Adventure Motorcycles

Aprilia has taken the wraps off the next model to feature the 660cc parallel twin as seen in the RS660 and Tuono. With more power than the Yamaha Tenere 700 and better electronics, we should see an interesting battle for sales.

No doubt about it, the Harley-Davidson Motor Company is breaking new ground nowadays as part of its “100 new bikes” initiative, and look no further than the new Pan America 1250 for one of the most obvious examples thereof. That’s right sports fans, H-D takes on the adventure bike segment with its very own entry that is a standalone machine with no direct connection to the rest of the lineup. An all-new Revolution Max 1250 engine powers this line with H-D’s new RDRS as part of the stock package to make the Pan America a technological marvel.

Some bikes are so good right out of the box that they just don’t deserve to die. Kawasaki’s KLR650 might be a dinosaur, but it’s still the ride of choice for those who want a bike as rough and ready as the trails they are riding.

Last year, Harley-Davidson forayed into the premium ADV space by taking the wraps off the Pan America 1250, its first-ever adventure bike.

Since this wasn’t your “usual” Harley, there weren’t many aftermarket accessories for the Pan Am. This, though, is changing and the latest company to join the Pan Am accessory club is performance exhaust maker, SC-Project.

Let’s take a look at what’s on offer.

One of the arguments that always start when riding off-road is whether to stand on the foot pegs or sit on the seat. Which is right and which is wrong?

Triumph punches up its Tiger 1200 Rally Pro with a number of improvements that increase comfort, performance, and rideability over that of its predecessor. Significant weight-saving measures were taken to put it over 55 pounds lighter. Plus it comes with new ergonomics to go with the new suspension components. The Rally Pro also receives a dedicated 21/18 wheel size and cornering ABS to give safety and peace-of-mind a little extra boost.

The 2021 model year marked an important milestone for BMW’s “GS” platform as the 40th year of adventure-enduro magic to come out of Germany. There’s a special limited-edition model year of the R 1250 GS Adventure to celebrate the GS line’s success through a special trim package and color selection, but even the base platform was improved, largely due to feedback from riders of the previous generations. New features join equipment that was previously considered optional along with an expanded range of ex werke features and gear.

BMW launched into MY2021 with a freshly updated R 1250 GS base model accompanied by a 40th year anniversary model that sports the Option 719 “bumblebee” livery. The boxer-twin powerplant remains the same mechanically but comes with improved ride-control and safety electronics along with some long-requested optional comfort gear and a full line of ex-werke accessory equipment to boot. BMW brings its on- and off-road experience together to make a truly capable globetrotter, and decidedly not the two-wheeled equivalent of a soccer mom’s SUV.

Moto Guzzi, Italy’s most idiosyncratic motorcycle manufacturer, has announced dates for its Experience Tour, comprising three five- or eight-day tours through some of North America’s most spectacular scenery. Also announced are tours in Europe.

Yamaha has the adventure category covered at both ends of the scale with the Ténéré 700 and 1200. But is the company working on a middleweight 900cc version, using the triple-cylinder engine from the MT-09?

Hot on the heels of the Nightster 975 and evidence pointing to a similarly-engined Pan America model, comes more clues pointing to yet another stirring of the Pan America pot.

No matter how exciting modern-day bikes get, there’s just something about their first-ever iterations where it all started from.

Catering to those folks who appreciate such bikes, Iconic Motorbike Auctions has put up a first-gen Ducati Multistrada 1000 DS for sale which truly proves that old is indeed gold.

Later today, Harley Davidson is officially revealing a new Sportster model, widely believed to be powered by a 975cc version of the Revolution Max engine. But is there also a 975cc Pan America also on the way?

Harley-Davidson’s design team pulled out all the stops for its “Special” version of the new Pan America 1250 platform, and it shows throughout the details. Electronic suspension controls join with a TPMS and high-output, adaptive headlight that responds to changes in lean angle as you stoop to a corner. The addition of heated hand grips and brush guards increase the Special’s cold-weather and off-road utility, plus it rolls with a center stand that helps ease the pain of trail-side stops. To enhance its adventure worthiness, the engine has a variable valve-timing feature that broadens the tractable power band, and the suspension sports an optional Adaptive Ride Height feature in an industry first. The Special is a more appropriate machine for riders who are more likely to head off-road than its more street-centric base model sibling, the Pan America 1250.

Kawasaki buffed up the road-adventure chops of its mid-range, base-model Versys 650 ABS platform and its tour-tastic sibling, the 650 LT. New bodywork encapsulates the innards, and protects the new instrumentation along with a new LED headlight arrangement to set this model apart from its forebears. To help you keep it all under control, a new electronic Rider Aid package delivers the goods.

Last year, spy shots circulated of a heavily disguised BMW GS model on test. That it was going to be a new model was clear, but quite what the specifications would be was not known. Now, a listing on a BMW Service Request website shows not one but three new GS models.

Triumph’s Tiger line has long been a dominant force in the ADV-bike world, but the factory focused its efforts on 800 cc models and up. All that changes for MY2022 with the release of the new Tiger Sport 660. Built as a street-centric adventure machine, the “Sport” extends the Tiger lineup deep into the mid-range to appeal to a wider range of rider.

The first shots of Triumph’s 2022 Tiger 1200 adventure bike are emerging from Portugal and there’s something familiar about that headlight.

Royal Enfield, a bikemaker known for its wide variety of old-school motorcycles, has taken the wraps off its latest scrambler/crossover offering, the Scram 411, in India.

The Scram 411 is essentially a road-going version of the off-road specific Himalayan with a few changes that help it stand out from the Himalayan. Let’s take a closer look.

The Super Ténéré ES returned in 2019 without its stablemate, the Super Ténéré. The “ES” carries into 2022 bringing all the adventure capability that gave the Ténéré its name. A compact 1,199 cc parallel-twin engine coupled with the wide-ratio six-speed transmission takes you over hill and dale and back to the pavement with aplomb. Its narrow chassis and low center of gravity make the Super Ténéré easy to handle as well as maneuverable and nimble on twisty roads. Named after the Ténéré desert region in the Sahara, the Super Ténéré and Super Ténéré ES from Yamaha give you on-road and off-road confidence wherever your journey takes you.

There are normal riders and then there are ace riders, the sort of people who push the boundaries of riding to new heights. YouTuber and Honda rider Kirian Mirabet Vidiella belongs to the latter. He has so far done some bonkers things with his rally-spec Africa Twin including riding on ice, jumping around, steep hill climbs and attacking trails, amongst other things.

But that wasn’t enough and Kirian wanted more. So he recently attempted a backflip on his Africa Twin and since a normal Africa Twin wasn’t crazy enough, he performed this stunt with panniers put on.