10 Greatest Adventure Bikes Ever Made

Adventure riding is as popular as ever, but some of the very best ADV motorcycles are not even from this century

One of the fastest growing segments in the motorcycle industry is adventure riding. And it has never been a better time to be an all terrain enthusiast, because the amount of options available, from just about every manufacturer, is unprecedented. Today's generation of riders is spoiled for choices. You know it's a crazy world when even Harley-Davidson got in on the fun (more on that later).

But it hasn't always been like this. Before the advent of modern off-road technologies, suspensions, tires and rider modes, you either had standard motorcycles you had to modify into scramblers or dirt bikes like the Honda XL125. Either one you couldn't really take on a long journey, on and off-road, without some major compromises and sacrifices. Those, older machines were just fine tackling either dirt or asphalt, but certainly not both. It wasn't until BMW took a huge gamble, and released a machine that was so divisive, at the time, that no one could have predicted the impact that it would continue to make, some forty years later.

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BMW, arguably, kicked off the whole ADV party when they dropped the R 80 G/S on the world. If you weren't aware, the G stands for Gelände, and the S for Straße, which are German words for off-road and road. It was more of a proclamation, rather than a designation, from BMW's perspective, but not everyone was buying it. "I'm not sure what this bike is supposed to do," said Ron Griewe, Cycle World's Test Editor at the time. And in Ron's defense, no one was, because the idea of being able to take one bike, and go everywhere, hadn't taken hold just yet. The R 80 G/S itself wasn't all that revolutionary, other than looking different from the Japanese offerings of the time. It did however include a single sided swing arm, the monolever, which allowed for a stiffer setup and an easier way to take the wheel off. And it also participated in Paris-Dakar rallies, which proved to be an even bigger boost to the model's mystique and growing legend. We wouldn't necessarily take this version of the GS on a long trip these days, but having one in our stable would still be a fantastic way to spend an afternoon on the road, and off it.

Similar to the BMW R 80 G/S, Honda's XRV750, otherwise known as the Africa Twin, had also been in the ADV trenches since the 80s. It was a motorcycle so successful, that the name had been brought back on multiple occasions, with the latest being in 2016. Other than its gorgeous, now very fashionable retro styling, the model's claim to fame was that it was inspired and built upon the NXR-750, which had won the aforementioned Paris-Dakar rally several times. And the specs on the machine, especially when compared to modern options, aren't all that antiquated. It has 61 brake horsepower, 48 feet-pound of torque and could achieve 110 miles per hour, when push came to shove. The tank range was 190 miles, which was enough of a run, to get you a significant distance before having to gas up. And the suspension had preload and compression adjustability. You could arguably still be pretty comfortable using one of these capable Hondas to tour on.

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There's no denying of the staying power of this relic Kawasaki in our collective hearts. There wasn't much to it back when it first came about, and that's pretty much still the case. Sure, the engine is now liquid cooled and fuel-injected. And Kawasaki threw some third rate digital instrumentation into the cockpit. There's anti-lock brakes and LED lighting. But that's about it. But that's not why you get the KLR. It's a go anywhere, do anything tractor that will run you $6,899 for the base version. And unlike, say the Royal Enfield Himalayan, it'll actually have no issues on the highway. Yes, it's a little slow with its vibey, 652-cc single cylinder, and a little heavier than it should be at 457 pounds, but it'll get you to the dirt road, through it and into the forest, where it'll just keep on going until you wear yourself out.

Leaning more to the touring side of adventure riding, though not entirely without off-road capabilities, is the cult classic Suzuki V-Strom 650. While it may have its detractors, which point out its general mundanity, those that dismiss the bike outright are missing the point. It's not meant to compete with the likes of Ducati, BMW and Triumph. Suzuki knows exactly what the bike is, what it can do, and who it is for. And those riders who are unpretentious about their ambitions of adventuring, know that you can do it with just about any machine. And if you view motorcycles, not as precious objects to be stored and gawked at, but as vehicles that are to be ridden, dropped and ridden again, then the V-Strom 650 is the unassuming little mule that can do it all. Its V-twin is a reliable powerplant, that won't surprise you, but will get you to your destination in a sensible way. The V-Strom is also very comfortable, with a height of the plush seat coming in at an approachable 32.9 inches. And though it may not be the ideal motorcycle for doing gnarly jumps on dirt roads, the ground clearance of 6.7 inches and a 19-inch front wheel is plenty to do the job right if you have to.

When the Ténéré 700 was first announced, those of us in the US rejoiced at the sight of a capable and inexpensive adventure motorcycle. Our dreams were then quickly squashed as we'd learned it wouldn't be coming to America. At least not yet. Eventually, when all the logistics of importing a new model into the US were worked out, the Ténéré 700 landed on our shores, and we never quite got over it. These days, Yamaha is primarily known for luring us onto the track with their lineup of sport bikes, as well as their extremely popular, hyper naked off-shoots, the MTs. And though they've dipped their toes in the off-road market in the past, their current lineup is somewhat lacking, when you compare it to their stable of racers. But that's ok, since their only adventure motorcycle offering consists of two versions of the Ténéré. And the Ténéré 700 especially is a nimble, maneuverable, comfortable and fast all around ADV machine, that's certainly biased more toward the dirt end of the spectrum. It has a tall seat, high ground clearance and a 21-inch front wheel. It doesn't get any more off-road than that.

Ever since Triumph was brought back from the brink of destruction in the early 80s it has been growing into a dominant, worldwide motorcycle manufacturer, that can compete with the best of them. Nowhere is that more evident than in the adventure market, where Triumph's Tiger lineup consistently goes toe to toe with BMW's GS models. The Tiger is capable of every kind of touring, whether it's sports or adventure, and the 1200 Rally is the epitome of the latter. The flagship model boasts an 1160-cc triple cylinder engine that makes 147 horsepower and 95 feet-pound of torque. The 21-inch front wheel allows for greater obstacle clearance. The 8.6 inches of travel from the Showa suspension allows for a more comfortable ride. And the "off-road pro" riding mode will let you get a handle on any terrain worth riding on. And once you leave the dirt for the tarmac, the premium riding experience will continue all the way home.

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KTM is known, world over, for their uncompromising commitment to off-road excellence. Their dirt bikes, and dual sports are unparalleled in their capabilities, as are their road-biased offerings like the 1290 Super Duke. But it's the Swiss-Army knife that is the 890 Adventure that stands out ahead of the pack, and for very good reasons. Though not as aggressively off-road oriented as the R version, the 890 still comes packed to the gills with features any adventure rider would love to have. There are the typical rider aids such as ABS, traction control and various rider modes. In addition, great attention was paid to the comfort of the seat, for both the rider and their passenger. It also comes with an off-road ABS mode, which can be toggled when selecting the appropriate riding mode.

The newest arrival on the ADV scene is the fashionably late Harley-Davidson Pan America. Harley likes to claim that they've been off-roading ever since the early 1900s. That's technically true, as the roads back then were nothing more than well-packed dirt. And though the company has flirted with true dual-sports from time to time, they've mostly been known for their cruisers as of late. That's why it was a real shock when the Pan America went on sale, and proved to be just as capable, advanced and comfortable to ride as any other ADV bike on the market. And in the process, HD brought a new trick to the game, with their automatic suspension, which can lower the bike down to a more manageable hight, as it comes to a full stop. And that's the kind of innovation Harley should be doing a lot more of.

With the success of the XRV750, Honda could have coasted for years to come. But they had another ADV bike up their sleeve, one that proved to be just as popular and long-lasting as the Africa Twin. The XL600V Transalp rolled out in 1989 and was a more road focused machine, as apposed to the Dakar thrashing Africa Twin. But it was certainly no less capable with 40 horsepower and a 21-inch front wheel. And if you're in the market for a vintage adventure bike, and the Africa Twin isn't your cup of tea, then the Honda Transalp is just as handsome, capable and fun to ride as it was back then. Provided you can still find one for sale.

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BMW's inclusion in this article should come as no surprise. Despite Harley winning the ADV battle in America the last few years, the GS line, especially the R 1250 GS, is still the machine to beat when it comes to ultimate adventuring. BMW has thrown so much tech, comfort and performance features at these bikes, that it's almost impossible to have an apples to apples comparison between the GS and other motorcycles. There's the huge tank of gas, holding up to 5 gallons. The torque is in triple digits. The liquid-cooled boxer engine outputs 136 horsepower, pushing the bike to 124 miles per hour. The shaft drive is virtually maintenance free. And the suspension has so many adjustable settings, we'd run out of screen space, listing them all. It's a premium machine for a premium adventure experience. Just don't forget that it also comes with a premium price.

Dmitry is a former Motorcycle Safety Foundation Rider-Coach, a writer of several fiction novels, a travel junky and an ocassional YouTuber. He's owned and ridden a lot of motorcycles and is a cafe racer fanatic.