Middleweight adventure motorcycles are proving super popular these days. We had a heck of a task picking our favourite five A2 licence category machines back in the summer, and now there’s a glut of new models fighting it out for our dollar next year.
Don’t believe us, why not take a look at this quintet? If none of these take your fancy, head over to our article Top five… A2 adventure bikes to find five more cracking motorcycles, including the KTM 390 Adventure R, Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 and the Triumph Scrambler 450XC. But, for now, here are five new-for-2026 middleweight adventure bikes we think are well worth looking at.
BMW F 450 GS
BMW’s F 450 GS is likely to be one of the smash hits of 2026. A new design from the ground up, it’s been designed specifically to meet A2 licence regs – that means a 420cc parallel-twin and a 178kg weight to bring it in right onto the 0.2kW per kg power-to-weight ratio allowed under those rules.
Because it’s a BMW, you get various spec levels. The base version comes in at £6990, which pitches it alongside the best-selling Honda NX500 (previously CB500X) but three other versions add more electronic modes, more off-road style hardware and a new semi-automatic transmission which uses a centrifugal clutch and can’t be stalled.
And because it’s a GS, it looks the part and should have genuine off-road chops. While the addition of an affordable A2 category bike should bring new riders into the GS fold, we fully expect it to appeal to experienced riders too – who will appreciate a lighter, more manageable and more affordable motorcycle.
What we also like about the GS is the subtlety with which BMW are introducing it. Where other manufacturers would slap ‘all-new’ stickers all over the shop and bombard us with promo videos every time we switch on our phones, there’s a quiet confidence with the genuinely all-new F 450 which makes us think this is going to be a real corker.
Kawasaki KLE500
If it wasn’t for the F 450 GS, we’d most likely be hailing Kawasaki’s new KLE500 as the one to watch in the A2 adventure bike category.
Like the BMW this new-for-2026 model was shown as a prototype last year, but where the German contender utilises a brand new design, the KLE has Kawasaki’s well proven parallel-twin at its heart. Despite the ‘500’ designation, the unit actually displaces 451cc. It’s the same unit found in various other Kawasakis, including the Z500 which impressed us when reviewed last year, and, power wise, it’s just under the limit of the 47bhp allowed under A2 licence laws.
There are two spec levels, an entry level model priced at £5999 and an SE variant which costs £600 more and adds a TFT dashboard, LED indicators, a larger windscreen and some off-road style hand guards and skid plate.
Compared to the Honda NX500, and to a large degree the F 450 GS, the Kawasaki looks a more authentic off-road machine. That, by and large, is down to the 21” front wheel – 2” bigger than that of its competitors – and while it leads to a taller machine that’s arguably a bit less accessible to shorter riders, it should enhance its capability when ridden off-road.
Indeed Kawasaki say that they’ve taken a lot of design inspiration from their motocross bikes and it’s easy to see where they’re coming from. It certainly looks the business, and with the price undercutting key rivals from BMW and Honda, we think it could do rather well.
Honda NX500 E-Clutch
We’ve mentioned the Honda NX500 a few times already, and with a significant option available for 2026 it’s absolutely worth bringing it into the mix here.
Launched over a decade ago as the CB500X, Honda revamped and rebranded its A2 adventurer as the NX in 2024. Two years on and the manufacturer is bringing its E-Clutch to models in its 500 range – making some already easy to ride motorcycles even more accessible.
We’ve been well impressed by the NX500 when we’ve reviewed it, and although the new offerings from BMW and Kawasaki have a more hardcore look to them, the Honda’s strength has always been its superb road manners and ease of riding.
The E-Clutch was first introduced on Honda’s 650 range and uses electronic actuators to automatically operate the clutch (although it can be manually overridden if need be). It works a bit like a fancy quickshifter, allowing ‘clutchless’ shifts up and down the ‘box, but the real benefit is that you can’t stall the bike – and you can pull away without needing to manually operate the clutch.
We’re still waiting on confirmation of how much the NX500 will cost with the E-Clutch fitted. It has been a £100 option on the 650cc four-cylinder machines its currently available on, so we’d expect to be getting a bit of change back from £7k on this one.
BSA Thunderbolt 350
Royal Enfield’s Himalayan has been a smash hit with riders around the world thanks to its simplicity, low costs and genuinely rugged nature, and BSA’s new-for-2026 Thunderbolt follows a similar recipe – one which the reborn brand hopes will put BSA back in the big time.
The Indian machine takes the revvy little single cylinder motor from the Bantam 350 and puts it in a tall adventure style chassis – just like the Himmy’s!
With the large 21” front wheel and long travel suspension, the BSA has real ADV proportions. With an expected low price (you get switchable ABS, turn-by-turn navigation and a USB charging port), BSA will be hoping to make headways in 2026. It’s not due in showrooms until the middle of the year, and no price has been announced yet, but expectations are already high.
Indian bikes are typically robust and well priced, and we expect BSA’s first adventure bike to be no different. The looks are slightly quirky, but we see this as a positive rather than a negative, and the BSA badge will appeal too. It could be one of the sleeper hits of 2026!
Suzuki SV-7GX
Fancy a middleweight adventure bike but not sure if you really want a middleweight adventure bike? Maybe Suzuki’s upcoming SV-7GX is for you?
It’s a model which Suzuki pulled out of the blue and will be with us later in 2026. It’s based on the venerable SV650, which we all thought was dead, but heavily reengineered to meet the latest emissions laws. It’s more ‘crossover’ than ‘ADV’ with the upright riding position of an adventure bike mated to street style 17” wheels front and rear.
With 72bhp on tap, it’s the only bike on our list requiring a full licence to ride. It should make for a tidy commuter and touring bike, arguably more like a Yamaha Tracer 7 than a big wheeled adventurer, and if the price is right it should be a welcome alternative to the others on the list here.
Suzuki have also announced that they’re offering a 10-year/70,000 mile warranty on new bikes, giving the SV-7GX one of the most robust warranties of any new bike on sale today. It should do well.
Choosing the right bike for you
What makes the best lightweight adventure bike for you is as much about your individual tastes and priorities as much as anything else:
- If you want the latest designs that make the most of A2 licence regulations, the new BMW F 450 GS and Kawasaki KLE500 are well worth a look.
- Prefer a basic machine that can take on rough terrain? The new BSA Thunderbolt 350 could be the one for you.
- Looking for a well proven all-rounder for daily use and touring? You won’t go far wrong with something like the Honda NX500 or Suzuki SV-7GX.
- Fancy a motorbike with an automated clutch function? The BMW F 450 GS and Honda NX500 E-Clutch have the tech as options and should be a doddle to ride.
- Most lightweight adventure bikes are engineered to meet A2 licence regulations, but if you want something more powerful (or a bike which can be restricted to A2 category and derestricted later) a middleweight like the Aprilia Tuareg 660 or Yamaha Ténéré 700 Rally could be for you.
- Or if you want something a bit retro to look at, but modern in its tech, the Triumph Scrambler 400XC is well worth a look.
But such is the choice in this sector, even if none of these float your boat you don’t have to worry. Adventure bikes are super popular and most manufacturers have at least one offering in the category.
Want a proper lightweight, go anywhere machine? Honda’s CRF300 Rally is many an adventurer’s go to steed? If it’s cheap and cheerful you’re looking for, there are a number of adventure bikes from Chinese brands which tick plenty of boxes – for example the Morbidelli T1002VX, CFMoto 700MT, and Voge DS625X, which has a lot in common with the Honda NX500.
