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The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere

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The adventure or “ADV” segment of the motorcycle industry is thriving, and the selection just keeps growing. Regardless of your preferences, skill level, or budget, you will likely find something to scratch your itch for adventure riding within the ever-expanding ADV bike lineup.

To be considered an “adventure” motorcycle we’re talking street legal, off-road capable, and comfortable to ride for long distances.

Adventure bikes inherently strive to offer equally good performance, handling, and comfort both on- and off-road. This is a complicated balance to strike, and there tend to be concessions one way or another. Choosing the best adventure motorcycle really means figuring out what qualities are most important to you.

This is not an exhaustive list of all bikes that meet those general criteria or could be made to meet them with after-market upgrades. Instead, we chose these tried-and-true adventure motorcycles that come from the factory ready for long-distance riding. 

18 Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere
(Photo/Drea Ervin)

Here’s our list of the Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023, in order of displacement — from smallest to largest.

  • Base price
    $9,104-10,799
  • Engine
    645cc V-twin
  • Power
    70 hp
  • Wet weight
    476 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    5.3 gal.
  • Tire size
    19”/17”

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/Suzuki)

  • Base price
    $12,299-12,699
  • Engine
    659cc parallel twin
  • Power
    79 hp
  • Wet weight
    450 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    4.7 gal.
  • Tire size
    21”/18”

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/Aprilia)

  • Base price
    $10,499
  • Engine
    689cc parallel twin
  • Power
    74 hp
  • Wet weight
    452 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    4.2 gal.
  • Tire size
    21”/18”

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/Yamaha)

  • Base price
    $9,995
  • Engine
    853cc parallel twin
  • Power
    77 hp
  • Wet weight
    493 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    4 gal.
  • Tire size
    19”/17”

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/BMW)

  • Base price
    $11,349-12,999
  • Engine
    776cc parallel twin
  • Power
    84.3 hp
  • Wet weight
    507 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    5.3 gal.
  • Tire size
    21”/17″

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/Suzuki)

  • Base price
    $12,595-13,595
  • Engine
    853cc parallel twin
  • Power
    90 hp
  • Wet weight
    504 lbs., 538 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    4 gal, 6.1 gal.
  • Tire size
    21”/17”

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/BMW)

  • Base price
    $12,190-13,190
  • Engine
    853cc V-twin
  • Power
    76 hp
  • Wet weight
    507 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    6 gal.
  • Tire size
    19”/17”

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/Moto Guzzi)

  • Base price
    $13,949-15,199
  • Engine
    889cc parallel twin
  • Power
    105 hp, 103 hp
  • Wet weight
    473 lbs., 464 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    5.3 gal.
  • Tire size
    21”/18”

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/KTM)

  • Base price
    $14,995-17,395
  • Engine
    888cc triple
  • Power
    94 hp
  • Wet weight
    501 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    5.28 gal.
  • Tire size
    19″/17″, 21”/17”

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/Triumph)

  • Base price
    $14,499
  • Engine
    889cc parallel twin
  • Power
    105 hp
  • Wet weight
    472 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    5 gal.
  • Tire size
    21”/18”

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/Husqvarna)

  • Base price
    $17,695-18,295
  • Engine
    937cc V-twin
  • Power
    110 hp
  • Wet weight
    495 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    5.5 gal.
  • Tire size
    21”/18”

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/Ducati)

  • Base price
    $15,199-17,599
  • Engine
    1137cc V-twin
  • Power
    107 hp
  • Wet weight
    554 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    5.3 gal.
  • Tire size
    19″/17″, 21”/17”

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/Suzuki)

  • Base price
    TBA
  • Engine
    1,084cc parallel twin
  • Power
    101 hp
  • Wet weight
    505 lbs., 529 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    5 gal., 6.5 gal.
  • Tire size
    21”/18″

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/Honda)

  • Base price
    $29,995-30,595
  • Engine
    1,158cc V4
  • Power
    170 hp
  • Wet weight
    573 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    7.9 gal.
  • Tire size
    19”/17”

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/Ducati)

  • Base price
    $16,299
  • Engine
    1,199cc parallel twin
  • Power
    110 hp
  • Wet weight
    584 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    6.1 gal.
  • Tire size
    19”/17”

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/Yamaha)

  • Base price
    $19,595-24,200
  • Engine
    1,160cc triple
  • Power
    147 hp
  • Wet weight
    529 lbs., 575 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    5.3 gal., 7.9 gal.
  • Tire size
    19”/18”, 21”/18”

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/Triumph)

  • Base price
    $17,995-20,345
  • Engine
    1,254cc flat twin
  • Power
    136 hp
  • Wet weight
    549 lbs., 591 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    5.2 gal., 7.9 gal.
  • Tire size
    19”/17”

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/BMW)

  • Base price
    $20,299
  • Engine
    1,301cc V-twin
  • Power
    160 hp
  • Wet weight
    550 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity
    6.1 gal.
  • Tire size
    21”/18”

The Best Adventure Motorcycles for 2023: Ride Everywhere(Photo/KTM)

2023 Adventure Motorcycles — No Perfect Bike

adventure motorcycles
(Photo/Drea Ervin)

Full disclosure, I ride a Suzuki DR650SE, and I call it my adventure motorcycle. We have indeed been on many wonderful adventures together, but it’s really a dual-sport. Yes, it is street-legal and off-road capable, but it is not very comfortable. It becomes exponentially less so on long-distance rides, even with upgrades.

Adventurers the world over will share similar stories of epic times on all types and sizes of bikes, including single-cylinder or “thumper” bikes like mine. The point is that while you can certainly have adventures riding whatever bike you fancy (or can afford), an ideal adventure motorcycle will take you everywhere you might want to go, and you’ll be a lot more comfortable.

adventure motorcycles
(Photo/Drea Ervin)

Adventure Motorcycle FAQs

Good ground clearance, suspension travel, and large spoked wheels all help make navigating different types of terrain and obstacles easier, safer, and more enjoyable.

Vibration, jarring, and wind buffeting are three big factors that are exhausting on long rides. Twin-cylinder engines or above will vibrate much less than single-cylinder bikes. Plush suspension will absorb changes in terrain, and a frame-mounted fairing will provide ultimate protection from the wind.

The lightest weight bike in this comparison is the new Aprilia Tuareg 660, coming in just under 450 pounds (449.7, to be exact). The only other bike that comes close is the Yamaha Ténéré 700, at 452 pounds. The heaviest is the venerable BMW R 1250 GSA, at 591 pounds. Leave it to German engineering to figure out how to perfectly balance that much weight on two wheels.

No surprises here. The priciest is Ducati, and the economy is a Suzuki. The new Multistrada V4 Rally can be yours in Ducati Red for just under $31,000. For that price, you can buy matching Suzuki V-Stroms for yourself and two of your friends. The base model V-Strom 650 comes in at $9,104 and has been successfully carrying adventure riders all over the world for nearly 20 years. 

Suzuki has gone after the adventure market with their new V-Strom “DE” models. They are still pretty far behind the competition in side-by-side comparisons, but the pricing is so good it might not matter. At the other end of the spectrum in quality, price, and cutting-edge technology, the Tiger 1200 line has been completely revamped for 2023.

If you want to do lots of road riding, the very popular BMW GSAs, Triumph Tigers, and of course, the Ducati Multistrada will offer the most comfort on the longest rides. Heavier, large-displacement bikes tend to ride better on the road.

Riding off-road can mean a lot of different things. Generally speaking, the lighter-weight ADV bikes tend to be easier to handle (and pick up!) riding off-road. Look at the KTM 890 R (really any KTM), Tuareg 660, and Ténéré 700 if you live for dirt.

This is where the mid-weight adventure bikes win. The Ducati DesertX is creating quite a stir. I dare you not to want this bike. Also touted as equally well-appointed for both are the Tiger 900, the new kid Norden 901, and the Africa Twin.

adventure motorcycles
(Photo/Drea Ervin)

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