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
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”
-
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”
-
Base price
$10,499 -
Engine
689cc parallel twin -
Power
74 hp -
Wet weight
452 lbs. -
Fuel capacity
4.2 gal. -
Tire size
21”/18”
-
Base price
$9,995 -
Engine
853cc parallel twin -
Power
77 hp -
Wet weight
493 lbs. -
Fuel capacity
4 gal. -
Tire size
19”/17”
-
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″
-
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”
-
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”
-
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”
-
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”
-
Base price
$14,499 -
Engine
889cc parallel twin -
Power
105 hp -
Wet weight
472 lbs. -
Fuel capacity
5 gal. -
Tire size
21”/18”
-
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”
-
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”
-
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″
-
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”
-
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”
-
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”
-
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”
-
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”
2023 Adventure Motorcycles — No Perfect Bike
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 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.