On-Off Road Motorcycles
On-off road, or dual sport motorcycles include the BMW R1200GS Adventure, Kawasaki KLR650, KTM 990 Adventure R, Yamaha Super Ténéré, and Triumph Tiger 800XC.
There are a variety of bikes in this category, often termed Dual-Sport or Dual-Purpose. They look similar in many ways to dirt or MX motorcycles but are built for use on streets and highways in addition to off-road. As public land becomes scarcer and riding areas are less accessible, the street-licensed dual-sport opens up more opportunity for riding locations. As with any machine that is built for disparate purposes, Dual-Sports are always a compromise between light-weight dirt performance and comfortable street abilities. There are also two sub-categories: Adventure-Tourers, which are large dual-sports that can be taken on long trips for riders who don't want to stop riding when the pavement ends; and there are also Supermoto bikes that are hybrids built from a dirt bike platform for racing or riding on pavement. These hooligan machines make excellent city-goers and can dismantle a tight and twisty canyon quicker than pretty much anything out there.
There are a variety of bikes in this category, often termed Dual-Sport or Dual-Purpose. They look similar in many ways to dirt or MX motorcycles but are built for use on streets and highways in addition to off-road. As public land becomes scarcer and riding areas are less accessible, the street-licensed dual-sport opens up more opportunity for riding locations. As with any machine that is built for disparate purposes, Dual-Sports are always a compromise between light-weight dirt performance and comfortable street abilities. There are also two sub-categories: Adventure-Tourers, which are large dual-sports that can be taken on long trips for riders who don't want to stop riding when the pavement ends; and there are also Supermoto bikes that are hybrids built from a dirt bike platform for racing or riding on pavement. These hooligan machines make excellent city-goers and can dismantle a tight and twisty canyon quicker than pretty much anything out there.
View all ReviewsOn-Off Road Motorcycles Reviews
2013 Aprilia Caponord 1200 Review
Aprilia’s contribution to the do-it-all touring segment is finally here. The new Caponord 1200 revives an old name and is endowed with a slew of electronic gadgets and riding aids.
2013 BMW R1200GS Review - Video
The 2013 R1200GS is a multi-faceted success. Its ground-up redesign means everything has changed. That means there’s a lot of places to potentially go wrong, yet each change to the new GS is a definite upgrade.
The 10 Hottest Bikes of 2013
This year looks like a particularly exciting time to be a motorcyclist, if for no other reason than the variety of bikes available across every category, including electric! Here then is our list of the top 10 bikes we’re eager to ride in 2013.
2012 Triumph Scrambler Review
In purely objective terms, the Triumph Scrambler is a mediocre motorcycle. As we racked up seat time, however, the retro ride began to charm us in ways no other bike could.
2013 Husqvarna TR650 Review
Husqvarna’s TR650 is a new platform built around a hot-rodded BMW G650 motor. It’s available in Terra (dual-sport) and Strada (street-biased dual-sport) versions. Impressively, the Terra’s MSRP is just $6999, while Strada costs $500 extra.- 2013 Zero Motorcycles Lineup More power, 130-mile range, one-hour charge time among key features
- 2013 Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Touring Review The versatile Ducati gets loads of upgrades, including a revised engine and a semi-active suspension
- 2013 Honda CRF250L Review All-new CRF250L makes Honda a serious contender in the small-displacement dual-sport category
- 2013 Triumph Tiger Explorer XC Unveiled Now equipped for off-road adventures
- Best Motorcycles of 2012 Spectacular bikes despite fewer new models
- 2012 KTM 990 SM-T Review Blurring the lines between sportbike and tourer
- 2013 Kawasaki Early-Release Models ABS now optional on Ninja 650, electronic steering damper added to ZX-10R, plus new graphics/colors
- 2012 Husqvarna TE250 Review Lots of dirtbike for the pavement
- 2012 Suzuki DR-Z400S Review A dual-purpose motorcycle without equal
- 2012 Kawasaki Versys Review Preparing for battle with the V-Strom and G650GS
- 2013 BMW R1250GS Preview Spy photos reveal the first liquid-cooled Boxer engine!
- Top 10 Hottest Bikes of 2012 These 10 motorcycles are sure to make waves in 2012
- 2012 BMW G650GS Sertao Review More off-road-worthy features mean more adventure for BMW's humble G650GS
- 2011 BMW G650GS Review [Video] A value-priced BMW with a utilitarian heart
- 2012 KTM Street Model Lineup Preview RC8 R Race Spec among the highlights
- Triumph Unveils Three New Models for 2012 A 1200cc Adventure-Tourer among the highlights
- 2012 Husqvarna Lineup Review Husky's got the dirt world covered, from motocross to dual-sports
- Motorcycle.com Best of 2011 Awards Some of the best motorcycles ever built
- 2011 Triumph Tiger 800 & 800XC Review [Video] 800cc of Grrrrrrrrr!
- 2011 Altius Scimitar Review Going on a Diesel Diet
- Top 10 Hottest Bikes of 2011 The 10 most Interesting new motorcycles you need to know about
- 2011 Yamaha WR250R Review Essentially a street-legal dirtbike
- 2012 Yamaha Super Tenere Review Japan builds a BMW GS competitor
- 2011 Kawasaki KLR650 Review Simple is good!
- 2012 Yamaha Super Tenere Preview Yamaha's GS killer coming to the U.S. in Spring 2011
- 2010 BMW F800GS Review A street bike for dirt bikers
- Motorcycle.com Best of 2010 Awards We select the cream of the crop, including our pick for Motorcycle of the Year
- 2010 Kawasaki Middleweight and Dual-Purpose Roundup Five reasons why Kawasaki is leading the U.S. market
- 2010 BMW R1200GS and GS Adventure Review A globetrotting motorcycle for all seasons
- 2010 Zero S and DS Review The e-bike continues to evolve
On-Off Road Motorcycle Videos
2013 BMW R1200GS Review - Video
The 2013 R1200GS is a multi-faceted success. Its ground-up redesign means everything has changed. That means there’s a lot of places to potentially go wrong, yet each change to the new GS is a definite upgrade.-
2008 Aprilia SXV 5.5 Review
If you're considering an SXV, you won't be much concerned with practicality. Nor should you. This is one of the most grin-inducing scoots available at any price, giving it a stratospheric score in the desirability index.
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2009 BMW G650GS Review
The 650GS returns after a two-year hiatus. Though it's BMW's second least-expensive model, it offers great value and a very affordable way to get aboard a GS model.
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![2011 Triumph Tiger 800 & 800XC Review [Video]](/images/content/1tiger-main0614_rdax_166x83.jpg)
2011 Triumph Tiger 800 & 800XC Review [Video]
The introduction of the 2011 Tiger 800 and Tiger 800XC tripled Triumph’s adventure-touring line-up. The three-cylinder Tiger 800s intensify the off-road prowess of the old Tiger’s capabilities and deliver a warning shot across the bow of BMW’s F800GS.
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![2011 BMW G650GS Review [Video]](/images/content/1g650-main1118_rdax_166x83.jpg)
2011 BMW G650GS Review [Video]
BMW’s R1200GS is an icon in the adventure-touring category, but for many it’s big and unwieldy, not to mention expensive. For those shorter of stature and lighter of wallet, BMW offers the G650GS for less than half the price of its big GS brother.
View all ComparisonsOn-Off Road Motorcycles Comparisons
2013 Honda CRF250L vs. 2013 Kawasaki KLX250S - Video
With the introduction of Honda's all-new CRF250L in October, the 250cc dual-sport class grew into a collection of motorcycles that truly offers something for everyone looking at this segment and displacement range of motorcycling.
2012 Adventure-Touring Shootout - Video
BMW’s R1200GS has long been the cock of the walk when it comes to big-bore Adventure-Touring bikes, but it’s now got competition from Yamaha, Triumph, KTM and Moto Guzzi. Have any of these newer models surpassed the mighty GS as the class benchmark?
2012 Dual-Sport Shootout - Video
Despite few changes in the DS segment in the past few model years, we decided to sample some current DS offerings to see if there is a do-it-all bike that doesn’t suck the fun out of one type of riding or the other.
2012 650 Adventure-Tourer Shootout - Video
If you’re on the hunt for an all-in-one, Swiss Army Knife-type of motorcycle, consider the BMW G650GS, Kawasaki Versys and Suzuki V-Strom 650 ABS.![2011 Adventure-Touring Shootout: Triumph Tiger 800XC vs. BMW F800GS [Video]](/images/content/1adventure-main0804_rdax_166x83.jpg)
2011 Adventure-Touring Shootout: Triumph Tiger 800XC vs. BMW F800GS [Video]
The BMW F800GS is great adventure-touring bike, and the Triumph Tiger 800XC is as good, if not better depending on your riding preferences. In the end, though, one bike managed to outshine the other, but was it the original or the new kid on the block?
Dual-Sport Shootout: Electric vs. Gasoline!
We hear pretty regularly that electric motorcycles are the wave of the future. What about the present? To find out, we decided to pit the 2010 Zero DS Electric Dual Sport against the 2011 Yamaha WR250R in an electric vs. gasoline shootout.
2010 Ducati Multistrada 1200 vs. BMW R1200GS
BMW’s go-anywhere GS has a 30-year history of leading the now-popular adventure-touring segment. But Ducati’s all-new Multistrada 1200 says “Game on!” to the venerable R1200GS. We pit ‘em together to see if the Duc has what it takes to overrule the GS.
2009 Honda CRF230M vs. 2009 QLINK XF200
Depending on your wants and needs, we think you’ll find that comparing trade-offs is a good approach to lining-up the QLINK XF200 and the Honda CRF230M as China takes on Japan in this battle of lightweight, affordable and fun supermoto machines.
Quarter-Liter Supermoto Shootout
Teaser text: There are few things on two wheels as fun as riding a low-powered performance bike to its limits. These bikes appeal to younger riders or less-experienced riders who want a new bike at a relatively low price.
2008 Lightweight Dual-Purpose Shootout
With barely enough collective cubic centimeters to match the weakest of cruisers, the lightweight dual-sport shootout still provided miles of fun for less than $5000. These quarter-liter D-Ps rank high on the bang-for-your-buck scale.Find A New On-Off Road Motorcycle
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On-Off Road Motorcycles Forums
- Aprilia Forum This site is an up-and-coming resource for Aprilia riders and enthusiasts where their can voice their advice and opinions on Aprilia bikes.
- Buell Motorcycle Forum This is an up-and-coming resource for Buell owners and enthusiasts where they can gather and discuss the latest in Buell news, events, tech information, & more.
- KTM Motorcycle Forum This site is dedicated to KTM owners and enthusiasts where they can trade stories on the latest KTM news, tips, tech and performance, & more.
- Kawasaki Forum Kawiforums.com is the leading forum for Kawasaki enthusiasts and owners where they can voice their opinions on all things Kawasaki.
