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You’ve heard of “crotch rockets,” “baggers,” and even “streetfighters.” They’re all colorful descriptions of popular motorcycle varieties across the riding culture. However, unless you’ve got oil under your fingernails, paper maps in your bags, and a spot of wanderlust, you might not know what ADV motorcycles are.

ADV bikes put the ADV in ADVenture motorcycles

“So, when, erm, a dirt bike and a cruiser motorcycle love each other very much…” I can just imagine a motorcycle parent giving the “talk” to its tiny, bright-eyed Honda Grom progeny. Personified motorcycle imagery aside, an ADV motorcycle is a high-riding marriage between a trail-ready dirt bike and a luggage-toting cruiser.

While “dual-sport” bikes can be grown-up dirt bikes with road credentials, ADV motorcycles, or “adventure motorcycles” typically live up to their segment’s name. Start with lots of clearance and suspension travel, enough to soak up impacts on and off-road. Add wind protection, knuckle protection, capable tires, and hard-sided luggage, and you have the common formula for an ADV bike.

So which bikes fit the bill? You’ve likely seen them around town, on the highway, or at campsites. For instance, the BMW GS series is a staple in adventure biking from the United States to Europe and Africa. In fact, the R 1250 GS Adventure is one of the most popular ADV motorcycles in America. Moreover, the Ducati Multistrada and Honda Africa Twin are two other champions of the segment.

Even Harley-Davidson, the perennial producer of lazy, torquey air-cooled V-twin cruiser motorcycles, boasts an ambitious participant in the ADV motorcycle category. The Harley-Davidson Pan America rides higher and with more horsepower than any other popular production motorcycle the MoCo has ever marketed.

With a 150-horsepower variant of the brand’s liquid-cooled Revolution Max 1250cc V-twin, dual-disc ABS brakes, adaptive suspension, and rider safety facilities, the Pan America may not have intended to be the most capable HD ever, but it is. 

And all it had to do was take the Bar and Shield into the ADV bike segment. Of course, it’s a bit late to the continent-crossing party.

Best in 2 Wheels
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Staff Writer

Erik Sherman

Erik Sherman joined the MotorBiscuit team as an Autos Writer in 2022. An admitted petrolhead and an avid motorcyclist, Erik has owned everything from classic cars to motorcycles to modern driver’s cars. Erik also has extensive experience with military and emergency vehicles, ranging from ambulances and fire engines to MRAPs and M-ATVs. Erik is an eager car and motorcycle reviewer with experience covering everything from sports cars to pontoon boats and jet skis.

Erik holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations (IRG) from the University of Texas at Austin and has studied Chinese, Energy, and European Politics at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Erik’s background is unorthodox; he is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) combat veteran, water survival practitioner, and a former firefighter/EMT. Additionally, Erik is a regular volunteer and former instructor with the American Red Cross (ARC).