Adventure
There’s some crossover happening between sports touring motorcycles and adventure bikes. Yet, while the line is a little muddy, there’s enough distinction to create its own category.
Adventure motorcycles are meant to be more of a day tourer, if you can call it that. There’s usually not a provision for saddlebags, but that’s not out of the question completely. Typically, adventure bikes are designed for a single ride, or a small seat for the occasional tagalong.
One of the most recognizable differences would be the tread on the tires. While sport touring bikes have street-only tires, adventure bikes may have a more aggressive tread that can handle dirt or gravel slightly better. Suspension travel is longer than your average street bike, and fairings give more clearance with the wheels and ground.
Adventure motorcycles are still higher-displacement engines, often 650cc to 1300cc. It’s this power that defines them as a street bike still. You’ll find the seating position is very similar to a sport touring bike.
The Suzuki V-Strom 650X, Triumph Tiger 800, Honda Africa Twin, and Ducati Hypermotard are all class-leading adventure motorcycles.
Dual Sport
There’s a bit of mischief in each of us. Everyone wants to go play in the dirt once in a while, but you’d never try that with a touring, cruiser, or sport motorcycle. An adventure bike? Maybe. A dual sport motorcycle? Definitely.
Dual sport motorcycles are intended for a combination of on-road and off-road use. Everything is street legal about these bikes: fenders, lights, signals, and a decent non-aggravating exhaust system. But there are differences that allow dual sport bikes to switch to off-road travel in a flash.
Long, soft suspension, knobby tires, and high ground clearance are the sign of a dual sport motorcycle. It looks more like a dirtbike than a road bike. You’ll see plenty of handgrip guards and skid plates.
For dual sport or dual purpose motorcycles, displacement isn’t as important anymore. You’ll find most have somewhere between 250cc and 650cc, and that’s more than enough to do what you need.
Choose from bikes like the Kawasaki KLR650, Suzuki DR-Z400, and the Honda CRF250.
Café Racer
A nifty little category is exploding in popularity once more. Café racers were once a big thing in the post-war era. They’re coming back with a vengeance.
Basically, these bikes are like old-school naked bikes. There aren’t fairings or windshields. They have small-displacement engines for efficiency, but they can be tuned for power. Café racers are light and fast. There’s a connected feeling when you ride a café racer with rudimentary suspension, and the rider sits leaned forward slightly, much like a sport bike.
Who does café racers well? The Ducati Scrambler or Café Racer, the Triumph Thruxton, and Kawasaki Z900 RS Café are all good options. Plus there are many outstanding custom builders for these types of motorcycles.
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