10 Adventure Motorcycles That Perfectly Balance Comfort And Performance

Of late, more powerful full-size adventure bikes have been overshadowed by smaller, more capable middleweight motorcycles. For those that are after a bike that can do pretty much everything, lighter middleweight bikes do make a lot of sense. But, if you have no desire to use your bike as a commuter, and have a little more room in the budget department, a bigger ADV will always be the better tourer.

The beauty of using an adventure bike for touring is that you always have the option to take an attractive back road, that may or may not have a dirt section. Their upright ergonomics almost always allow riders to find a perfectly comfortable position, and with most of these bikes erring on the side of luxury, you are also never short on comfort features. In the interest of fairness, we limited it to one bike per brand.

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10

MV Agusta Enduro Veloce

MSRP: $15,998

MV Agusta

The Enduro Veloce is technically a big middleweight, but even its “middleweight” engine is over 900cc, and it weighs over 500 pounds. By most traditional measures, this is a full-sized ADV. With lean-sensitive traction control and cornering ABS, this is a bike that offers every feature that you might expect to find on a premium ADV, and we are all accustomed to paying a premium for the MV name, too. Yet, the price just got slashed, and this gorgeous Italian bike now costs less than any of its direct rivals.

MV Agusta

Specifications

9

Moto Guzzi Stelvio PFF Rider Assistance Solution

MSRP: $17,390

Moto Guzzi

While the Stelvio is certainly not cheap, it is one of the most affordable radar-equipped bikes on the market. What you get with this innovative technology – which has proliferated the automotive world – is a blind spot monitor, forward collision warning, and following cruise control. On a motorcycle, a blind-spot monitor is an underrated feature, as some motorists simply fail to see motorcycles on the highway right up until the very last second.

Moto Guzzi

Specifications

8

Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE Adventure

MSRP: $17,799

Suzuki

The V-Strom 1050DE Adventure sits at the very top of Suzuki’s adventure bike lineup. Like many bikes in this space, it comes equipped with a six-axis IMU and offers all the same great features you will find on any of the more expensive bikes. Luggage and crash protection come as standard fitment in this trim, but its point of difference is its V-twin engine. Initially conceived for racing applications, this V-twin has since evolved into a fantastically tractable street bike engine.

Suzuki

Specifications

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7

Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES DCT

MSRP: $18,399

Honda

With the Adventure Sports ES DCT, performance takes a back seat to comfort. Currently, this is still the only automatic ADV on offer, and in a world where changing gears is quickly becoming less fashionable, this is a key point of difference. It also gets fancy electronic suspension and a host of other great features that fall in line with the rest of the bikes on this list.

Honda

Specifications

6

Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special

MSRP: $19,999

Harley-Davidson

With the dip in popularity of large displacement adventure-touring bikes, the Pan America has not been quite as successful as Harley-Davidson initially hoped it would be. It is still a great bike that actually offers a lot of value, as it costs less than any of the similarly powerful ADVs currently on the market. It offers a laundry list of features, but the innovative adaptive ride height feature is the highlight.

Harley-Davidson

Specifications

5

KTM 1290 Super Adventure S

MSRP: $20,999

KTM

Interestingly, this is the lightest bike on the list, which makes it a degree more capable off-road. Even though this is a street-oriented model, KTM DNA is baked into the design, and it will handle any fire road with ease. With over 150 horsepower, this is a quick bike, too, and its semi-active suspension makes it one of the most attractive all-around packages at this price point.

KTM

Specifications

4

Zero DSR/X

MSRP: $22,995

Zero Motorcycles

Electric motorcycles have come a long way, but still have a long way to go. None of the bikes on the market currently sums this notion up better than the DSR/X. It balances comfort and performance beautifully, but with a range of just over 100 highway miles, it falls flat on its face as a travel bike. In reality, it is more of an “adventure-styled” luxury commuter for those who are not limited by trivial things like a budget.

Zero Motorcycles

Specifications

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3

BMW R 1300 GS Adventure

MSRP: $23,645

BMW Motorrad

The real price of a R 1300 GS is a little hard to pin down, but with the Adventure model, you at least get a host of great features as standard. While you still reserve the right to add even more “packs” to the bike, in this trim it is already one of the best motorcycles (not just ADVs) on the market. It can handle rough roads without much fuss, but it is a heavy bike, so it is important to manage expectations in that department. But, in terms of touring comfort, it is pretty hard to beat.

BMW Motorrad

Specifications

2

Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Explorer

MSRP: $23,795

Triumph Motorcycles

In recent times, Triumph has really closed the gap on BMW, offering a similar level of specification and an impressive triple. The GT Explorer is also far more street-oriented and lives up to its “GT” name, with one minor gripe. All triples vibrate just a little bit at highway speed; most riders won’t even notice it, but for those who do feel it, it can be a dealbreaker. Suffice to say, a test ride is the order of the day here.

Triumph 

Specifications

1

Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally

MSRP: $31,995

Ducati

With 170 horsepower, this is currently the most powerful genuine adventure bike on the market. If you are in the market for a bike like this, your expectations will most likely be pretty high, and the latest V4 Rally delivers in every conceivable way. Every imaginable motorcycle feature can be found here as standard fitment. It is by far the most expensive bike on this list, but you certainly get what you pay for in terms of comfort and performance.

Ducati

Specifications