Small adventure bikes can mean big fun, but which is best? | MCN Review

KTM is the Road King. Period. Super Moto like AND Gixxer like too!
Honda is the Trail King and by a Mile (and also the RELIABILITY King).
R.E. is the Cruiser King, the Long Miler.
BMW the Adventurer? Maybe? Send us Paupers a new model?
Me? I get the newer, Lower Seat (LS) model of the Honda, the basic model, add a fairing, change the seat and longer term, replace the tires with better quality ones and maybe a suspension change?
Otherwise we also have the KLX300 from Kawasaki here in the States.

Calling out Indians “ that we sit through off roads“ you a*s*oles need to see our off-roaders , there’s a guy here (ch saddler) who rides this bike(ktm), what you and your forefathers could not ride in your dreams. Shame that these bri*ts look down upon us Indians till now.

So what one would you pick for the TAT?

All that you’re saying about the CRF just highlights what a great job Voge have done with their 300 Rally.

I have a himalayan and an africa twin adventure sports dct.
Himalayan every time for green laning .
It's unbelievably tough .
Africa twin mostly tarmac stuff as I really don't want to break it off road.

Get a good mic please!!

Guys, after 30 years of not even sitting on a bike last year I sat on that Honda in a showroom, I nearly died of shock. I’m 75kg and the suspension felt like I was sitting on a kids toy. It’s pathetic for anyone other than a slow beginner. Inconceivably stupidly soft. 🤷‍♂️

Get a v strom 650 and call it a day. Best bike ever.

Do not take the himalyan for RTW, it's know to fall apart.

I’m kind of surprised you guys didn’t include the Kawi, though i suppose it’s a little too heavy to be included in this mix.

Second time I've watched this review.... initially when I got interested in lightweight adventure bikes.... and now when I got to the decision of which one I'm going to buy which happens to be in the list of your reviews..... I remember all the trials 60s and 70s were all thumping single cylinders and they got them up those Hills.... I think it's definitely the Himalayan for me.... I've done all the projectile rides I just want a lazy plod

its not small mate, its average

Himalayan with proper tyres for me .very capable

And the old DR650 still whips their butts!

I'd just pick the HONDA. Offroad, trail guy here!

Hey... Hey... YOU'RE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD!

Y is the CB500X never included?

Need to come to India to see the road condition

The ktm is by miles the best bike here. The hinalayan is really low quality badly built super heavy. The bmw is not bad, but a very lame low power motor. The crf also is super low powered and needs tons of mods to make it perform better. The ktm has it all really and the power.

If you say lightweight then chose lightweight. The RE is mid weight Light is the CRF and anything at that or lighter. Call it the beginner or (re)entry bikes or whatever else. MCN we must love it how much quality work goes in compared to other 1 man shows.

Missing cb500x, again, MCN has an incomplete field

Great review. Best summing up of the Himalayan I’ve heard!

So where in Devon was this please?

I'm torn between the 390 adv and the cfr300ls (I'm short so I'd go with the low seat edition). I live in Texas so any trail riding is going to require more to drive at least an hour or two away. Because of this, I'm leaning towards the 390. But i don't want to get it and regret it the second I hit the trails since the cfr is much more capable off road.

Himalayan❤

Excellent review....definitely want the Himalayan for the reasons mentioned....plod comfortably around the world

Please could you do an independent review o the benelli trx702 not the 702x but the 702....I would be so grateful if you could do this..I enjoy you video's so much thank you..robin

God...that was one smart, searching, review.
The thing that is so often missing in reviews is exploring the implications of different rider needs & preferences, and also skill levels.
This review confirms my preference for a Himalayan (this 411, or, the upcoming 450?) because it's solid explorer bike that carries the gear, tractors over the terrain, and doesn't require razor sharp off-road skills.

You’re only stood ten feet apart from each other… why are you both shouting at the tops of your voices?

why is the mic quality so bad? maybe its because they are talking so loud. i have the volume the lowest it can go and they still sound way louder than even the driving scenes

Voge 300 Rally at £3800 is the bike I would go for. Better suspension than the Honda.

If you want a small adventure bike with limited off road capability but shines on the pavement then do yourself a favor and just get a Honda CB500x.

3 of these bikes are manufactured and assembled and shipped to the world these days all the way from India !!

Erm... You seem to have missed out the best, and cheapest of them all. The new Voge 300.

Bro you have to improve the audio quality

Great review thanks. There is the KTM390ADV X version stripped of all electronics to consider for less negative remarks, and also the new off-road version which is being planned to be released in 2025. Something like an "R" version. Then I'm sure it will eliminate even it's closest competitors unless it's rivals do something similar. After my T7, I ordered the 390ADV SW version since I'll be doing no more than 5% light offroads when I started searching for a lightweight enduro/adventure/travel bike. Just not off the beaten path.

Any bike is an adventure bike. These are dual purpose bikes

Not sure about the up to date prices of the others but you can get a Himalayan brand new for £4300 on the road.

Great test but is it just me reacting to the constant screaming in the mics, feels like you could talk more normally.

I have a Himalayans with Front and Rear YSS suspension and a upgraded clutch. With these two upgrades it makes for a solid small adventure bike that gives the others on the list a run for their money. Where the RE comes short is the build quality, this mostly from my experience becomes obvious under stress/harder terrain for longer long periods of time.

I have a G310GS and I love it for the more relaxed old man riding that I do. If I wanted a more off road capable bike, I think I'd probably buy a Kawasaki KLX300 because it has better suspension than the CRF300L,

I have always ridden small dual sport thumpers. I never wanted a big heavy bike, on road or off road. Now that I'm in my 60's, that's no longer just a preference. It's now a necessity.

I bought a 2019 G310GS for my 60th birthday. It's great for me because I don't ride hard on road or off road, and it'll do both to my heart's content. For the last three years, it's been 100% reliable. I've done all of the scheduled maintenance and it's been inexpensive to maintain.

I wish BMW offered a G310GS Adventure version with a 5 gallon fuel tank, tubeless spoke wheels, an aluminum bash plate, engine protection bars, larger and more aggressive pegs, and fully adjustable suspension front and rear. Those upgrades would cost BMW less than $400 and I'd pay $2000 more for that bike, even though I don't need those improvements. I added most as after market upgrades. I didn't bother upgrading the wheels or suspension because those are expensive and I wouldn't benefit enough to justify the cost. KTM swapping tubeless alloy wheels for tube spoked wheels was a step in the wrong direction their 490 Adventure, in my opinion. I wish there was a good after market 5 gallon fuel tank for the G310GS because no ADV bike should have a 2.9 gallon fuel capacity.

Bike manufacturers, not just BMW, look at their small ADV bikes as beginner bikes. They use them to get new customers on the upgrade path to their mid size and full size ADV bikes. Older riders typically have more discretionary income and are buying smaller bikes because they have trouble handling and lifting larger bikes, but I'd argue that a small ADV bike like the G310GS is better off road for all riders. Unfortunately, the marketing department doesn't want to admit this, so they won't sell full featured lightweight ADV bikes because if they did, most people wouldn't buy their more expensive larger bikes. That's why smaller ADV bikes are built to a budget and are stripped of premium features. The companies would rather sell someone their first bike, that leads to their second and third. They aren't interested in selling old riders their last bike, so they miss the opportunity to make an R1300GS Adventure profit margin on a G310GS Adventure.

I looked at all of these except the RE. I bought the Honda and it satisfies. It seems a better bike for “adventure” unless freeway travel at more than 55 mph is any part of the adventure, or when adventure means more than 50 mile events at which point your butt will be very sore.

I've done the A2 day with Nathan and thoroughly recommend it. I loved the KTM but to be fair I'd be happy to own any of them.

Great video, but where was the Versys 300 X?

Ktm always 🧡🖤🤍💙

Loving your content! Your rides are so adventurous. 🚵‍♂ How about some insights into managing fatigue and staying fit on those long motorcycle trips? Waiting eagerly!

I bought a Kawasaki verdyd x 300 ang love it it's as capavle as my old Dr650 without the tyhuprt screamiong at me to slow down on the highway.

Woukd have to honda

Stop SHOUTING. Try ear plugs but probably too late. 😄