While many people might think that an adventure bike such as a BMW R 1250 GS or a KTM 1290 Super Adventure could be classed as dual purpose or dual sport, given their ability to ride on any terrain. In actual fact a Dual Sport motorcycle is a completely different concept altogether.

Well, maybe not that different, but a Dual Sport motorcycle is a lot smaller, lighter, more accessible, and crucially, cheaper but still just as practical as an adventure bike. In essence, a Dual Sport bike is a street-legal dirt bike, fitted with lights, indicators, a horn, better comfort and more restrictive mufflers. It’s a dirt bike you can ride to the open trail, rather than trailering it, have some fun, ride home and then ride to work on Monday. Once looking as if the class was dying out, it’s now more popular than ever, a fact reflected in the choices available. Here’s our top ten.

With information pulled directly from manufacturers, industry experts and other reliable sources, we've put together a list of the best dual sport motorcycles currently available on the market.

Updated August 2023: The dual-sport market continues to grow, with manufacturers making their offerings more accessible and enjoyable for all riders. With newer and better models coming out every year, we're always looking for the best ones to present to our readers!

Related: Best Enduro Bikes Under $15,000

15 Kawasaki KLR650

Starting MSRP: $6,899

It’s older than the hills but the Kawasaki KLR650 is the motorcycle that just won’t die and there’s very good reason for that: it’s simple, bulletproof, extremely capable in an old-school way, and it still sells, even in the face of ever-more sophisticated (and huge) adventure bikes

Performance Specs

The KLR is on the heavy side for a dual sport, especially when compared to the more dirt-bike orientated models on this list, but that could be in the KLR’s favor, as it makes a convincing long-distance tourer with good comfort and carrying capacity.

It’s rugged and tough with very little to go wrong (Electronics? What electronics?) and you’ll fall in love with that large displacement single-cylinder grunt which will steamroll you through any amount of mud or sand.

PROS

• Proven and reliable
• Simple to maintain and to fix

CONS

• Heavier than competition
• Light on features

14 Honda CRF300L

Starting MSRP: $5,349

The CRF300L has to be on this list as it is one of the best-selling dual sport bikes on the market. While it lacks the punch of the dedicated CRF250RX enduro model, it has almost 20% more power than the outgoing CRF250L. This might mean a mere four horsepower extra, but it's enough to eradicate the criticism of being underpowered.

Performance Specs

It’s still no road burner but, when coupled with the light weight and long-travel suspension (too soft, but it can be upgraded with aftermarket parts), it makes a convincing argument for itself for fun off-roading. In line with all the bikes on this list, the riding position is high and upright, making it great for town riding, and with it being a Honda, you just know it’s not going to break down.

PROS

• More powerful than the outgoing model
• Lightweight

CONS

• Not as capable as CRF250RX enduro
• Soft suspension

13 Suzuki DR-Z400S

Starting MSRP: $7,099

Another old-timer and not available in every country any more due to emissions restrictions, which is a shame, because much like the Kawasaki KLR650, the DR-Z is straight from the old school and all the better for it. Suzuki engineering is utterly reliable, especially on models that have been around for 20 years or more. 39 horsepower and 21 foot pounds of torque are lazy outputs for the single cylinder but unstressed equates to long-lived.

Performance Specs

Brakes haven’t kept up with the times and feel like it, although there’s nothing wrong with them, and it’s the same with the suspension which is very off-road orientated, meaning it’s soft, but there’s enough travel to absorb the worst of the bumps. Loading the bike with passenger or luggage uses up rear suspension travel but the DR-Z has been around long enough for there to be after market solutions.

PROS

• Proven and reliable
• Simple to maintain and to fix

CONS

• Soft suspension is off-road biased
• Light on features

Related: 10 Reasons Why Suzuki Motorcycles Are So Cheap

12 KTM 450 EXC-F Six Days

Starting MSRP: $14,100

A really thinly-disguised dirt bike, with the bare minimum to make it road legal, the KTM 450 EXC-F Six Days is strictly for the experts who are serious about their competition but need a bit of practicality built into their mount. If you can stomach the near $14,000 price tag, then this is all the dual sport you’ll ever need.

Performance Specs

Huge power and torque and a thoroughly sorted chassis and top-shelf WP suspension leave nothing to be desired. But beware: oil and air filter servicing intervals are ridiculously short and comfort is conspicuous by its absence. This isn’t a weekend plaything, unless you’ve got more money than sense, but why buy something that has infinitely more talent than you have when you could spend a lot less and have just as much fun?

PROS

• Powerful in the hands of an expert
• Top of the line suspension

CONS

• Short service intervals
• Uncomfortable for longer stretches of riding
• Street legal, but just barely so

11 Yamaha TW200

Starting MSRP: $4,899

From the sublime to the ridiculous. Actually, that’s unfair as the Yamaha TW200 is certainly not ridiculous: what it is, is a huge chunk of fun on two wheels, with a cheeky nature and go-anywhere capability. The low seat height makes it accessible to absolutely everyone and the 16 horsepower isn’t going to frighten anyone away, so it’s brilliant for beginners, while still being enough to put a grin on an experienced rider’s face.

Performance Specs

Those chunky tires will get you through anything the trail can throw at you, although ground clearance isn’t the greatest on this list. Yamaha build quality, cheap purchase price and good resale, although we’d like to bet you won’t want to part with it.

PROS

• Perfect as a beginner bike
• Lightweight, with low seat

CONS

• Underpowered
• Cramped for taller riders

10 Kawasaki KLX300

Starting MSRP: $5,899

Somehow, just a little more convincing than the Honda CRF300L, the Kawasaki KLX300 is much less of a compromise: it’s a proper dirt-focussed enduro bike that has had all the rights bits bolted onto it to make it road legal. Any skill level of rider will get what they need out of the KLX. The power delivery is linear and the gear ratios low enough to make steep climbs and technical sections pass without a care, the suspension perfectly dialed in.

Performance Specs

Road behavior is good but the low gearing mitigates against using the KLX for anything other than bombing around town in a flurry of gear changes. A top speed of 85mph is excellent, but you really won’t want to spend any time up there as the engine will be buzzing at the top of its rev range, even if the comfort is acceptable for longer journeys. The build and engineering quality is good, and it looks the part.

PROS

• Linear power delivery
• User-friendly for any level rider

CONS

• Uncomfortable for longer rides
• Dirt focus means lack of street features

9 Beta 390 RR-S

Starting MSRP: $11,599

It is easy to mistake the Beta 390 RR-S for the Honda CRF300L, but the reality is far different. First of all, you could buy two CRF300Ls for the price of the Beta. Secondly, the Beta sits in the same category as the KTM 450 EXC-F Six Days in that it is a dedicated enduro bike that has been legalized by the addition of lights.

Performance Specs

Comfort is a secondary consideration but what it lacks in that and long-distance practicality, it more than makes up for in ability, which is pro-level. Beta is one of the off-road motorcycle manufacturers that has escaped the clutches of the KTM group, which already owns Husqvarna and GasGas, so the Beta has its own distinct flavor, and it’s likely that you won’t see too many others on your local trail.

PROS

• Best for pros needing a street legal high performance machine
• Unique in the world of KTM group dirt bikes

CONS

• Expensive
• Uncomfortable for longer, street-based rides

Related: Japanese Giants Like Kawasaki And Honda Aren't Dominating The Extreme Enduro Racing Scene Like Before

8 Husqvarna 701 Enduro

Starting MSRP: $12,999

Spiritual successor to the likes of the Kawasaki KLR650, the Husqvarna might be a thinly disguised KTM 690 but, somehow, has its own personality. Not to mention a stonking 75 horsepower single cylinder engine that will rip your arms out of their sockets as soon as pull you through the worst a trail can throw at you.

Performance Specs

Suspension and brakes are from the top shelf and this is a motorcycle that will please the professionals, certainly, but can be docile enough to give the less experienced a lot of fun, as well. Seat comfort is average but, with this amount of power, you could devour long distances with ease. Twist the throttle all the way to the stop, and it will take off like a scared rat, so discretion is advised.

PROS

• 74 horsepower from a single cylinder engine
• Built for pros and amateurs alike

CONS

• On the expensive side
• A KTM with a different shell

7 Honda CRF450L

Starting MSRP: $9,999

Although it might look similar to the CRF300L, the extra power delivered by the CRF450L makes all the difference in any type of riding - street or dirt. It’s just a better bike all round, even if it does cost a packet more, but you’ll notice the difference in the quality of the suspension and brakes.

Performance Specs

Forget about long-distance comfort, but in truth, that’s not what these bikes are all about: ride it on the road to get to your chosen trail and spend the day having fun before riding home with the setting sun in your eyes. A lot easier to live with than the European equivalents, meaning less performance and less sophisticated suspension, but that just means it will be cheaper to run, and Honda quality means you will never worry about it breaking down.

PROS

• Upgraded suspension and brakes
• More power than the 300 version

CONS

• More expensive
• Less power and performance than European contemporaries

Related: Top 10 Dual-Sport Bike Manufacturers

6 Husqvarna FE350s

Starting MSRP: $12,249

While the original crop of dual sport motorcycles had more road performance than off-road - think Kawasaki KLR650 - largely because they were designed to be road bikes equipped for off-road work, the current breed of modern dual sport motorcycles are really enduro bikes that have been legalized for the road.

Performance Specs

While this does dial down the long-distance practicality, it also means that, off-road, these bikes will be the real deal. Off-road, the Husqvarna FE350s is light and nimble, the power delivery linear and strong, the gearing perfect and the suspension excellent. It might be a KTM under the plastic, but it somehow has its own character and personality.

PROS

• Light and nimble off-road
• Top-notch suspension and gearing

CONS

• More expensive than Japanese competitors
• KTM in a different shell

5 GasGas ES 700

Starting MSRP: $12,699

GasGas is another one of KTM's badges, but similar to what Husqvarna does, the company breathes its own identity to the bikes they make. One of its latest offerings is the ES 700, a dual sport motorcycle capable of taking on all roads and no roads. The bike achieves a very lightweight footprint thanks to its precisely-engineered trellis frame made from high-grade chromium-molybdenum steel that offers a lot of strength for very little weight.

Performance Specs

Reliability is also a selling point, as GasGas uses an active crankcase evacuation system with forced engine lubrication. This lowers oil friction, improves mileage, and pushes the service interval to 10,000 km. The bike is priced slightly lower than the Husqvarna, so if you're looking to save a couple hundred dollars, the ES 700 could be a good choice.

PROS

• Powerful yet lightweight
• Reliable due to unique engine lubrication process

CONS

• Part of the same KTM group
• A thinly-disguised enduro with thin street-based features

4 Honda XR650L

Starting MSRP: $6,999

There's something magical with Japanese 650cc single-cylinders that take riders anywhere. Everyone knows about the legendary status of the KLR650, but Honda always has an answer for every need. The XR650L offers a great journey not just for the rider, but for the pillion as well, given that the bike has a grab strap and footpegs to seat another person.

Performance Specs

Honda made sure to make the XR650L one of the best dual sports on offer by making it accessible and easily serviceable. The special thing with the XR650L is that its steel frame doubles as the oil tank, allowing for more compact construction and increasing the surface area for oil to cool in the frame.

PROS

• Room for passenger
• Accessible and easily serviceable

CONS

• On the heavier side
• Thin on features

3 Suzuki DR650S

Starting MSRP: $6,999

Not to be left behind by other Japanese manufacturers, Suzuki sells the DR650S as one of the most potent dual-purpose motorcycles in the market. Apart from its strong tubular steel frame, Suzuki boasts its adjustable seat height and height-adjustable front fork that allows riders of all sizes to enjoy the off-road experience.

Performance Specs

The DR650S is built to make any road a cakewalk, thanks to its link-type rear suspension and strong spoked aluminum wheels. Maintenance is relatively easier with the bike as well, given that it still employs a carburetor alongside a durable stainless steel exhaust system that cuts weight and resists corrosion.

PROS

• Adjustable seat and front fork
• Strong tubular steel frame

CONS

• Ancient tech like carburetor
• Heavy and low on power

2 KTM 690 Enduro R

Starting MSRP: $12,999

It's pretty clear that KTM holds a good portion of the dual-sport and off-road market thanks to their amazing bikes. Dubbed the "ace of all surfaces", the 690 Enduro R is the GasGas ES 700 and Husqvarna 701 Enduro in their purest forms. Equipped with WP XPLOR suspension pieces, the bike can eat up any trail like an afternoon snack.

Performance Specs

What's special with the 690 Enduro R is the use of the rear fuel tank as a structural element for the frame. This lowers the center of gravity and enhances maneuverability along tight trail roads. Additionally, KTM uses a resonator chamber in its engines to keep vibrations minimal, allowing riders to enjoy a much smoother ride.

PROS

• Rear fuel tank as structural element
• Lower center of gravity for maneuverability

CONS

• Questionable reliability
• Expensive
• Compromise on road-based features

Related:Husqvarna And KTM All Set To Dominate The Dual Sport Segment

1 Christini AWD 450DS

Starting MSRP: $16,500

One of the more unusual entries to this list comes in the form of the Christini AWD 450DS. As the name suggests, the bike has all-wheel drive, meaning the front wheel also directs power from the engine as opposed to the usual rear-wheel-only setup on most bikes. The extra traction is especially useful when riders find themselves stuck in hard places.

Performance Specs

If the AWD system wasn't enough, Christini also equipped the bike with counter-rotating driveshafts that ensure that the front wheel goes up to 68% as fast as the rear. This makes the bike shine in sand, mud, and snow. The U.S. Army even had a special variant made for them due to the usefulness of Christini's AWD system.

PROS

• All-wheel drive is useful in off-road situation
• LIghtweight

CONS

• AWD may not be enough to warrant the high price tag
• Small operation means you're on the hook for most maintenance