Well folks, the latest Harley machine to grace the motorcycle market jumps, slides, and rips with the best of them – “them” of course, being the heavyweight adventure motorcycle class. The entire world had its reservations, some optimistic, and plenty pessimistic. But after cruising for two days on the 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special, it’s clear that it’s adept at much more than just that. 

We’ve already expended a ton of pixels talking about the new Harley-Davidson Pan America, most recently here. But Harley put out even more detailed pics and info in this release a few weeks ago about the all-new 1250 Revolution Max, or “Revmax” V-twin engine, that’s going to power it. 

UPDATED Jan. 28: KTM says the 1290 Super Adventure S will be available this spring as a 2021 model in Europe, but it will not be coming to North America until the fall as an early 2022 model.

What Tiger 850? When I went to St. Louis to learn all about the new Triumph 900 family way back in December 2019, there were five Tiger 900s – two 900 GTs, two Rallys, and a base model Tiger 900. Sometime between then and now, Triumph decided to distinguish the base model by calling it Tiger 850 Sport, but in fact, it has the same 888 cc Triple as the other four bikes, supposedly slightly detuned.

KTM hasn’t officially announced its 2021 1290 Super Adventure models yet, but it briefly published the pages for both the street-focused Super Adventure S and more off-road capable Super Adventure R on its website. The pages were quickly taken down, but we’ve managed to snag the details. Both models receive a number of updates, including a radar-based adaptive cruise control system for the S model.

KTM has filed a patent application for a new low-slung saddle-shaped fuel tank, and the illustrations suggest it will be used on a new 1290 Super Adventure. KTM first introduced the rally-style tank design on the 790 Adventure R, and a similar design has since made it to the 890 and 390 Adventure models. It seems natural, then, that we would see the 1290 Super Adventure get a similar design.

Dang, it sounds like Honda has given one of my personal favorites a little more of everything that makes it a favorite: More power, more rpm, outstanding fuel efficiency (up to 66 mpg), 13 fewer pounds of weight, a bigger storage compartment, lower seat height, sharper styling, ride modes, a slipper clutch for the 6-speed version – and the automatic Dual Clutch Trans is still an option, which gives the NC really all the best features of a motorcycle and a scooter. Which makes it interesting that Honda categorizes it as an Adventure motorcycle (where the current NC’s price is $8,099 in the US).

Ducati officially revealed its new Multistrada V4, which joins the two-cylinder Multistrada 1260 and Multistrada 950 in its adventure-touring lineup. The 2021 Ducati Multistrada V4 will be offered in three versions, the base model V4, the V4 S and the V4 S Sport.

Ducati is set to announce its new Multistrada V4 tomorrow at 1 pm EST/10 am PST, but we’ve got an early glimpse of the new adventure-touring model and some initial details thanks to a vehicle certification document from Australia.

Why is it that OEM lighting too often seems subpar? That’s not to say every brand or model on the road these days has a headlight that comes up short, but in my experience, on two wheels or four, manufacturers rarely put an emphasis on their vehicle’s ability to provide ample lighting. Thankfully, there are a handful of companies out there making great auxiliary lighting options for motorcycles. Some are new, and some have been well-tested over time in rigorous conditions. If you’re looking to add some lumens to your stock setup, here are some of the best LED lights for motorcycles. 

After announcing the 2021 890 Adventure R and Adventure R Rally earlier this month, KTM revealed a third member of the lineup in the more street-biased 890 Adventure.

Moto Morini have been rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar’s since man walked beside the dinosaurs, prospering then going bankrupt in equal parts for decades – possibly as a result of not bothering to participate in the US market for about the last half century. Known for booming V-twins, just like another famous Italian builder from Bologna, Morini never quite achieved Ducati’s level of success in the modern era, but that never seemed to stop them from trying. Last we heard, the company was swallowed up by the Chinese Zhongneng Vehicle Group, in 2018. Ten years on, we mourn the passing of the Morini Granpasso 1200, fully secure in faith that if Morini doesn’t rise again, we’ll eat our cappello. Take it away, Tor.

BMW announced updates to the G310GS, making the littlest GS Euro 5-compliant and giving it new LED lighting and adjustable levers. The G310R, the GS’ naked standard sibling, is expected to receive similar updates but it has not been announced as yet.

Ducati is set to introduce a new member of the Multistrada family, powered by a 1158cc version of the Stradale V4 engine. The new model, which we’ll call the Multistrada V4 for lack of a better name, will join the 2021 Ducati lineup alongside the twin-cylinder 1260 and 950 Multistradas.

As motorcycles become more reliable and maintenance intervals get more spread out, one consumable remains on a fairly frequent interval for motorcycles. Tires have made tremendous advances in the last decade, but they are still the most frequent maintenance items for motorcyclists. With the rates for mounting and balancing tires going through the roof (My local shop charges $60 for a pair of tires with the wheels off the bike.), buying a tire changer makes a lot of sense. I’d been eyeing No-Mar Tire Changers for quite a while before pulling the trigger and installing one in my garage. In less than a month and after changing a dozen tires, we’d have already spent about 35% of the cost of the No-Mar Classic HD Motorcycle Tire Changer at our local motorcycle shop, but what’s most important is how convenient it is having a tire changer in my garage available when I need it. I no longer have to load my wheels into my truck, drive to my local shop, wait an hour (or more) for them to be ready, and finally take them home to reinstall on my bike. 

Frankly I was a little intimidated when I saw the all-new 2020 BMW S1000 XR sitting there in the warehouse. It’s large, and the seat’s not low, and the battleship gray and sharp prow reminded me of touring the USS Iowa. It fired up with a raspy bark when I climbed into the stiffish saddle. You barely even need to let things idle anymore before you take off, but I usually do anyway (the computer on this one will only let you past certain rpm points as it warms up). Still, its 6%-lighter engine and 7%-lighter drivetrain doesn’t like it when I try to ease away with minimal rpm; it snatches and jerks and I almost kill it a couple of times before I remember what I’m dealing with here (I’ve been riding a lot of Rebel 500s and Burgman scooters lately).

And in those days ten years ago, King Gelandestrasse of Bavaria was just 30 years old and feeling his hafer, a yuuge success throughout the world upon which everyone with encroaching male-pattern baldness wanted to ride to Zimbabwe. On the other side of  the Alps, the Romans could not help noticing King GS’s success. It was time, then, to upgrade their simple air-cooled playbike with a bewildering array of technological finery also, along with a bunch more of the King’s horses. Why not, as all roads lead to Rome. Placing the turn signals in the handguards was a stroke of genius that declared the battle was on – but no touching of the hair or face. A reading from the book of Pete, and the apostle T-Rod. Amen.

I’ve ridden touring bikes all across the American continent. From a transcontinental dash on a touring cruiser to multi-day jaunts on Gold Wings to a gravel road to the Arctic Ocean in Prudhoe Bay, AK, I’ve done my time and racked up the miles, but none of the touring motorcycles I’ve ridden appeal to me as much as the sport adventure touring class of motorcycles. They appeal to me and the type of riding that I like to do. With that said, the 2020 Ducati Multistrada 1260 S Grand Tour is a great example of the species.

How can any red-blooded American not love Suzuki, the blue-collar working motorcycle so many of us thrashed as youths, left parked in alleys with no loss of sleep, covered in fur for a brief period there in the (I think) ’90s… In spite of all the abuse we dished out, Suzuki’s loyalty was never in question.

A management presentation prepared by KTM‘s parent company Pierer Mobility reveals GasGas will introduce at least three streetbikes, including two 800-class models, a naked bike and an adventure-tourer, plus a 250-class naked bike.

Triumph sprang a 3500-word manifesto re: its new Tiger 900 on us just before the press introduction of the new bike last Tuesday in St. Louis, which we ran in its entirety. Now that we’ve had a few days to digest all the newness of the thing (five things really: Tiger 900, Tiger 900 GT and GT Pro, Tiger 900 Rally and Rally Pro) here are our main take-aways.

Well what did you expect? Faster, lighter, torquier, more technologically advanced and cleaner, that’s what you get – and in five different flavors: Your regular Tiger 900 is the new “road-focussed” Tiger, with a major step forward in capability beginning with a heavily revised 888 cc inline triple complete with new firing order.

Stelvio, Stelvio, wherefore art thou, Stelvio? Tis but thy name that is my enemy, and what’s in a name? That which we call a big adventure bike by any other name would smell as sweet; so Stelvio would, were he not Stelvio call’d, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Sorry, but Tor riding around in Italy brings out the Shakespeare in us. The Stelvio was ten years, ago: Now there’s a brand new and even more fair Moto Guzzi adv bike, the V85TT. Swoon. Take all myself, and let God sort them out.

Husqvarna revealed an adventure bike concept called the Norden 901. If that alone wasn’t enough to get our juices flowing, there’s the fact the Norden is based around our Motorcycle-of-the-Year winner, the KTM 790 Adventure R.

Honda unveiled the new 2020 Africa Twin, revealing a larger engine, lighter weight and a number of electronic rider aides including the much requested cruise control. The 2020 CRF1100L Africa Twin will be offered in regular and Adventure Sports ES models, both available with a choice of manual or DCT versions.

Trips like this always sound like such a great idea… You have somewhere you need to be in a certain time frame, and the weather looks clear. There are important personal matters requiring resolution on a Monday morning, and with my initial plan to fly now gone askew, I was staring into the driveway at the Africa Twin and pondering. How hard could it be, right?

What’s not to like, really? Kawasaki’s “versatile system” Versys sisters – X 300, 650 and 1000 – are all just that, versatile bikes for all seasons. But now that there’s a lot more competition in the adventurish sporty roadbike segment than there used to be, the Versys 1000 felt like it needed to keep up with the Joneses.

We all know that the world shown in motorcycle advertisements isn’t real. As much as we’d like it, the sun doesn’t always shine, and we aren’t the only vehicle on the road. We can always dream, though. When it comes to bad weather, we all have to deal with it sometime – even those of us who reside in sunny SoCal. When the rain starts to fall, the best thing we can do is have proper rain gear to keep us dry. Touring and adventure touring riders will often make their stand against the elements with waterproof riding suits, which we’ve covered here.  For the rest of us, a rain suit over our regular riding gear gets carried along when the weather looks like it could turn wet. 

The Paris-Dakar rally, a true test of endurance, the ultimate adventure. I’m referring to, of course, the Paris-Dakar of old, when it ran from France to the west African capital of Senegal, Dakar. It was a time when men were men and women were women and the rally itself was more of an adventure, where “winning” was simply finishing. The rally has changed a lot since its inception in 1978. Now, the incredibly competitive teams are hell-bent on racing through the South American Dakar rally stages at break-neck speeds to ensure their spot in Dakar history whilst backed by chase vehicles full of sponsorship money.

At first blush, the upgrades for the base 2019 Ducati Multistrada 950 were mostly centered around the 6-axis Bosch IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), translating into better traction control and cornering ABS, but Ducatisti in the United States don’t have the option of buying that plain Jane Multistrada 950. Instead, Americans are forced to enjoy the premium componentry and electronic upgrades of the Multistrada 950 S. Oh how will we ever endure the slings and arrows of Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS) continuously adjusting the damping while Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) renders the clutch obsolete after you pull away from a start? After riding the 2019 Ducati Multistrada 950 S for a couple hundred miles of the twistiest Spanish tarmac I’ve had the privilege of sampling, I can answer with certainty that the North American market will get along just fine.

If you were given the most competent adventure bike in terms of travel and off-road performance, where would you go? Would you visit the road of bones as you traversed Asia? Perhaps wind your way through serpentine stretches of asphalt in the Swiss Alps? Or maybe your wanderlust would guide you to the Sahara, one of the harshest unforgiving landscapes in the world. When it comes to adventure, everyone’s looking for something different. Their own definition. On a motorcycle, it can be the same. Some want the most travel-capable bike with adequate off-road ability allowing them to explore further than the road stretches. Others want the most capable off-road motorcycle and the ability to travel long distances. KTM’s answer to those respective questions? The 2019 KTM 790 Adventure and 790 Adventure R.

Well, the first patch of sand I tumped over in was more a result of surprise right after we’d turned down the dirt road a few miles outside of Palm Springs: How dare BMW leave this stuff here on a press introduction route? It was embarrassing but also a learning opportunity: Has the new R 1250 GS Adventure lost any weight? No, BMW’s specs say the new bike weighs 591 pounds fully fuelled to the R 1200 GS Adventure’s 573 lbs. Would I be able to pick it up by myself? Yes! I was able to upright the thing in the sand before hardly anyone spotted me. But I think it was sheer embarrassment adrenaline doing the lifting.

It’s on rainy, cold nights like this one that I’m glad I have a garage. Looking at your motorcycle parked outside as it’s pelted with rain, sleet, hail, mud and other unpleasantness can make you weep with impotent rage. Cover it? Motorcycle covers are a hassle to put on and remove. First, you have to wait until the bike cools to avoid melting the cover to the exhaust. Plus, they can blow off your bike, get shredded and messy-looking, and trap moisture underneath, which can cause rust and mold. Nasty!

The air had a brisk freshness about it. Pure mountain air with a hint of fall from the turning leaves. The kind of unsullied atmosphere that can only be found far from the pollution of civilization. The sun had begun its slow descent behind the surrounding red rock mesas, and the cottonwoods and aspens appeared to glow in the late daylight, contrasting beautifully with the red rock, blue skies and well-manicured grass of the Gateway Canyons Resort. The resort sits at 4,500 feet, in the juncture of five canyons, some of which had been carved out more than a billion years ago. This would be the proving ground for our evaluation of BMW’s latest mid-size GS offerings – the 2019 F 750 GS and F 850 GS.

BMW unveiled a new Adventure version of the F850GS, making the middleweight adventure-tourer even better suited for long-distance travel.

As we previously reported, BMW has expanded its R1250 boxer lineup to include the R1250R, R1250RS and R1250GS Adventure to go along with the previously-announced R1250GS and R1250RT.

Good news: after giving us looks at a concept and a prototype, plus a prolonged promotional campaign, Yamaha officially introduced the production version of the Ténéré 700.

Ducati‘s smallest “multibike” is designed to provide all the excitement of the Multistrada in a more accessible package. Designed to put performance within everyone’s grasp, says Ducati, the new Multistrada 950 is for those who want to get in some touring – possibly with a passenger and some luggage – and those who want an agile, fun bike that’s ideal for everyday use. Not to mention fashionable.

The closeouts continue to roll out at Revzilla, this time on motorcycle luggage and backpacks. Through the balance of the month (and possibly beyond), save anywhere between 15 and 70% on luggage from Givi, Icon, and countless others. All told over 150 items are a part of their closeout sale, and much like the ongoing gear closeout sale we also featured recently, there are some great savings to be had here.

In America, some might consider owning and riding a Harley-Davidson to be patriotic. But in Italy, Ducati is revered and more closely synonymous with religion. Hardcore Ducatisti take motorcycles, their performance, style, and love of their red rockets seriously, and the 2019 Multistrada 1260 Enduro is no exception. With its high-performance/racing pedigree, adventure touring and/or off-road riding is rarely (if ever) the first thing that comes to mind when the Italian marque is mentioned. The update and introduction of this new 2019 Multi aims to change all that, and it started with the goal of making the 1260 Enduro more accessible and intuitive to operate, easier and more enjoyable to ride, all while increasing its overall performance.

Slightly overlooked in this year’s Intermot insanity was Moto Guzzi’s announcement that its V85 TT is officially on the way. We first remember seeing this one at the EICMA show last November, but now it’s production-ready and quite the looker.

You can find a cheap motorcycle phone mount all over the internet these days, but pricing versus quality don’t seem to run entirely linear. After a bit of digging the evidence is clear; yes you can spend $50-60 on a higher end mount that will be rock solid, but there are also a few great well-built buys out there that don’t break the bank. Enter the  Roam Universal Premium Bike Phone Mount for Motorcycles—a simple and sturdy mount currently on sale for $12.98 with free shipping via Amazon. with over 4,700 customer reviews and an average score of 4.4 out of 5, this mount is tough enough to do the trick on a budget. If you do a fair bit of off-road riding, even if just on bumpy logging roads, we’d suggest going the heavy duty route, but if you’re a commuter/highway cruiser there’s no sense breaking the bank here.

Now we know why Ducati wouldn’t let us borrow a Multistrada 1200 Enduro for our Adventure-Touring Shootout, as this new 2019 Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro was right around the corner. —Ed.)

We here at Motorcycle.com like the Suzuki V-Strom 1000XT. In fact, we named it the value choice of our recent Big-Bore Adventure Touring Shootout ( Part 1, Part 2). So, imagine our surprise when we saw that some of the same accessories installed on our 1000XT for the tour were now standard fare on the 2019 Suzuki V-Strom 1000XT Adventure.

After CARB filings and a leaked video tipped the world about their existence, BMW has officially announced the 2019 R1250GS and R1250RT featuring a 1254cc Boxer engine with a “ShiftCam” variable-valve timing system.

Adventure tourers who are looking for a boot that can handle the rigors of light off-road while still maintaining on-pavement comfort should take a hard look at the TCX Baja Gore-Tex Boot. These fully-waterproof puppies might be overkill for mere street touring, but the protection they offer should make riders who don’t stop when the pavement ends happy.

Motorcyclists can be divided into two groups: those that love tank bags and those who don’t. Personally, I’ve had at least one tank bag for every bike I’ve owned. So, you don’t have to guess which camp I fall into. However, the trend towards tanks that slope sharply towards the rider has made using tank bags a challenge. Throw in the need to stand up on the pegs when riding an adventure bike in the dirt, and the sizing of a tank bag becomes even more difficult. Wolfman, a manufacturer long known among the adventure and off-road set, has come up with what I think is the optimum tank bag for the style of tank most commonly found on the current generation of adventure bikes. The Blackhawk tank bag offers a good compromise of carrying capacity and the need to move freely when standing.

Helmets are a lot like shoes, and like a good pair of shoes, the right helmet can be incredibly versatile and can complement a variety of different outfits, or gear sets in this case, for an assortment of various riding disciplines. The Shoei VFX-Evo has been my number one go-to off-road helmet since the day I got it back in January, and I’ve been reaching for it almost exclusively anytime any sort of dirt riding is on the menu.

For most of us, once we bring a new bike home the first thing we start planning are upgrades. Swapping stock parts or just bolting new ones on, it’s time to start customizing your bike to make it your own.

Adventure riding has no bounds. With a properly outfitted ADV bike, you can ride just about anywhere and everywhere so long as weather conditions and more importantly your riding ability allow for it. Speaking of weather conditions, you can find yourself riding in any number of them, and there are various gear options out there that will not only perform way better than your average dungarees and jacket, but will provide enhanced protection in the event of a mishap, too.

Some of these are way too easy, and some of them are pretty easy. Answering a couple others correctly will have required you to pay more attention over the years than you apparently have to your expanding waistline, and at least one of them you can’t get wrong. Rememember to keep your eyes on your own paper, and that the visual aids are not always there to aid you. Alright, let’s begin. (Lead photo courtesy Alls Wallenda that Ends Wallenda)

For this four-part series, we take a look at five easy bolt-on parts that will transform your ADV bike from a Starbucks-destined road queen, to a Dakar-ready desert blasting rally winner. Or something like that. This series is designed to show how much of a difference a few well-thought-out adventure bike upgrades can make to the off-road prowess of your big ADV bike.

Nothing spells adventure like hitting the open road on a motorcycle with your family and friends. America is an incredibly big country, encompassing seemingly endless places to go and see. With all its vastly different landscapes and attractions, the U.S. is a haven for motorcycle travel and adventure. So, where do you even start? Well, you could plan your own trip, map out your route, make your lodging arrangements, find places to eat and fuel up along the way, and hope you don’t run into any bike troubles. Or, you can kick back, relax, and let one of the many motorcycle touring companies here in the U.S. take care of all that for you. After all, they’re experts on the subject with everything you need to know, and more. All you have to do is enjoy the ride and the beautiful scenery (and fork over a little cash).

This just in from the We Knew It Was Coming But Couldn’t Prove It Department: The KTM 390 Adventure is being developed for the 2019 model year. Now, let’s see what the spy shots have to tell us.

Last November, Moto Guzzi presented its V85 concept, an adventure-touring model powered by a new air-cooled 850cc V-Twin. Based on the comments in our EICMA show coverage, the V85 concept was very well received by MO readers. If you’re one of those who liked the concept, you’ll be happy to learn that Piaggio has filed a design patent for what looks to be the final production model, and it does not stray too far from the original concept. (UPDATE: better quality versions of the patent images now added, from filings with China’s patent office.)

When I picked up our Triumph Tiger 1200 for a 900-mile trip up to northern California’s Monterey Peninsula, I had really hoped Triumph would have outfitted the big adventure touring bike with the OE luggage. Alas, the big trumpet was devoid of storage, save for the impressively large underseat compartment and a not-so-impressive rear rack. Thankfully, Evans Brasstacks always has a backup plan. No sooner had I called Evans whining, he was on the horn with our friends at TwistedThrottle.com working out a solution. Enter the new DRYSPEC H35 waterproof cases.

Speaking of adventuring, on my way home from flogging this new Tiger all over the mountainside, I was inspired enough to explore a new route: Instead of taking the 210 to the 57 like I usually do, I hopped on 5 South, to the 10 West, to the 710 South! (I had to go to Long Beach to do a bike swap with Ryan.) Was it scary? A little. There are some parts of LA where you really don’t want to have to stop, but the Triumph Tiger 1200 XCa had me feeling all omnipotent. Bring it on!

When I first laid eyes on the 2018 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports at the Long Beach International Motorcycle Show, I thought to myself, “Dang that’s a nice paint job and I love the white frame, but man, what a long name.” After talking to some Honda reps about the bike’s intended place in the market and in its own line-up, I left the conversation a bit more confused than when I had started. You see, the Africa Twin Adventure Sports is aimed to more directly compete with the bigger adventure motorcycles that publications and consumers alike, were already comparing it to.

A couple months back, we published a spy photo of what looked to be a new BMW F850GS Adventure. We can now confirm the F850GS Adventure has been certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a 2019 model.

Bridgestone has just introduced two new tire families to their lineup – the Battlax Adventure A41 and the Battlax Sport Touring T31. The driving goal behind these two new models was to improve on their outgoing predecessors’ overall performance by focusing on and upgrading wet grip and handling with an emphasis in low temperatures. On top of that, Bridgestone set out to increase feedback and contact feel across all lean angles, all while maintaining stability and no sacrifice on wear life. Sounds easy enough, right? Well…