Adventure bikes: great off-road, great on-road, not so easy on the wallet, and it is this last point that might make a lot of owners think twice before taking their brand new and shiny pride and joy off-road and potentially throwing them at the scenery when they (almost inevitably) fall off! A used adventure bike, however, has three benefits: there will be a large selection available, so you can buy exactly what you want for less money, it might already have a few scratches and dings, so you’ll feel less precious about adding a few of your own and there’s a good possibility that the previous owner(s) will have splashed out on a few after-market accessories, so you don’t have to. The choice is wide, but there are a few that stand out head and shoulders above the rest.

Related: 10 Most Underrated Adventure Bikes Ever

10 BMW R 1200 GS

$8,500-upwards

The adventure bike that started it all, back in 1980, the BMW G/S ruled the adventure roost for many years before the other manufacturers cottoned on to the concept, and they have been playing catch up furiously ever since. Many would say that the GS still is the king of adventure bikes and, if brand-new models are soaring over $20,000, there are literally hundreds of used examples on the market, none of which will have lost an ounce of their ability. The last of the air-cooled models (2004 - 2012) are still excellent buys, or you can go for a slightly later (2013-onwards) LC (liquid-cooled) model for under $10,000, with all the bells and whistles and, in all likelihood, added panniers and top box. It’s even possible to find one that has never seen a bit of dirt under its wheels.

9 KTM 1190 Adventure

$7,000-upwards

The moment when KTM toned down its adventure bikes so that you didn’t have to have the skill of a Dakar Rally rider to get the best out of one. The 1190 Adventure brought a new level of accessibility to KTM’s adventure offerings while losing none of its hardcore reputation or ability. All the electronics you could ever need, including electronic suspension on the ‘R’ models, a powerful V-Twin engine and more off-road focussed than some of its rivals, although it is still great fun on the road. Doesn’t feel quite as well put together as the BMW R1200GS, but you’re still getting a lot of adventure bike for your money. You’ll be less likely to find one that hasn’t been off-road, but that’s what it was built for so why buy one unless you’re going to do the same?

Related: 2015 KTM 1190 Adventure R

8 Suzuki V-Strom DL1000

$4,000-upwards

Always somehow the unsung hero of the adventure bike world, the Suzuki V-Strom DL1000 is typical Suzuki: it doesn’t shout about itself which leads to it being overlooked but, if you buy a post-2013 model, it has all the off-road chops you will need, even if it does lack some of the electronic sophistication of the BMW and KTM. The engine is Suzuki’s bulletproof 996cc, V-Twin developing 100 horsepower and 76 foot pounds of torque and. The rest of the bike is just as rugged, which is exactly what you need when crossing continents on the road less traveled. The arrival of the updated DL1050 in 2020 means that there will be plenty of DL1000s available, and they might just be the adventure bargain of the century.

7 Triumph Tiger 800XC

$7,000-upwards

Triumph has a habit of testing the water with a new model and letting it run for a few years before knocking it out of the ballpark with the next generation of that model. It happened with the Tiger 900, which improved on the Tiger 800 in almost every way, but that’s not to say that the Tiger 800 was no good. There were two models, the road-oriented XR and the full off-road version, the XC, complete with 21-inch front wheel and taller stance. The three-cylinder Triumph signature engine was smooth, powerful and combined the best of both worlds: the low-down grunt of a twin and the top-end power of a four, making it a great engine for an adventure bike and its dual-purpose role. Excellent build quality means they’ll still be looking good, even after ten years.

6 Triumph Tiger 1200 Explorer

$7,500-upwards

What goes for the Tiger 800 is also relevant for the Tiger 1200 Explorer: it has been overshadowed by the latest model, which is good for the consumer as there will be plenty of older models on the market as owners traded up to the new model. The Tiger 1200 Explorer has a three-cylinder engine, producing 135 horsepower in an exceptionally well-built motorcycle, with some neat touches, decent electronics, lovely road manners and a decent spread of off-road talent, although it couldn’t quite match the equivalent BMW or KTM for off-road prowess. As a road bike, though, it excelled and its off-road performance was still good enough for the vast majority of casual or weekend adventure riders.

5 BMW F 650/700/800 GS

$5,500-upwards

It took BMW a long time to diversify its adventure bike line-up, but it happened in 2008, with the launch of the new ‘F’ models. Top of the range was the F 800 GS with a 798cc parallel twin engine producing 85 horsepower. Just to confuse you, the F 650 GS and F 700 GS both shared the same engine but in different states of tune. The F 800 GS had all the traits of the R 1200 GS, which meant it was excellent off-road and not much worse on-road, while being a lot lighter and less intimidating for inexperienced riders. It was updated in 2013, gaining electronic suspension adjustment, and you’ll be able to find one for a lot less than $10,000.

4 Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin

$9,500-upwards

True to its philosophy, Honda went its own way when designing the Africa Twin reboot. While KTM was pushing power outputs up to 160 horsepower and BMW was scrambling to keep up, Honda was content with ‘just’ 100 horsepower which many of us will admit is more than enough for any type of riding, on- or off-road. Launched in 2016, it was available with Honda’s dual clutch transmission, about which there was much discussion but which proved to be perfectly suited to adventure riding, with a little practice. Typical Honda build-quality, there have been upgrades since its launch, but you can still pick up a lightly used 2016 model for a few dollars under $10,000

3 Kawasaki KLR650

$2,500-upwards

If all you need are the bare basics for off-road riding and, perhaps, touring, then the old dinosaur Kawasaki KLR650 will do you proud and keep on doing you proud for the rest of your life, all for an outlay of a few thousand dollars - brand new! Yes, you can buy a KLR650 brand new for $6,899 so imagine what a used example will sell for! It’s been in production for 32 years and, while many will have led a hard life, there will be many, many more that have had a pampered existence. They’re so simple that there’s little to go wrong, and they’re virtually bulletproof, even if they are short on electronic creature comforts or even physical comfort. But they’re light and easy to handle and will plug through anything the trail has to throw at you. The only bike on this list where scratches actually add to the appeal...

Related: Why The Kawasaki KLR 650 S Is The Ultimate Dual-Sport Motorcycle

2 Honda XR650L

$2,500-upwards

And here’s another! The XR650L has been around as long as the Kawasaki KLR650 and, yes, you can still buy it brand new, for $6,999. Again, that means there will be hundreds for sale, in various states of repair but, like the Kawasaki, they are stupidly rugged and simple, so they’ll keep plugging on. If it does go wrong, there’s very little you can’t fix yourself, even with rudimentary mechanical skills. It’s not fast or comfortable, it is quite heavy for what can be seen as a large enduro bike, but it will get over and through anything and go anywhere, as long as you don’t need to carry a lot of gear with you. A true classic that, thankfully, isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

1 Yamaha Super Tenere XT1200Z

$5,500-upwards

As with Suzuki, Yamaha’s Super Tenere has a very low profile compared to the big players in the adventure market. The Tenere name looms large in Yamaha’s off-road legend, being the name given to the Paris-Dakar winners, but then Yamaha allowed BMW and KTM to take the title of adventure bike champions, leaving Yamaha rather in the shade. The XT1200Z is a big and heavy adventure-styled motorcycle with the least off-road ability of any bike on this list, and it won’t be able to keep up with a KTM 1290 Super Adventure or BMW R1250GS on the road, but that is to ignore its qualities: extremely comfortable with decent weather protection, an unburstable parallel twin engine and an entertaining chassis when the road starts twisting and great stability when it’s straight. It’s a lot of bike for less than $10,000.