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I think the "reliability concerns" for Royal Enfield are only historical. FortNine did a study of oil at break-in change a year or two ago and found that the engines were cleaner out of the factory than ANY other maker including BMW and Japanese bikes. I have not heard of actual reliability issues from their modern bikes. I actually hear more people having trouble with KTM than RE.

I ride a Himalayan, some off roading, camping, and BDR, but I also daily it for my work commute. I can say it's just as reliable, and easy to work on, as the KLR. Only changes I have made and recommend are: new mirrors, bar guards (Bark busters), soft bags, and a lower pipe (to keep the pipe off the bags, not necessary otherwise). It is an absolute tractor, and can be had new for $5-6.5k.

62 years and 41 motorcycles later I have to say the BMW G310GS is a pretty excellent all ‘rounder. Spoon on some Bridgestone AX 41’s and stiffen up the suspension a bit and it is a highly capable ADV bike. I’ve got over 10K miles on my 2021 and so far I’m a pretty happy camper 😊

IMO, the beauty of the DR650 is it's simplicity and super easy maintenance. No coolant, screw adjust valves clearance, etc. Also, being unchanged since 1996 makes for a huge aftermarket and a well documented list of it's known problems.

Had the 500X & the DR650. Either one could run forever. The Honda is a no-drama machine

I bought a 2017 Versys 300X 2 years ago for $4K. I'm 76, so it's my size. Grew up in the 70s on dirt bikes.

The most important part of the KLR 650 is the community around that bike.

I love my KLR. It’s my first motorcycle. It’s a great choice for a bigger guy like me learning to ride

I'm 74 been riding all kinds for 55 years. I have noticed time and again especially in Adv riding that many folks are not slipping there clutch and increasing their rpms when picking their way throuhh..up an obstacle strew trail. Saw a close up of itchy boots hands during her crash. This is a technic I had to teach my family extended of 12 people and friends. Thx

I’ve owned my 14 VStrom 650 for 6 years and have put nearly 70,000 miles on it. I have the options of numerous other bikes ranging from tourers, sport tourers, cruisers and modern classics. The VStrom is my go to, favorite of everything in the garage. Absolutely love it. Dead reliable.

I belong to the DR650 cult. It is a great choice. I am an old school guy. Thanks for this video.

KTM 390 is a great choice and should have been near the top. Offers a great size and weight for a new rider or someone that wants a lighter ADV. Look how much punishment and miles ADV MATT has put on his and not major issues. Mine, with cast wheels has seen some pretty rough roads and single track without issue, and now they have the Spoked wheels model from the factory this year. That alone should silence most of its critics. Thanks for the video, but just because it’s a Japanese brand doesn’t make or break reliability. Everyone makes winners and losers.

Having done a test ride on a cb 500x, and a Versys 300x, as well as owned a 2022KLR, and now a Himalayan, I think the cb 500x takes it for all around best. The 300x is nice and was fun to ride but it was weird to rev it out so much. I personally didn't like the KLR, for me it was a bad fit with the suspension. Though I have a short inseam and I am pretty light. I would recommend it if you are taller or heavier. I have really enjoyed my Himalayan but it definitely has some quirks. If you want to get involved with bike service it's awesome because it's easy to work on. The Himalayan sounds great too if you like a vintage single cylinder sound. To be honest though I also regret not getting a cb500x as my first motorcycle.

Hey Dork! Love your videos. Just bought a Himalayan and received a sizeable year-end discount. Always good discounts at year's end. Loving the bike so far! Easy to work on and huge variety of aftermarket parts, many direct from India and at very fair prices. I'd love to own every bike on your list! Much respect from me to you for jumping into motorcycling in such a passionate and informative way! I have a little carbureted 2023 Honda XR150l on order for my daughter. I will lower it for her, and it will be her first bike. Hoping she gets the cycling bug as bad as I have it! It's my "therapy," and your advice and shared experiences have helped my adventures in many wonderful ways! God bless and thank you!

I bought a 2022 Versys X-300 about a month or so ago and I love it. Once you get used to how to manage the engine and shifting, it’s hard to find many flaws for a starter bike. I am 5’6” though so it fits my body perfectly. There are also lots of aftermarket items out there too if you want to spruce it up for more technical terrain. ADV Pulse did a build in 2019 you can find online and use as a blueprint. Great bike so far.

Put thousands and thousands of miles on my KTM 390 adv. Never had a single issue. It has more features than just about any bike on your list and cost less lol.

Just bought my vstrom 650 2010 as a second bike at the end of last summer ! Cannot wait to go camping, gravel roads and go on longer rides than on my naked ! Thanks for the videos man, love em

Ben, really enjoy your channel. Probably one of the best "reality-oriented" ADV channels. I bought a 2013 BMW G650GS new. 10 riding seasons later, after all kinds of trips from a 6 mile work commute to a 3000 mile trip to Hyder, AK (Stewart, BC), I highly recommend this bike for new riders. Low seat height, 65mpg, tons of accessories available from Touratech & Altrider and many others. Good on the road, good on PNW dirt roads, not really a BDR bike. I ride with all the camping gear loaded in 35L panniers and a dry bag and feel like I'm riding in style. Have watched the market come back towards mid-sized bikes. They just make sense.

I was curious if the Himalayan would make it on your list. I love mine so far and am new to the adventure riding lifestyle. I don’t ever see me doing much difficult riding. Farm roads, fire roads, etc., but it’s been a blast for me so far. Hoping it proves to be reliable. I did get it new so I’m good for at least the next 3 years lol. Thanks for the great content! 😎

I like the broader view you have about what an "adventure bike" is. I think that the offroad capabilities of most bikes that people exclusively consider adventure bikes are beyond the capabilities of most riders. Seems like a solid list.

Great video Ben! I very much agree with you about the V-strom. I had a 2003 DL1000 for about 150,000 miles. While it was dead reliable I would hesitate to throw it under a beginner... That and it's off-road ability was more that of a long-legged tourer than a true dual-purpose motorcycle.

Excellent recommendations. I have a DR650 languishing in my shed. It needs a new wiring harness and I keep finding reasons not to make and fit one. I think my New Year's resolution is going to have to be to get the bike running and hit the green lanes. (English equivalent of trails.)

Just brought my KTM 390 home. Looking forward to getting out once the ground thaws and temps go up here in Cetnral Oregon.

Stromin on the old trumbone! Excellent bike the 650. It is fun for all levels.

I like my DR 650 because it doesn’t have all the fancy things on it to stop working and leave you stranded! All the bikes on this list are great.

Great list dork! I’ve owned several of these bikes. If I were riding around the world I would buy a DR650, they are the cockroach of the motorcycle world - you can’t kill them!

Of all the videos that could have popped up this morning, I'm glad it was this one. I am not up to date on dual sport bikes, at all. Glad to see the DR 650 on the list. My first motorcycle, about 45 years ago, was a DR. It was an 80cc dirt bike- I picked it because it had a headlight like a “big boy” motorcycle. Makes me happy to know the name is still going strong. Kind of sad that now I want to dual sport bike when I just started looking for an adventure bike.

Just bought a 2023 versus 300. Love it so far. I’m 59 and just wanted something light.

I have a 2022 CB500X and its fantastic bike. This is my 3rd year riding and I have made mistakes on the 500X that may have been much more impactful on a bike with more power. Its not a highway star by any means but Its really fun for me right now. I do plan on getting more power next year for extended journeys but I have gained so much skill and confidence on the 500X.

I've got 30k miles on my 2020 650 "Wee-Strom" - great multi purpose bike and stupid easy to maintain. Awesome & fun on paved twisties. Comfortable to ride all day. Ok off road. Low ground clearance & still over 500lbs to pick up if you drop it. Looking at getting a 2nd smaller bike for off road.

I bought the klr in May 22 and have no regrets! It’s been a great first bike and have many years of exploring on it to look forward to.

Thank you for showcasing the Kawasaki Versys X300. My channel is dedicated to the Versys X300 and provide many videos on installing upgrades and mods. I provide all the details on all the parts, sources, costs, etc. Enjoy the ride.

KTM owner here. I’d say KTMs are pretty reliable. Never had any issues except for regular wear and tear, no surprises at all.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I think my V-Strom 650 is awesome! I bought it new less than 10 years ago and it now has over 100,000 miles on it. I’ve ridden it through 36 states so far and it has been fantastically reliable. I actually wouldn’t call it a beginner bike though. I think you should start with something lighter and less powerful. It would not be a good first bike.

I had an Africa Twin I picked up used and I didn't care much for it. Didn't seem too heavy until you stopped and tried to move the bike around slowly. I would love to try the Versys 300. It has the hardest seat in the industry, but it also has the lightest clutch pull of any bike I've ever seen. I love this video. Love your honesty and candor. I find myself watching your videos more and more, so I'm hitting that subscribe button. Plus you have that mute button.

Agree with most of this list minus V-strom, Africa Twin.. both heavy for new riders especially offroad. Dual sports are the ticket here, I'd consider adding the 690/701 platform to list.. weight more forgiving offroad than even 390/Versys 300x while having plenty of power.

Great choices! I’ve ridden most and owned two. Started on a KLR, recently switched to the Wee-Strom because I’ve always been more of a road rider, but I still want to ride easy to moderate dirt. You can’t go wrong with any of these choices, though.

As a shorter and frugal street motorcyclist since 1975 the bikes I personally own for dual purpose/adventure along with price paid are: TW200 $1,600, XT225 $2,000, and DR650 $1,850. All three in excellent condition and low miles with relatively low seat heights. I did buy a project BMW f650 GS Dakar for $2,500 that has an electrical no start problem. And I wish I had not passed up on a KLR 250 for $2,000. I sold my venerable and ubiquitous KLR 650 for having two tall of a seat and being two top heavy. The next long-legged owner was stoked to find it and take it off my hands!

I enjoy my XT250, it’s a down size for me after decades of riding it suits all my needs. I was looking forward to watching videos of the one you bought did it turnout to be to much of a loss to fix up?

Me sitting in my garage looking at my brand new Tenere-700 that just came in last night trying to build my confidence to take it out on the street. 👁👄👁

For the combination of low weight, low cost, low seat height, comfort and speed on longer highway trips, high adjustability and a huge feeling of confidence mostly because of the weight and size the KTM 390 Adventure is much more than an "Honorable Mention". All these bikes are good, I've owned/own three of them, but if you are talking about beginners needing confidence and a bike that can grow with you and keep up with almost anyone out there on anything but the roughest trails, the KTM is my pick. S

I started my motorcycle journey on an Suzuki SV650 and I loved it but as the kids came around I decided it was a little too dangerous. So I sold it and a couple years later really wanted to get back on a bike so I decided to try some off road riding. I bought a Wr250r and have had it for about 2 years. It's been fun but I haven't enjoyed the more intense off road stuff I've tried as much as a I thought I would. Also getting to the off road stuff usually requires some highway rising and it's not fun on the WR. Looking to sell it now and getting back into more highway/ light off-road riding. Seen a couple of the V-storms for sale locally so I'm thinking that might be the bike for me. Thanks for all your videos Mr. Dork sir.

Now this is the kind of video that grabs me. Straight forward and broad spectrum. Your opinion matters Man. Thank you

Well they're all good choices for the right people. My hubby had the KLR650 is a very good bike. Our oldest son still has the z400, that's awesome bike off-road no doubt about it. And I still have the CB500X, it's one of my bikes. A bike I shall never sell. The CB500x what should I tell you about it. Well I can tell you one thing you got wrong, the older models from 2014 to 2016 their rims are very strong they're not weak as the newer models are. The newer models even though they have bigger rims have weaker rims and they tend to bend very easily. My CB500X is a 2015. It has a Rally Raided suspension, and it made a big difference in the bike handling off-road. I also as you brought out the foot pegs were not ideal so I changed those out right away. I also put risers on the handlebars and fat bars on it and a lot of different things of course to make it my own. The bike does wonderfully off-road and handles everything quite well, easy to use amazing on the highway and off-road. My hubby now owns the KTM 990 Baja, because he sold the KLR650, why? because he could not keep up with the CB500X. The CB500X is a great bike on the highway loves the twisties and if you fix this suspension it handles the off-road, single track trails and dirt roads amazingly you cannot go wrong with this bike. Great review love your Channel. Ih there's one more thing the gas mileage on the CB500X is amazing and it takes regular gas.

One thing that's good to keep in mind: the high power of the bigger bikes (Africa Twin, GS, etc) isn't really useful offroad. Offroad/poor road riding is about low speed precision. The big power is helpful on the highway but doesn't really come in when the pavement ends, and comes with the cost of weight and dollars.

The Vstrom is awesome. However the oem tires don't work off pavement at all.

I think part of the criteria should be that the motorcycle has reasonably priced parts, good parts availability, and easy to wrench on, assuming a new rider will drop the motorcycle and break bits off, and not want to pay a shop for simple repairs and maintenance. DR650 (pre-2017?) has its own dohicky-ish problem; the neutral sending unit. Having ridden 20,000 miles on a 2018 V-Strom 1000XT, 15,000 being "off-road", reliability has been flawless, but there are four complaints I have on the bike: 6.5in ground clearance. Just over 6in suspension travel. 19in front tire, which should be a 21in. Paper air filter that requires tank removal to clean or replace.

You're 3 for 3 with me as far as your videos go. Keep up the good work!

Good stuff Dork. For me though, I vote for KTM's :) I have a 250xc dirt and 390 Adventure and both have been reliable as a rock. I also had an AT but being a 5'6" female, it wasn't much fun off road but awesome on road! Keep up the great content man!

I started on a KTM 1190, and I've still got it. Spends almost all of its life on dirt. I love it. It's given me no bother. If I want to go from A to B across the Nordic region in an almost straight line with a comfy arse, I use the 1190. If I want to go in a dead straight line, I use my 500exc. I pack about the same on both.

Thanks, Ben! I love this channel.

Great video as usual. Love off road and adventure bikes. Had a bmw 650, klr 650 several older Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha dual sports including the xt500. Right now I’m riding a Versys x300 and loving it. Don’t be fooled by the small motor, it just needs to rev. I went one tooth up in the front and it’s perfect. Has all the add on accessories but still on the factory seat. I will say it’s hard as a brick so I’ll be looking for options. Other than that it’s great bike to consider unless your really tall. Overall it’s a bike that is close to the size and weight of a 250 but way more road capable.

I would take the KTM 390 or a BMW 310 GS over all the bikes on your list except maybe the KLR. I’m kind of shocked that you didn’t put them both on your list. These are both “adventure” motorcycles that were built for that purpose, not street biased bikes that can kind of handle some off road riding.

I had this decision to make last fall and I went for a 2010 XTZ 660 Z Tenere. I think its damn good for beginning. Not even slightly scary and very capable. It is tall, but Im 6"3 so good for me. My has all the bells abd whistles on it allready so its great. Also Akra pipes gives it some necessary pops n bangs 😃

A good set of tires and a seat concepts seat makes a huge difference on the VersysX-300.

I’m glad Spite turned me onto your channel

My first bike was a crf250l. With it loaded up for a five day trip it really was working hard to keep up with the others in the group. I only kept her for 5800km till I went for the Tenere 700. The Honda was perfect to learn on, but for me at 200lbs + gear she just didn’t have enough oomph.

My last bike was a street bike in the 1990's , I wanted to get back on two wheels before I got too old, but didn't want to be focused on payment, so I started looking for a dual sport. I came across a deal on a 2021 crf300 Rally that was used buy a lady for only 376 kilometers and didn't like it (too tall for her) and bought it. I love it , put 4000 more kilometers on it this past season. I love traveling back roads , some easy trails ,and just enough pavement to get to the next dirt road. I really appreciate the ABS brakes since I put more aggressive knobbies on it, and that makes it less payment friendly. I have no plans to upgrade to a different bike , because I don't want a heavier bike .I love the bike, it's my perfect bike. Love your channel, fun, funny and informative , thanks.

I made a spread sheet of all the small and mid-sized ADV and dual sport bikes available (what's the difference between ADV and dual sport, anyway???) I looked at weight, ground clearance, suspension travel, engine size, fuel capacity, tire type (tubeless or not) seat height, transmission, parts & dealer availability (and cost) and aftermarket support. And the initial price of the motorcycle. In the end I bought a 2023 Suzuki DR650, after rejecting every "recommended" bike in this video. The only thing it really needed was a few carburetor jets; it runs perfectly whether on the interstate or rocky dirt roads. Seems like it will go through anything, and it has saved my bacon on several occasions when I got surprised by the terrain. i LOVE that "outdated" motorcycle. Simple is good!

Pretty good choices. I would say look for a CRF 250 L for one reason, that in the 300 of both bikes that you’re going to outgrow and you can just get a 250 for a whole lot cheaper and there are way more of them out there available and for a bike that you’re going to have for a year or two and then probably upgrade could save a couple thousand bucks. It’s a smaller gas tank like you mentioned but to get into it and get started and learning to ride, it might be worth saving a couple grand. A couple other options if you don’t mind an older bike, 88 and 89 they had the Honda NX 650, it’s basically an XR 650 L but it’s got a much more straight a bowl gear range it sits lower and has more of a street oriented suspension and of course it’s that Honda motor so you can get parts anywhere and it’s very comfortable touring a type of bike that’s not too bad off-road either and then of course if you can find one the old Honda transalp. It’s a can a little more street oriented but can still do off-road, probably in the same category as the V Strom, but they had a very smooth great engine and they’re a little dated but something like that would be a great option as well. In other countries or if you can get them imported they had all kinds of sizes as well at 400s even. The v-twin engines in them was really really smooth and on the long ride that’s pretty nice compared to a lot of the singles. Now those probably aren’t as practical but they’re very cool options and that’s one of the things about the old Hondas is sometimes you can find them for a pretty good price but you can always sell them if they’re in decent shape and running and you can tell them pretty quick. If you can find a good old bike like a KLR or an old Honda XL or one of those bullet proof models you can often drive it for two or three years and sell it for about what you paid for it. If you’re mechanical you can find a cheap one that’s been a little neglected and probably make money on it with a good bit of work. That’s what was nice about carburetors so a lot of people at those bikes it for a couple years and then they don’t run well or start and they sell them cheap.

I did really enjoy all the KLR footage in this video, but I might be biased... That's a good lookin' machine!

my first motorcycle was a 2020 Vstrom 650. I adore it, Despite having a 3rd bike now, I still have my Vstrom.

Similar to the Honda 250/300, the Kawasaki KLX 250/300. It’s really a dual sport but could work for the right rider. I went against my own advice and picked up a KTM 890 Adventure. I know, I can’t complain if things go South. I’m knocking on wood that it doesn’t. Demo ride sealed the deal. The thing is outstanding to ride.

Very good list of beginner ADV bikes but the notable omission was the BMW G310GS. It's comfortable with a low seat height, has much better road manners than the dual sport thumpers I've owned, and it does surprisingly well in the type of mild off road that a beginner ADV rider will experience. The alloy wheels are plenty strong enough for this type of riding. It's not made to be a hard off road dual sport. Tubeless tires make for very easy flat repairs compared to the tubes on the spoked wheels on most of the recommended bikes. 34 HP is barely enough for highway use. I have cruised at 75 MPH for an hour no problem, and it'll reach 82 on flat terrain fully wound out, but I bought the bike for back roads and mild off road and it's great at that. BMW claims 71 MPG but I get 65 MPG riding it like a hoon. I do wish it had a 5 gallon tank instead of a 3 gallon tank, but that's my only real con. The G310GS has a large rear rack that is great for carrying camping equipment. I put everything in a single roll top waterproof 66 liter duffel bag on the pilion and the large rear rack so I don't have panniers catching on trees or causing drag when riding on the road. It handles very well. There are two factory 7 amp accessory switched ports behind the dash that made it very easy to add heated grips, dual USB charging ports, a GPS tracker hidden in the beak, etc. The bike has ABS. It can be switched off for steep trail descents on my 2019 model but the newer models leave it on all the time but made it smart enough to allow rear wheel skid braking on steep off road descents. An aluminum bash plate, engine protection bars, Bark Buster clones, larger pegs and a windshield were all inexpensive accessories that made the G310GS even more of an ADV bike. BMW was clever in the G310GS design. The engine faces backwards so the exhaust is at the rear. There is no exhaust pipe in front or running along the bottom to be smashed off road or to burn the rider's leg if the bike is dropped. The exhaust exits at the rear of the engine and heads up and to the right so the exhaust weight is low and the exhaust is well protected. The engine is angled to sit lower to lower the center of gravity to improve stability while maintaining good ground clearance. The G310GS is a fun and nimble bike. It's built in India but the components are BMW quality. I bought a 2019 model at the end of October before the new model was being released and BMW and the dealer had some nice incentives. I paid $4920 for a new baby GS out the door, with a three year factory warranty that I never needed. It's been 100% reliable and it's a relatively simple bike that's easy for me to maintain... or repair on the side of the trail if needed. I considered all of the bikes on this list and chose the G310GS for the riding I do, and almost three years later, I'm very happy with my choice. It definitely deserves not only to be on this list, but near the top of this list of beginner ADV bikes.

Thanks Ben for a great rundown! I happen to own the KLR650 Gen 3 Adventure and you actually helped me make up my mind on getting it. I have had it for a full year now and love it. I live in South Florida so finding trails is tough but I do get to ride on dome dirt/sandy roads. The OEM tires wore out on me at around 2800 miles which was disappointing. I now have the Motoz Tractionator GPS and love how the feel on road and dirt roads. I pick these up from 3D Cycle Parts and had great customer service. Now my wife wants a motorcycle LOL Thanks again for your great content!

How does the ktm 390 adventure not make this list

Back when I came across Itchy Boots taking that Himalayan across the middle east I amlost bought one. Then when she took her CRF all the way on the Pan-American Highway and all the other places she took that thing put that high up on my list.

I'm a KTM rider, but I am so stoked to get a brand new KLR650. Not sure why, but I just love it's value

I have had a 300X for nearly five years, the seat is terrible, everyone complains about it, had to spend 100$ for rebuild three layers foam, new super soft cover, now good. Now done nearly 90k all over Thailand and recently Laos and Vietnam, their roads are terrible particularly Laos. Good small ADV, big tank big range, oh lowered rear suspension 1”, I am short, during seat rebuild seat actually came out one inch lower so thinking of putting original dog bones back.

I rocked an ‘09 Kawasaki Versys 650 that was dressed out as an adventure touring bike. Better tires, engine guards, skid plate & suspension upgrade. She was a bit heavy for single track and rough trails. But she did great on the highway and was a good gravel road rider.

Hi, im 59 yrs old from the UK and have had a bike for all of my adult life, from Yamaha RD 250 to Honda XL 250, Honda Elsinore CR250, Yamaha TDM 850 (for 11yrs)and have just replaced my Yamaha FJR 1300 after 14yrs of faultless touring with a new Tenere world raid 700. To be honest i'm struggling with the world raid, i'm 6.1" so not short, I can just about put both feet flat on the ground when seated but I really don't feel confident at really slow speeds or even in a parking lot, if I park at the wrong angle on a slope or need to do a U-turn it's really unnerving, the height and the weight just makes things really hard, I can't believe i'm saying this after doing 50,000 miles plus on the FJR which is much heavier but so much lower. Don't get me wrong the T7 is great to ride but I guess the message to your viewers is to always test ride your new bike before you buy, i've dropped it once already and will have to persevere with it i guess. Probably why you didn't mention the T7 in your video? your thoughts would be appreciated. Love your vids, Mark.

I think the himalayan is also build in the USA for that market. Apart from the battery and relays it's reliable. Bosh relays and a good battery are inexpensive and so it's still a cheap bike. Well worth a look . Lots of aftermarket upgrade luggage etc available.

Good list. I would agree that while they’re good for beginners more seasoned riders can enjoy them as well. I’m currently thinking about a v-strom for the highway capabilities at a decent price.

I’ve owned Yamaha, KTM, too expensive and touchy. I stopped riding for awhile. Bought a used KLR650 with 3000 miles have put 20,000 miles on it. Added a pipe and rock guard and rack. Perfectly happy with it. I do all the maintenance and it’s dead dependable. I’ve been thru Mexico with it and some bad trails in the western states. Never a problem except for flats.

You have the Benelli TRK aswell on the US and the Leoncino 500, both 48hp very good and confortable bikes that will accept trail riding, gravel roads, and bad maiontain roads pretty confortable while having a GS-like sitting position and confort... VERY easy to work on, very simple, almost any shop in any country could find issues, both share the same engine, both are reliable.. i'm on my second one after having a KTM 790 Adv in between but the reliability of the italian-chinesse 500 wins me back... before the first TRK i had a R1200 GSA that i still love, an multistrada 1200 first model that i completely hate, and a KLR 650, and a bunch of other non adventure bikes, like cruisers, and some sports bike. i would buy the TRK again, in fact... i did.

I ended up going with a versys x 300, I would have rather had the cb500x, but the difference in price between the two cheapest new models by me was $2800. The versus x300 was $5400, no abs and had a $500 rebate. The cb500x was $8200, marked up a grand over MSRP. All of this is before fees and tax, I'd probably be spending tenere money for the cb500x after everything was said and done. Picking it up in a few days, super excited!

KLR 650 for me, I did many km's on it and loved it. I like the vstrom as well but my baby will always be my Yamaha TDR 250, good at everything that you do with it.

I got my t7 a week ago as my first bike. I used to ride scooters to commute, as an easy option (xmax my last bike 62.200 k). T7 (got only 400km now) is so fun to ride even at your daily ride to work. I am 5.8, 82kg, and i found T7 more easy to handle than expected. For sure will try the dirt. I believe you build your skills day by day. Start slowly and as grow your confidence you can pass to a higher level. It is not only the bike you will choose but also the way you're going to ride. Start slow, be patient and everything else will come. Greetings from Greece and always enjoy your ride! Isn't the bike world the greatest?

I can't believe that you haven't gotten more hits on this video and more likes very well prepared and a lot of meaningful content, Thank you.

I have to watch this in full later, but knowing it's a 1+ year old video, I wanted to comment that as I'm looking to return to riding bikes after 15-year break, I have my eyes set on the Himalayan 450. It seems less intimidating than many, while also hopefully being a bike with which it's possible to start practicing different off-road riding skills. AND I do need a bike with which it isn't a total pain to ride on tarmac for a few hours at a time.

My ktm is reliable, 2 years and no problems

Have owned lots of off road/adventure bikes from a KTM 350 EXC to BMW R1200GS. I've never owned one, but the DR650 seems to be the best "platform" of a bike to start with. It's a solid machine that can easily be modded to become just about any kind of bike you want. If you love to mod stuff, the DR650 has endless configurations.

Kawasaki used to have the KLR 250 , they should bring that back

Your intro and outro still cracks me up.

I used to own a 2008 DL650 (Wee-Strom), I consider myself a rather skill street rider, but not so much of a dirt rider at the time. That generation of DL650 was a little top heavy and not so generous for me, however, it did make one amazing touring bike. After a rather nasty lowside in the dirt, I decided to move on and later on I bought a DRZ400-S and 17" SM wheels. The DRZ was a much better bike for me at that level which I used to build my confidence and sharpen my skills as a dirt rider and at the time I had a friend that rode a DR650, which I would swap out with him every so often. The DR650 is a super lazy bike for dirt riding with all the bottom-end torque made it plow through the dirt like a tractor and the wide plush seat made it super comfortable for pounding the pavement.

First time on the channel, I am only 30 seconds in, and all I can think is, "I wonder if this guy's a geologist by day?" 😅

Video idea: Poll your fellow riders/viewers and record their motorcycle purchases as their skills improved. What would they buy next? I went from CT90 > Small 2-stroke dirt bikes > Vstrom 650. New Transalp or 300L Rally next.

Had transalp xl700 as first bike, was too big for me, barely did any offroad. Then bought himalayan 2021 year, excellent bike, can go anywhere, forrest, hills, muds. And cool bike for city riding

I like my Guzzi V85 TT, it’s a light 500lbs 850cc unit. Rare but worth the buy!

Just picked up a v-strom DL-1000 haha, first bike ive owned and i love it! But something smaller might have been a smarter choice but it really is fun

I recently got my first bike, and so far it had been perfect. It is a BMW f650 gs

Can't give enough praise for the vstrom 650, Bought mine used with givi bags and about 8K miles for $5K, I'm getting close to 40K miles on it and besides regular maintenance parts, I have had no issues. Good on dirt roads and two tracks, wouldn't suggest it for anything more narly than that. I even did a track day on it and it was a blast. My wife has one too and last summer we took a 2K+ mile camping trip around lake superior. We have moto camped around all the great lakes except Ontario, that trip is planned for next summer.

3:27 I ride a 2012 VStrom 650, absolutely love this bike!!!!

I have, and love, my 2020 Royal Enfield Himalayan, no issues with quality, can maintain it myself. It was love at first sit.

Excellent video Ben! I would totally agree with you about all of these bikes any one of them will get you there and do it in style. As for reliability the Japanese bikes are top of the heap but Royal Enfield and KTM are not that far behind in that department and both have lots of people in their community's to help a beginner to solve or avoid any problems that might arise and I am saying this as a died in wool Honda guy.

Hey Dork, Love your videos and also your dedication to your channel. All the best to you in the New Year !

Waiting for new Himalayan 450cc

Another great video Dork. I love that you started with the 650 Vstrom. My favorite of all bikes I've owned.

that intro opening is an instant like for me, lol thanks for showing me that again