Roamer Bikes

So, what kind of bikes do Roamers ride?

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All kinds - but typically ones with knobby tires and the ability to follow an unbeaten path into the woods, desert, or mountains.  Remember, the bike is the tool to get you to awesome places and let you have the best adventures.

 

Some manufacturers and models are listed below for your consideration.  Many of these motorcycles are marketed as enduro or adventure bikes, and they can be used for many purposes.  What makes it a Roamer bike is your mindset and how you use it.

 

How we view it:

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Dual-sport bike: any bike that is legal for plated street use, but designed to withstand off-road riding.  Will almost always include a headlight and blinkers, and must have a license plate. I many states, dual-sport will be stated on the title to differentiate it from a non-plated version of the same bike.  As a general category, dual-sport encompasses some enduro bikes, all adventure bikes, and all roamer bikes.

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Enduro bike: a street legal race bike, typically ridden for speed on tight single track trails. These are often very powerful and are ridden by people with prior motocross race experience.  Most commonly they have single cylinder engines in the 300-500cc size range. Some may be 2-stroke, but most are likely to be 4-stroke. These are awesome, high-performance bikes, but may be too much for someone simply wanting to explore the outdoors on a motorcycle. 

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Adventure bike: if you are thinking of packing a bike for a multi-day trip which includes sections of mild single track, dirt roads, and dual-track riding, this bike may be designed for you.  Often large and heavy, these bikes most typically 2-cylinder engines in the 1,000-1,200cc range.  They will have long-fuel ranges and the ability to travel comfortably over long stretches of asphalt between offroad areas.  If you were inspired by two British guys riding around the world, these are the bikes they rode.

 

Roamer bike: somewhere between enduro and adventure bikes lies a whole different class of riders and bikes.  We may not have years of hard-core offroad experience, but we still prefer leaving the pavement behind.  We may not want to drop $15k on a motorcycle, but do want to get offroad on two wheels.  We may haul the bike to start the adventure, but once we are there, we certainly want to be able to go almost everywhere.  These bikes are likely to be single-cylinder thumpers in the 200-600cc range.  They will almost always be street-legal dual sport bikes, and often sell new in the $4-7k range.

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Motorcycles to Roam With

Yamaha

TW200

XT250

WR250R

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Kawasaki

KLX 230

​KLX 250

KLR 650

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Honda

CRF250L

CRF450L

XR650L

Africa Twin

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BMW

G 310 GS

F 750 GS

F 850 GS + Adventure

R 1250 GS + Adventure

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KTM

690 Enduro R

790 Adventure + R

1090 Adventure R

1290 Super Adventure R

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Husqvarna

FE 501s

701 Enduro

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