10 Affordable Adventure Bikes That Ride Smooth On-Road And Off-Road

Dirt bikes are the purest form of off-road motorcycle. They are geared to go as fast as possible, don’t care about tank range, and would put any celebrity to shame, the way they shed weight. Enduro bikes are a little better, with wide ratio gearboxes and larger fuel tanks that allow you to traverse longer distances in a little more comfort. Slap on lights, indicators, a number plate holder and a speedometer onto an enduro, and you get a dual sport bike. Finally, if you gentrify a dual sport, give it a much more refined engine and better road manners while giving up only some of its ability to deal with off-road situations, you get the basis of an adventure bike.

Affordable adventure bikes tend to follow either this recipe of taming a dual sport, or taking a street bike chassis and modifying it to be able to cope with the loose stuff. As a result, there is a surprising amount of choice if you want one equally good at both kinds of terrain. We’ve compiled a list of ten affordable adventure bikes that ride smooth on-road and off-road, if you require an affordable bike that can do it all.

10

Royal Enfield Himalayan 450

Price: $5,999

Royal Enfield

The Himalayan 450 is a big change from the Himalayan 411 it replaces. Gone is the agrarian feel of the older bike, replaced by a modern, sophisticated machine that can cruise on tarmac, attack a corner (within its limits), and go just as far off-road. There is now a by-wire throttle, switchable ABS, a TFT color display, Bluetooth connectivity, and navigation as well. Royal Enfield’s first liquid-cooled engine is at the heart of the new Himalayan 450, and it gets a six-speed gearbox with an assist and slipper clutch.

9

Honda CRF300L Rally

Price: $6,499

Honda

The CRF300L Rally is a small, light adventure bike that goes in the opposite direction to the Himalayan. It prefers to stay light and be better off the road, while staying just about competent on the road. A recent update has given it a few features, but it still sticks to an LCD for instrumentation, and ABS can be switched off at the rear. Still, the 27 horsepower from the 286 cc single is enough to have a good time, especially if you intend to explore off the beaten path.

8

CFMoto Ibex 450

Price: $6,499

CFMoto

CFMoto products are always great value for the money, and the Ibex 450 is no exception. It offers a 270-degree parallel twin engine at a price that undercuts some single-cylinder products with lower displacement! Additionally, you get fully adjustable suspension from KYB at both ends, an adjustable windscreen, a curved 5-inch TFT color display, switchable rear ABS, Bluetooth connectivity, and navigation. The parallel twin engine means that refinement is much better than the thumpers at the price, making highway work much more comfortable.

7

KTM 390 Adventure R

Price: $6,999

KTM – photographer: Tschann E.

The KTM 390 Adventure R, like the Himalayan 450, is an all-new design that doesn’t retain much from the motorcycle it replaces. This has been designed from the ground up as an adventure bike this time around, and it acquits itself well. The WP long travel suspension is fully adjustable at both ends, the spoke rims hold tubeless tires, and the six-axis IMU allows for cornering traction control and ABS. Cruise control and ride modes are also present, and the rear ABS can be switched off.

6

Kawasaki KLR650 Adventure ABS

Price: $8,099

Kawasaki

The KLR650 Adventure is as old school as the KTM is technologically advanced. It has a massive 650 cc thumper that gives it mountains of torque and light weight, and the wide-ratio five-speed gearbox lets it do highway miles without too much discomfort. There is liquid cooling and fuel injection now, and the instrumentation consists of an LCD. Oh, ABS is now present but isn’t switchable – a pity given how well it can go off-road. The Adventure ABS version adds accessories from the factory, including hard luggage, aux lights, frame sliders, a 12V charging socket, and a tank pad.

5

Moto Morini X-Cape 700

Price: $8,299

Moto Morini

Moto Morini is like CFMoto – its calling card is value for money. And the X-Cape 700 does that really well. It was recently updated from approximately 650 cc to just under 700 cc, which explains the ‘700’ in the name. You get 70 horsepower and just over 50 pound-feet of torque to power it, and a long list of features to accompany that performance. The list includes spoke rims with tubeless tires, Brembo brakes, a Bosch ABS system with switchable rear ABS, an adjustable windscreen, adjustable hand levers, and a 7-inch TFT color screen.

4

Honda XL750 Transalp

Price: $9,999

Honda

The Transalp is a sleeper adventure bike – even Honda doesn’t really tout its off-road abilities, preferring to market it as more of an ADV touring bike. However, with a 21-inch front wheel, ABS that can be disabled at the rear, and a torquey yet powerful engine (270-degree crank, and the most powerful adventure bike under $10,000), the Transalp has the ability to surprise you off-road. On tarmac, its easygoing nature and standard two-way quickshifter will ensure you have fun. A 5-inch TFT has Bluetooth and navigation – so everything you’ll need for a trip on or off tarmac.

3

CFMoto Ibex 800 E

Price: $10,299

CFMoto

The Ibex 800 E is pretty much the same as its sibling, with a smaller engine. It offers a lot, and at an eyebrow-raising price. This is one of only two bikes on this list with a 19-inch front rim, the Moto Morini being the other one, but it doesn’t stop it from being quite capable in the dirt. Backing up this claim and making life better on the Ibex 800 E are 94 horsepower, a standard two-way quickshifter, fully adjustable KYB suspension, J.Juan brakes, a big 8-inch TFT display with Apple CarPlay, radar-based blind spot monitoring, and a steering damper.

2

Yamaha Ténéré 700

Price: $10,999

Yamaha

The Ténéré 700 is probably the one reasonably priced adventure bike that you’d want if you wanted an adventure bike to take off-road. It doesn’t have a great power figure, at 72 horsepower, but Yamaha has focused on torque delivery and reducing weight. As a result, this is the middleweight adventure bike that is the most capable off-road. For 2025, Yamaha has added a couple of much-needed features like a by-wire throttle, ride modes, an optional two-way quickshifter, and a taller windscreen. This has made it even more capable than before in all situations.

1

Aprilia Tuareg

Price: $12,499

Aprilia

The Tuareg is one of the most expensive middleweight adventure bikes – and we aren’t even talking about the hardcore Tuareg Rally. We suppose its Italian heritage makes it command a little premium over the Japanese fare, but there is some justification for it as well. This engine is capable of more than 100 horsepower, but generates only 80 for the Tuareg, so it is bound to be reliable. The electronics package is really good, as expected from the manufacturer that offers the APRC package on its sports bikes. You also get KYB fully adjustable suspension, Brembo brakes, and aluminum wheels.