Top 10 All-Time Fastest Adventure Motorcycles
Every year Adventure Bikes keep getting faster, but which are the fastest?
Dual Sport motorcycles originated from the need to link up trails on dirt bikes. These early bikes had just enough comfort and legality to ride on pavement for short periods of time. As Dual Sport motorcycles evolved into Adventure Bikes, they added more comfort and power for highway travel. Over the years, each new batch of Adventure Motorcycles offered more versatility and better performance.
There is so much diversity in the market now, that it’s becoming hard to define what an Adventure Bike really is. Many of the street focused Adventure Bikes are just tall, comfortable sport touring machines. These asphalt adventurers are focused on outright street performance and have just enough clearance to travel on smooth dirt roads. But there are still a handful of Adventure Motorcycles that perform astonishingly well on both street and dirt.
Some may have different opinions about what a “True” Adventure motorcycle really is, but we can all appreciate a fast motorcycle. More power is usually a good thing, especially with improvements in traction control that can help save us from our own enthusiasm.
We have compiled this list from bikes classified as “Adventure Motorcycles” by the industry. This list of Fastest Adventure Motorcycles contains both current and past models, so you’ll definitely find a few surprises. The list is ordered by quarter-mile times (slowest to fastest) counting down to the Fastest Adventure Motorcycle of All-Time.
Click the “Next Page” link below to get started.
Related Stories
Related Stories
KTM 1190 Adventure – Best All-Around Motorcycle in the World? Cycle World Magazine has tested the KTM 1190 Adventure before at press events...
2013 BMW R1200GS Wins Elite Adventure Bike Shootout The BMW R1200GS has been at the top of the Adventure Bike food...
Friendly Fire: KTM 790 Adventure R vs. KTM 990 Adventure R On the surface, this motorcycle comparison may seem a bit unusual. Yet these...
Popular Stories
Honda Trail125 Returns For 2023 With Engine Updates And A New Color
Honda’s revived Trail125 has been a big succe...
Honda’s New XL750 Transalp Is Heading To The US
The new Honda XL750 Transalp first broke cover ba...
Meet Gasoline’s KTM 1290 Super Adventure R Monster Enduro
Powerful and capable, the KTM 1290 Super Adve...
Big Updates Announced For 2024 KTM EXC-F Dual Sport Models
KTM has announced an updated EXC-F range for the ...
commercial stuff
Caponord 1200 – wrong information of house power
@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.
Pingback: Top 10 All Time Fastest ADVs - Ducati.ms - The Ultimate Ducati Forum
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!
Can’t see the connection between fast & adventure. Must be me.
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.
Pingback: Anonymous
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.
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.
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
Triumph Tiger 1050 SPORT is coming later this year.
What about the Versys 1000, I thought it was supposed to be hitting close to the 150 mph range?
@Alan – don’t worry you are not being left out lol…..they mention it on the last page 🙂
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. 🙂
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.
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.
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,)
Pingback: Unleashing the Beast Inside the New V-Strom 1000 » ADV Pulse
Pingback: Mystery Bike Revealed - KTM 1290 Super Adventure » ADV Pulse
Pingback: Aprilia Announces New 2015 Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally » ADV Pulse
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.
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.
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.
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……..
Pingback: Which would pull ahead, a DL1000 or a 1200RT Bimmer - Stromtrooper Forum : Suzuki V-Strom Motorcycle Forums
Who cares about top speed!! What about all others, more important features!
Pingback: North East Vstrom Rally 2015 - Camp and ride at Old Forge, NY - Page 46 - Stromtrooper Forum : Suzuki V-Strom Motorcycle Forums
Ducati Multistrada 1200 is not a true adventure bike, Which make the KTM 1190 adventure better & faster by default
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.
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.
So where is Honda VFR1200X Crosstourer???
so YOU”RE the one who bought that?
I just bought a Multistrada. What a motor. What a bike!
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?
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.
Pingback: Differences between the Suzuki V-Strom 650 vs 1000
Pingback: 1190 Adv actual power output? - Page 2
Wtf???? Why publish this old out of date crap?? Oh the money from advertisers?? Right?
KTM 1290 SAS or R not even listed
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.
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
no, this model wasn’t prophesied in 2014 – drip!
So unruffle your feathers – you weren’t being intentionally insulted
just traded mine after 65,000 kms and 7 years. I must say the bike never felt lacking in power, even 2 up.
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