While adventure and dual-sport bikes are our bread and butter as a touring outfit, there's nothing quite like a legit enduro motorcycle for off-road road work.
Lighter, faster, and more laser-focused than anything else on the market, if you're looking to have fun in the dirt, nothing else really compares.
Choosing an enduro, on the other hand, isn't so cut-and-dry. Should you buy new or used? How many hours is too many hours? Should you even consider boutique brands like Beta, Sherco, and Rieju?
Below we'll cover a few key points to consider when shopping for an enduro, as well as our favorite enduro motorcycles of the year to get you started on your search.
Choosing an enduro bike is a little different than your typical two-wheeler. Here are a few pointers from our team to get you moving in the right direction.
One of the key differentiators between enduro motorcycles and their dual sport cousins is their weight, or more specifically, a lack thereof.
Because enduro bikes are generally built with zero concessions to DOT requirements or high-mileage longevity, they're dramatically lighter than other motorcycles of comparable displacement.
A fully fueled enduro typically weighs in around 250lbs or less, a solid 50+ pound weight savings over dual-purpose machinery.
This ultralight built is what gives enduros their sharp handling and easy manuverability in the dirt. The power to weight ratio is also a major factor here, something you'll feel in the seat of your pants every time you roll on the throttle.
Power is great, but in the world of off-road racing you'll often hear people say "Suspension wins races." The idea here is that you can have all the power in the world, but if you can't control the bike at speed, it won't do you much good.
Any proper enduro should have suspension that is both long-travel (9+ inches) and fully-adjustable (preload, compression, and rebound). Anything less and you're probably looking at a mid-range dual sport rather than a proper enduro motorcycle.
Most enduros are based on motocross bikes to one degree or another.
Nothing else delivers the power-to-weight ratio required for competitive performance, but the high state of tune required for racing also translates to much more frequent maintenance than you might be used to.
For example, your typical enduro motorcycle requires a valve check and/or adjustment about twice a year on average.
Top-end rebuilds also become part of your routine maintenance in most cases, with new pistons and rings required after 40-50 hours of use.
If that sounds like too much work (or something you don't want to pay a dealer for), you might want to consider sticking with easier-going dual sport bikes like the Kawasaki KLX300 or Honda CRF300L.
While some folks use the terms "enduro" and "dual sport" interchangeably, we'd argue that enduros are in a class of their own.
Enduro motorcycles are built for off-road performance first and foremost, with practicality falling somewhere between an afterthought and non-existent.
With that being said, some enduros like the KTM EXC-F bikes are both race-worthy and street-legal, which can add value for some owners.
A license plate opens up the option of hitting forest and fire service roads legally, giving you more avenues and flexibility on where and how you ride.
Keeping all the above factors in mind, here are our seven favorite enduro motorcycles of the year, all of which are ready for just about anything and everything you can throw at them off-road.
MSRP: $12,749
We'll start this list off with the Husqvarna FE 350S because regardless of what you're looking for in an enduro motorcycle, chances are this one belongs at the top of your list (unless a two-stroke motor is your priority).
That's because the Husky is incredibly light, makes great power, and happens to be sitting on the most capable suspension in the enduro segment.
In short, it's good enough off-road for race duty, but also happens to be street-legal with no real weight penalty to speak of.
Aside from the price, there really aren't any drawbacks to the Husky, but it's worth noting it retails for about $2000 more than the Japanese competition.
It also has the typical high-performance enduro maintenance, which in this case means checking valves every 1,800 miles and a new piston every 3,500 miles or so.
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MSRP: $11,599
Next up we have the KTM 300 XC-W, which is probably the winningest two-stroke in competitive enduro history.
If maximum power and minimal weight are your priorities, the XC-W is the undisputed benchmark in the class.
If the term "fuel-injected two-stroke" isn't reason enough to get on board, the XC-W also gets high marks for its proven reliability, explosive power delivery, and world-class WP suspension, which boasts tool-free adjustment front and rear for added convenience.
Again, cost is the main drawback here, as this two-smoke scalpel will set you back just under $12,000, but it truly wants for nothing. It's even surprisingly low maintenance for a two-stroke race bike with 45-hour intervals between the standard engine services.
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MSRP: $9,999
If you follow desert racing like the Baja 1000 or Dakar rally, you'll know it essentially boils down to a contest every year between KTM and Honda.
The Honda CRF450X is Big Red's KTM-slayer of choice and the highest-performance enduro you can buy from Japan.
A retooled version of Honda's legendary 450 motocrosser, the 450X sports a lower-compression offering of the fire-breathing Unicam engine (for long-range reliability), as well as a six-speed gearbox and tweaked chassis geometry for better stability.
Perhaps the most appealing aspect of the Honda, however, is its price. With an MSRP just under $10K, the CRF-X saves a considerable chunk of change while also adding Honda's dealer support and proven reliability to the mix free of charge.
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MSRP: $10,099
If you're seeing the value of the CRF450X above but prefer your enduros street-legal, Honda's CRF450RL is what you want. Same engine, same chassis, same attitude, but Honda throws in the street legal package for $100 more.
Put plainly, there's nothing else on the market if road-legal performance from Japan is what you're after. The extra lights and emissions equipment add an extra fourteen pounds to the bill, but apart from that the 450RL is a true wolf in dual-sport clothing.
The main drawback here is that you're inheriting an enduro maintenance schedule along with the enduro performance.
In the case of the RL that means oil changes every 600 miles, and a valve check every 1800. The good news is that as long as you aren't actually racing the 450RL, Honda says the piston is good for 19,000 miles between replacements.
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MSRP: $9,099
Prefer the lightweight and rev-happy nature of a 250 for your enduro needs? Yamaha's latest WR250F gets the nod as our woods weapon of choice.
The WR weighs in at 250 pounds ready to ride, but it's not to be taken lightly. Handling is razor sharp and Yamaha still manages to crank out nearly 40 horsepower from their 250cc engine. Four selectable levels of traction control are even included as standard.
The downside to all this is that Yamaha is asking just over $9K for all that performance, which is a $400 premium over Honda's CRF250RX and awfully close to 450-class money. Maintenance is surprisingly low, however, with valve services only recommended every 3,000 miles after break in.
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MSRP: $13,099
KTM's 500 EXC-F is widely considered the heavyweight champ of enduro motorcycles, but it's heavy in name only. Compared to the Husqvarna 350 above (or KTM's own 350 EXC-F), the 500 only adds about four pounds to the equation.
That means it's shockingly light for its class at just 250 pounds dry, yet still manages to crank out seemingly bottomless torque across the rev range from its SOHC 511cc single.
Suspension components remain best in class with a closed-cartridge WP fork up front and WP Xplor shock out back, both of which offer tool-free adjustment.
Cost is our main issue with the KTM 500 EXC-F, as it's the most expensive option on our list, pricing out the even larger KTM 690 below. We'll also note that while the 500's massive torque is great for hill climbs and open desert, many riders will prefer a revvier, nimbler 350cc or 250cc offering for tighter trails.
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MSRP: $12,999
Some people say KTM's 690 Enduro R is an enduro in name only. It's typically seen as a high-performance alternative to the classic big-bore dual sports like Suzuki's DR650 or Honda's XR650L.
That's all good and well, but we're still including it here because at the end of the day, it's an extremely capable off-roader that's built for the dirt first and street second.
At around 325 pounds dry, you won't mistake the 690 for any of the "proper" enduros on this list, but you'll never mistake it for an old air-cooled thumper either.
In fact KTM's liquid-cooled 693cc engine is good for roughly double the power of its old-school alternatives, putting down around 75 ponies and 54 lb-ft of torque.
Combine that with the most impressive electronics suite in the segment (lean-sensitive traction control, ride modes, etc). and it's easy to see the 690's broader appeal.
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