The Six WORST Adventure Motorcycles for Beginners

First rule….if you can’t pick it up, on your own, fully loaded, then it’s too big

I learned this the hard way. If you haven't ridden dirt bikes in your life, then you don't know how to ride one. Period. It matters very little how many miles you've ridden on pavement. And if you try to learn to ride dirt on a 500 pound bike, well, you're not going to learn or you're really making the choice to do it the hard way. Most likely, you'll tip it over a couple of times and then decide you never want to do that again and ride accordingly, which does nothing to make you a good offroad motorcyclist. Get a used light enduro, 250cc is perfect, ride it hard for a year, sell it for almost what you paid for it and then get a heavier ADV bike. Trying to shortcut the process won't work. My two cents.

No riding experience? Dual sport start. Only road experience? Mid weight ADV, at most , to start. Enduro experience? Ride any ADV bike you like. But for everyone, if you can’t lift it, it’s too big. Large ADV bikes really have no place in highly technical terrain, so don’t kid yourself, unless you are Chris Birch or Pol Tarres. This video is good advice.

I sold one of those "less reliable" V-Strom 1000s (2014) last May. It had 53,000 trouble-free miles on it. The new owner then took it to Utah, Yellowstone, Canada, Deadhorse Alaska, back to California, then to Mexico, Belize, every country in Central America (except El Salvador), Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina and Chile, all the way to Ushuaia. He traveled 33,000 miles in 6 months and reported that the bike was flawless. It now has a new owner in Chile. I agree not a good beginner bike, but far from "less reliable".

Super Tenere is my third motorcycle, but first ADV bike. It is absolutely the best motorcycle I’ll ever have. Super reliable, easy to work on, and I’ve dropped it over 30 times. I’ve got tons of miles offroad. It’s just a shame that Yamaha has discontinued it. I’m going to be at a loss when it comes to replacing my 2015 in several years.

To make things easier...the top adv bikes for beginners: anything used below 650 that you can easily pickup if you drop it

I ride a ‘16 Super Tenere, I had no intentions of riding this heavy beast off-road when I bought it. It’s not the fastest or has the most HP, but it is very reliable and capable for my needs. She is a work horse.

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I would agree with everything on the list except the T7. If you are too new to handle a T7 then you are too new for any ADV bike and should be looking at a 300 class dual sport instead.

The worst thing ever done to a motorcycle was to call it " An Adventure Bike " Because you can have an adventure on any motorecycle . I had over 10 years of "adventures on a 125 cc 6 speed DKW with leading link front suspension " Ported and polished 15 bhp . 9,500 rpm ,fun fun fun .

Glad you emphasized the top heaviness of the T7. The first time I got on my T7 when I was loading it in my trailer, I would have dropped it had the sales lady not been standing next to me and saw me falter with the bike - she put her arm up to stabilize me. That should have been my sign I had no business buying it.

Excellent advice Ben! I decided to start on a used (850 km) CRF 300L and have slowly added a few bits to make it fit me better. I’m 6’2 215 lbs so the bike in stock form was not great for standing position. Suffice to say new Pro Taper Bar, Zeta short levers, Zeta Pegs (size 12 boots) have made a big difference. I took the stock tires to 6000 km and on your recommendation will be installing Tusk D Sport Tires in the spring. I want to master off road riding before I consider a bigger adv bike even though I still lust after a T7.

Buying a 2017 BMW F800 GS Adventure as my first ADV bike was a decision I now recognize as a blunder. While this bike is renowned for its capabilities, it turns out to be a cumbersome beast off-road. With the added weight of luggage, it became so heavy that it even bent the additional crash bars I had installed. For anyone considering their first adventure motorcycle, I urge you to think carefully about the weight and off-road performance before making a choice. Choose wisely to ensure a more enjoyable riding experience! I loved it on the road, and I had a lot of fun off-road, but it was heavy, expensive, and just not a good bike for a novice, so after one season, I sold it. I picked up the game-changing 2020 KTM 500 EXC-F. Yes, it is a street-legal dirt bike and very capable of touring. Although it is not the most comfortable choice for extended durations on the tarmac, I am aware that I spend a considerable amount of time off-road, and I have a profound appreciation for this motorcycle. It is lightweight, reliable, simplifies the procurement of parts, and possesses sufficient power to traverse various types of terrain. The big plus side is that I can drop it all the time, and the inexpensive plastic covers are easily replaced. Remember, if you are not dropping it, you're not trying new stuff.

I'm not mad. I've got a Super Tenere and love it. That said, it's mainly for touring with some gravel roads. I've taken in on some fairly agressive trails, but I recognize it's not the smartest thing to do. However, I also have a KLR650 that does all my serious off-road stuff. Super Ten is not a good first ADV bike, but it is capable at a fraction of the price of a BMW.

I've ridden about 12k miles on my '12 Tiger 800XC, so now it's got 52k miles, and after yet another lovely trip in the Texas Hill Country, on and off road, I've decided to make it a 100k mile bike. It's much more difficult to work on than the bikes you do recommend for sure, but this one has done me very well personally, including a trip from Texas to California and back without a hitch. Great vid as always. :)

I started on a 1977 Honda CT 90 almost 30 years ago. I rode that thing up and down dirt roads and levee with my overnight bag in an old milk crate and bedroll. I was so excited when I upgraded to a 1998 KLR 650. Since then, I've owned Tigers and DR 650s, I've rented/ridden Tenere 7s and the old Buell adventure bike. With my riding style and weekend warrior rider skills, I love the middle-weight bikes.

I have an 800xc. Love it. Bought used and have put on 44k, never let me down. It makes 90hp. So i have to disagree with you, Dorko.

I’ve had the Tiger 800 XRX for over 6 years and about 33k miles with no issues. Great bike. However, I keep mine on the road. If I’m of pavement it’s going to be on a lighter bike. I like to practice but am not training hard on a heavy ADV bike that is far heavier and more powerful than needed to get the job done off road.

Tiger 800 ... excellent bike, good solid engine, great overall bike, I came back to biking after a 25 year affair with landrovers and this hit the spot, loads of european touring and it never missed a beat, does everything you want or need it to, and relatively easy to work on.

I bought a used 2014 Triumph Tiger 800xc as my first ADV bike, even though dumber people were trying to convince me that I needed a big GS Adventure to do BDR's. Terrible idea. That Triumph served me very well, and I kind of wish I had it still.