10 Versatile Motorcycles Perfect For Both Workdays And Road Trips 

Not all of us have the money to shell out for different motorcycles for different occasions. That doesn’t mean you have to settle for a bike that can handle either weekday duties or weekend adventures. Instead, you can pick a bike that can do both of those things, and, sometimes, a lot more. All that without draining your bank balance or taking on more wheels on your plate than you can handle.

That’s where these versatile motorcycles come into the picture. They can handle your weekday commutes with ease, while being ready to stretch out their legs on the highway during the weekends. Heck, some of them can even handle some serious off-roading sessions! So, from the good ol’ Kawasaki Versys 650 to the exotic Ducati Multistrada, here are ten versatile motorcycles that can be your best pick for both commuting and road trips.

Royal Enfield Himalayan 450

Starting Price $5,999

Royal Enfield

The Himalayan 450 is the kind of bike that makes you wonder why you’d need anything else. Where the Himalayan shines brightest is while off-roading, but unlike some of its rivals, it doesn’t sacrifice on-road performance for dirt. It’s an easy-to-ride motorcycle in the city, and out on the highway, the suspension feels planted at all times. Rest assured, the Harris Performance-designed frame can be pushed relatively hard in the corners, too. When it comes to balancing dirt capability, on-road manners, and a tempting price tag, the Himalayan 450 is hard to beat.

Performance Specs

Honda NX500

Starting Price: $7,399

Honda

Similar to the Himalayan 450, the NX500 keeps things balanced, but this time, focusing more on on-road performance. It does so arguably better than any of its rivals, too. The smooth, tractable parallel-twin engine is paired with an easy-to-handle frame, complemented by comfortable ergonomics and decent wind protection. While it has a road-biased setup, it can still handle a bit of dirt without much fuss. No wonder it’s often considered the ultimate pick for a one-bike garage on this side of the 500cc mark.

Performance Specs

Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 Celestial

Starting Price: $7,899

Jared Solomon / TopSpeed

If your city has good roads, and you don’t plan on leaving the tarmac on road trips, the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 is an excellent option. It’s powered by a refined engine with linear power delivery, and it feels calm at all times, whether in traffic or on the highway. Neutral handling and relaxed ergonomics only add to its unstressed character. Not to forget, it can give more expensive cruisers a run for their money with its style and character. For road trips, we’d pick the Celestial variant, which comes with a touring windscreen and a touring seat.

Performance Specs

Suzuki V-Strom 650

Starting Price: $9,299

Suzuki

The V-Strom 650 just doesn’t die, both metaphorically and literally. It shares the age-old platform and engine with the SV650, and it still manages to stay relevant today with its performance and capabilities. Even the V-twin engine is tried, tested, and abused, and can take on a beating both in the city and out on the highways with minimal maintenance. It’s still an excellent choice in 2025 if you’re willing to live with somewhat old packaging.

Suzuki offers the V-Strom 650 in three variants, with the base being more road-focused, with alloy wheels. If you plan to take on some dirt, you can upgrade to the 650XT, which adds tubeless spoke rims, hand guards, and an engine bash plate. The 650XT Adventure then adds quick-release luggage to the mixture, making it the best option among the three for long-distance adventures.

Performance Specs

Honda NC750X

Starting Price: $9,499

Honda

If one bike could embody the “Jack of all trades” saying, it would be the NC750X. It’s a sports tourer, but it’s neither too sporty nor too bagger-ish. The canted engine is mated to a DCT, producing plenty of low- to mid-range torque, complemented by comfortable ergonomics. Plus, it has a storage space where you’d expect a fuel tank to be. Such features make the NC750X equally good at touring and commuting, just as long as you don’t expect it to sweep you off your feet with its performance.

Performance Specs

BMW F 900 XR

Starting Price: $11,995

BMW

Associating a BMW motorcycle with being value for money seems strange, but that’s what the BMW F 900 XR is. Based on the F 900 R, this is arguably one of the most underrated models in the segment. It strikes a balance between its sporty, canyon-carving character, touring-oriented comfort, and city-friendly tractability. It also comes standard with plenty of tech for the price, including heated grips, adaptive headlights, and stability control.

Performance Specs

Triumph Tiger Sport 800

Starting Price: $12,645

Triumph

The Tiger Sport 800 is the new kid on the block, offering a serious step-up in performance and tech over its smaller sibling, the Tiger Sport 660. With 33 more horsepower, it has more power for the highway, along with upgraded suspension and rider aids, including cruise control and bidirectional quickshifter. Being an inline-triple, you can still expect excellent urban tractability from the bike, too. So, if you loved the 660 but wanted something more exciting for the highway and two-up touring, the Tiger Sport 800 is the right choice.

Performance Specs

Kawasaki Versys 650

Starting Price: $10,099

Kawasaki

It’s not uncommon for the Versys 650 to come up in conversations about commuters, ADVs, and sport tourers. It’s this identity crisis that makes it such an amazing do-it-all motorcycle. You can happily chug along at city speed during the weekdays and stretch its legs on the weekends. Since it shares its engine and frame with the sporty Ninja 650, it can even handle an occasional mountain roundabout, and the long-travel suspension can take on a bit of rough roads, too. Essentially, it’s a bulletproof motorcycle that can be whatever you want it to be.

Performance Specs

Ducati Multistrada V2

Starting Price: $16,595

Ducati

In Ducati’s extensive lineup, the Multistrada V2 offers the best mix of urban agility, long-distance comfort, and sporty performance. Despite being the most affordable Multistrada on sale, it isn’t exactly poverty-spec. It gets a powerful V-twin engine, Marzocchi/ZF Sachs suspension, and a complete electronics suite. It just wraps all of that up in a package that’s easy to live with during the weekdays, unlike the more powerful Multi V4 models that can be a bit of a handful. You can also spring for the V2 S if you want its electronic suspension, but that’s not needed for most motorcyclists.

Performance Specs

Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST

Starting Price: $24,199

Harley-Davidson

In Harley’s lineup, no other cruiser offers sporty performance and long-distance comfort wrapped up in West Coast custom design quite like the Low Rider ST. Its Milwaukee-Eight 117 High Output engine produces ample torque in the low-revs for relaxed highway and city cruising. It pairs that with a fairing, scooped seat, and saddlebags, giving it decent long-distance credibility. Though it may be the most expensive option on the list, it’s the ultimate choice if you want a big-twin cruiser experience that can handle everything from city commutes and canyon runs to long-distance tours.

Performance Specs