#DualSport

Triumph has released a second video teasing its new Scrambler 1200, once again reminding us it will debut on Oct. 24. Thankfully, this video is a bit longer and shows more detail than the initial teaser video.

Triumph announced it will introduce a new Scrambler 1200 model on Oct. 24. We’ve previously published spy photos of the Scrambler 1200 undergoing testing, revealing long-travel suspension, twin front disc rotors and a 21-inch front wheel.

For this four-part series, we take a look at five easy bolt-on parts that will transform your ADV bike from a Starbucks-destined road queen, to a Dakar-ready desert blasting rally winner. Or something like that. This series is designed to show how much of a difference a few well-thought-out adventure bike upgrades can make to the off-road prowess of your big ADV bike.

I just spent last weekend riding Ol’ Faithful, my 2008 Honda CRF450R, up in Mammoth, California, on trails very similar to those I rode in Nevada City on the Alta Redshift EXR. Riding up in the Sierra Nevadas is an absolute must for any off-road or dual-sport rider, but it got me thinking… We were riding at a base altitude of about 7,880 feet before climbing up even higher into some of the area’s mountains and lookouts. As a result, Ol’ Faithful was starving for air and running out of steam on her top end.

Suzuki has released its 2019 line-up for motocross, dual-sport, off-road, and youth models. The most news-worthy new models are the in the RM-Z and DR-Z families with the RM-Z250 motocrosser and all-new DR-Z50 youth model. Suzuki has said it focuses on the fundamental performance elements of run, turn, and stop when it comes to the RM-Z line and have been hyperfocused on advancing the 250’s turn capabilities while bringing over technology from the revamped 2018 RM-Z450 to create what Suzuki calls the Winning Balance. The all-new DR-Z50 adds a new youth motorcycle to the market that’s easy and convenient for youngsters to sink their teeth into.

This just in from the We Knew It Was Coming But Couldn’t Prove It Department: The KTM 390 Adventure is being developed for the 2019 model year. Now, let’s see what the spy shots have to tell us.

Recently, we published our Lightweight ADV Shootout which involved the CSC RXR, Kawasaki Versys-X 300, and Honda CRF250L Rally. I rode the Honda home and had it in my garage until it needed to be returned to Honda’s headquarters. This gave me a bit more time with the rally-inspired 250 and I found myself reaching for the keys more often than not.

This list could be much longer than only 10 reasons to start riding dual-sport, but we will stop it there. First off, let me be clear about what I mean when I say dual-sport: I am talking dirtbikes with turn signals. I am not talking about big, 1200cc adventure-touring motorcycles or scramblers with TKC80s and skidplates. I am referring to anything from the Kawasaki KLX250S end of the spectrum all the way to a KTM 500 EXC.

For 34 years, District 37 Dual-Sport has hosted the LA to Barstow to Vegas ride, providing participants with a 400 mile-plus dual-sport ride through some of the most scenic countryside in the Southwest. Perhaps this is why the event in known around the world and not just in this corner of the United States.

In the 1960s and early ’70s, small dual-sport bikes were a common and affordable way for new riders to enter into the world of motorcycling. Today sees a resurgence in the tiddler dual-purpose bikes, with Honda recently offering up its updated CRF250L ($5,149, plus $330 destination charge) and the mechanically similar CRF250L Rally, an adventure-styled quarter-liter mount. Yamaha continues to sell its higher-spec WR250R, which offers greater performance but at an inflated price ($6,699).

After a three-year absence, the Kawasaki KLX250 dual-sport returns for 2018, now equipped with fuel injection. Arriving in showrooms in early October, the 2018 Kawasaki KLX250 is priced at $5,349 for the lime green color, with a special Camo edition priced at $5,549.

From the song “Little Honda” by the Beach Boys:

A year ago at EICMA, Honda debuted its intriguing City Adventure concept, combining an adventure-bike design with a scooter platform. Today, Honda officially presented the final production version in the 2017 X-ADV. At the moment, the X-ADV has only been announced for Europe and it’s not likely to be brought over to the U.S.

Hot on the heels of its popular new Africa Twin model introduced last year comes a lighter-weight adventure-focused motorcycle from Honda, the CRF250L Rally. The Rally is based on the updated-for-2017 CRF250L and inspired by the factory CRF450 Rally machine raced in the Dakar by Team HRC.

It took a while for Suzuki to get in on the small-displacement motorcycle market in the U.S., but the company now counts four models punching in under 250cc with the retro-styled VanVan 200 scrambler joining the returning TU250X, GW250 and the previously confirmed DR200S for the 2017 model year.