29 Best New & Updated Adventure Motorcycles For 2021! (BMW, Harley, Ducati, KTM & More)

adventure bikes seem to be as popular as ever in 2021 with an absolute shed load of new and updated bikes announced over the past few months so here are the cream of the crop by manufacturer in alphabetical order and i'll preview a few that are still to be announced at the end but before we get started if you're new here and you want to see all of the latest motorcycle news right here on youtube then please do remember to hit subscribe 2021 marks 40 years of bmw's gs line of bikes and their whole lineup has had a refresh as well as a special anniversary paint job that's available across the entire range the most affordable is the g310gs which puts out 34 horsepower from its cc single-cylinder engine updates for 2021 include a revised throttle a slip assist clutch an led headlight and indicators adjustable clutch and brake levers a titanium grey finish on the engine casings and a couple of new paint jobs if you're looking for something a little more substantial then there's the f750 gs which uses the same twin cylinder engine as the next bike up the f 850 gs but in a lower state of tune it's still good for 77 horsepower though and 83 newton meters of peak torque so it's a huge jump up from the g310 improvements for the new model year include led indicators a usb charging point and lean sensitive abs and traction control all the standard there's also now an optional upgrade for a dynamic riding mode that opens up engine braking control and dynamic brake control this is certainly a bike to consider if you're a smaller rider looking for a capable adventure bike as the seat height is already pretty low at 815 millimeters and with a lowering kit it can go right down to 760 which is basically a cruiser now the slightly bigger sibling to the 750 is the f 850 gs with power up to 95 horsepower and a peak torque of 92 newton meters seat high also shoots up to 860 millimeters in standard form owing to more suspension travel and ground clearance to give it more capability off-road it gets the same updates as the 750 gs with the led indicators usb charging and lean sensitive rider rates but there's also a 6.5 inch tft dash as standard which includes phone connectivity this means that music calls and navigation can all be accessed through the dash and there's a new adjustable windscreen too up another notch is the 850 gs adventure which is even taller still and has a much bigger tank capacity of 23 liters as opposed to 15. that gives it a massive potential range of 340 miles which makes it the obvious choice for long distance touring all of this year's updates are the same as the base 850 and i think it looks particularly good in this kalamata color scheme with the rally package but the big daddy of the bmw adventure range and arguably the entire adventure bike market is the 1250 gs and this bike has also had a few neat improvements it retains the same fundamentals with the 1250cc boxer twin putting out 136 horsepower peak courtesy of their shift camp variable valvetech but it does get a new eco riding mode which sips on fuel and encourages the rider to be economical with the throttle via a new readout on the tft dash lean sensitive abs and traction control also now come as standard and there's a whole raft of new optional extras including pro riding modes hill start control pro an adaptive headlight with a welcome animation integrated rear indicators and brake lights heated seats an sos button and many many more it's still basically the benchmark for all adventure bikes and these new features should help to keep it as the second best-selling motorcycle in the uk the best seller of course is the 1250 gs adventure this is the more rugged version of the 1250 with more suspension travel a taller seat height spoke wheels as standard a bigger tank for more range and some extra off-road friendly kit like hand guards and wider foot pegs all of the updates from the standard 1250 are applied to this model as well and this is the one that looks seriously good in the 40th anniversary black and yellow color scheme now it's questionable as to whether the r90 urban gs really counts as an adventure bike but if you want something a little more old school than bmw's modern gs's then this could be it there's not much in the way of tech and it's clearly less capable in terms of long distance touring and light off-roading but it has to be said that it's a handsome thing to look at and for me it more so captures the spirit of the r100 gs that the 40th anniversary paint job is based upon all of the r9t range got an update this year with lean sensitive riders standard road and rain riding modes a revised suspension strut for better comfort led lighting and a revised dash now that's all the bmws out of the way and on to ducati who have certainly made a splash with their new multistrada v4 previously the multistrada was only available as a v-twin but the four-cylinder engine from their panigales and street fighter has been adapted for adventure by use garner their signature desmodromic valves in favor of more traditional spring actuated valves and the result is a massive improvement in service intervals which makes total sense for a bike that will hopefully be putting in plenty of miles it hasn't sacrificed that much power though it's still capable of 170 horsepower peak which makes it the most powerful bike on the adventure market by some stretch and there's loads of impressive new tech too front and rear-facing radars have opened up adaptive cruise control meaning that the multistrada v4 can follow undulating motorway traffic at a set distance and there's also blind spot detection which flashes in the mirror when a vehicle is coming round you to get these features you'll have to opt for the s version which costs 18 395 pounds then spec it up with the travel and radar package for another 2 grand so it isn't cheap but still what a bike the v4 replaces the v-twin 1260 multistrada but the smaller 950 remains in the range midway through last year they gave it a subtle 2021 refresh with a new paint option for the s model called gp white with the blocks of grey black and white and pops of red on the frame and wheels i think this one looks particularly good much like bmw's urban gs the ducati scrambler desert sled offers a more retro take on the adventure format with more simplistic tech and an old-school look mechanically it's the same as before but it also gets a new red white and blue paint job for 2021 now this is not a name that you'd typically expect to find on a list like this but harley davidson have entered the arena and it looks like they've made a proper go of it the pan america has been a few years in the making but this month the full specs and details were finally unveiled and it looks pretty impressive their new liquid revolution max v twin is capable of a whopping 150 horsepower the weight looks reasonable braking is well spec'd and there's some innovative tech like the adaptive ride height feature which lowers the bike as it comes to a standstill to make it easier to get your feet down they've even priced it well with 14 grand looking pretty competitive and 15 and a half for the premium special model seeming pretty fair as well it just depends what you think of the looks which as i've said before seemed to divide opinion on to another company that certainly isn't new to the adventure market and that's honda the africa twin 1100 is one of my favorites whether it's in the more stripped back off-road base spec or the tricked-out touring biased adventure sports with its bigger bodywork and fuel tank there's the option of their automatic dct gearbox on either version which is a genuine unique selling point offering seamless shifting on your behalf which gives it a nice luxurious feel 2021 didn't bring any major updates but the tri-color paint job on the adventure sports is so popular that they also made a similar scheme available for the more affordable bass bike and it has to be said as far as adventure bites go this one is a looker the nc 750x is a more road biased bike and makes for a super popular commuter as it's reliable well built and affordable that said you could also conceivably do a bit of touring and even some light trails if you were feeling brave 2021 saw a decent update with four more horsepower at 58 peak shorter gears in first second and third for snappier acceleration whilst taller gears are used in fourth fifth and sixth returning better fuel economy whilst cruising there's now a slip assist clutch on the non-dct version for a lighter lever action a ride-by-wire throttle opens up customizable riding modes and a new lcd dash and led lighting round off the improvements in tech the chassis has also been lightened with six kilograms shed seat height is down by 30 mil to a very accessible 800 and there are tweaks and improvements to the bodywork too all of these changes have been applied to the xadv750 which is essentially the same bike but with a scooter-style step-over and floorboard setup offering some extra practicality for commuting and the like at the more hardcore off-road end of the spectrum there's the dual sport inspired crf300l and its slightly more distance capable rally version capacity was increased for the new model year from 250cc to 286 increasing power by 3 horses to 27 peak and torque is also up by 4 newton meters with again 27 peak like the nc it gets shorter gears apart from the top which is lengthened for fuel economy whilst the slip assist clutch has also been introduced there's four kilograms less weight extra travel in the suspension and a narrowed waist to aid maneuverability all combining for a much improved ride the main differences on the rally are a windscreen and a much bigger fuel capacity of 12.8 liters as opposed to 7.8 which gives it a much improved range of around 250 miles so this is definitely the one you want if you're after a more capable all-rounder although it does cost an extra thousand pounds now kawasaki's versus 1000 has proven pretty popular over the years providing plenty of power and comfort at a relatively affordable price but previously it was only available in two versions the standard versus 1000 and the premium se spec which came with semi-active electronic suspension a dash heated grips adaptive headlights and more but there was a big gulf in price from 11 grand for the standard bike up to almost 15 for the se and so now kawasaki have plugged that hole for 2021 with a new s model at thirteen thousand pounds so you get the same 1043cc inline four engine with 118 horsepower radially mounted monoblock brakes derived from the z1000 lean sensitive rider rates cruise control and more but with all of the extras from the se model except the electronic suspension so if you want the comfort of heated grips and the better tft dash but you aren't that bothered about the latest suspension tech then the s is a good way to save a couple of grand the smaller sibling of the versus 1000 is the 650 with a parallel twin that makes around 65 horsepower again it's another popular all-rounder capable of commuting and touring and all at a super affordable price point no big updates to speak of this year but there are three new colour schemes of green white or grey 2021 does however mark the return of kawasaki's iconic budget adventurer the klr-650 it was discontinued a couple of years back owing to stricter emissions regulations but has now been updated to meet modern standards the engine has been improved with fuel injection and new cam profiles abs is available for the first time there's a new lcd dash to replace the old analog clocks and the frame and ergonomics have been revised for better stability and comfort it also gets new bodywork to bring it in line with kawasaki's other current bikes although all of these changes can with a weight penalty of 10 kilograms which takes the total wet weight up to 206 now just this week ktm announced an updated version of their 1290 super adventure r and there are plenty of improvements to an already capable bike the chassis has been reworked with the steering head moved back for sharper turning whilst the swing arm has been lengthened to compensate for the shorter frame it now also gets the three cell fuel tank design that holds its weight lower either side of the bike and there are incremental improvements to the dash rider rates suspension tyres cooling system keyless ignition and more the 1290 super adventure is also available in a more road biased touring s version which is based upon the same platform and horsepower v-twin but it comes with cast wheels and lower suspension resulting in a lower seat height like the multistrada v4 this bike also comes with a radar-enabled adaptive cruise control system but in this case it's a standard feature on a 15 gram bike so if you're doing a lot of motorway work but don't have 20 grand to spend then this one is certainly worth a look ktm also updated their middleweight 790 adventure bikes with the 890 version of their parallel twin that had already been rolled out to their naked bikes the extra 90 cc's of capacity translate to 10 more horsepower with a new peak of 105 and they've also added mass to the internals of the engine to give it more momentum increasing the feeling of torque in the lower revs the clutch gearbox suspension chassis and ryder aids have all seen some minor improvements and there's still a premium rally model available at 18 699 pounds which adds carbon body work upgraded suspension and a crop of each exhaust a straight racing seat slimmer rims rally footpegs and a dedicated rally riding mode all fitted as standard i've always been a big fan of motorgutsy's v85 tt as it certainly brings a different flavor to the adventure market it's got some semi retro 80s dakar looks and the 80 horsepower transverse v twin has a character all of its own for 2021 they've revised the engines valve timing and lift for a bit more mid-range shove whilst new rims take tubeless tires which should make for easier repairs on the road the existing riding modes of street rain and off-road are now joined by sport and custom but my favorite update has to be the new centenario colour scheme which is available across that entire lineup to mark a hundred years of moto gutsy for me it looks best on this bike though with the brush tank green bodywork and brown saddle all adding a touch of class royal enfield's himalayan has remained largely unchanged for the new model year with the same 24 horsepower single cylinder engine in a steel cradle frame with basic but effective suspension and brakes but why mess with a winning formula it sells well and that's because they keep it simple resulting in a super tempting price that said 2021 brings the introduction of their trip and navigation device which pairs with your phone their switchable abs at the rear for better off-roading more cushioning in the seat to help with comfort and the rear rack is now flush with the saddle to make mounting the bike easier whilst the rack plate comes as standard that can be used to tie down luggage there are plenty of new colour schemes as well and no doubt that's enough to keep this bike selling the tiger 900 is still pretty fresh so there's no need to update it this year but triumph have shuffled the range around a bit dropping the base tiger 900 and introducing a tiger 850 sport instead in the same way that the bmw f750 gs is an electronically detuned version of their 850 gs the tiger 850 sport takes the same engine as the 900 but reduces output to 84 horsepower peak as opposed to 94. but with the price 200 quid lower than that discontinued base tiger 900 and the introduction of a daytime running light as standard and some tasty new color schemes i reckon it looks like a good deal if you're looking for an affordable triumph adventurer yamaha updated their super popular sports naked the mt09 this year and as such most of the improvements get carried over to their adventurery tourer based upon the same platform the tracer 9. power and torque are slightly up with horsepower peak at 10 000 rpm whilst a 9 increase in fuel economy has resulted in better range gearing is a little taller whilst the shift fork and clutch have both had tweaks to improve the smoothness of shifting weight has been shed from the chassis and wheels while strength has been added for an increase in load capacity but it's the electronics that have had the most noticeable jump in advancements a new ride-by-wire throttle and six-axis imu bring lean sensitive rider rates that yamaha save trickled down from their r1m superbike there's also cruise control as standard led lighting all round and a split tft screen which is unlike any other dash in this list as with the previous generation there's a gt version available which had semi-active suspension hard luggage a quick shifter heated grips cornering headlights and a dedicated r1m inspired finish they also announced the gt version of the tracer 9 smaller sibling the twin cylinder tracer 7 which again gets luggage as well as a taller screen and a more comfortable seat and that rounds off all of the updates that we know about so far for 2021 there could still be more on the way though an updated triumph tiger 1200 is expected as the current version isn't euro 5 compliant spy shots so far have shown something that's visually more in line with the tiger 900 which in my book is certainly a good thing as it's a cracking looking bike i was also hoping to see husqvarna's norden 901 on the market this year which is a beautiful redesign of ktm's 890 adventure but unfortunately it looks like it's been pushed back to 2022 and lastly aprilia have unveiled their rs660 middleweight sports bike and the semi-naked version in the tuono 660 both of which have been well received so far so the adventure version called the touareg 660 that they've already teased ought to be pretty good as well and from the spy shots i've seen it doesn't look to be far off as always i'd love to hear your thoughts on the latest and greatest in the adventure market and money new object which one would you have in your garage personally i can't wait to see a group test of the 1250 gs multistrada v4 ktm 1290 and the harley pan america they all look like great options for rugged long distance touring and quite honestly i'd be happy with either of them but let me know your pick down in the comments below and if you're new here and you want to see more videos like this hit subscribe and i'll catch you next [Music] time [Music] do bye

Channel: MOTOBOB

Views: 161,283

Rating: 4.8991418 out of 5

Keywords: best adventure bikes 2021, best adv bikes 2021, best adventure motorcycles, best adventure motorcycles 2021, best new adventure bikes, best new adventure motorcycles, 2021 adventure bikes, 2021 adv bikes, 2021 adventure motorcycles, 2021 adv motorcycles, best touring motorcycles, best touring motorcycles 2021, best new touring motorcycles 2021, motobob, moto bob, new adventure motorcycles

Id: XYuvIy09vRQ

Length: 19min 11sec (1151 seconds)

Published: Fri Feb 26 2021