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

We need more content like this! Seriously evaluating small capacity bikes that most people can afford , these days is getting harder to justify big, heavy and expensive bikes. Congrats to MCN for doing it, more should follow.

I own a KTM 390A... and a BMW 310gs. KTM is a 390 Duke with a longer forks, bit bigger wheels, bigger seat etc. Frame and engine are the same between the two bikes. Exhaust is below frame which results in very poor ground clearance, (including a cheap skid plate). Forks are ok... but have limited travel, which you can't fix. Steering is pretty quick, lots of users are adding steering yoke dampening. The bike is very happy carving corners on twisty roads, and the engine has enough whoopie to go on major highways. (In the USA.) In the end, that bike is a re-worked Duke. It can work 'off road'... but it really isn't happy. BMW 310gs is basically a 'mimic' of a bigger BMW (including some of the nuisance stuff). If you had another adventure BMW... if you sit on the 310gs, everything is familiar. Bars are right position, seat right, pegs right etc etc. Big thing on the BMW is re-working the suspension... then it goes pretty good off road. Ground clearance on the BMW is pretty good. Engine is pretty good... but it could have used another 50cc's. Dropping a tooth on the countershaft works wonders. Bottom line... everything feels good on the bike. Too bad they didn't make the engine 350 cc's to 450 cc's. BMW missed having a 'dominant' mid-range bike. Rest of the bike was engineered heavy enough and would have handled a bigger engine just fine. There is also 'quality control'. (Been through both bikes in detail). KTM has cheap fasteners, poorly tapped screw holes, light axles and bearings, cheap chain, etc etc. On the other hand, the BMW has high quality fasteners, big axles, better bearings, good chain, and the fit and finish are better. At any rate... lots of the people are still waiting for the 'imaginary' WR250R with a 350 cc engine.

I bought my Scram 411 purely on how it made me feel.

Agree with your comments on the Himalayan - 80-90kph touring on back roads is very “comfortable” , corners like its on rails and its very “gravel” / dirt road capable. I found that this was the best “all-rounder” of all the bikes I tested (including these 4) so I bought one to keep my Ducati company and haven’t looked back.

The Himalayan would be my ideal bike. Cheap in price, economical to maintain, simple mechanics, if you drop it it doesn't hurt. Quiet on the highway, and more than capable on dirt tracks. Little depreciation compared to more expensive motorcycles. Think about it, a 10k motorcycle loses almost half of what the himayan costs when its warranty expires. And also the Royal is a good motorcycle for day to day. Cons? worse weight / power ratio, but assuming that it is not the philosophy of the motorcycle it will be a missile, I would not say that it is a cons. For me, I also like to drive a motorcycle that is not very powerful, it is more fun to ride a motorcycle and always look for the perfect regime to squeeze it to the fullest without surprises or big booms. I almost forgot, everyone says that the front brake is bad. Ps: If the new 450 follows the same philosophy, it may be my new bike.

Good honest real world review . Enjoyed it and I have to say the Himalayan gets my vote! Cheers to Nathan whose enormous experience in riding these bikes gives this review so much credibility.

PS Good to see Our friend Nathan included for experienced sensible input. He knows the pluses and minuses of the sub 500cc class travel / trail / adventure bikes.

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.

Racked my brain trying to choose between all these bikes. In the end, I spent my money on a new DR650. Cheaper to buy, more capable at everything, only a little heavier, noticeably more powerful, no electronic to faff with/fail.

On the 390 it is the side stand that can make it cut out. Only happens if you drop your heals standing up and your going at it. I found just keeping the stand clean and lubed solved it. Long life grease or copper grease worked best. If you still have trouble then cut or bend the foot bar on the stand out the way. Cheers Paul

Best upload I've ever watched from MCN. These two shine together. Great watch. All you could ever need to know about these bikes within one watch 👍

It will be interesting when you guys get to test the Himalayan 450. I think the Royal Enfield is the most bang for the money.

Great review, I’m team Himmy all the way, such great value and can do it all albeit at a leisurely pace

Great video. I appreciated the insight on how the bikes do against the "conditions" rather than against each other. I think for someone unfamiliar that is more important. 👍

I have a 310gs which has had all of the Rally Raid parts added(suspension, wheels bars and exhaust) it is now super capable on and off road and is probable the bike that should have been produced from the factory. Super enjoyable to ride and will go anywhere.

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

Love this - met Nathan on his old 110cc post bike in deepest darkest China. Glad to see he’s still rolling.

Great review guys - more of this please from MCN.

Perfect video for me right now. I'm currently looking at all four of these as my next bike. Thx.

Great summery at the end. Thanks for all the info, good video.

Detailed and technical review which was on point at every stage including the verdict!👍

Great content, the 'this might work for you if....' approach is spot on. Please can you do a 'Scrambler that can scramble' equivalent using the same locations? There's now: RE Scram411, Fantic Cabellero 500 Rally, '23 Mash X trail 650cc and Triumph 900 scrambler.... that ought to be a giggle 😉

Another absolutely fantastic video & review. Great work gentleman

I love watching MCN for these detailed comparo videos.

Nice to see Nathan here, I've enjoyed many of his videos.

Great video! And Nathan was spot on. I own a CRF Rally, but had a go on the BMW, and hired a Hymalyan in Morocco last year. The Hymalsyan was great to travel on, I found the Beemer good for commuting. The Rally, I rode it a full year before throwing in a Rally raid suspension kit. It pulls better now that the engine doesn't have to fight the soft suspension. With the kit, it much more planted on and off the road. Ride safe.

Great review Michael and team!!! Dealing with the constant niggles and issues with the RE made me look at the KTM. Just upgraded to the 390ADV last month and ive never been so thrilled. The electronics package is great, the adjustable suspension is comfortable and the engine is just the icing on the cake. Its so much fun on and off the road. I'm still in the process of unlearning himalayan. The KTM has brought back that zing in my ride which was missing dearly. I can now comfortably keep up with all my fellow riders who have bigger bikes like 1250GS and Tiger. Best decision so far🤘

I’m a Honda owner, very pleased with it and it’s true that it could be produced with a better package. If sales volume speak volumes the Honda is streets ahead of the others. The question really is, why don’t other manufacturers produce a better version of the CRF?

very useful, keep these comparison videos coming! for the 650 class too

I own a crf300l. Awesome little bike but it is sooo much better after having those shocks upgraded.

Really enjoyed the review, would be interested to know what your thoughts are on upgrades available to improve each of these bikes.

Pleasure to see nathan here..i have always loved his reviews

another KTM 390 owner here and absolutely agree with comments. It's a great road bike and when you wring its neck a bit you can pretty much keep up with mid sized ADV bikes just fine (on tarmac). But it's seriously compromised off road. Lifting the handlebars with spacers helps a bit, pivot pegs help a lot and swapping tyres out for something more aggressive makes a huge difference off road. Letting the engine breathe with a more open flow exhaust has also helped make it sound a LOT better and provide a tad more torque ( perhaps 5%? ) It can't go where a 690 / 890 can go but for half the price isn't bad at all. Ive had zero reliability issues but try to keep its switchgear dry as they are susceptible to rain getting into the the electrics. Front suspension is too soft for anyone over 70kg. It's unpleasant on highways with a lot of vibration so mostly good for a few hrs blasting around local tarmac corners and dirt roads.

Always great to see lightweight ADV getting some love... have ridden mine 20,000miles in the last 2 seasons (primarily on dirt) and loved every minute of it. One thing I think would be great for this sort of a compare - yes let us know how they do stock but ALSO let us know how they do with "typical" ADV customizations, like proper spring/valve swap and sag setup (for adv use, which in my experience means stiffer everything) and knobby tires fit for purpose (something like tkc80's for light offroad ADV/ MT21's or similar for moderate offroad ADV)... along with any other things needed (like luggage if it's not included) and how much it costs to get the bike properly set up for an ADV tour. Quibbles - The Himilayan is almost 450lbs... IMO not a lightweight ADV... middleweight (unless this compare is really "low power ADV" or "low cost ADV"). Looks like it weighs about the same as the KTM 890 so I'd compare it to the other middleweight class options. The other three are in the "lightweight ADV" weight class (300-400lbs IMO) so I'd compare them to the king of the lightweight adv class... a properly set up 690 ADV R (and others in that class like that very cool new Chinese ADV bike and AJP PR7).

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

The shout out of @itchyboots just proves that a dual sport is more than capable to ride on tarmac as well as hardcore off-roading. 👍❤️

I love the video guys! i have been riding for 10 years now mainly on-road and now i am planning to start exploring off-road world. which one of these bikes would you recommend to a starting off-roader. personally i am leaning towards Honda CRF300 Rally or Himalayan...

Nathans been covering all this stuff for years. MCN is behind the bell-curve on this.

The crime is that all the big motorcycle manufacturers reluctantly and belatedly provided a small ADV bike but they were all very careful to design and market them as budget or beginner bikes. Their goal was to produce a bike that would attract new customers and get them upgrading as soon as possible to their bigger, heavier and much more expensive mid or full size ADV bikes. That was at odds with what we wanted - a lightweight ADV bike that was off road oriented in a way that a heavier bike could never be, but with enough power to cruise on the highway when needed. The Chinese aren't part of the big moto cartel, so they aren't playing that game. We're seeing bikes like the CF Moto 450 Ibex. It's still a bit heavier than it could be and should be, but it's off road oriented and has a large 17 liter (4.6 gallon) fuel capacity. Replace some steel with aluminum and a few other weight savings tricks and it could be the unicorn bike we wanted for decades. Kove should make an ADV version of their 450 Dakar bike.

Excellent video fellas, good honest review. I'd almost stopped watching MCN bike reviews as they seemed biased towards certain makes. Not this review though - well done! I wonder how my Classic 350 would do on those trails ;-)

I really enjoyed the review. I would love to see how the new HIMALAYAN 450 would fit into your earlier commentary. I am looking at my first Adventure bike. Thanks for your feedback.

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.

Definitely the himalayan for me. Ideal for back lanes

I could listen to Nathan talk about bikes all day. He's old man experience as a young man.

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.

I've had my KTM 390ADV for nearly 3 years now. I originally bought it for 20-30 mile road runs to do some Green Lanes, plus some fun on local back roads. It generally does it well. I never quite got the problem with the foot pegs, I have since fitted the SW Motec pegs and I still can't notice the difference! That is probably me. For me it definitely benefited from 20mm bar risers, and tilting the bars forward (and lower the clutch handle down)... I always felt that I was going to disappear over the handlebars. I hardened up the pre load front and rear by 2 clicks as I found it too bouncy, esp under braking (I weigh ~82kg for reference). The tyres (TKC70s) are 'difficult' In any kind of mud, especially Essex clay... Much happier with the TKC80s, I have also found they are equally capable on the road as the 70s (I didn't trust them at first)... They do make the steering a bit more 'twitchy' / sensitive when traveling at 60mph plus on the A14/A12 for example! The TC used to annoy me but now , with more experience, I've got the hang of feathering the clutch so I don't stall the bike and leave the TC on... I never used to see the TC light come on unless I was in deep mud or water, so it is kinda pointless on this size of bike. I've never really heard about the 'cutting out' problem before... I thought it was me! I've had it a few times, never off road as far as I can remember... I shall think about this... I am sure it is something to do with turning left though! Anyway, over all, after three years I still love my 390 ADV. I recently did three days of backroads and byways from South Essex to North Norfolk, followed by a three hour 'A Road' ride back home to South Essex... The bike performed beautifully and I loved the adventure. I have never tried the other bikes so I can't comment, other than they would probably have been fine doing the trip too.

Within the last 5 years I first got the BMW, found it great at first, but the engine was too buzzy for me at high speeds after one or two weeks. Then I got the KTM and it was kinda the same it only took me longer to feel its buzzyness. Also the ground clearance was very bad and that flimsy plastic factory bash plate broke from hitting a small stick already. Then inbetween I got a Suzuki SV650 and it was the best road bike I ever had. So much fun on the road! For all my almost 20 year riding I never got more than one cylinder and never got a naked bike. And I got hooked immediately. So much so that I was planning to get a Triumph Street Triple 765 or an Aprilia RS660 next. But what I was really missing with the Suzuki was the off road and the versatility in city commuting. You couldnt take the same shortcuts with it, that I was used to on my other bikes. Like going over kerbsides or some stairways. And I was going green lanes on the SV also, but had to go so slow. So now I got the CRF 300 l (not the Rally) and it is such a huge step above both the G310 and 390 ADV, when it comes to off road riding! And the engine is better than I thought. And its also the best city bike I ever owned. My plan is to save up to a Street bike, so I have the CRF for everyday use and a naked or sportsbike for when I need the speed or have to get somewhere fast. I was always hesitant to get two bikes. But now I see its the only way for me that makes sense.

I am not sure if many adventure bike spends much time off-road, so road orientation is the way to go for a volume manufacturer. The Himalayan is designed from the outset to be a compromise and a jack of all trades isn’t going to be perfect in any. I think that when I pass my test and loose the Varadero 125 (which I do like) I will probably get a Himalayan because its classless and not a cliche and I am an old git who thinks n‘owt is any good nowadays 😂

Whichever bike you choose, it's a great place to ride. Love Exmoor 🏍️

was here just because the Himalayan was in the comparison 😄 I have the bike since 2019 and absolutely love it

The Versys 300 is often overlooked in this category. A sensational-it-all bike for the money. 2 cylinders make life easier on the freeway and not a great deal of trade off for in the slower stuff. Find a sprocket that suits the riding type.

One Awesome Vlog to clear ALL doubts ❤

costs £20 for bar risers and as you guys said, rotate the bars forward and the KTM bars are about 2" higher, and therefore isnt bad. Also the 2023 electronics keep the traction control and ABS off once swiched off, even when you stall - which is a dealer upgrade thats free when you get it serviced. And yes I've got one 🙂

What I'm really curious about now is how the bikes do with those improvements you talked about some of them needing. How do they stack up when the KTM has those upright footpegs, and the BMW and Honda have better suspension?

Interesting test of some great real everyday machines. I've not ridden any of these but could be in the market for something like this that handles rough roads with (maybe) the odd tarmacked trail. The forthcoming Himalayan 450 looks very interesting as does the Triumph Scrambler 400. It would be great if there were more such machines..40 years ago there were decent 400cc or thereabouts options from all the major Japanese manufacturers.

Honda would be the way to go if you are looking for the winner. This is only bike that can not only do local adventure, but cross continent trip with it.

Can you shoot a video comparing the Honda Africa twin AS and Ducati dessert X?

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

How many times have i heard Royal enfield putting smiles on faces it is what it is and it has charm across all its models

Great review. How about the Versys 300x?

Be interesting to see NTham and yourself ride the CRF and Voge 300 rally together, very similar except the Voge is £2500 cheaper.

Thanks, great vid! I'm currently looking at 3 bikes and you've shown 2 of them. KTM 390 love the tech pack but hate the stance of the bike,300 rally because at the cost of KTM with the extra mods, I can get ECU, bigger airflow, an exhaust system, and a new suspension f&r and a 40+hp bike that is amazing offroad on and on-road but doesn't have the lean traction and other tech that KTM has. Then the bike I feel should have been included is the Kawaski Vrsy 300 is so comfy like the Royal Enfield Great input on expectations thanks!!!

Great video and wonderful format. Going to give a headstart to potential buyers. I would take the Honda first then the Himalayan.

So which bike would each reviewer choose to have of the four?

Rode the GS the other day and was impressed. Brakes were good, the engine is designed to have peak power at 9500 rpm and peak torque @7000 rpm thats why it needs to be revved !! Its designed to do it - Trust me it was pulling 80 uphill and 90mph on the straight, ktm slightly faster but not much in it real world. GS more comfortable and better warranty than the KTM which has a hard seat ( bmw 3 years and 3 years roadside assistance) and recently on offer for £5500 with 0% finance (only one of these with 0%) compared to the spoked ktm (£6700) (2 year warranty and stalling issues at speed not good but a decent bike..... however GS Still a good bike for the money! dont be put off . Himalayan 5 seconds slower 0 to 60 mph than GS and brakes do mot inspire confidence on the road. Honda great bike off road but soft suspension and not as good road bike as the GS. Stainless steel braided brake lines and stainless exhaust on the BMW too....Decent dash if more basic than the ktm still has everything. Dont be put off the BMW its good value.....other than these the new Honda 500x with the showa suspension is your best bet at £6695 . Riding since 1998 so thats my fairly experienced 10 pence worth and lets face it, if you were seriously off roading you would upgrade the tires etc anyway from the standard rubber 👍🏼

I found this review useful but some more insight into the build quality, reliability and parts availability (especially of the Himalaya) would be appreciated

What are the weights to put them into this class of bike?

This is number one on my bucket list. Get a bike like one of these and ride!! (It's been a looong time.)

great review from people who know what they are talking about 👏👌

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.

Have you seen the main roads in India though.. I have a adventure 390 in south India , I am struggling to find off-road patches these days. The 390 is a lot of fun compared to the other bikes here.

I'm glad I can still buy the bike I have in Canada. It is simpler to maintain and a better bike off road than all of these and it weighs less than all of these other than the crf which weighs 95% as much as my DR6650. Go ahead tell me it's not an adventure bike because it doesn't have a piece of plexiglass. I rode it 10,000km across Canada and then turned around and went back home.

How do you omit the Honda CB500X from this roundup? It's the best of the bunch!

I've got a brand new rally, it's my 1st bike at 58 and yes on corrugations it feels like the back tyre is flat. If I keep it long term ill upgrade the suspension. Great video.

I would like some mention of what larger displacement bikes are available for the KTM money.

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.

Bought the KTM last week. If you want to ride 100 miles on high speed roads to get to your dirt riding, it’s the one for me. The street legal trail bikes mostly are terrible on the road and most of us spend more time on the road. Probably the RE would suffice too for this kind of riding but wringing its neck just to keep up with traffic with nothing left for overtaking doesn’t sound fun. As a backroad/no road travel tool, I bet it’s brilliant. Honestly, I didn’t buy the KTM for off road riding. It’s for any road riding, from unpaved dirt roads in the forest to 70mph motorways. For that, it’s a blast. If I want to travel 2000 miles, I’ll take my V-Strom 650.

Great Review and very Interesting.

what do you think about the new CF 450 MT?

So what one would you pick for the TAT?

I tested the ktm for the time ever today and coming from big adv bikes I felt this little adv bike is an absolute beauty. I spend all my time on the road at it suits me at my age 67 because it’s so manageable. Regards John

Fair enough fellas. I think depending where we are as riders and what we want then you boiled it down sufficiently.

Solid review solid bikes solid video

Good to see Nathan here.

What about the Honda ADV, Suzuki V-Strom and Kawazaki Versys?

Great review! Reckon the T7 would get my $

Wondering how much the new Himalayan 450 will weigh / cost / be available. Think the Kove 450's are in a different price bracket / target market. Looks like the Voge 300 Rally is available in the UK now so would be good to see Nathan review that if he could.

Jus got a well used BMW f650gs. Interested in the new himi when it becomes available here in USA!

Having seen test mule images of the new liquid cooled Himalayan 450, I'm waiting to see that bike in person.I had been leaning toward Honda, but the RE has the character, image and style I admire, and I feel that's lacking in all the other machines on this test.

make a crf rally R that copies the after market mods and bam, massive seller - will the Voge do an R version 1st though? If so ......

Standing's an issue for me on the G310GS, especially trying to get the rear brake. So I'm seriously considering getting a Voge. Test riding one at CMS on Saturday hopefully!

You mentioned punctures, with the KTM spoked wheels. They're tubeless.

For the 390, I don't think the spoked wheels are an exercise in aesthetics. I dented the front wheel of mine enough to break the bead so I had to put a tube in. I have a feeling a stronger spoked wheel would have easily survived. Other than that, the only one I've ridden long term is my 390. While I have upgraded to an 890R, I will miss the 390. I never felt that I outgrew it or wanted more, I just got a screamer of a deal on a new bike and can't justify 5 bikes. I mean I could, but my wallet can't.

There is another small adventure motorcycle worth considering in this context. It is Zongshen RX3 (CSC RX3 in USA), a 250cc adventure motorcycle.

I have a 2021 Himalayan. I have done some long trips on this bike and ridden it on some knurly roads. It's not perfect but it is a lot easier to ride off road than the Africa Twin I owned earlier. I am 68 years old and I'm 5'4" so the Himalayan suits me. It's gravel road performance is quite good. The gas mileage and range is also good. It is very well suited to packing a lot of stuff on it. It is a little lame on the highway but I can live with it. Off road, I find it a little disappointing. It is heavy and the suspension is not great. In Canada we have a lot of logging roads. These are much worse than gravel roads, they are often steep and if they are old, the erosion can make them very difficult. Last year I fell on one of these and even though I had an armoured jacket, when I landed on a rock, I broke two ribs. Recently while searching for a ghost town, I abandon my search because of the quality of the roads.

I'm sure with a little tweaking, the Svartpilen 401 could compete with these. They are currently cheaper than the RE Himalayan where I'm from, with almost twice the hp and much lighter.

NATHAN , GREAT COMMENTS ❤

Nice review!👍 Given only one choice, it would be The Honda CRF300L Rally only!👍😎 Ultimately, rider preference wins in the end here.👌😉 Ride To Live!✌🤙

I think you need to include the new 450 Himalayan which is a brand-new design by RE. I love my KTM 390 ADV after coming off a 1700 V-Twin. The looks, the electronics, the suspension all tick boxes for me and that's why I bought it.

The more I ride my Himalayan 411 the more I fall in love with it. I’d choose it over any other bike less than $8000. Upgrading the cam and getting a fuel map and some free flow exhaust make the bike into a solid riding experience that you cannot get for anywhere near the price. The look too, it’s the only one that has that old school look that I can ride anywhere on.