Looking to dip a toe into the world of ADV riding? The best adventure bikes for beginners will get you started down the path less traveled.
So you've decided to get yourself an adventure bike. Congratulations: You're about to purchase one of the most versatile and enjoyable forms of transportation on the planet.
The best beginner adventure bikes do it all: Twisty sections of pavement in the morning, dirt roads all afternoon, and then comfortable cruising on the super slab the whole way home.
The adventure motorcycle market has exploded over the last decade or so, which means you've got more options than ever to choose from when it comes to beginner bikes.
That's both a blessing and a curse, as not all bikes carrying the "adventure" name are truly built to do the down and dirty.
To that end, we've put together a quick guide on what to look for in a beginner adventure bike, as well as a handful of our favorite picks of the year you can go out and buy right now.
So how do you separate the real adventure machines from the marketing hype? There's more to it than high fenders and hand guards, so here are the specific attributes we look for when evaluating a beginner bike's adventure-friendliness.
At its core, adventure riding is made of two simple components: Long-distance touring and off-road riding.
Because the best adventure bikes for beginners are smaller bikes with smaller displacement engines, long stretches of relatively fast-moving highways can be a challenge.
When evaluating an adventure bike's highway manners, we ask three simple questions:
Small displacement engines are great around town, but they tend to run out of steam at higher speeds.
The best adventure bikes for beginners walk a fine line between low-speed grunt and top-end speed, and our favorites hold a good 70mph or so cruising speed without feeling overworked or vibrating the fillings out of your teeth.
In terms of ergonomics, what you're looking for here is a rider triangle (seat, bars, and footpegs) that comfortably fits your frame.
You shouldn't feel overstretched or "wadded up" when sitting in the saddle, and the saddle itself should be comfortable enough to spend a few hours at a time in without giving you rampant monkey butt.
Lastly, look for wind protection. Wind protection is one of the major differences between an adventure bike and a more dirt-focused dual-sport, and makes a huge difference over the course of a long day in terms of neck and shoulder fatigue.
We look for some degree of fairing and/or windshield to check this box, and ideally both should be substantial enough to minimize buffeting at highway speeds.
Highway manners are important, but it's the offroad capability that separates ADV bikes from traditional touring models. To that end, we look for a few basic dirt-focused features in any beginner adventure bike worth considering.
The first is suspension, as ADV bikes need extra travel and ground clearance to get you up and over obstacles. The general rule of thumb here is "the more the merrier," but at minimum we like to see at least 6 inches of squish and 7 inches of ground clearance.
Again, much more is preferable, but because most beginner ADV riders benefit from a lower seat height, a lower bike isn't always a bad thing.
The second most important thing we look for in the best adventure bikes for beginners is wheel size, especially up front.
Taller wheels roll up and over bumps and obstacles more easily than smaller hoops, so while we prefer our fronts to be at least 19" tall, a traditional 21" off-road wheel is even better.
Lastly, let's talk wheels and tires. Most beginner adventure bikes come with cast wheels and extremely street-biased tires, which is kind of a bummer but by no means a deal breaker.
Tires are a particularly cheap, easy, and effective upgrade for any aspiring ADV rider, but wheels can cost a pretty penny.
It's also worth noting that the last thing many new riders want to do after dropping some serious cash on a new bike is run out and spend another couple hundred bucks on tires.
For this reason, we recommend looking for bikes with fairly off-road capable tires (something between an 80/20 tire and a DOT-legal knobby) and whenever possible, spoked wheels.
This combination will give you extra confidence when riding off-road, both from a traction standpoint and a repairability standpoint, as cast wheels are much more prone to damage from rocks and debris.
One of the first things new ADV riders do is drop their bikes in the dirt. It's just part of the learning experience when riding in offroad terrain, but it's also something you should factor into your decision when choosing a bike.
This is why you pretty much always see well-traveled adventure rigs sporting skid plates, hand guards, aftermarket handlebars, and engine guards.
Ideally, the best adventure bikes for beginners will have some degree of crash protection, otherwise you'll likely be shelling out for bent and broken parts sooner than later.
At minimum, we look for some sort of skid plate to protect the engine and frame of an ADV bike from bouncing rocks and debris.
Factory skid plates typically aren't the most robust (you won't want to take them sliding over logs, for instance), but having something in place to protect the underside of the bike is a big plus in our book.
You won't find many bikes in the beginner adventure segment that check all the boxes above, but those criteria are a smart place to start nonetheless.
Following those guidelines, here are our seven favorite picks of the year for beginner-friendly and adventure-ready machines.
Pound for pound, Honda's updated CRF300L Rally is quite possibly the most capable and well-rounded out-of-the-box beginner adventure bike money can buy.
"Source: Honda"
Comfortable on the highway, capable in the dirt, low-maintenance, and incredibly easy to ride, this one truly does it all straight off the showroom floor.
The Rally's formula is simple: take one of the best-selling dual sport motorcycles on the planet, the CRF300L, and add a larger fairing, taller windshield, and larger gas tank to the mix. It's basically a dirtbike that's also great for long distance travel.
We've logged thousands of miles on the Rally over the years, and our only major complaint has been that the suspension in on the softer side. Honda addressed the issue this year with improved damping, so the 2025 model is the best one yet.
With an insanely light clutch and great low-down torque, the CRF300 Rally is one of the most beginner friendly ADVs on the planet. Shorter riders may prefer something with a lower seat, but aside from that, there's no much to complain about here.
2025 Honda CRF 300L Rally
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We've spent quite a bit of time on KTM's 390 Adventure, and while it was a great bike overall, it was always more of a street bike in adventure clothing than a proper all-terrain travel machine. The new 390 Adventure R couldn't be more different.
With premium long-travel WP suspension, a 21-inch spoked front wheel, and a thrilling little 399cc engine, the new 390 Adventure is easily the most capable off-road adventure bike in the segment. It even comes with a legit skid plate and hand guards.
This isn't just some massaged dirt-bike though, and KTM has clearly put equal effort into the 390 Adventure R's road-oriented features. A tall windshield, comfortable ergonomics, and enough power for an 80mph send all the right signals here.
What's even more impressive is that KTM has equipped the 390 Adventure R with a full electronics suite, which includes lean sensitive traction control, ABS, and multiple rider modes, including an off-road specific setting.
The biggest drawback here is going to be price, as the new 390 R's $7,000 MSRP is a bit steeper than other bikes on our list. It's also an all-new model, so we can't speak to it's long term reliability or potential maintenance issues.
2025 KTM 390 Adventure R
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For many aspiring adventure riders, the BMW GS is the first name in the segment. The beginner-friendly 310 GS carries on a 40-year tradition of dual-purpose exploring, but does it at a fraction of the weight and cost of the flagship 1250GS models.
The little GS is a great bike for beginners as it's incredibly lightweight, has an even lower seat than the KTM above, and has one of the smoothest and most forgiving single-cylinder engines of the bunch.
It also packs a commendable amount of premium features including selectable ABS, a slipper clutch, and a tail-mounted luggage rack, making it surprisingly adventure-ready straight off the showroom floor.
2025 BMW G 310 GS
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Kawasaki's line of Versys motorcycles have a well-deserved reputation for their Swiss army knife versatility, making the pint-sized Versys-X 300 an easy pick as one of the best adventure bikes for beginners out there.
We dig the little Versys because it borrows its twin-cylinder powerplant straight from Kawasaki's Ninja 300 sportbike, which bodes well for street use.
In fact, the Versys is one of the only bikes in the category that truly delivers a comfortable 80mph cruise, especially when tucked into the above average wind protection provided by the tall windscreen and sizeable fairing.
Suspension travel is on the shorter side at around 5 inches, but with its 19" front wheel and dual-purpose tires, it's a great bike for mixing the occasional gravel detour into your long-distance aspirations.
2025 Kawasaki Versys X 300
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The Royal Enfield Himalayan has always been a popular adventure bike for beginners, especially those on a particularly tight budget. That's still the case for the all new Himalayan 450, but otherwise it's a completely different machine altogether.
Gone is the air-cooled agricultural lump of a motor, and in its place is Royal Enfield's first ever liquid cooled mill. The new motor makes vastly improved power in every gear (it can actually pull highway speeds now) but is still extremely user friendly.
Suspension is another highlight here, and we've successfully thrashed the new Himi 450 on everything from gravel roads to technical single track with great results. It isn't adjustable, but it's well damped and extremely capable, especially for the price.
Basic traction control, on and off-road riding modes, and a full-color TFT dash are also part of the package now, which is particularly attractive considering the Himalayan 450's $5,799 asking price.
We don't really have any complaints about this bike whatsoever, especially considering the asking price. It's a bit heavier than some bikes on this list at 432 pounds wet, but taken all together it's an incredibly capable and easy to ride motorcycle.
2025 Royal Enfield Himalayan 450
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Honda recently updated one of our most beloved little ADVs, the CB500X, and the new bike is now called the NX500 here in the USA. Pound for pound it's still the same great beginner-friendly adventure bike, but it's improved in a few key areas too.
First and most obvious is the styling update, which gives the NX500 a more aggressive and adventure-esque look. The full LED lighting is a nice touch, as is the full-color TFT dash that comes as standard equipment.
Honda also revised the NX500's suspension for improved damping and better all-around performance. On the street we found the new bike feels even more planted in the corners, while off-road a firmer ride boosts confidence and capability in equal measure.
Switchable traction control is now standard equipment as well, although ABS can't be switched off. That means the NX500 is a bit less capable off-road than some on this list, but it's also the most well-rounded as both a commuter, ADV, and touring machine.
2025 Honda NX500
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While many riders are sold on the "adventure" look of pint-sized ADV bikes, we've often found that if long miles and all-terrain exploits are what you're after, it's hard to beat a dedicated dual sport for bang-for-your-buck adventure duty.
These simple single-cylinder machines are inexpensive, easy to maintain, and much more dirt-friendly than even the best adventure bikes for beginners (with the new KTM 390 Adventure R being a possible exception).
You'll likely need to invest a few extra bucks in touring comforts like aftermarket seats, windscreens, and added fuel capacity, but a good dual sport will take you through much gnarlier terrain with much more confidence than any adventure bike on the market.
If you're leaning more toward a dirt bias, consider checking out Suzuki's DRZ400 and DR650 models, Kawasaki's KLR650 and KLX300, Honda's XR650L and CRF300L, or even Yamaha's XT250.
Many of these machines have been around for years now, which means there's a healthy used market out there for each to save you money on dealer prices and fees.
This also leaves cash in your pocket to tailor your bike to your needs: Add some soft luggage, some off-road protection, a GPS, or any of the hundreds of aftermarket farkles out there that ADV riders love and hit the road.
Whether you're completely new to motorcycles or just looking to add some variety to your street riding routine, adventure riding is one of the best ways to learn the ins-and-outs of a wide variety of two-wheeled disciplines.
Those first few steps into the world of off-pavement riding can be notoriously shaky though, which is why we highly recommend new ADV riders start their journey with a dedicated adventure riding class.
There's really no better way to build your confidence on the bike than to get out and ride it with a professional instructor, which is why we've added on-location adventure training courses to our offerings this year at RIDE Adventures.
We all love buying farkles for our bikes, but if you're new to the sport, investing in your skills is a much better way to build confidence out in the real world.
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