The 10 Best Dual Sport Bikes As of 2023

What is a dual sport motorcycle, you ask? By today's definition, a dual sport is a bike that is street legal and can be used on public roads (meaning it comes equipped with things like lights, mirrors, or a license plate holder, among others), while at the same time being more than capable of holding its ground while navigating over less friendly terrain.

Depending on what their makers want to achieve and the public they are meant to impress, dual sport bikes go by different names, the most common of them being all-road, dual-purpose, or even, in the case of some European bike makers, enduro. The term adventure bike is also used from time to time, but in this case we're most of the time talking about a totally different category of two-wheelers.

All of the above means that these designations, impressive as they may be, are not classes in their own rights (in fact, the industry lacks a formal classification of dual sport bikes, as it does in the case of so many others as well), but more like marketing ideas.

The list you're about to go through over the next few minutes includes both motorcycles that their makers advertise and recognize as being dual sport, and some that even if they are called differently, can easily be part of that category. They are, if you will, the crème de la crème in their segment in 2023 based on fame, price, history, and impact on motorcycle lovers.

10. Benelli TRK 702X

Officially Italian bike maker Benelli calls the TRK 702X an off-road explorer. For all intents and purposes though, the model sits at the top of a range that has been recognized as dual sport for ages now.

The TRK breed has been in production since 2017, and the 702X is the latest offshoot, introduced just last year. It relies on a steel trellis frame to hold itself together and a 698cc 2-cylinder 4-stroke engine to get itself moving. It's not an insanely powerful unit, but it does get the bike to a top speed of 165 kph (103 mph), and that's more than enough in any scenario.

The suspension system is not some fancy deployment of tech, just your usual telescopic fork and mono-shock absorber, but it is more than capable of getting the job done.

The bike is presently selling in several countries around the world, but for now at least not in the U.S. On the European continent it retails from $7,490 euros ($8,193), and that puts it well within reach for many riders in need of getting their hands on a capable yet unpretentious machine that can be taken out on a variety of roads.

9. Aprilia Tuareg 660

Generally speaking Aprilia is a name bike lovers don't come across very often, despite the company presently selling a total of 12 motorcycles that play in different segments. In the dual sport category, the spearhead is called Tuareg 660, and it's quite a well-received machine by lovers of this kind of bikes.

Wearing the name of African semi-nomadic herders and a Volkswagen SUV, but with a different spelling, the Tuareg 660 was introduced in 2021 in a family that's been around since the 1980s, and it's more or less officially known as an enduro bike.

Its maker though describes it as the best of both worlds, capable of giving its rider maximum control and an almost equal share of thrills on both asphalt and dirt roads. Rocking a tubular steel frame that holds in its embrace an 80 hp / 70 Nm parallel-twin engine, the two-wheeler is on the table in either base or 660 Factory configuration.

The starting price for the bike is around $11,000, making it one of the more expensive options out there, but a solid proposition still, especially given how it is one of the few to be offered with tailored accessories and apparel.

8. Royal Enfield Himalayan

Officially described by Royal Enfield as "our first dual-purpose motorcycle," the Himalayan is another impressive bike that probably gets less attention than it would have deserved.

On the market since the middle of the last decade, it is perhaps the most un-Royal Enfield bike in the portfolio of the Indian maker of thrills on two wheels, especially when it comes to its chassis and engine. Not to mention it wears a name that definitely makes it noticeable, thanks to the connection it makes with the world's tallest mountain range.

As it is offered today, the Royal Enfield Himalayan is built around a half-duplex split cradle frame and relies on a telescopic front fork and monoshock rear suspension for its travel needs. The engine that powers it is a single-cylinder four-stroke unit, 411cc in displacement and capable of delivering just about 24 hp of power.

That's not that much, but more than enough to ensure the bike can hold its ground up the side of a mountain, provided there's a road leading up there.

We chose to include the Himalayan on our list not only because it is not as mainstream as some of the bikes to follow, but also because it's one of the cheapest dual sports presently on the market. Available in the U.S. too, it goes there for $5,449.

7. Zero DSR/X

You can't put together a proper list of "best" motorcycles these days without including at least one two-wheeler powered by electricity instead of fossil fuels. And a list of best dual sport bikes is no exception.

There are several such machines using a battery and electric motor out there, but we chose the Zero DSR/X for the purposes of this list not only because it was made by one of the oldest electric bike makers on the planet, but also on account of the machine's innate abilities.

The DSR/X is officially sold as a dual sport, meaning it was built from the get-go to be used on both dirt and tarmac. The frame it was built around is where a 17.3 kWh battery was installed (upgradable to 21 kWh by means of a Power Tank) to supply power to the 100 hp electric motor that helps spin the wheels.

Given the way the bike was meant to be used some might consider it risky to go for an electric dual sport machine. Yet Zero promises a range of 134 miles (216 km) in combined use, and that should be more than enough to prevent you from becoming stranded on a trail somewhere.

Riders can have a Zero DSR/X for $19,995 at the time of writing. That's down from the $24,495 the bike maker usually asks for one, but still prohibitively expensive for many of us, especially considering the other options available out there.

6. Husqvarna FE 501s

Sweden-based bike maker Husqvarna has a long tradition of making motorcycles meant to be used in less than regular circumstances, and that includes a solid list of dual sport motorcycles. At the top of its offering in this segment, at least as far as power is concerned, is the FE 501s.

Rugged to the bone, like all others in its family, the 501s is offered for the 2024 model year with a new engine in the frame, a single-cylinder 4-stroke powerplant almost 511cc in displacement controlled by means of a 6-speed transmission.

Built with a chromium molybdenum steel frame, the bike uses WP suspension to make sure the ride is as comfortable as possible regardless of the terrain the bike travels over. And it looks particularly funky doing so, thanks to the white, yellow, and blue color scheme that makes the ride uniquely Swedish.

The Husqvarna FE 501s is available globally, and on the U.S. market it sells for prices that start at $13,049. That may seem quite affordable, but you do have to keep in mind the bike maker offers a wide range of aftermarket accessories, from braking hardware to transport systems, that are likely to put the final tally at a much higher sum.

5. KTM 350 EXC-F

In the world of off-road motorcycles there is no bigger name than KTM. Just consider the fact the company managed to snatch 126 world titles in various enduro competitions over the past three decades alone.

Although most of the bikes it makes look highly specialized, KTM does make rides that can be used for various purposes. The 350 EXC-F, a machine meant to set "the benchmark in dual-sport ability" is one of them.

For the current model year this hardcore beast offers 95 percent new components, being as per its maker better than ever.

At the bike's core sits a single cylinder 4-stroke engine that's 350cc in displacement and weighs a puny 63 pounds (28.8 kg). The suspension system, as with any other KTM, is a masterpiece, with a new shock absorber backing the rear and a hand-adjustable fork the front.

With such an impressive lineage and all these new components KTM could have probably asked a lot of money for the 350 EXC-F. But that's not the case, as at just $13,000 the two-wheeler comes across as rather affordable as well, at least compared to what other bike makers of its caliber have to offer in this segment.

4. Honda CRF450RL

No matter how much the global competition tries, there are no better producers of dual sport motorcycles than the ones based in Japan. That's why the top four bikes on our list come from there, starting with the Honda CRF450RL.

Part of a series that was born over at Honda back in 2018, the CRF450RL is now the most expensive dual sport the Japanese are offering in a lineup of no less than six such machines. Yet, at $10,099 the two-wheeler is a solid proposition compared to its competitors, and given its pedigree one that can't easily be disregarded either.

Imagined as a "motocrosser with a license plate" the bike comes into the world rocking a 450 cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine. The unit, controlled by means of a six-speed transmission, spins wheels supported by an inverted Showa coil-spring fork at the front and a single shock of the same make at the rear. All the gear is slapped onto and around a rugged chassis.

Although it looks more like a specialized machine meant to be used in the wild, the Honda CRF450RL is street-legal in all 50 states, making it ideal for those looking for a dual-purpose fun machine.

3. Kawasaki KLR 650 S

The Kawasaki KLR 650 is one of the oldest dual sport bikes on our list. Its breed was born over at Kawasaki in the late 1980s, and remained largely unchanged for many of the decades that followed, a testimony to how good it was put together.

In its 2023 model year guise the bike is offered in no less than four variants, namely 650, 650 S, 650 Traveler ABS, and 650 Adventure. It's the S that's of interest to us today because it's a newcomer to the range.

Like many bikes playing in this dual-purpose segment, the bike is powered by a single-cylinder engine with four strokes. It's larger than what the competition (at least the bikes shown in this list) has to offer, at 652cc, but that kind of makes it even more appealing.

Suspension-wise the bike relies on a telescopic fork up front and a single shock at the rear, while braking power is supplied by single discs front and rear.

The Kawasaki KLR 650 S is now selling in two variants, non-ABS and ABS, with the price tags reading $6,899 for the former and $7,199 for the latter. A real bargain, all things considered…

2. Suzuki DR-Z400S

Although a proud member of the Japanese pack of motorcycle makers, Suzuki only has two dual sport bikes in its portfolio, the DR650S and the DR-Z400S. They are more than enough though to place the company very close to the top of our list, based on how cheap and capable these two machines are.

It's the DR-Z400S that has the honor of almost snatching the win for Suzuki, "the latest version of the motorcycle that is the foundation of the modern DualSport movement." On the market for more than two decades ago, it keeps providing riders with fun and thrilling rides on both tarmac and off it.

At the heart of the machines sits a potent 398cc, liquid-cooled engine that delivers quite a punch even at low rpms. The chassis it sits in is made of chromoly steel, supported over more or less demanding terrain by means of a rear shock absorber and a long travel fork. The 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels stop under the power of disc brakes.

Suzuki is selling the DR-Z400S in 2024 model year configuration for $7,199, making it one of the most solid choices on the market.

1. Yamaha XT250

As I've said since the beginning of this piece, dual sport motorcycles have been around since forever, and the term is presently so loose it could technically encompass a much wider range of bikes, including to some extent BMW's adventure bikes and even Harley-Davidson's Pan America.

But the dual sports as we know them today (and how we've included them in this list) technically started in the late 1960s with the Yamaha DT-1. That bike is no longer on the market, but its worthy successors are, and one of them, the XT250, even made it to the top of our list. It did so not only because it's the cheapest of the bunch at $5,299 but also because it offers pretty much what all the others are offering in a very neat package.

Rocking a tiny engine of just 249cc in displacement, the bike also comes with a telescopic front fork and a rear shock to help it navigate rough terrain with just as much ease as the more expensive bikes of its kind included in our list.

So there you have it, our picks for ten best dual sport bikes you can get your hands on in 2023. Before you go though, make sure to check out the short section below as we try to answer some of the most pressing questions of riders in the market for such a two-wheeler.

Are dual sport bikes street-legal?

Of course they are, it's in the name, really. By definition dual sports have been created to take the rider, on the road, to a place where they can have fun off the road.

What is the difference between a dual sport and an adventure bike?

Technically adventure bikes are dual sport as well (and in some cases the opposite applies as well), but the main thing that separates them from this category is weight - adventure bikes usually tend to be heavier. Also, while adventure bikes tend to be more road-oriented, dual sports feel more at home off the beaten path.

What are the advantages of a dual sport bike?

The main thing these bikes have going for them is the fact they can be used with relatively equal ease on a variety of terrain. They are cheap to buy and own, and they are all over the place in various shapes, forms, sizes, and makes. Many consider dual sport bikes the perfect entry point in the world of motorcycling for beginners.

On the downside, like all things in life that offer 2-in-1 capabilities, while they are good at riding on both pavement and dirt, they are not great at either.