How to pick the best midweight adventure bikes︱Cross Training Adventure

0:58 Royal Enfield Himalayan
1:55 Kawasaki KLR650
2:28 Honda CB500X
3:09 Kawasaki Versys 650
3:49 Suzuki V-strom 650
4:38 Yamaha Tenere 700
5:17 KTM 890
6:20 Triumph Tiger 900
6:58 BMW F850GS
Recently we looked at the best lightweight bikes for adventure riding. Riders all over the world are getting into adventure riding for the first time. A midweight adventure bike comparison of the Royal Enfield Himalayan, KLR650, CB500X, Tenere 700, Versys 650, V-strom 650, KTM 890, Triumph 900 and BMW F850GS. We define this as 175 to 220kg when the bike has a full tank of fuel. We are only looking at brand new bikes that are widely available in most countries. Our adventure bike reviews are more critical than most reviews, so we are interested in the known issues and common complaints. Use this mid sized adventure bikes video as a rough guide, then do your own research. Lets start with the cheapest midweight adventure bikes. Okay! The best Midweight adventure bikes. The Royal Enfield Himalayan. There are plenty of happy mid sized adventure bike owners. Only 24 horsepower but lots of torque. It's a good all rounder on or off road with reasonable brakes and suspension. The KLR650, one of the best best midweight adventure bikes? The 2022 model had a pile of updates which unfortunately made it heavier and pushed it into our mid sized category. Recent KLR models have very few problems, the only important one is the 'doohickey' mod. How to pick the best midweight adventure bikes like the Tenere 700, KTM 890, Triumph 900, KLR650 and Himilayan! See our KLR650 review. Next in our adventure bike comparison... Honda's CB500X. See our review video. Next in our midweight adventure bike comparison? The Kawasaki Versys 650. A very cheap adventure tourer. And by adventure tourer, we mean essentially a road bike with just enough adventure trimmings to be okay on easy dirt roads. Next is a very similar bike, Suzuki's V-strom 650. This old workhorse is still made in Japan and is only slightly more expensive than the Kawasaki, and definitely more adventure oriented with its 19 inch front wheel. It's been around since 2004 and the majority of known issues were fixed years ago. The main things to note are the exposed engine oil filter if you are into the rough stuff. And niggling little things like complicated access to the air filter. It's quite heavy at 213kg, but it is great for carrying a passenger. It's definitely a bike for just roads and easy dirt roads. The seat is quite low, but it's a heavy mother so just make sure you can pick this up if it falls over. See our review vid. The Yamaha Tenere 700. Very cheap in the USA, less so in other countries but still way cheaper than the KTM, Triumph and BMW competitors. This is the our first twin cylinder bike with serious off road ability due to a 21 inch front wheel, relatively light weight, and long travel suspension. Yamaha has kept the electronics to a minimum with just basic ABS. Next is the KTM 890 and we are getting seriously expensive now. Press releases indicated the 790 and probably the 890 would be made in China from mid 2020. If you are planning on serious offroad work, the KTM has the suspension to suit, and it's also the most powerful midweight adventure bike. KTM often has teething problems with new models. 790 owners report electrical issues, rear shock failure, ABS problems, failing digital screens, coolant leaks, leaking exhausts, rear brake issues, oil leaks, clutch failures, and cracked engine cases. Not all owners have problems of course. There were separate recalls from KTM for the front brakes and rear brakes. Hopefully many of these issues will be resolved in the 890. The Triumph Tiger 900 available with a 19 inch or 21 inch front wheel. It's the latest update to the trusty 800 model that began in 2010. Finally, the BMW F850GS. Bloody expensive! But money means quality, right? The engine is made in China, and like KTM it appears the cost savings have not been passed to the owners. A huge range here, you can buy three Royal Enfields for the price of the BMW. That's our Royal Enfield Himalayan, KLR650, CB500X, Tenere 700, Versys 650, V-strom 650, KTM 890, Triumph 900 and BMW F850GS comparison!

[crosstrainingadventure]

INDEX (extra notes further down)
0:58 Royal Enfield Himalayan
1:55 Kawasaki KLR650
2:28 Honda CB500X
3:09 Kawasaki Versys 650
3:49 Suzuki V-strom 650
4:38 Yamaha Tenere 700
5:17 KTM 890
6:20 Triumph Tiger 900
6:58 BMW F850GS

CORRECTIONS: The BMW's weight is actually 229kg according to BMW, the source we used was incorrect and was actually the 'dry' figure.
KAWASAKI VERSYS WEIGHT? The green 650 appears to be 216kg wet weight, not 206kg. The sources we used appear to be incorrect.

Himalayan owners are advising the seat isn't too hard. The problem is it's too soft so you feel the hard base of the seat!

KLR650 owners point out that heavy oil consumption still occurs with sustained running at over 5500 RPM (80mph or 130kmh).

Chinese made engines for BMW: Some find it hard to believe BMW uses Chinese made engines for some models. Info straight from BMW's site: "the Chinese manufacturer Loncin has been producing... engines for the BMW F 750 GS and F 850 GS. In addition, the midsize scooters BMW C 400 X and C 400 GT roll off the production lines here."


For the pedants, yes 'Himalayan' is misspelt in the graphics as 'Himilayan'. It should actually be 'ɦɪmɐːləjɐ' in Sanskrit.

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[bryanreeme]

whatever bike one ends up with, no worries, there will usually be a klr nearby to pull em out of the woods🤙

[j]

+1 on your inclusion of the Enfield. I have a 2021 and several thousand miles on it already. Great two-wheeled jeep. Not fast, but will get you anywhere under any conditions. Exactly what I was looking for when I bought it. And that's coming from 40+ years of riding everything big and small, including open class two strokes, Harleys, etc. Simple and rugged is more fun for me, ymmv.

[mikeisland]

I love that you listed weights, front wheel sizes and seats heights. Three crucial factors for venturing off the pavement. Word seems to be spreading on how much easier the lighter weight bikes are which is great. Keep up the good work!

[andreasstefanou]

Its very easy
You buy the Tenere 700 .
Supercapable on and of road,
Light, bulletproof engine.

[americandude]

The 2015 + versys 650 is absolutely AMAZING. Loved mine.

[Makermook]

I've had a Himalayan for a couple years. I took it on a 2000 km trip last summer, sticking to back roads. It isn't built for highway speeds, but that's not what it's for. I think of it as a tough little mule that'll take me and my gear almost anywhere I want to go.

[justprentice]

Brilliant video & comparison across all models. After extensive research, I “gambled” on a 2022 RE Himalayan and the weakest part of this bike, so far is the dealer network. I love it dearly, and have ridden 700 miles in the Florida sand & dirt with no issues. The bike provides confidence, and as a bonus (if things go wrong) I also feel confident that I could take the entire thing apart and put it back together in my garage. The first service was a breeze. 🤙🏼

[kjmdrumz]

I’ve been looking at the NC750X recently. Not the most powerful (or off-road worthy), but for my needs, seems to be just about the perfect machine. An excellent do-it-all.

[princemoh]

My family has owned a RE Himalayan BS4 at India from the year of 2018 which is used by me and brother.We have clocked 40, 800kms so far.

speaking about the goods points of this bike are following:

good reasonable milage 27 to 36 kmpl and unreserved tank capacity is 10 litres and additional 5.5 litres of reserve is also available.

Torque is good in low end and mid range.

present days 2021 September month.
seating comfort is good for me and also the pillon, 560 kms is the best i did on this back recently on bright day.

seat height is manageable for me of height 170cm and 80kgs and good ground clearance.

comfortably cruise at a speed of 60 to 100kmph in top gear depend on road and weight carrying around.

dual purpose tyre help in off-road and onroad scenarios along with the suspension set.

decent in cornering.

sound of exhaust is likable.

luggage carrying capacity is good.

decent lights and brakes(non abs) and wind wiser are provided.

weight distribution on riding is really good.but on off-road or low speed or parking lots its hard for me with the weight of bike which is 190+ kgs.

upright position is good while riding and also help standing position while off-road riding.

instrument cluster is cool.

chain life was 35000 kms.

spoke wheels.

service cost is reasonable.

vast service network.


Bad about the bikes are

conset issues, wear out by 10k kms.
tyre life for rear is between 4 to 8k kms.
front 15 to 22k kms.

lights need improvement.

weight.

gear and clutch feels moderately light.

some parts quality issues. magnet coil replaced.battery is average.

rim bends in off-road ing somehow.

service center people work is not satisfactory.

brakes need much more feel.

overall built quality is fine.


taking in consideration of price and as a dual purpose adv its a good choice in india. i am happy with. latest bike has improved in many things.

main opponent are hero xpluse 200 (cheapest) and ktm adv 250 390 and bmw g 310 gs.

[LoneWolfCRF]

I ride an 06 Vstrom 650 and love the bike. It is trouble free and easy to work on yourself except as you mentioned the air filter is poorly placed under the gas tank. I am fairly short at 5'7" so this plays in to my choice as well but i mainly use the bike on road as any good riding areas local to me are still 2-3 hours away. Your videos are great, keep them coming.

[dundonrl]

I have a 2015 KLR-650 with about 19, 500 miles. So far it's ran perfect and I've never had the engine case open on it. I realize that some earlier doohickeys would actually come apart, but the later versions are solid. They do need the spring replaced but all in all, I'm quite happy with mine!

[hughess]

I own a 2017 KLR 650, have been extremely pleased with it. The bang for the buck is hard to beat. I also have a 2014 Multistrada which I wouldn't dare take near a gravel rd, the KLR is perfect for that. Reliable, simple to operate own and maintain (oil and filter change and chain service takes about 15 minutes and that is about all it needs.)

[FanOWater]

I own a 2019 790R and it has been trouble free for 19k miles. With a 29" inseam, it is really tall for me and I have dropped it many times in the dirt while not moving due to this. When underway, it is an absolute blast to ride. I have done many 500 mile days getting to new areas to explore, so I can say it works as well on the highway as in the dirt. Cheers

[matriximaster]

Wow, nice to see this segment finally waking up. It is amazing that something catches on finally. I remember when NOBODY wanted an SUV. Roads have not changed, people are no different, yet it is like the masses are only interested when something reaches critical mass.

[Michael_Mears]

Love the V-Strom 650 XT for exactly what you said it's for. We travel together on the dirt, so when it topples over, there's at least two of us to pick it up.

[sanbje]

Had both the 790 Adventure R and I now got the 890 Adventure R Rally. No issues and very happy. The engine is extremely well made, and the weight distribution of the bike makes the bike feel like a driving a big EXC.

[kimomoto]

I think one very important issue when it comes to adv bikes is how the weight is distributed. I’m not a very experienced off road rider. I had a hard time handling my tenere 700 due to its top heavy character. I therefore changed to the ktm 890 adv R because of the low center of gravity

[Riezig]

I own both a T7 and wr250x and will say the T7 it is a very nimble bike for its wieght. I was worried the extra weight would be an issue, but have not really had any accept when you come to a stop it will feel a bit top heavy in comparison to the wr250. Riding the t7 off road is very confidence inspiring especially when you swap the tires for something more aggressive for off road riding.

[nhl_rookiewalter]

I own the triumph 900 rally pro and i absolutely love it. It handels great and is all you could wish for. Yesterday i test drove the brand new tiger 1200. it was great and much lighter and powerful than its forerunner, but it's is still not that lighthandled than my 900 and the engine is great but i think just too powerful. The 900 has a great engine and you can go anywhere even with a passenger. I'd buy it again.