As enthusiasm for every kind of off-road motorcycle seems to increase, we are now seeing a mini-revival of the dual-sport segment. It has been decades since we have seen this much movement in this space. Several bikes have gotten much-needed updates, while other manufacturers have opted to roll out brand-new models.
With the rise and rise of the adventure motorcycle, many enthusiasts have realized the limitations of bigger, travel-oriented motorcycles. Some will get a more off-road-oriented trail bike, while others are making the switch to dual-sport bikes. If you want an off-road bike that you can travel on, as opposed to a bike designed for travel that can go off-road, this dual-sport might be for you.
2026 Brings A Great Selection Of New Dual-Sport Options
While there are actually several dual-sports to choose from, most are either approachable or competition spec. Precious few offer much of a balance. The new Suzuki DR-Z4S is one option, but while it offers a good balance between off-road performance and on-road competence, it is still fairly expensive for what it is, and is not all that powerful. At the other end of the spectrum, we have the Honda CRF450RL. It is actually pretty affordable for what is essentially a dirt bike with lights, but it is a dirt bike with lights… and its short service intervals will wear thin if you want to use it for travel. The bike in question genuinely offers the best of both worlds experience, for a price.
The Honda CRF450RL Dual-Sport Can Go Where Others Won’t
The CRF450RL allows you to ride it like you stole it, road or no road.
The KTM 690 Enduro R Balances Power, Range, And Off-Road Confidence
MSRP: $13,399
At one point, it looked as though KTM might be sunsetting the venerable LC4 engine. But, here we sit with a brand new, extensively updated LC4-powered 690 Enduro R. Now, more powerful than ever before and Euro5+ approved. It is an expensive bike, but for those who know what they want and already have some level of off-road riding experience, there is nothing else quite like it… err, well, unless you count its white and blue clone. Badge engineering aside, it is, in most respects, peerless.
Why The Husqvarna 701 Enduro Is The Forgotten Dual-Sport Motorcycle That’s Still A Beast
This European brand’s first big adventure bike certainly turned heads, but its smaller cousin has loads of power to satisfy any dual-sport rider.
Features The Most Powerful Single-Cylinder Engine
Power: 78 Horsepower
A couple of years ago, Ducati boldly claimed to have developed the most powerful single-cylinder engine. This clearly struck a nerve over at KTM, as it was the 74-horsepower version of the LC4, which had pretty much owned that title for years. In an effort to wrestle this hypothetical crown back from the Italian manufacturer and get the bike to comply with Euro5+ emissions regulations, KTM gave the LC4 a comprehensive update. It is easy to see that both the stator and clutch covers are new, but so is the entire crankcase. The internals are lighter, and it has a new oil delivery system. The upshot of all this is a 4-horsepower gain, which means it has half a horsepower more than the Ducati.
Dirt Bike Capability, Street Bike Service Intervals
In reality, half a horsepower means little because this is an engine near the end of its development cycle, while the Superquadro Mono is a brand-new powertrain. What is important is its durability, and over the years, the LC4 has proven to be one of the most durable motorcycle engines in the industry, let alone KTM. Service intervals have now been extended to 15,000 km, or 9,000 miles. Such is the confidence in the powertrain, but we need to add a caveat here.
If you plan on doing more off-road riding – which is more or less the point of this motorcycle – you need to clean the air filter after pretty much every ride, and those oil changes will also need to be a little more regular than KTM suggests. With it being a modern engine, it is pretty efficient, and 50 MPG is within the realms of reality over longer distances. Short bursts of intense off-road riding will obviously yield sub-optimal fuel efficiency. With a 3.5-gallon fuel tank, it will offer around 150 miles of range, realistically speaking.
The Japanese Adventure Bike With The Highest Overall Riding Range
The Africa Twin Adventure Sports is the ideal mix of efficient engine and large fuel tank
The 690 Enduro R Is A Feature-Rich Motorcycle
When a bike doesn’t have any opposition in its class, it is something of a moot point to say it has “class-leading suspension,” so we’ll rather say it has race-proven suspension. Or, better than most of us will ever need it to be. Its beefy 48 mm WP Xplor forks have separate rebound and compression damping with compression on the left and rebound on the right. At the back, you get an adjustable Xplor monoshock, and all this only enhances the already very good steel trellis chassis. The bike handles well on the road for a dual-sport, obviously limited by its tires, which, like the rest of the bike, are rather obviously geared towards brisk off-road riding.
Chassis, Suspension, And Weight Specifications
|
Chassis |
Steel trellis |
|
Front Suspension |
48mm compression and rebound adjustable USD WP Xplor forks (10.4-in travel) |
|
Rear Suspension |
Adjustable WP Xplor shock (9.8-in travel) |
|
Weight |
357 lbs |
In terms of electronic features, it gets off-road ABS that actually works off-road, but more experienced riders are still afforded the option of turning it off. The traction control is lean-sensitive, and it can also be turned off if required. The smaller, more robust TFT is actually a touch of class. It still allows you to change settings and switch between ride modes easily, yet is unobtrusive and gives us the impression that it will last as long as the rest of the bike, unlike some bigger TFT dashes.
Here’s Why This KTM Supermoto Is Worth Buying In 2025
In a market stacked with versatile motorcycles, all this has to offer is a great rider experience
Comfort Is Relative
Everything you might expect from an adventure bike is present and accounted for, with the exception of comfort. Comfort really is relative here, because off-road, it is actually pretty easy to stand up and ride aggressively. Choosing this bike as a tool for travel is also a commitment to living with some level of discomfort on the highway. Suffice to say we feel the off-road pleasure is worth the pain.
Source: KTM