4 Small AFFORDABLE Adventure Bikes you probably ignored but SHOULDN'T have! 

I ride a 2018 cb500x..it does everything, touring 1 or 2 up, commuting, back roads and fire roads...wet or dry...it goes every where...love it...

I have a Versys X300 and 11,000+ miles later can attest to how much fun it is to ride. After swapping out the 14t front sprocket for a 15t sprocket, it will keep up with interstate traffic (65 to 80 MPH depending on the road) without complaint and still have grunt to pass if needed. And since it's a relatively light bike, I can pick it up if we decide to take an unexpected dirt nap on a trail - important since I'm a 5'4" woman.

“More bikes equals more better.” Truer words have never been said.

Proud vstrom 250 owner. Never been so happy as it having my very first bike. It is just perfect.

I really like the look of the 250SX, good looking, comfortable, big fuel range, light weight, cheap plus its a suzuki so should last forever

2:55 The lower exhaust also allows for decent panniers. (Edit) The more I look at the Suzuki, the more sense it makes. Standard Forks - No Chrome getting dragged against rocks and drowned in creeks. Super Low seat height with removable pillion pad - can comfortably move back on the seat for sand riding. 6 speed box - That's a win. LED Lighting - Check 2.78lt per 100km fuel economy. : ) 3 Year Warranty $6,500 Ride Away (12 months Rego) Comes in a funky Orange. Sign me up!!

X300 owner here. Its a great bike, comes pretty close to being that unicorn

I rode a friend's Africa Twin in the US and rented a CB500X in Thailand earlier this month and you're dead on with that 90% comparison. It is a great bike at a great price. All that said, I'll stick with the T7.

5000+ km on a Scram 411 so far. Long rides only. Last trip was 1100+ km to and fro with four stops. Never felt like I was lacking power. Good roads, bad roads, it just kept going asking for more. I was tired at a point of time but the Scram wasn't.

I am so happy with my 2023 versys 300. Been riding for 50 years, and this is my favorite for my current riding. I will never put more miles on something like i did my CB750K, but i was riding the freeways of California when i had that. I did love that bike.

I'm a Honda man. Had a CBR500R and a CRF250M supermoto. I'd get the unpretentious CB500F for trips and the CRF300L for adventure.

Nice to see the VStrom 250 on your video. I bought one and love it! A fun ride. Cheap. Lightweight. One of the most fun bikes I’ve ridden in ages

I have a G310GS and love it for the old man adventure riding I do, mostly back roads and no hardcore off road, but I appreciated this video. I sent the link to a friend who is in the market and was disappointed that he couldn't write a check to the local Honda dealer for a CRF300L Rally.

I wish Suzuki would build a Dual Sport DR350 again! Will they bring the VSTROM 250 to the USA ?

This video has been in my "watch later" playlist for months. I finally watched it and you sir earned a like and a subscribe. Genuinely great video, with stupid humour just as I like it. I'm sold.

CB500x is amazing! Love my bike!

The 250 V Strom is incredibly affordable. Here in the Philippines it's about 80k pesos cheaper than the Scram 411 (about 2.2k AUD). Suzuki also have a much better dealership network than RE, meaning that you are more likely to be able to find one.

I'm glad the V-Strom 250SX is available at my place, I'm really considering it if I couldn't find some older more affordable dual sport.

Got a versys 300. Absolutely great bike!

I'm genuinely glad for all the riders that can afford $6,000 - $11,000 "AFFORDABLE" ADV bikes! They keep the manufacturers in business and future used models in the pipeline. But for many, and for now, there is a VERY long list of used dual purpose bikes between $2,000 - $4,000 bikes that fill the smaller ADV category for everything but a race! So many choices, so little time and garage space. I plan to cut it down, but I find myself with a $1,650 TW200, a $2,000 XT225, a $1,850 DR650, and a $2,700 F650GS DAKAR bike!

1. RE himalayan 450 (release this year) / scram 450 (release 2024) 2. Triumph Scrambler 400 (upcomming) 3. Ktm 250 adv 4. Suzuki 250 vstrom

Loving my X-300. Perfect for a beginner ADV, especially with its light weight and spoked wheels. Revvy, but that can be fun too!

In my search for an entry level adventure bike, I decided the Kawasaki Versys-x 300 is the best bang for the buck. I bought a used 2018 model with 2600 miles and love it. Some people wish for a V-x 400, but I find the 296 cc engine to make good power. 250 cc to 300 cc is really ideal for a beginning motorcycle rider. I like the seating position and the big fuel tank. I only have three gripes about the bike. 1. It revs to 12,000 and that is hard to get used to coming from pushrod V8s. That also makes it loud. 2. It appears to be a pain to check and adjust the valves. You have to take a ton of parts off to check them and remove the cams to adjust the valves. 3. It comes with street oriented tires. I like all of these bikes you listed. That Suzuki V-Strom 250x looks like a cool bike (can't get it-USA) even with the weirdo styling, but it seems to me that it would have to be closer to 300 cc to complete with the Kawasaki V-x 300. I looked at the Himalayan, the Scram's brother, and loved the styling. If it had a 6 speed transmission to make it a better highway bike, I would have looked harder for one. The Honda CB500X is probably a better bike than the V-x 300, but it costs more. It also needs wire spoke wheels. I may look into upgrading to a CB500X in the future because I don't have Africa Twin money.

Wouldn't it be nice if Suzuki enlarged that V-Strom by 100cc and gave us a new DR350 style trail bike?

I used to race MX and I've raced cars but I always had a thing for what we called in the old days "Enduro Bikes" These new ones are pretty fancy in comparison, but the ability to do on & off road is where it's at. 👍👍

After many years of having bigger 750cc plus bikes I'm enjoying the move to downsize your comments about the 2022 CB500x are spot on, underrated cost effective versatile touring bike which I've covered 12K across Australia in 6 months + tomorrow I'll be picking up a Vstrom 250sx thank you Suzuki for producing a lighter sports crossover at an affordable price with a 3 year warranty 🙂

I have owned a CB500X and didn't like it much. I found it ok around town, but too small for touring. I now own a Suzuki V-Strom 650 and am extremely happy with it. I think the V-Strom actually fits your description of the CB500X (big bike for small bike money).

The Versys 300 is perfect for adventure. You missed Benelli TRK 251 which is excellent.

I had a 2021 CB500X for about a year. I absolutely loved the bike. I found the exhaust note was a bit throatier than I was expecting from a smallish P-twin. The bars did vibrate an uncomfortable amount above 60 mph. I believed a 270 degree crank 750cc and a longer top gear would've made the bike absolutely perfect. Once the Transalp reaches the USA, I'll need to check it out. It looks like it might be my ideal bike.

I've ridden my Versys X-300 from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to Fairbanks, Alaska. It is a capable motorcycle.

Finally someone sung itfor the V Strom 250 SX and first.. The bike is just a great little do it all one.. Not the best one, but a really great one..

"How dare you? Well, I do dare!" Classic🤣👌🤣

The Suzuki V-Strom is right up my alley. That's gonna be my first motorcycle for sure.

My 2001 Yamaha xt225 weighs only 240 lbs. Then I put a 4 gallon tank . I can go 400 miles between fill ups. That is an adventure bike.

Why does everyone make such a big deal about spoked wheels? How many times have you bent a rim vs how many times have you gotten a flat? I ride every single day, and I'm good for 1 or 2 flats per year. And I've done all kinds of off road riding and I've NEVER bent a rim. Spokes can "get bent" 😄

I put 30,000k on a Versys. During that time I rode it to the Yukon (from BC) and spent 40 days on it. It was surprisingly good on the highway. You might get 480km on a tank if you're on level gravel and doing 60kph the whole time, but I ran out of fuel once at 413km, which is still pretty good. The clutch is so light you can barely feel it and there's not much of a friction zone, but it got me around. The front end slipped out a lot off-road. I crashed a lot, and wound up pinned under the bike three times, fortunately it's not that heavy. I think the front end geometry is too similar to what the bike actually is, a ninja. If the steering angle and weight distribution were better it would have been great. People with serious off-road skills seem to love the Versys, but that's not me. I bought a F650GS Dakar and it just rolls over things that would have put me on the ground on the Versys.

Nice video - these smaller adventure bikes, I think, are so much more fun than the big, expensive bikes

As a cb500x owner I was genuinely surprised to see it at the top of your list. I do love my bike but I don't take advantage of what it's made for, so personally I think there's a better fitting bike somewhere out there for me.

Great show, I winced for a sec when that 'how dare you phenomenon' showed her face...however the dog scratching his arse on the carpet was priceless...

We need the KTM490 , DR-Z 450 , KLR 500, kawi X-450, V-strom 450 , CRF500l , Triumph 500 scrambler, WR450F dualsport, 401 svartpilen .. . oh that was already done..

You made me fall in love again with my big little Honda😂 subscribed.

Another excellent video. Thanks for taking the time to make it. I have the Himalayan and love her. Love the Scram as well. In fact I love all bike!

KTM 390 Adventure deserves a mention in this line up. I think it's on par with the Honda CB500, though I'll admit that KTM reliability doesn't measure up to Honda in the long run.

KTM 250 adv, Hero X-pulse 200, Voge 300 Rally or DS. Yamaha XTZ250 Tenere (south and cebtral America) Honda XRE300 and 190. So many models that are available only a few countries

The CB500X is the clear and obvious choice! More power and much better looking than any bike in the class with the bulletproof Honda reliability baked in from the factory 🙂

I think the ktm 390 for 2023 is very under rated.. It gives enough room for you to upgrade the rear suspension.

Like your video's, especially when giving specs in metric and U.S. Thanks!

Solid review as usual. My pick on the lot is the Honda CB500X

Outstanding price point and breadth of ability with the new 250SX Strom. Watching closely. I tried putting my son on one at university, but we ended up with a near new Ninja 400 for $6500.

The versys 300 is the best of them all, smooth and can cruise at 120kph all day throw a windscreen on for full protection…very good offroad for what it is way better than ones in this list

Always thought the old DL250 Vstrom was a good little bike, but this looks even better. Not sure it will make it to Europe where small bikes have fallen behind. It has a better power-weight ratio than my old XL250, and better than 6 volt lighting.

Owned a Himalayan, then CB500X and now a 310GS which for me sits in between the two. Better on road than the Himi and better off road than the CB, a real sweet spot for the UK and green lanes if you can only have one bike. The best thing is the low weight 👍

A Chinese Tekken 250 beats so many of these on ground clearance, fuel capacity, I’ve travelled on mine through the Himalayas and it’s a fun little thing.

I can not unsee the video clip of the dog when you said a "butt scraping" seat height. Having put almost 100K miles on a 2003 VStrom 1000, I'd get the 250 in a heartbeat - but, alas, I'm in the USofA. Maybe next year.

As a pure beginner who would love to get into riding, a CB500X DCT would be amazing. New 390 ADV is only $100 more MSRP here with a lighter weight and spoke wheels. That could possibly fit the bill with an auto clutch and quick shifter. 390 Enduro with 18/21 and sub frame fuel tank would be even more😗.

Now THAT was a nicely done edit Mr Solid 😮😎👍 "WELL DONE" keep well Mate 😉🍺

Got the cb 500 x next to the crf 300bl…for me the ideal combo.I did made the cb good for off-road aswell but stopped at the expensive suspension upgrades.Are you getting some riding in lately or diaper changes ok over the oilchanges😅

I had the cb500x (2021) for 2 years. road it more like a dual sport, and took it also to some technical trails. it can do a lot more then people think. just need to put some engine guards and a skid plate.

Another great vid, Barry!!! I've commented on your vids before (I'm the guy from SW Colorado). I'm on my 4th year of a Versys X300 and still love it. I've ridden some of the Trans America Trail on it (with Mitas E07 tires) and a number of rocky Jeep trails in Colorado and Utah. IF I don't outrun the limited suspension (not too fast for the conditions) it gets me to some amazing places. I have bottomed out the suspension twice, but I'm in my 70s and ride pretty conservatively. I usually ride a Husaberg FE390 off road and a Vstrom 650XT for trips, but the X300 is just fun, light and if I rally baby it, I get over 70 mpg on local county road - great commuter. Thanks for a great vid that will be useful for so many. (Our snow melted in the last 2 weeks (live at 7550 ft elevation, or 2301 meters) - had 12 feet, or 4 meters this year. Just the last two days have been rideable here. Keep up your great work!!! - Geezerwheels.

"90% of the way there for 50% of the cost".......That's a perfect example of the curve of diminishing returns. Great video. Cheers

I own the Versys X-300 and really enjoy it. I keep testing out bigger and nicer ADV bikes, but then I ride mine and haven’t upgraded to anything else yet. I think I am just going to go ahead and deck this thing out for more off-road riding capability and enjoy it for a while. I will make up my mind later about what I need next if anything at all. To be fair though, I really do dig the base Husqvarna Norden 901 most out of all the bigger bikes.

To be honest, the CB500x is a good value for money bike, but I think you can get a better option at that price point. I had one and I sold it after a year. It doesn't go as fast for a 471cc bike. The brakes aren't as capable too, so if you're planning to go on an adventure and load it up heavy, the brakes will leave you wanting. From this list, the Vstrom is the strongest bet. That's my take though. If you want, you can mod a mid displacement scrambler to serve as your touring bike. I have the Svartpilen 401 and it doesn't have the windscreen but the single is light, there's a tank rack, and I can pack a compact load on the rear.

Great vid Dave. 33% off the top and I'll be Nuggets agent. Nothing from nothing leaves nothing. Man a spectacular glimpse of the mountain. Those rock slides are nothing to make light of for certain. It can be over before you know what happened. My first accident investigation was of similar circumstance. A big rock was pushed off a mine wall and it hit another on the bottom. A piece like a football hit the Supt. in the head knocking him 15 meters over the mountain. Great trip. I dream of making it as well. I'll see.

Always enjoy my Saturday COS video! Good luck with all of life good sir. 🏍️💨

Suzuki V-Strom 250SX is my choice because I'm currently using the same oil cooling engine in my Suzuki gixxer 250 and I love it.

I just put money down on a sweet Honda CRF 300L...it's the bomb!

Hi Solid, another great video, top job, i love the channel mate👍 I've just pre ordered a v-strom 250sx. Cheers Brendan.

You saved the best for last CB500x 😎

Well done Well done it is nice to see that this under dogs are being brought up to show you don't need a 35,000 canadian dollar bike to hit the road love ur channel !!

V Strom 250 SX is not ignored in Guatemala and Colombia, is the best selling small ADV in our history !!!! I own one to travel !!

That said, I absolutely love my Honda CRF300 Rally. The next step up for me will be the big ‘un, the R1250 GSA. The Honda for loads of fun in the dirt and around town, the BMW for two-up touring, back roads, and dirt roads. Happy Trails

Finally a list which is not just KTM390, Himalayan and GS310

Hade two V Strom 650s, just too tall and heavy for me. Wish the Strom 250 was available over here in the Ununited State of America

❤ my first generation 2014 CB500X!

I rode the RE Scram at the Giant Loop Rally back in June, it was a total hoot to blast around on.

And the winner is? Versys X 300!!!

A friend of mine when he was a teenager rode his Honda 90 from Michigan to a concert known as Woodstock and then rode back home. You don't need a big bike to go on a real adventure.

What about the GS310 apparently more capable than most would think 🤔. I personally, have dropped my stable to two bike ( and one old favourite 😜- my Kawasaki 250 super Sherpa - only 7000kms and can put on histrionic rego 40 dollars per year that’s gold 👍, plus can still get all new parts as they still make the stockman new . So now I have a Moto Guzzi V85tt as my road and soft off road bike and my 300 rally for all the snotty stuff.

Cheers mate, I’m in NZ and I hadn’t heard of the little Suzuki! I don’t like the look of the bigger v storms but this one I like. I’ll go and have a look. I was thinking of the Honda cb500x, it’s my first bike and we have loads of forestry and just generally metal roads here especially where I live.

Man, I walked into the local Honda/Indian/BMW/Polaris dealership down the street with every intention of buying my very first motorcycle! I wanted the CB500X or possibly a scout, wasn’t completely sure but I was there to figure it out and go home with my first motorcycle! Only problem is no one could be bothered to help the guy looking for his first bike? They were busy on their phones and the computer. I said I was looking for my first ever bike, and they said, there they are, without even looking up from their phones. 🤯 my wife and I were absolutely shocked!! We’ve bought several new cars before and you typically have to beat the salespeople off of you as soon as you walk in the door! Well, we went to the local Harley dealership and I had a black, 2020, iron 883 delivered to my house that night and a date with their MSF course! Been on Harleys ever since. That CB500X still looks mighty tempting to me though! Mad respect for Honda!

Your videos are very informative. Subbed.

Years ago I bought a new 230 Suzuki quad because it was slightly less up front than the Honda 250, but paid dearly in replacement parts. Later I bought a beat-up used Honda 300x and never replaced anything beyond standard maintenance. Same with Honda cars.

Great list. I. hadn't seen the lil vstrom, not sure if we have that here in the states. As an owner of an Africa Twin and former owner of a CB500X, it truly does get you 90% of the way there, or if you are riding dirt and gravel, it gets 100% of the way there. The only real advantage the AT has on the CB comes on the Highway, not the backroads or trails.

Had a 650 transalp with hyper pro springs and learnt a lot on it and not scared of dropping

I’d love to see Yamaha take one cylinder from the Teneré 700 and make a 350 adventure bike with a big enough gas tank, a reasonable seat height, spoke wheels and a metal gas tank that l can put a magnetic tank bag on

7:55 The pure emotion of riding.

Having added a downsized Scram to a long line of big bikes over many years, I now regret ignoring small capacity bikes all that time. It's an awesome bike, as most reviews and owners are reporting and I haven't had so much fun for a long time. I'm not an off road rider so I can't comment on that. However, your video shows it as perfectly capable. On the road, it's performance is more than adequate in most situations (as you explain), it's amazingly sure footed and a permanent smile. Friend has a CB500X as well as a much larger bike and also has nothing but praise for that. Where I live, I had to travel a fair distance to find any road capable of stretching my larger bikes and then still only used maybe a third of their power and performance. We migrate to larger machines as quickly as we can for what are often purely macho, ego reasons and forget the greater fun that a more challenging machine can provide.

I recently got an NC700X after learning on a CB500F (naked). The 700 is a solid bike. only a touch heavier than the 500X, much smoother on the highways, more storage. Feels a bit heavier but you get low-end torque to make up for it. It's got more of a cruiser engine though, so it's a funny bird.

This is very insightful and thought-provoking. You have hit the nail on the head. 40-50 😢bhp is a good figure, particularly on a loose or rough surface. It's all about low mass, good geometry and usable power delivery. The recent (actually not so recent) fashion for burly middle-aged men to ride an R1250GS (or KTM, Triumph or other equivalent) is both sad and slightly comical. I am from an oldwr feneration and remember when the DR Big and the R80 G/S were considered comically huge. Now they seem quite modest. This is an excellent video and makes some very good points. Good stuff. Chapeau.

Great Video with a focus on PRICE to FUN ratio. Like the newbie I was in 2018 - I picked up a 310GS for $5,500 US and then tried to ride it like a KTM500EXC. While clearly not a Dual Sport bike - it was a great little adventure / gravel bike .... had it been a 410. At 6'2" (183cm) and 225lbs (102kg) - it was just a little underpowered for me. I have since ridden the KTM390 - and it is a much better ADV bike.

I have X300 & Honda NC750X DCT and I find myself riding the X300 more than the NC750. Don't get me wrong the NC is in my opinion a very under rated adventure bike but clearly more road biased and great for touring, it's biggest downside is weight at 235kg although that is carried low down so very unnoticeable when riding and with 77 MPG (UK) range is very useful. A bit more power would also not go amiss on the NC. So in summary the NC does most jobs fairly competently and the X300 does two jobs very well.

Wondering if honda will present a 300 or 450 sm? The klx 300 sm looks fun. Thanks

I think jawa 500 RVM Adventure it's worth a look. Very similar with the Honda you've presented but much nicer and better equipped in my opinion

CB500X “Halfrica Twin” for the win! Great video.

Cant believe how much a small bike has gone up . Got my 250L for $4990 new, ride away, 8 years ago and still going strong.

Excellent vid. I've downsized from huge ADV bikes and have now had 2 Honda NC750Xs, the latest of which is superb although no real off road ability. Depends what your definition of adventure is

Test rode a very low km very clean 2022 CB500x today. Very tempted. Update: bought it, she’s run in now and I’m stoked. Very happy with my choice of the CB500x

It is the Scram that I lust after with the 29BHP cam. 100 miles to the gallon at the price they want it is a bargain.

Very well thought out video . I will have to spend to get my Tenere 700 a few pounds lighter to compensate for the center stand I think I need . If I do get a second bike it will definitely be smaller and lighter so I can easily load it up in the truck , backing that Tenere out last year was lots of fun and I won't have the help I had if I load it again . No way to walk it backwards unless I can get the ramp almost level somewhere but I don't give up easily and where there's a will there's a way . Maybe a dozen large beanbags and I can just drop it off the tailgate , imagine the looks lol .

Time for Solid to come back to Team 💪 Yellow.