The Kawasaki 250 cc KLX S packed a full load, maintained 70 mph on the major highways and was easily managed through the tough stuff like mud, sand, and rocks in Alaska.

Kawasaki 200 cc KMX wallowed slightly through the slippery mud in Cambodia.

200 cc Kawasaki versus my travel companion’s 1200 cc BMW – a sprinting tiger versus a wallowing water buffalo in Cambodia.

225 cc Yamaha TTR in Laos, easily managed when repairing a flat tire, and using the spare inner tube carried.

250 cc Honda in Myanmar (Burma) did equally well on or off-road, rented for $35.00 per day.

110 cc Hehsim (Chinese) in Myanmar (Burma) kept up with traffic, passed trucks and nimbly dodged potholes. It was friendly to the wallet for a rental of $10.00 per day.

400 cc Honda rental in Japan for $150.00 per day was a bargain for Japan. It easily held or exceeded posted road speeds and could carry one or two persons plus luggage.

400 cc Honda Transalp rental in Laos, for $35.00 per day, was well suited for the roads of Laos.

My own carry-in handlebar windscreen bolted on the 400 cc rental Transalp to better cut the wind and rain than the short stock windscreen.

110 cc Suzuki six speed rental, at $10.00 per day, was one of the few rental motorcycles available anywhere in Malaysian Borneo.

Adventure riding “lean and mean” on a 110 cc Suzuki motorcycle meant leaving a lot of what many motorcyclists consider absolutely essential for adventure travel at home.

The 'road' or track through this mud track is the footpath to the left of the water-filled ruts, something the 110 cc motorcycle could tackle. This narrow slippery footpath is not something I want to try on a 900 cc 'adventure' model.

These Combat Lites boots from Aerostich (www.aerostich.com) with cleated soles are my current choice for carry-in boots.

250 cc Honda rental in Cambodia for $13.00 per day carried the pictured load, on and off-road and maintained traffic speeds everywhere, often passing cars and trucks. Need carrying capacity on a small adventure motorcycle? Have them made locally, like these wire panniers.

250 cc Honda rental in Cambodia for $13.00 per day was good for an average of 150-200 miles per day, carrying all luggage and a 200 lb. pilot, often at speeds above 70 mph when needed for passing.

Nolan N43 helmet with removable chin guard, allows for more flow-through air in hot and humid countries. This is my current choice for a carry-in helmet.

The 'ShockStrap' from Simply Brilliant (www.shockles.com) is far superior to any bungee cords provided or sold by rental companies. These are almost guaranteed not to let luggage slide off the motorcycle.

Tools and small carrying bag on the right came with the 250 cc motorcycle. My additional carry-in/built-up kit is on the left. Not shown are the glues, patches, electrical wire, duct tape, spark plug, tire repair kit, hand air pump, misc. nuts/bolts and spare cables also carried-in or purchased locally.

An AIRHAWK (air filled) seat from Aerostich makes sitting on the 'board hard' seats on many small displacement motorcycles bearable, and is now part of my standard carry-in kit.

125 cc Minsk rental in Vietnam, for $5.00 per day plus $1.00 for the rear side bags, carried a full load and 200-lb pilot for two weeks through the jungles and over the main paved highways.