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Top 10 All-Time Fastest Adventure Motorcycles

Every year Adventure Bikes keep getting faster, but which are the fastest?

Published on 04.03.2014

4. BMW R1200GS (Water-Cooled) – 11.07 seconds

BMW R1200GS Liquid Cooled Fastest Adventure Bike
Source: Cycle World

Engine: 1,170cc Liquid-Cooled, Opposed-Twin
Horsepower: 116.5 hp @ 7900 rpm
Torque: 84.0 lb.-ft. @ 6260 rpm
1/4-Mile: 11.07 sec. @ 119.44 mph
0-60 mph: 2.9 sec.
Top Speed: 137 mph

BMW launched its new liquid-cooled R1200GS in 2013 and received instant praise for its high level of refinement and performance. The R1200GS already held the title for best liter-class Adventure Motorcycle, but the competitors were nipping at its heels. BMW raised the bar even higher with a new liquid-cooled engine that provided more room for horsepower development. The new GS puts down some impressive performance numbers on the street, while still maintaining its excellent long-range comfort and off-road capabilities.


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Author: Rob Dabney
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MAX (@MILJAN_)
MAX (@MILJAN_)
April 3, 2014 3:36 pm

commercial stuff

Donald Chan
Donald Chan
April 3, 2014 9:50 pm

Caponord 1200 – wrong information of house power

Mark P.
Mark P.
April 3, 2014 10:20 pm
Reply to  Donald Chan

@Don, looks like the horsepower information on the Caponord is correct. If you follow the source link to the Cycle World test article it shows the measured brake horsepower in the Dynojet graph. Here’s the link…
http://www.cycleworld.com/2014/03/25/2014-aprilia-caponord-1200-abs-travel-pack-road-test-review-photos-specifications/

You may have seen the crank hp advertised by Aprilia which is 125 hp at 8250 rpm.

trackback
Top 10 All Time Fastest ADVs - Ducati.ms - The Ultimate Ducati Forum
April 3, 2014 10:52 pm

[…] 10 All Time Fastest ADVs Not too surprised… Top 10 All-Time Fastest Adventure Motorcycles » ADV Pulse __________________ 2011 Multistrada S Touring K7 GSX-R 600 – Track […]

crustybiker
crustybiker
April 4, 2014 2:09 am

Of more interest and importance would be the reliability reports and consumer satisfaction stats. 1/4 mile dag is not the best measure for buying an adventure bike!

Roelof
Roelof
April 4, 2014 1:46 pm

Can’t see the connection between fast & adventure. Must be me.

Steve39
Steve39
April 4, 2014 2:22 pm

Adventure bikes are becoming faster because there is a market for it. While some riders might mainly stick to off-road riding, others will also appreciate the power of their ADV bike on asphalt ribbons. Either way, it’s an interesting article.

trackback
Anonymous
April 7, 2014 6:11 am

[…] […]

kurt
kurt
April 8, 2014 5:08 pm

If it doesnt have a 19 or 21 inch front wheel, its not an adventure bike. Bikes with sport bike alloy wheels and no ability to run knobby tires are sport tourers, not dual sports. We need to stop validating things like the multistrada, bmw’s new abortion, and others by lumping them in the adv category. Adding suspension travel, fairing and a skid plate to super nakeds just encourages poseur-ism.

Bob Abraham
Bob Abraham
May 2, 2014 10:20 pm
Reply to  kurt

Funny, I’ve seen a Ducati Multistrada with knobbys doing Death Valley N.P. It was at a ADVrider rally and the reports were that it did fairly well in the sand and rocky roads there.
So, I do think the Ducatis can be compared to the other huge Adv. bikes. After all we’re not comparing real off-road Adv. bikes like the 690R.

stevecro
stevecro
September 30, 2021 7:40 pm
Reply to  kurt

I guess no-one has the right to define what “adventure” means … only what it means to them. It’s a lot of wankery when the term is used to denigrate

Rob
Rob
April 11, 2014 10:04 pm

Triumph Tiger 1050 SPORT is coming later this year.

Alan Connor
Alan Connor
April 14, 2014 8:15 pm

What about the Versys 1000, I thought it was supposed to be hitting close to the 150 mph range?

Mark35
Mark35
April 14, 2014 9:05 pm
Reply to  Alan Connor

@Alan – don’t worry you are not being left out lol…..they mention it on the last page 🙂

RobG
RobG
June 23, 2014 1:37 pm

Thing is, I don’t count some of them as ADV bikes because their ability to go offroad is virtually nonexistent. The Multistrada comes to mind. But whatever. Cool list! I really want that 1190 Adventure. 🙂

Dan Searle
Dan Searle
February 4, 2019 4:02 pm
Reply to  RobG

They’re actually long distance tourers for tall guys like me; but; if you want a real adventure bike just get a single track motocross bike and pack light.

Robert Sikkema
Robert Sikkema
July 1, 2022 12:09 pm
Reply to  Dan Searle

At 6′ 5″ AV bikes are my only choice. On a Sportster I look like I’m on a Grom. My 2014 Suzuki V-Strom has been a true pleasure.

Paul
Paul
July 9, 2014 2:25 pm

I feel sorry for you guys in the states, in Australia we get pretty much all bikes from all manufacturers, ( I suppose they won’t you to buy harleys,)

trackback
Unleashing the Beast Inside the New V-Strom 1000 » ADV Pulse
July 31, 2014 9:43 am

[…] adventure tourer. For that reason, many were surprised to see the new V-Strom 1000 made our Top 10 Fastest Adventure Bikes […]

trackback
Mystery Bike Revealed - KTM 1290 Super Adventure » ADV Pulse
August 8, 2014 10:03 pm

[…] seems like overkill to add more power to the 2nd fastest Adventure Bike ever made, but if KTM is able to keep weight down and retain good off-road handling, the 1290 Super […]

trackback
Aprilia Announces New 2015 Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally » ADV Pulse
September 25, 2014 8:29 pm

[…] control, and the Aprilia Dynamic Damping (ADD) semi-active electronic suspension. With its powerful 125 horsepower V-Twin engine and new Adventure Touring features, we expect the Caponord 1200 Rally to be a strong competitor in […]

Darryl Venable
Darryl Venable
October 3, 2014 3:18 am

If the 2014 Vstrom’s chassis is that much better than the previous generation model, why is the motor still restricted? Suzuki missed the boat with this one. No one expects GSXR power out of it but come on Suzuki !!! If the bike is more road biased than off road, give it a little more power. The slightly Increased midrange is nice but a slightly higher to end would be welcomed as well.

Gert
Gert
October 3, 2014 5:28 am

When was this article published? 1825? Have you ever heard of a Honda Crosstourer?. O, I am sorry, it will only be available on your planet in the year 2525.

Rob Dabney
Rob Dabney
October 3, 2014 10:41 am
Reply to  Gert

Unfortunately, there was no reliable source of acceleration times for the Honda VFR1200X Crosstourer at the time of publishing this article. We do know that it is electronically limited to 130mph. Although, with a wet weight of 606 lbs (non-DCT version), the bike is heavier than any other bike on the list. The bike weighs 81 lbs more than the R1200GS but has similar hp numbers. With that much weight, we’d expect the Crosstourer to come in around 9th or 10th place if it makes the list at all.

William
William
June 12, 2019 1:06 pm
Reply to  Rob Dabney

Yo! dude. I own a VFR1200X and did own a DL1000…. in low end range the DL1000 was smooth and provided plenty of torque but was anemic in the upper end… The VFR1200X I own now has plenty of torque down low but is faster then hell on the upper end. I am 6′ 4″ and weigh 343 lbs. so maybe I am A-typical but I am telling you from my experience. Kick the VFR down a gear, hit the gas, and you had better be ready for a ride. If you are not ready for it you will think you saddled a cat that was escaping a bucket of water……..

trackback
Which would pull ahead, a DL1000 or a 1200RT Bimmer - Stromtrooper Forum : Suzuki V-Strom Motorcycle Forums
March 3, 2015 7:42 am

[…] Top 10 All-Time Fastest Adventure Motorcycles ADV Pulse says the GS is faster. Top 10 All-Time Fastest Adventure Motorcycles » ADV Pulse […]

andre
andre
May 7, 2015 6:13 am

Who cares about top speed!! What about all others, more important features!

trackback
North East Vstrom Rally 2015 - Camp and ride at Old Forge, NY - Page 46 - Stromtrooper Forum : Suzuki V-Strom Motorcycle Forums
May 22, 2015 9:02 pm

[…] dont know about that… Top 10 All-Time Fastest Adventure Motorcycles – ADV Pulse 11.6 for the new vstrom 1000 with another magazine getting 11.06 everything I read about the […]

DR N
DR N
July 12, 2015 2:44 pm

Ducati Multistrada 1200 is not a true adventure bike, Which make the KTM 1190 adventure better & faster by default

J. Braun
J. Braun
July 23, 2015 8:32 pm

Probably one of the dumbest comparisons I’ve ever seen. How about giving Shane Watts each of these bikes to ride on a realistic off road course and see how each one does? That’s the sort of thing I read Adv Pulse for.

William Asprey
William Asprey
September 10, 2015 7:51 pm

The “adventure” name comes from the feeling you get when you are coming in to a loose gravel corner too hot and you know it when you get spat off and then 300+kg of bike and luggage lands on you. When you have put your knee back in, change your jocks and try to lift the bike up again that the mood swings back to home. Watch Charlie Boorman DAKAR assault. Same thing happened but he had to ride for 300km at night in the desert with two broken hands.

Rex
Rex
September 21, 2015 6:16 pm

So where is Honda VFR1200X Crosstourer???

Stephan
Stephan
May 22, 2021 2:15 am
Reply to  Rex

so YOU”RE the one who bought that?

Brian
Brian
December 27, 2015 6:28 pm

I just bought a Multistrada. What a motor. What a bike!

Luther
Luther
June 10, 2017 3:42 pm
Reply to  Brian

I bought a new 2013 multistrada s T in 2015 for cheap!
It’s set up for streets and touring but you can get more engine guards, spoked wheels with knobbies, better hand guards and you will have a pretty nice ADV off road!
I’m slowly turning mine into a Mad Max extra bike. Termi exhaust, small carbon fairing for street, I got a cheap but really nice seat cover that has padded sections in a cool design. I’m going to trim it and sew/cover it with an old piece of leather. It is so comfy!!! The stock seat kills me after 40 minutes to work. I do have no ass but this cover is a dream! $20.!
I bought side engine guards. I used auto wrap to cover the side silver body covers with matte black for now.
I love being able to change modes while riding. I’ll be in sport mode, maybe going 80 mph
( rarely ) and hit serious traffic, so I press the button and switch to Urban mode that drops me from 150hp to 100hp and adjusts my breaks, suspension etc… my bike can change modes in 5 seconds while I’m moving. I do a ton of city riding and highway miles.
I’m going to paint all of the silver maybe a matte green with some markings of my Grandfather’s C-47 that dropped troops on D-Day and Operation Market Garden. He got shot down but made it back to American lines with Nazi prisoners that he caught.
I’m definitely planning on some light off road! I know that this is not a true off road bike! I’m cool with that! I knew what I was buying. When a bike has 4 modes it’s not going to be amazing in all modes. I expect some beach areas, some big trails that my MTN Biking buds might recommend, grassy, dirt trails, roads. My clients have a huge gravel driveway and I put it into Enduro mode and drove around. Pretty ridiculous and funny:)
This bike was built for me and other guys that are 6’2″ or 6’1″. My feet are flat at stops. They do sell a saddle that is an inch thinner ( OUCH! ) Enduro raises me up to be on my toes. This iS A VERY HEAVY BIKE!!! 520lbs or more with panniers and gear. I laid it down backing down out of a sloping two way spot. It was very hard to lift! The cheap handguards that are also your turn signals are built to break! The part guy at the place where I got it said that he would get rid of the cheap handguards immediately. Handguards are supposed to get hit, why put lights in them? The part guy was very honest about the bike when the salesman was somewhere else. He is an off-road guy. He said that he was getting the Tiger because it is ready for the dirt.he did like my bike and my crazy deal! I asked him what he would change on my Multistrada. He said trash the handguards, engine guards ( I got ) the bottom pan guard, cooler guards, , sliders… what year is yours and did you buy accessories?

Steve Crocker
Steve Crocker
December 27, 2016 8:05 pm

but has anyone ever bought the TRe-K? they were selling them here in Australia, brand new but 2 years on the floor, for 2/3 RRP – and still couldn’t sell them.

trackback
Differences between the Suzuki V-Strom 650 vs 1000
October 7, 2017 3:03 pm

[…] The 2014 V-strom 1000 hp is claimed at 91 horsepower, according to ADV Pulse. […]

trackback
1190 Adv actual power output? - Page 2
June 3, 2018 9:36 am

[…] important to you then you are probably looking at the wrong type of bike rather than the wrong bike.Top 10 All-Time Fastest Adventure Motorcycles – Page 10 of 12 – ADV Pulse Reply With […]

Scott Peters
Scott Peters
October 19, 2018 1:47 pm

Wtf???? Why publish this old out of date crap?? Oh the money from advertisers?? Right?
KTM 1290 SAS or R not even listed

ADV Pulse
ADV Pulse
October 19, 2018 1:52 pm
Reply to  Scott Peters

Oh people that don’t read. Scott, before you start throwing out conspiracy theories check the date this was published. You are reading an old article published years ago. Sorry, articles don’t just go puff and disappear.

Shahaf Albeg
Shahaf Albeg
November 7, 2018 9:31 am

I clocked 120plus mph on a rough trail with myR1200gs.
If don’t believe you tube – Shahaf Albeg – these bikes are extremely fast off road.
Ride per your ability and have fun .
I ride with 450’s with no problems and get to climb or jump step ups.
It’s all in the head- have fun is the most important part.
Cheers

stevecroStephan
stevecroStephan
May 22, 2021 2:18 am

no, this model wasn’t prophesied in 2014 – drip!
So unruffle your feathers – you weren’t being intentionally insulted

stevecro
stevecro
September 30, 2021 7:43 pm

just traded mine after 65,000 kms and 7 years. I must say the bike never felt lacking in power, even 2 up.

stevecro
stevecro
December 17, 2021 8:14 pm

then again, my wife and i weigh what you do. Your rides are like always having a pillion so that would affect the top end performance

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