10 Affordable Japanese Motorcycles Known For Reliability, Value, And Efficiency

If you want a reliable motorcycle, a long-standing school of thought suggests that a Japanese motorcycle will be the answer. While there are always exceptions that prove the rule, all four major Japanese manufacturers boast impressive reliability records. Their commitment to quality is backed up by incredible value thanks to the economies of scale. The volume of motorcycles these brands sell allows them to keep prices relatively low. They also employ a few other cost-cutting measures that do not affect reliability.

Certain platforms stay in production longer than the industry standard. This approach saves on research and development costs and gives engineers ample opportunity to refine a powertrain. This often improves the efficiency of the powertrains in the process. You also won’t often see more than two color options available, and even if there is another option, you will most likely need to pay extra for it. “You can have any color you like, as long as it’s black,” or at least in this case, green, blue, red, or yellow.

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Yamaha Tenere 700

MSRP: $10,999

Yamaha

By putting the ultra-reliable CP2 engine in a more dirt-worthy chassis, Yamaha pretty much rewrote the rulebook on middleweight adventure bikes. Over the years, the bike has received a few minor updates, but it is mostly unchanged because there is no reason to fix something that is clearly not broken. You could technically sub in any CP2-powered bike here, but few middleweight ADVs offer better value.

Yamaha

Specifications

Yamaha XSR900

MSRP: $10,599

Yamaha

Unlike most retro bikes, Yamaha’s XSR900 is actually cheaper than the naked bike version. The CP3 engine delivers in pretty much every way possible. It is reliable, powerful, yet still economical, with a claimed fuel economy of 49 MPG. Design is always a bit of a subjective topic, but we also happen to think that this is a great-looking motorcycle, especially in Heritage White.

Yamaha

Specifications

Kawasaki Versys 650 LT ABS

MSRP: $10,399

Kawasaki

The Versys 650 is a bike other manufacturers will hate. It does absolutely everything more expensive tourers can do at half the price. It can also handle the daily commute and the odd dirt road. Kawasaki also added a host of modern features to the platform, making it the complete touring package. Unfortunately, the side effect of its Jack-of-all-trades personality is that it really is “the master of none.”

Kawasaki

Specifications

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Honda Transalp

MSRP: $9,999

Honda

Honda needed an answer to the Tenere. With Honda’s experience building dirt bikes, everyone expected the Transalp to be a proper dirt-worthy ADV. So when it arrived, it is quite understandable that it left some enthusiasts a little underwhelmed. But, if you take it as a stand-alone model and remove the Tenere from your thought process, you will see that the Transalp might actually be the better all-rounder. It is far more comfortable, it is more powerful, and it already has a glorious aftermarket.

Honda

Specifications

Suzuki GSX-8R

MSRP: $9,669

Suzuki

The new, more practical supersport class is growing. Suzuki took quite some time to get this into production, and like most of these modern supersports the end result is a little middling. It is no track day hero, but it is a practical motorcycle that is both comfortable and reliable. If you are after a sporty commuter that can handle the odd canyon ride, this is a great option.

Suzuki

Specifications

Suzuki V-Strom 650

MSRP: $9,299

Suzuki

While the V-Strom 650 is about as exciting to look at as a glass of milk, it is actually a fun bike to ride thanks to its little V-twin. Suzuki has held onto this powertrain for so long because it is an absolute peach. While much can be said about the efficiency of all the parallel-twins in this class that all attempt to mimic twins, nothing beats the original.

Suzuki

Specifications

Kawasaki KLR650 Adventure ABS

MSRP: $8,199

Kawasaki

For the past decade or so, the old KLR has been the closest thing to an ADV Kawasaki offered. That has finally changed, but that fact takes nothing away from the versatility of this workhorse. It is slow, underpowered, and a little heavy for a dual sport, but it really can go anywhere. You also won’t care if you drop it, and if something does eventually go wrong, there is a huge community ready to help you fix it.

Kawasaki

Specifications

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Honda Rebel 500

MSRP: $6,799

Honda

Honda puts this little parallel-twin in everything from a sports bike all the way up to an ADV. This powertrain was developed specifically to cater to the entry-level market and is A2-compliant in Europe. Which means every bike it can be found in is relatively approachable, and in the Rebel 500, we have one of the very best beginner-friendly cruisers.

Honda

Specifications

Kawasaki Eliminator

MSRP: $6,499

Kawasaki

The Eliminator is cut from the same cloth as the Rebel. It is just slightly more sporty thanks to the fact that it has a little more power and is also a little lighter than the Honda. The passenger seat comes as standard fare here, so it is actually a degree more practical in that sense. But if you want ABS, you need to shell out an extra $300.

Kawasaki

Specifications

Honda CRF300L Rally

MSRP: $6,499

Honda

Once more, we have a dual-sport that is stealing sales from entry-level ADVs. A simple rally fairing has transformed this once nondescript Honda dual-sport bike into one of the most famous tools for exploration. It is not just an entry-level option, because while it doesn’t offer much in the way of power, it is fast enough to be fun on a back road and can get up to highway speed when called upon. More importantly, it is competent off-road, light, and incredibly reliable.

Honda

Specifications