Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission.
8 Fantastic Adventure Motorcycles You Can Buy Right Now
Whether riding on asphalt, gravel, or dirt, an adventure bike never waivers. These are some of the best you can buy right now.
By
Bryan Campbell
KTM
Sportbikes are great for high speeds and getting low in turns; dirt bikes are right at home slingin’ dirt and threading through dense wooded trails. But if you were to ask either to do the other’s job, they — and you — would quite literally fall flat.
Luckily, there’s something between the two extremes. With the looks and utility of a capable off-roader and the balance and handling of a sport-standard, adventure motorcycles are a jack-of-all-trades way to tackle both paved roads and dirt. With a set of purpose-balanced tires that aren’t too knobby or too slick, an adventure motorcycle can handle a long-haul tour, then confidently set off down a forest road in search of a quality campsite.
Much like the crossover in the four-wheeled world, the adventure motorcycle segment is rapidly expanding, thanks to the combination of sportiness and utility its vehicles provide — and these days, there are now more options than ever to take you wherever. We pulled together eight of them that are absolutely worth considering.
Adventure Touring
Even in the adventure bike world, there are varying degrees of dedication to getting dirty. If you find yourself off the road more than on it, the “adventure touring” category is where to look. These are the bikes you’ll see teams prepping for the Dakar Rally. In stock trim, though, these bikes are more than capable on asphalt…even if they prefer to be caked in dirt.
KTM 790 Adventure R
KTM long teased a middleweight adventure motorcycle like the 790 Adventure R. Now that the top-tier ADV bikes weigh around 500-600 pounds and boast price tags near $20,000, there’s a segment opening up underneath for a bike like this to slot into the lineup.
Armed with a WP-tuned suspension with 9.4 inches of travel both front and rear and Bosch traction control and ABS systems, this adventure bike will easily outmaneuver the heavyweights and outlast the lightweight dual sports on longer rides. It might be the Goldilocks option of the ADV world…if you have $13,699 to give KTM.
The Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE is the bike people started asking for the moment someone first took a Street Scrambler off-road. Thankfully, Triumph put some real muscle behind the upgraded Scrambler, making it a genuine off-roader instead of a half-assed wannabe.
With a full suite of electronics, modern connectivity features and rider modes, a lifted suspension and cutting-edge traction and ABS systems, the Scrambler 1200 XE sounds like any other top-rated ADV — but when you consider the package is wrapped in classic Triumph style, it stands out as one of the best bikes in the segment.
The base-level Africa Twin is an incredibly capable bike; the Adventure Sports kicks it up a notch. Regardless if you choose the dual-clutch gearbox or six-speed manual transmission, the Africa Twin is a seriously well-sorted machine, and won’t disappoint adventurers keen on piloting a direct descendant of a Dakar winner down any dusty path.
The BMW GS is one of the most iconic and recognizable adventure bikes for a reason. The GS spent decades proving its capability in the remote parts of the world, with each generation improving on the last.
For 2019, BMW overhauled its ADV flagship, gave it a larger, more advanced engine and a host of electronic updates for further refinement. You can rest assured the R1250 GS Adventure is the best BMW has to offer, as far as the adventure touring motorcycle experience is concerned.
For the giant piece of the world’s population that has to navigate city blocks before they can reach dirt trails, the adventure sport touring segment makes more sense in the day-to-day. Packing shorter suspension travel than a full-on adventure bike but more utility than a stiffer sport bike, adventure sport touring bikes could live their entire life on the pavement without complaint.
With street tires, they make for decent commuters. But why not slap some knobbies on ’em and hit some backwoods two-tracks to take full advantage of their potential?
Suzuki V-Strom 1000
At a fraction of the price of most of its competitors, the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 makes big-ticket tech attainable. With ABS, two-stage traction control and an adjustable suspension, the V-Strom stands apart at its price point; at $12,999, it’s hard to ask for more. And with proper dirt tires, you can throw an entire mountain range worth of trails at the V-Strom and it’ll take it in stride.
The 1262-cc, 158-horsepower V-Twin hints at superbike performance; there’s no doubting the Multistrada’s track capabilities, but this one has other ideas in mind. It may sit tall, but its balance only lends itself to total versatility; the quirky Italian style is just a plus.
The Testastretta engine with Desmodromic variable timing and dual spark ignition combined with cornering ABS, four ride modes, traction control, double-sided swing arm and semi-active suspension make the Multistrada 1260 one of the most advanced bikes in Ducati’s lineup.
On the spectrum of adventure motorcycles, enduros and dual sports are the best ones equipped for tight trail rides rather than long-distance touring. An enduro or dual can handle a few bags and some cargo — but the ideal way to use one of these smaller bikes is to drive to your destination, set up camp, then go exploring.
Due to their smaller fuel tanks, they don’t have a superb range, so trailering them to base camp isn’t uncommon. Likewise, you don’t want to spend days on end in the saddle; they’re not far from road-legal dirtbikes.
Honda CRF450L
The CRF450L is based on its race-bred brother, the 450 R — but the tweaks and additions Honda bolted on make it more civilized for everyday use, both off- and on-road.
A tamer engine and less aggressive gearing are the most noticeable changes, but the retuned suspension and hidden rubber mounts and bushings throughout the bike soften up the experience and reduce rider fatigue.
KTM built its reputation on beastly enduros, so it’s not surprising that there are few factory bikes that can hold a candle to the 690 Enduro R.
The 690 Enduro R tips the scales at a scant 322 pounds — almost half the weight of the BMW R1200 GS — and comes packing similar power stats as the Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sport. To put it in industry terms: this thing rips.
This is one of our picks for the best reading chairs you can buy thanks to its exceptional mid-century design and comfort. It's a chair you can sink into.
The Nike Blazer is a sneaker icon. Pare it back and make it a low top and it has instantly become the best shoe you can wear this spring and summer. It will go with anything and is durable for daily wear.
These Bose headphones are some of Gear Patrol's favorite noise-cancelling headphones of the past year, owing to excellent design and top-notch sound quality. Don't like this color? The black and white colorways are both on sale for $330.
Otterbox's Venture cooler features integrated injection-molding and high-grade cooling technologies, anti-slip rubber feet and interior separators for wet and dry goods. Don't sleep on this, cookouts are coming.
A set of Adirondack chairs is a timeless pairing for any backyard, patio or balcony. These are made from faux wood, giving them exceptional durability and weather-resistance.
If you want a mask with more protection and versatility than a simple cloth mask, check out this one from Outdoor Research. It has adjustable straps to keep your fit dialed and comes with three replaceable filters that block out 95 percent of particles.
These runners from New Balance look great and crush on light trails. Made from New Balance's Fresh Foam, they are supremely comfortable and durable enough to take a beating.
This is an outrageous deal on an excellent Bluetooth speaker. It features eight hours of battery life, has integrated Siri and Google Now and looks good in any room, to boot.
Here you go, the perfect boot for spring. Todd Snyder always brings it when it comes to collaborations and this is no exception; this silhouette comes straight from the Sebago archives.
These water- and sweat-proof earbuds are our pick for the best workout earbuds. They have 6-hour battery life and are MIL-STD 810G certified, which means they have passed repeated shock, vibrations, drop, and crush tests as well as extended exposure to tropical humidity, hurricane-force water and desert sandstorm conditions.
Patagonia's Black Hole Duffel is one of the best packs around, so whenever it is on sale, we jump at the chance to snag one, even if it is purple. The 40L iteration is a versatile size ready for a weekend getaway or an extended trip.
For three years running, we’ve awarded the top slot to Mountain Hardwear’s Super/DS StretchDown jacket, and right now, at arguably the best time to buy a jacket, it’s on sale for 40 percent off. If you don't like the orange, there are other colors on sale at a lesser discount, as well.
Aether makes some of the best technical wear in the biz. This waterproof jacket is packed with features, including a removable hood, numerous pockets, fully-taped seams and a powder skirt.
Flint and Tinder's bestselling jacket almost never goes on sale — usually only once a year, if you're lucky. Immensely warm and tough-as-nails, this is a heritage piece that you'll have forever. Now is the time to pick up this weather-resistant jacket for the cheapest price you'll ever see it.
Filson has been making some of the best gear to come out of the Pacific Northwest, and probably the whole country, for years. This tote is tough-as-hell and water-resistant — perfect for weekend trips to the farmers' market.
This is a perfect layer for spring. Just about everything NYC-based Todd Snyder makes is quality and damn good looking, but this definitely takes it up a notch. If you want to use it as a liner underneath a topcoat, it is an excellent choice, but it also pairs exceptionally well with a sweater or t-shirt.
Originally a tennis shoe in the 80s, the Killshot 2 has become one of Nike's most coveted kicks. After years of only being available through J.Crew, they are now available in multiple colorways directly from Nike. They sell out almost every time they go on sale, so act fast to get yourself a pair.
Spring is coming and we're thinking hard about our next trips out into the wilderness. When it comes to backpacking gear, a good sleeping pad is one of the more important pieces you can have in your pack, so it is best to opt for quality. This insulated pad keeps you warm and cozy when the ground gets cold.
Apple's premium AirPods have been hovering around $200 for a while now, which is a great deal. Competition is now fierce in this headphone category, but the quick pairing and native integration with Apple devices still makes the AirPods Pro tough to beat.
The Eco-Drive from Citizen is powered by light, so you never need a battery. This diver is highlighted by a date display at 4 o'clock, a luminous dial, and a dual-tone bezel.
When looking back on life and thinking hard about every travel mug and thermos you've seen, odds are high that most of them are made by Stanley. This classic brand has made some of the best insulated mugs for years, so picking one up is a no-brainer.
Staub's enameled cast iron is versatile, distributes heat evenly, and works with any heat source, including induction. This is one of our favorite pieces of cookware.
Huckberry and Timex threw it back to the 70s and 80s with this collaboration. Starting with a blank slate, the brands led with the iconic cola colorway, added a military-inspired dial and finished it off with a woven stainless steel bracelet and aluminum timing bezel.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io