ADV / Dual Sport Motorcycle Reviews, Tests, and Comparisons https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/reviews/adventure-dual-sport-motorcycle-reviews/ Motorcycle Reviews, News on Motorcycles, Specs, Test & Race Results Wed, 03 Jul 2024 19:47:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/cropped-UltimateMoto_Circle-512x512-1-32x32.png ADV / Dual Sport Motorcycle Reviews, Tests, and Comparisons https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/reviews/adventure-dual-sport-motorcycle-reviews/ 32 32 2024 BMW F 900 GS Review [15 Fast Facts, Dirt and Street] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/06/21/2024-bmw-f-900-gs-review-15-fast-facts-dirt-and-street/ Sat, 22 Jun 2024 05:27:27 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=282880 It’s a big year for BMW’s middleweight GS lineup. The 895cc engine we’ve enjoyed in the BMW F 900 R and F 900 XR finally makes it to the GS lineup. Plus, the new F 800 GS is positioned as the midsize GS for those who are more street-focused, with the 2024 BMW F 900 […]

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]]> Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition Southwest Ride [Desert Tested] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/05/30/husqvarna-norden-901-expedition-southwest-ride-desert-tested/ Fri, 31 May 2024 06:44:59 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=277969 “Why is there another Husqvarna motorcycle in our garage?” my wife asks. She usually has a lot of patience with my motorcycle obsession, so her query was more out of curiosity than anything else—at least, I think/hope. It’s a good question, though. After spending months with a Husqvarna 701 Enduro Project Bike, trying to create […]

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]]> 2024 Triumph Scrambler 400 X Review [13 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/05/27/2024-triumph-scrambler-400-x-review-13-fast-facts/ Tue, 28 May 2024 05:11:06 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=277888 For those who appreciate the scrambler aesthetic and are looking for an attractively priced and sized model, the 2024 Triumph Scrambler 400 X may be just the ticket. As a smaller sibling to the Scrambler 900 and 1200, the Scrambler 400 X is lighter and more manageable, as well as being everyday practical and affordable […]

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]]> 2024 Moto Guzzi V85 Lineup Review: Strada, TT, and TT Travel https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/05/10/2024-moto-guzzi-v85-lineup-review-strada-tt-and-tt-travel/ Fri, 10 May 2024 18:18:39 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=277380 How do you weigh authenticity? In these conversations, words like tradition often emerge from the mist as the preeminent yardstick. And if that’s how we’ll measure Moto Guzzi, then the historic Italian firm certainly meets that standard, pointing to its over-a-century-old Mandello de Lario-based factory, where every Goose has flapped the roost. Of course, the […]

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]]> 2024 Triumph Tiger 1200 Explorers Take On Scotland [Review] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/04/30/2024-triumph-tiger-1200-explorers-take-on-scotland-review/ Wed, 01 May 2024 02:42:42 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=277126 It’s raining. It’s been raining all day. In the wet and cold, I am desperately trying to push a large, 550-pound adventure motorcycle to its limits on rain-soaked, narrow country roads. All that is going through my mind is: “Left is right, right is wrong. Left is right, right is wrong.” Despite repeating this mantra […]

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]]> 2024 MV Agusta Enduro Veloce Review [18 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/04/15/2024-mv-agusta-enduro-veloce-review-18-fast-facts/ Tue, 16 Apr 2024 06:14:30 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=276799 Brand management is not for the faint-hearted. Porsche risked its reputation as a premium sports car brand when it brought the Cayenne SUV to the market in 2002. While the faithful considered it the End Times, 22 years later, the two best-selling Porsches are the Macan and Cayenne SUVs. MV Agusta faced the same style […]

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]]> 2024 Triumph Scrambler 1200 X Review [10 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/04/09/2024-triumph-scrambler-1200-x-review-10-fast-facts/ Tue, 09 Apr 2024 18:46:30 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=276447 Success is exciting to navigate, and Triumph wasn’t messing around when it released the Scrambler 1200 range in 2019. The trail-bashing lineup included the cut-throat off-road XE, bolstered by a marginally less dirt-focused XC. Sure, one bike had more suspension travel than the other, but they were similar in specification, price, and outright performance. That […]

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]]> 2024 Moto Guzzi Stelvio Review [17 ADV Touring Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/03/10/2024-moto-guzzi-stelvio-review-17-adv-touring-fast-facts/ Sun, 10 Mar 2024 09:56:44 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=275634 If any motorcycles embody the adage, “Variety is the spice of life,” it’s those that wave the adventure-touring banner. These all-arounder globetrotters will invariably pound pavement from dusk ’til dawn, venture beyond asphalt’s end, or dip treads in water crossings. And one of Italy’s fabled manufacturers is again answering the mountain’s call with the 2024 […]

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]]> 2024 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE Review [A Dozen Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/03/01/2024-triumph-scrambler-1200-xe-review-a-dozen-fast-facts/ Fri, 01 Mar 2024 21:03:41 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=275446 The Triumph marquee appears in more than a few pivotal moments in two-wheeled history, not least of which is the birth of the scrambler. As dutiful custodians of these chronicles, the Hinkley staffers threw down a dusty gauntlet with the Scrambler 1200 range. The result was a rare pairing of authentic style and actual off-road […]

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]]> 2024 Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro Review [11 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/02/08/2024-triumph-tiger-900-gt-pro-review-11-fast-facts/ Thu, 08 Feb 2024 08:07:20 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=274867 The Adventure market is as diverse as the animal kingdom, creating happy hunting grounds for Triumph’s middleweight ADV Tiger 900 platform. When launched four years ago, these British kitties quickly earned apex predator status, but of course, the folks at the Hinckley factory can’t leave well enough alone. The now three-bike ambush of Tiger 900s […]

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]]> 2024 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro Review [11 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/01/19/2024-triumph-tiger-900-rally-pro-review-11-fast-facts/ Sat, 20 Jan 2024 06:30:43 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=274217 The middleweight adventure segment has captured the industry’s collective gaze as every manufacturer takes the plunge with offerings spanning the full ADV spectrum. Four short years after its introduction, the 2024 Triumph Tiger 900 range continues with many updates aimed at not merely keeping up with the Joneses, but also making the middleweight class green […]

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]]> 2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan Review https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/29/2024-royal-enfield-himalayan-review/ Fri, 29 Dec 2023 17:20:58 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=273537 Jagged, snowcapped peaks dominate the horizon. As you crane your neck to soak them in, it’s clear that you’re somewhere different, somewhere far away from home. The air is crisp in Manali, India, where days start in the shadow of the Himalayan mountains that bring so many to this region. Perhaps it was the delirium […]

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]]> Triumph Scrambler 900 Adventure Ride: The Last Chocolate Malt https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/27/triumph-scrambler-900-adventure-ride-the-last-chocolate-malt/ Thu, 28 Dec 2023 01:40:31 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=273475 A longtime friend who follows my various test rides via Relive videos I send her asked me an unexpected question: “Do you plan these rides out in advance?” In most cases, I plan my ride in my head before I leave the driveway. I know what bike I’m on and how I want to test […]

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]]> 2006 Buell Ulysses XB12X Review: Adventure Touring Motorcycle https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/23/2006-buell-ulysses-xb12x-review-adventure-touring-motorcycle/ Sat, 23 Dec 2023 08:29:06 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=273390 We best remember Ulysses—the wily commander and long-suffering traveler of Homer’s Odyssey—for his famous military gambit at the battle of Troy, in which his soldiers gained entry to that fabled city by concealing themselves within a giant wooden horse presented as a gift. An unexpected surprise comes from the belly of a beast. Erik Buell […]

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]]> 2023 Beta 350 RR-S Review [High-Performance Dual-Sport] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/20/2023-beta-350-rr-s-review-high-performance-dual-sport/ Wed, 20 Dec 2023 09:43:44 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=273245 At five-foot-six and 115 pounds, the world of dual-sport bikes is tricky for me. On the one hand, I like the lower seat height of motorcycles such as the Honda CRF300L/LS and the Kawasaki KLX300, but they both weigh over 300 pounds, the suspension is basic, and the power modest, though reliable. Frustratingly, there’s a […]

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]]> 2024 Yamaha Ténéré 700 Review [14 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/19/2024-yamaha-tenere-700-review-14-fast-facts/ Tue, 19 Dec 2023 23:11:12 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=273206 When the 2020 Yamaha Ténéré 700 debuted in Europe in the summer of 2019, people had already been waiting nearly three years since the T7 concept bike was revealed at EICMA in 2016. The bike was an immediate hit with buyers and journalists thanks to its light weight, manageable motor, and dirt-ready chassis. Associate Editor […]

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]]> 2024 Suzuki GSX-S1000GX+ Review [A Dozen Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/14/2024-suzuki-gsx-s1000gx-review-a-dozen-fast-facts/ Thu, 14 Dec 2023 18:38:05 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=272686 The 2024 Suzuki GSX-S1000GX+ is the latest sport-touring feather to join the burgeoning GSX-S family cap. As the youngest sibling of the troupe, the GX+ seizes upon today’s trends within the sport-touring market, which often embraces ADV influences, while melding them to established 17-inch-wheel platforms such as the Japanese manufacturer’s own GSX-S1000GT/GT+ that the GX+ […]

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]]> Husqvarna 701 Enduro Project Bike: Touring and Trail Review https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/05/husqvarna-701-enduro-project-bike-touring-and-trail-review/ Wed, 06 Dec 2023 01:09:22 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=272444 Ah, the mythical, perfect unicorn! We humans seem to be in constant search of it, whether it is the perfect relationship, perfect job, or perfect motorcycle; we know it is out there, and we are determined to find it. I am not immune to this, despite having access to a plethora of cool bikes as […]

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]]> 2024 BMW R 1300 GS Review [19 Fast Facts From Spain] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/11/30/2024-bmw-r-1300-gs-review-19-fast-facts-from-spain/ Thu, 30 Nov 2023 21:14:06 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=272248 BMW Motorrad celebrated its centennial anniversary with the launch of its completely re-engineered flagship adventure bike—the 2024 BMW R 1300 GS. Reincarnated from the wheels up with a 1300cc powerplant, the new form factor is both lighter and more powerful than its 1254cc predecessor and packaged in a sportier aesthetic that ushers in a new […]

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]]> 2024 Honda Transalp Test On BDR-X PA Wilds Route https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/11/06/2024-honda-transalp-test-on-bdr-x-pa-wilds-route/ Mon, 06 Nov 2023 20:54:28 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=271241 Going on a manufacturer’s launch of a new adventure motorcycle is always something of a, well, adventure. We always have to ascertain just how dirtworthy an adventure motorcycle is. The manufacturer is welcome to its ideas, but we draw our own conclusions based on the ride. Then there’s the route the manufacturer selects for the […]

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]]> 2023 Kawasaki KLR650 S ABS Review [15 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/10/22/2023-kawasaki-klr650-s-abs-review-15-fast-facts/ Mon, 23 Oct 2023 05:57:04 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=270882 When it was introduced in 1987, the Kawasaki KLR650 was an adventure bike before the category had been named. While it was considered a dual-sport motorcycle, it had a fairing and weighed quite a bit. Buyers were dual-sport fans attracted to the liquid-cooled DOHC motor and exploration-friendly six-gallon fuel tank. In 2008, the second-generation KLR650 […]

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]]> Kawasaki KLX300 Long-Term Test [Beyond the Beaten Path] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/09/01/kawasaki-klx300-long-term-test-beyond-the-beaten-path/ Sat, 02 Sep 2023 03:07:15 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=269388 Building a best-selling motorcycle must be difficult. The manufacturers try year after year, tweaking each niche market with new clever designs and features. The beauty of a dual sport motorcycle is it can be used on the street and in the dirt, though it has challenges of its own. Do you design the bike to […]

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]]> 2023 Honda SCL500 Review [A Dozen Scrambler Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/08/26/2023-honda-scl500-review-a-dozen-scrambler-fast-facts/ Sat, 26 Aug 2023 09:02:30 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=269238 Motorcycle riding has this magical ability to transport me from my day-to-day whirlwind full of the pressures of modern life to a time that almost stands still. No matter what has been going on in my day, as soon as the faceshield clicks down or the goggle strap settles on my helmet, everything else fades […]

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]]> 2023 Honda CRF300LS Review (A Dozen Dual-Sport Fast Facts) https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/07/31/2023-honda-crf300ls-review-a-dozen-dual-sport-fast-facts/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 01:39:23 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=268592 In a welcoming move to further entice new riders into the market, Honda has lowered the seat height of its already hugely approachable CRF300L dual sport motorcycle, bringing us the 2023 Honda CRF300LS. It is difficult to oversell how much fun this small displacement bike is, and for newer riders who are still building their […]

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]]> 2023 Honda XR150L Review [11 Fast Facts: Street and Dirt] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/07/06/2023-honda-xr150l-review-11-fast-facts-street-and-dirt/ Fri, 07 Jul 2023 06:04:38 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=267670 Honda’s vision to bring lots of new, inexpensive motorcycles onto the market started with the ever-expanding miniMOTO line—the Grom, Monkey, Navi, Super Cub, and Trail125. With the 2023 Honda XR150L, this initiative includes a true dual-sport motorcycle with a price tag under $3000. I was assigned to do this test because I’m an off-road neophyte—the […]

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