600-900cc adventure bikes — lighter, cheaper, and often more fun than their heavyweight cousins.
Middleweight adventure is where most people should actually be looking. 600-900cc, parallel twin almost universally, long suspension, upright ergos, around 200kg dry. Tiger 900, Africa Twin, Tuareg 660, Ténéré 700, Transalp 750, Tracer 9 (sort of), V-Strom 800DE — every manufacturer has one and they're all genuinely good.
The reason these make sense: they do 90% of what a big GS does for considerably less money and weight, they're easier to ride off-road, and they're more honest motorcycles in real-world use. If you actually plan to leave pavement, the Ténéré 700 and Tuareg 660 are the proper picks. If you want a road-focused mid-ADV, look at the Tiger 900 GT or Transalp.
This is the most competitive segment in motorcycling right now. There are no bad bikes in it.
755cc parallel twin
888cc T-plane triple
895cc parallel twin
776cc parallel twin (NEW)
649cc parallel twin (still)
689cc CP2 parallel twin
889cc LC8c parallel twin
659cc parallel twin
745cc parallel twin (refined)
Sherpa 450 · 21in front · adj seat 805-845mm
All-new aluminium monocoque
V2 engine + new monocoque
Steel frame, 21in front, 220mm ground clearance
All-new 2025 frame, longer travel, IMU electronics
Launched UK 2024 — 449cc parallel twin (270° crank)
799cc parallel twin (KTM 790 platform under licence)
CFMOTO-developed 693cc parallel twin (NOT KTM-derived)
889cc parallel twin (KTM 890 Adventure platform)
853cc air/oil-cooled transverse V-twin, VVT for Euro 5+
471cc parallel-twin · cheapest A2-mid-adventure
651cc single-cylinder big-thumper adventure — killed 2024
286cc single rally-styled — A2-friendly
