10 Vintage Adventure Bikes Riders Quietly Hoard Today
Adventure motorcycles are arguably the pinnacle vehicle to get out of the city and explore. These motorcycles have been for decades the go-to vehicles that allow you to pack your necessities and head into the wilderness for a weekend, or longer. Their capability to travel on a stretch of tarmac as well as a gravel road allows the rider to conquer vast distances and explore areas that some cars struggle to reach.
For many of us, it is the classic adventure motorcycle that has a special place in our hearts and is simply too alluring. This could be owing to their history in off-road races and events, a father or family member who owned one, or maybe a book like Jupiter’s Travels by Ted Simon that laid the foundation of your love of riding motorcycles. Needless to say, some of these classic adventure motorcycles have become highly collectible today.
10
Husqvarna TE 610 E
Displacement: 576 cc
Lovingly referred to as Huskies, the Husqvarna TE 610 range is well-loved and respected in dual-sport and adventure riding communities. In 1999, this Swedish manufacturer released the TE 610 E, fitted with a 576 cc, single-cylinder, SOHC liquid-cooled engine. Its performance was perfectly in line with competitors, delivering 53 bhp and 36.8 lb-ft. Although its factory fuel tank only offers 2.4 gallons capacity, an aftermarket fuel tank will allow for a better fuel range.
With its narrow body, off-road tires, and luggage rack at the rear, gravel roads and some trails are handled easily on this motorcycle. Offering electric start and a top speed of 106 mph, this Husqvarna made it perfect for regular use as well. Enthusiasts appreciate the fact that the company drew heavily from its racing motorcycles — such as the racing enduros, supermoto, and motocross models — in the development of the TE.
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9
Honda XL600R
Displacement: 589 cc
Owing to its smaller fuel tank (3.2 gallons), this Honda was squarely aimed at shorter trips. The 589 cc, single-cylinder engine offered Honda’s “Radial Four Valve Combustion Chamber” technology (RFVC). It also featured dry-sump lubrication that was fed by an in-frame oil supply. Its dry weight was an impressive 295.3 lbs, and its top speed was still a respectable 100 mph.
This was the first Honda to feature the RFVC technology in the cylinder head. The four valves were positioned radially around the spark plug, said to improve combustion efficiency. Another interesting fact for technology geeks is the twin carburetors used. There was a smaller carburetor that handled low-speed riding while a larger carburetor comes into play at bigger throttle positions.
8
Yamaha XT600 Ténéré
Displacement: 595 cc
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in terms of rugged visual design, the XT600 Ténéré is up there with the best. The dominant colors of blue and yellow with the gold wheels make the XT stand out from the crowd. Undoubtedly one of the old-school “thumpers,” this XT offered a four-stroke, single-cylinder, SOHC 595 cc, air and oil-cooled engine. Only 46 bhp was on offer with 38 lb-ft of torque.
Its wet weight was only 385.8 lbs, and the fuel tank capacity was 6.3 gallons. For the first generation, you needed strong leg muscles to kick-start this motorcycle, while an electric start was added for the second-generation model.
Although the XT500 won the first two Paris-Dakar races in 1979 and 1980, the XT600 took second place in 1985 with Jean-Claude Olivier, while third and fourth place also went to XT600 riders. This specific model was never imported into the USA.
7
KTM 640 Adventure
Displacement: 625 cc
We associate green with Kawasaki today, and in the same way, we associate orange with KTM. Similar to the Kawasaki, the KTM 640 Adventure (1998 to 2007) allowed riders to tackle off road trips with similar enthusiasm to the KLR650.
Don’t be fooled by the name: the 625 cc, single-cylinder, four-stroke, SOHC engine developed 49 bhp and 38 lb-ft, replacing its predecessor, the 620 Adventure, with its 609 cc engine. The fuel tank was a quite usable 28 liters, while the dry weight was 340 lbs. A realistic range was north of 280 miles. Some of the options at the time included rectangular panniers that clipped onto an added luggage frame at the rear.
6
Honda XRV650 Africa Twin
Displacement: 647 cc
When Honda launched this bike, it decided not to import it into the USA, but instead focused on European and rest-of-the-world markets. They wanted Americans to buy the Transalp instead. However, over the years a number of these collectible, first-generation Africa Twins have been imported into the USA.
The liquid-cooled, V-twin, four-stroke 647 cc engine developed 57 bhp and 41 lb-ft of torque. The wet weight was 485 lbs, while the fuel capacity was 6.6 gallons.
As with a number of the motorcycles in this article, this Honda also achieved great success at the grueling Paris-Dakar Rally. Honda was victorious for no fewer than four consecutive years with its NXR750 factory racer from 1986 to 1989. No wonder these motorcycles are not only trusted but also reliable and collectible.
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5
Kawasaki KLR650
Displacement: 651 cc
Viewed by many as an adventure motorcycle that can also tackle some trails, the first-generation Kawasaki KLR650 featured a single-cylinder, four-stroke, DOHC 651 cc engine. Offering electric start, there were 48 bhp and 38 lb-ft available through the five-speed transmission. The KLR’s dry weight was 337 lbs, and one of the most notable elements was the large 6.0-gallon fuel tank. Some riders claimed a fuel range of up to 220 miles.
Another specification at the time was the Tengai. Mechanically identical, it offered different fairings, a front fender, and a bashplate.
4
Suzuki DR 800S Big
Displacement: 779 cc
Offering exciting early-90s graphics and a two-tone seat cover, it is understandable why there is the word “Big” in this model’s name. The air and oil-cooled engine featured a significant four-stroke, SOHC, single-cylinder with a 779 cc capacity. The result was 52.5 bhp and a healthy 43.2 lb-ft of torque.
As expected, it was slightly heavier than the smaller-displacement adventure motorcycles at the time, tipping the scales at a dry weight of 185 kg. Fueling the engine was a 7.7-gallon tank. BIKE magazine achieved a 104.6 mph top speed during a road test in its March 1992 issue.
3
BMW R80 G/S
Displacement: 797.5 cc
The R80 G/S is viewed by most enthusiasts as the first true adventure motorcycle. It is the motorcycle that brought two classes together, the off-road motorcycle and the touring motorcycle. The adventure motorcycle was born, and five and a half decades later, BMW is still, in many ways, leading the segment with its R 1300 GS.
The G/S was an abbreviation for the German words Gelände (off-road) and Straße (road). The slash disappeared after the first generation though. A standout feature was its 409 lb wet weight and its Monolever, a single-sided swingarm enclosing the shaft drive.
Again, part of the collectibility factor of this G/S is the fact that it was victorious in the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1981 and from 1983 to 1985. All of this contributed to a 3,430-mile 1981 R80 G/S achieving an impressive $42,500 at auction in 2023.
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2
Cagiva Elefant 900
Displacement: 904 cc
Again, an appropriate name for a motorcycle, owing to its large engine capacity. This four-stroke, air-cooled unit offered a 904 cc, 90-degree V-twin engine delivering a substantial 95 bhp at a relatively high 8,500 rpm and 57.5 lb-ft. With such a large engine came added weight, and the Elefant weighed in at 450 lbs, dry, while offering a 5.8-gallon fuel tank. Its top speed was an impressive 114 mph, though.
Notably, an Elefant 900ie, sponsored by Lucky Strike, was victorious at the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1990 with Edi Orioli aboard, followed by another victory for him in 1994.
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1
BMW R100 GS PD
Displacement: 980 cc
The “GS” is arguably the first two letters that pop into most adventure riders’ heads when adventure riding is mentioned. The history of the GS range started as early as 1980, but in 1989 BMW Motorrad released the R100 GS PD, with those last two letters being the abbreviation for Paris-Dakar. As with all GS models before it, this featured a boxer, four-stroke, air-cooled, two-cylinder engine.
The 980 cc engine delivered 60 bhp and a rather substantial 56 lb-ft. Its wet weight was a heavier 551 lbs, while its fuel capacity was an impressive 8.1 gallons.
One of the design highlights was the exhaust pipe, molded to blend neatly into the bodywork below the seat. An option was a color-coded support bar running from below the fuel tank, up toward the headlight (surrounded by a protective frame), and down the other side.
Sources: Bring a Trailer, BIKE magazine.
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