer distances.

A motocross bike has a more aggressive throttle and a smaller fuel tank, paired with being louder, given that riders still choose the 2-stroke options in the market. They are perfect for throwing around in tight forest tracks yet keeping up with the pack in the wide-open trails and flat terrain will be more challenging as the gear ratios and powerband just doesn’t allow for high-speed pursuits.

Reliability and Life Cycle

You don’t want to buy a dirt bike and then realize how expensive they can be to maintain. If you’re racing competitively, then you’re going to be spending quite a bit on maintenance.

Generally speaking, enduro motorcycles have a longer lifespan and it’s not uncommon to see a Dakar motorcycle coming back for its 2nd or 3rd event year after year. Meanwhile, a motocross bike will need a top end rebuild pretty soon and if it’s racing in the AMA National Series, will be retired within 1 to 2 seasons.

In Summary

Both forms of competitive dirt bike racing are seriously fun to watch and tough to compete in. We’re talking fast speeds and seriously high risks, and just finishing is often something to commend.

Either way, you’ll have plenty of fun on both types of dirt bikes. You may wish to consider a more conservative trail bike if you’re just getting started and build up your experience over time.

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👉 39 Most Common Dirt Bike Terms (How Many Do You Really Know?)

🔥 21 Awesome Dirt Bike Riding Tips ('Cause We Want You Safe Out There!)

🌲 How To Go Camping With Your Dirt Bike (And Arrive Home Safely)

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Touratech Review: Are They Any Good?

If you’ve been around the adventure motorcycling world long enough, then you’ve come across Touratech in the UK & Australia.

In fact, they even have a good presence now in the United States too. For the world of adventure riding, they certainly have built an incredible reputation.

Touratech Review

We’re unbiased as they come here at Frontaer and don’t get paid for our online opinions. In this review, we’re simply sharing our opinions towards using this brand.

You’re probably doing your research just like we did years ago. You want to know if they are any good and worth ordering from. After all, your gear probably has to travel thousands of miles.

Let’s dig a little deeper here and go further, in the sense of true adventure.

Adventure Gear Range

It’s clear that Touratech stocks the best gear in the business. They aren’t messing around with cheap gear from China that you’d otherwise find on eBay and Amazon. That stuff is lucky to last a thousand miles. When you’re touring within your own borders or riding the world, you need gear that’s going to last.

Their entire range spans more than 800 pages of incredible gear that’s going to get you, your bike and your sanity from point A to B. Whether that’s 1,000 miles or 100,000. (No kidding, some of their customers have been well beyond this on 2 wheels offroad)

They aren’t into the motocross or trials crowd. That younger generation is well served by other stores. Touratech has chosen a specific path where in Germany, ADV riding is extreme popular. After all, the best adventure motorcycles are born in their numerous factories.

Social Media

While their target demographic (gentlemen above the age of 35) aren’t really on social media, that hasn’t given Touratech a free pass to forget about these channels. As you can see from their channels, especially on YouTube, there is a solid presence there. Plenty of information to get you started or continuing your journey in the ADV world.

You’ll also find strong engagement too. They actually reply to comments and questions from their audience. It’s not often that this happens with other ADV channels that we’ve come across.

Industry Reputation

Their reputation is seriously strong with Touratech. They even support adventure moto events several times per year with strong sponsorships which makes it cheaper for riders to enter.

You’ll also find a staggering amount of 5-star reviews online. Even when someone does have a bad experience, ADV riders just know that Touratech will make it right. This is even so when riders need some help with a product years after purchase. Clearly Touratech has played the long game here.

In Summary

Touratech has built a reputation as the go-to resource in the ADV crowd over the last 20 years. While there are bigger stores out there, no one else focuses on the adventure riding community as closely as these guys.

There is no messing around here. If you need gear, then they have the best in stock and events to meet others in the community. This has lead to an immense amount of trust and longevity with riders coming back year after year.

We look seeing Frontaer’s products on the shelves real soon.

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👉 39 Most Common Dirt Bike Terms (How Many Do You Really Know?)

🔥 21 Awesome Dirt Bike Riding Tips ('Cause We Want You Safe Out There!)

🌲 How To Go Camping With Your Dirt Bike (And Arrive Home Safely)

🔧 7 Tools Every Dirt Bike Rider Must Carry (To Avoid Those Awkward Rescue Calls)

🥾 Best Dirt Bike Boots That Go The Distance (Who's Got The Best for 2021?)

Ignacio Casale – The Legendary Quad Rider

Ignacio Casale is a quad bike racer and has won the quad bike category of the Dakar Rally not once, but twice!

Following his success, he moved towards the UTV category after the second victory in 2018.

Being from Santiago, Chile, not much is known about Ignacio in the English-speaking world. Fortunately, we decided to put some research together and highlight the achievements of this competitive racer.

Ignacio Casale

Ignacio start out riding motorcycles at a very early age. His parents were very much in favor of him developing his skills and swapping the school books for the race track.

In fact, he’s the son of Francisco Casale. His dad competed in numerous events during his professional career including the Jeep Fun Race in Chile through the 80’s and 90’s.

Into his adult life, Ignacio joined his father by becoming his co-driver in the Dakar Rally, debuting in 2010. They competed in the Trucks category and finished in the 26th position.

This lead to Ignacio deciding to go solo in 2011 by entering in the motorcycle division. After all, he earned a wild card place due to his navigational skills in the truck.

Dakar Performances

Ignacio has won numerous awards and the first Chilean to have done so in the history of the Dakar. This is mostly his performance on his ATV in the four-wheeler category.

After several years, he took the 1st place win in 2014 after riding for 2 weeks straight and 5,000 miles through the South American deserts. He even took 1st place in 7 out of the 13 stages.

He came back again in 2015 to defend his title. Unfortunately, he had to retire early due to mechanical problems at Stage 10 in the race. He had won 3 stages by this stage and was in the lead to win. It wouldn’t be until 2018 when he would finally win another title.

Fast-forward to 2020 and in the UTV division with AMerico Aliaga, they together won the 2020 Dakar Rally in fine form.

It’s refreshing to see someone try various methods in which to experience the rally. Most competitors just stick to one class type but Ignacio seems to have tried them all.

One thing is for sure: He’s seriously tough and we look forward to seeing him take more podium finishes in this decade. His career certainly isn’t finished yet.

Continue Reading More Guides by Frontaer

[elementor-template id="4784"]

👉 39 Most Common Dirt Bike Terms (How Many Do You Really Know?)

🔥 21 Awesome Dirt Bike Riding Tips ('Cause We Want You Safe Out There!)

🌲 How To Go Camping With Your Dirt Bike (And Arrive Home Safely)

🔧 7 Tools Every Dirt Bike Rider Must Carry (To Avoid Those Awkward Rescue Calls)

🥾 Best Dirt Bike Boots That Go The Distance (Who's Got The Best for 2021?)