Adventure bikes continue to be hugely popular with motorcycle buyers around the world, and for good reason. With their commanding riding positions, strong performance and go-everywhere practicality, they’ve become the go-to bikes for riders looking for the perfect all-rounder.
BMW’s R1250GS models remain the best sellers, but each year rival manufacturers roll out competitor models looking to take a slice of the huge market. Last year we saw KTM bring out new versions of its epic 1290 Super Adventure range, while even Harley-Davidson got in on the act with the all-new Pan America.
This year there are another batch of bright-eyed adventure bikes with their eyes on the prize. We’ve taken a look at the five we think will be flying out of the showrooms in 2022.
Aprilia Tuareg 660
While they might not have much of a track record in the modern day adventure bike market, Aprilia’s roots can be traced back to pukka motocross and enduro bikes in the 1980s.
Now they’ve got a new 660cc platform and are making the most of it, with the Tuareg joining the naked Tuono and the RS660 sports bike in the range.
The name Tuareg comes from a population from the Sahara desert and has been applied to Aprilia’s dual sports models since the 1980s.
Unlike many adventure bikes, which are ostensibly heavy touring bikes, the 660 majors on lightness and strong off-road capability. The motor has been retuned for more bottom end drive, with a 79bhp peak, and the chassis is tall, narrow and agile both on and off road. It’s more focussed (and expensive) than its most obvious competitor, Yamaha’s Tenere 700, but features some of the fanciest electronics around and a high specification for what is essentially a middleweight machine.
The Tuareg 660, like most Aprilias, is not the most mainstream option on the market but for riders looking for more off-road focussed option it is certainly worth consideration.
Ducati DesertX
Ducati has enjoyed considerable success at the road-biased, adventure touring end of the market in recent years with its hugely popular Multistrada range. Now, for 2022, they’re catering for riders looking for some more off-road capability with the DesertX.
Like the aforementioned Tuareg 660, the DesertX features off-road style spoked wheels, 21” up front and 18” at the back, and a tall and narrow demeanour. Power comes from a 110bhp version of the revered 937cc Testastretta V-twin shared with many other Ducati models, but everything else is totally new.
We think that it looks like its ready to roll into the Dakar bivouac and although the tall dimensions and £14k price tag will put some riders off, we can definitely see the DesertX gaining a cult following when it goes on sale later this year.
Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin
Of all the adventure bikes which have come to challenge the mighty GS over the year, few have come as close to toppling it as Honda’s reborn Africa Twin.
Honda reintroduced the Africa Twin name in 2016, after a hiatus of over a decade, and the new 1000cc parallel twin model was a huge sales success straight away.
That CRF1000L fell somewhere between big adventure bikes like the 1200 GS, and 800cc middleweights like the Triumph Tiger and BMW’s own F800 models, and offered a heady combination of on-road usability with off-road capability.
With the model needing a Euro5 update, Honda has punched out the motor to 1084cc and given it a comprehensive overhaul. It promises even more useability and once again comes in two versions, with the standard model joined by the more expensive ‘Adventure Sports’ model, which has a higher spec and a massive 25 litre fuel tank. Both also are available with Honda’s excellent automatic DCT transmission system, which is a popular choice and makes it a unique proposition in the adventure bike market.
Yamaha Tenere 700 World Raid
Yamaha’s Tenere 700 has been a smash hit since its introduction three years ago.
Like so many of the Japanese manufacturer’s wares the Tenere has offered plenty of value for money and everyday practicality, but if there was a slight criticism then perhaps the entry level model had a spec sheet that was just a little bit on the basic side.
That’s all changed with the introduction of the new ‘World Raid’ version for 2022 which, as the name suggests, has proper round-the-world aspirations.
It’s powered by the same 689cc parallel-twin unit shared with the MT-07, R7 and the regular Tenere 700, but it’s been well and truly upspecced thanks to long travel KYB suspension, an 18-way adjustable Ohlins steering damper and a neat 5” TFT dashboard that is mounted in a portrait orientation to give a hint of Dakar roadbook about it.
That Dakar inspired styling is clear throughout, not least with the dual fuel tanks (complete with twin fillers) which carry a hefty 23 litres of unleaded but are side mounted to keep the weight nice and low in the chassis.
We can see it being a real hit with hard core adventure riders and those who really buy into the Dakar image.
Triumph Tiger 1200
Triumph have had mixed fortunes in the adventure bike market but have high hopes with their latest offering, the new Tiger 1200.
The Tiger name has been applied to dual sport Hinckley Triumphs since the gigantic Tiger 900 broke cover in 1993. The ‘Steamer’ as it was affectionately known had a real cult following, although the successive 955i and 1050 Tigers would prove more mainstream, more road orientated and ultimately more successful in the showrooms.
The Tiger 800 and its successor, the 900, also proved to be big successes too, but a genuine rival to the all conquering BMW R1200/1250 GS has so far proved elusive. The cumbersome 1200cc Tiger Explorer of 2012 was one of the Brit company’s few flops in recent years and even a significantly developed version (also called the Tiger 1200) still fell short of the mark.
But now comes an all-new Tiger 1200, which once again has Bavaria’s finest in its crosshairs. Powered by a version of the new Speed Triple’s grunty three-cylinder motor, it comes in a road orientated GT version as well as the more expensive Rally, which has taller suspension and bigger spoked wheels.
Both the GT and Rally have multiple sub models to suit a variety of needs and budgets, and a quick look at the spec sheets suggests that the new Tiger 1200 has what it takes to give BMW a bloody nose in this most competitive of sectors.
