Best Off-Road Bike Models

Hero released the X Pulse 200 V4 as one of the most affordable but competitive adventure bikes. The X Pulse is not only appealing to the eye but also a great ride for whoever is motoring it as well. The X Pulse has a 199.6cc engine putting out approximately 18.9bhp and 17.3Nm of torque. This is channelled through a 21-inch front tyre and an 18-inch rear tyre. The rider sits quite high at 823mm and the ground clearance is a respectable 220mm. The Hero X Pulse 200 sits on front telescopic forks and a rear rectangular swingarm with a mono-shock. Being an adventure bike, suspension travel is one of the most important aspects and Hero hit the nail on the head with it. The front suspension has a range of 190mm and 170mm in the rear.

The Royal Enfield Himalayan is the first and only adventure bike launched by Royal Enfield. The bike is powered by a 411cc air-cooled engine and can produce 24.3bhp and 32Nm of torque. The bike is available in 6 different variants, with prices ranging from Rs 2,14,519 to Rs 2,23,900. The Himalayan sits on 21-inch tyres and a hydraulic telescopic fork with a travel range of 200mm in the front and 17-inch tyres with a progressive central spring strut suspension in the rear. The front suspension can travel 200mm and the rear can travel 180mm. The bike also comes with dual-channel ABS with an option to change it to a single channel, depending on the rider’s choice.

Suzuki's V-Strom lineup includes a small displacement adventure cycle called the V-Strom 250. A 248cc liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, parallel-twin engine that generates about 24.3bhp and 32Nm of torque powers the bike. With a low seat height of 800mm and a tall windscreen to shield the rider from wind and rain, the V-Strom 250 has a comfortable riding posture. It is ideal for both on-road and light off-road adventures thanks to its 17-inch front wheel and 19-inch rear wheel with tubeless tyres. The V-Strom 250 also has LED headlights, a digital control panel and dual-channel ABS. All things considered, the Suzuki V-Strom 250 is a flexible and reasonably priced adventure bike that can manage a range of riding conditions and is appropriate for both novice and expert riders. The Suzuki V-Strom 250 comes with a lot of features such as a fully digital LCD control, a Bluetooth-friendly digital instrument cluster, saddle stays and a USB port.

The KTM 390 Adventure gets the suffix ‘SW’ as this version comes with spoked wheels. It comes with the same engine as the regular Adventure - a 373cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine that produces 43bhp and 37Nm of torque. The 390 Adventure SW has 43mm front USD forks with 170mm of travel while the rear suspension is a mono-shock, again with 170mm of wheel travel. Additionally, the suspension gets a 10-step preload adjuastability feature. Key features of the Adventure SW are spoked wheels, LED headlamps and tail lamps, TFT Instrument Cluster and a lot more.

The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 features a larger engine (452cc) with increased power and torque, suitable for rough terrain. It includes an adjustable seat for better control and confidence, especially important for off-road riding. Some suggest it may lack low-end grunt compared to its predecessor, but its suspension and build are expected to handle off-road challenges well. Royal Enfield's reputation for durable and capable motorcycles inspires confidence among riders.

Now coming to the first of the bigger bikes, we have the Moto Morini X-Cape 650X. This is one of Moto Morini’s mid-range adventure bikes. The bike produces 60bhp and 54Nm of torque through a 649cc liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine. The power is delivered through a 6-speed gearbox. It has 19-inch front tyres and 17-inch rear tyres. The bike has a smooth ride sitting on front inverted telescopic fork which can be completely adjustable for preload, damping, compression and rebound and can travel 165mm. At the rear we have a single shock absorber that is adjustable in preload and rebound damping with 160mm of travel. The Moto Morini X-Cape 650X comes with an adjustable windshield, a 7-inch digital monitor and LED lighting.

The new Triumph Tiger 900 comes in three variants, GT, Rally and Rally Pro. The primary focuses on road-going fun and the latter focuses on off-road adventures. An 888cc, inline-3, liquid-cooled engine is what powers the Triumph and this comes together to produce 93.9bhp and 87Nm of torque. Perched on 45mm front upside-down cartridge forks and a rear manually adjustable gas-pressurized RSU, the bike gives an unbelievably smooth ride - with the suspension travel being 240mm and 230mm for the front and back, respectively. Connected to the suspension is a 17-inch front tyre and a 19-inch rear tyre. When we talk about features, the Triumph Tiger Rally 900 has quite the bunch! It includes a 7-inch full-colour TFT screen, My Triumph infotainment system, optimised cornering ABS, quick shifter, 6 riding modes and tubeless spoked tyres.

The Honda Africa Twin, based on the Dakar veteran, NXR750, is a bike that targets the audience who are looking for a high-performance, versatile bike that can take on any challenge in its path. Running a 1082.96cc liquid-cooled, double-cylinder motor, this bike can crank out 97.8bhp and 103Nm of torque. With the bike having to withstand treacherous terrains it has to have a strong build and good durability. The bike is built around a semi-double cradle chassis and runs 21-inch front tyres on a telescopic suspension and 18-inch rear tyres on a pro-link suspension setup. Honda has a lot to offer with the Africa Twin, including cruise control, throttle-by-wire, an automatic DCT transmission, cornering ABS, electronically controlled suspensions, selectable torque control, six riding modes, wheelie control, Android Auto and Apple Car Play, among other features.

This bike, the BMW R 1250 GS, can be used to tackle the ghats or gravel. Keeping day-to-day usage and pure fun in mind, BMW did wonders while manufacturing this bike, giving the rider a good all-around experience while piloting it. With a 1254cc liquid-cooled, flat twin engine, able to produce 136bhp and 143Nm of torque (almost seems like I’m talking about the specs of a car!), the 1250 GS is really quick off the line and can maintain the power for quite a while. BMW has put 19-inch front and 17-inch rear tyres and incorporates the use of their suspension - the BMW Motorrad Telelever in the front and the BMW Motorrad Paralever in the rear. Some features available on the BMW R 1250 GS are 7 different riding modes, stability control, hill control, power socket, tyre pressure control, BMW shift cam, along with others.

The Ducati Multistrada V4 is part of Ducati’s top-of-the-line adventure bikes and is a great piece of machinery to have. This bike is available in 3 variants. Being one of the more powerful bikes in this segment, the Ducati has a 1158cc, liquid-cooled, four-cylinder engine with a peak power delivery of 170bhp and 127Nm of torque. As an off-roader, the bike should come packed with a good set of suspensions and tyres. The bike runs on a 50mm fully-adjustable upside-down fork with 170mm travel on 19-inch front tyres and a full-adjustable mono-shock with 180mm travel on 17-inch rear tyres. On the Ducati Multistrada V4, we see a lot of features. A few of them are different riding and power modes, cornering ABS and Ducati traction and wheelie control.