🏍️Best Offroad Motorcycles for 2020

In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, when routine and work are sucked in, it is useful, and sometimes even vital, to change the environment. Someone likes a leisurely vacation by the warm sea, while someone is irresistibly attracted by the road.

The wind in your face, a series of landscapes sweeping around, sunrises and sunsets that you meet each time in a new place, sometimes a hundred kilometers from the point where you were just yesterday. The feeling of freedom and the anticipation of new discoveries - and these are not just lines from an advertising booklet. This is what a motorcycle can give you. If you are seriously considering getting a two-wheeled friend, but have no idea where to stop, this round-up of the best riding bikes will help you.

What are motorcycles

There are three main types of motorcycles based on their intended use.

Road

Designed for movement on public roads.
They, in turn, are further divided into subspecies, classics and choppers.
This also includes a cruiser (or cruiser) - a hybrid of a classic and a chopper for long journeys on flat road surfaces. Driving off-road or dirt road on a cruiser is tiring. Large weight and landing features will quickly tire the rider. The struts extended forward and the steering wheel raised high will also negatively affect the constant shaking on the bumps in the road.

Sports

Models for high-speed driving on roads with hard and high-quality surfaces. The powerful engine is capable of accelerating the sports bike to speeds of over 200 km / h. With such speed indicators, it is simply necessary to reduce air resistance, therefore two-wheeled cars are equipped with frontal fairings and engine fairings. At the same time, the rider's landing changes, in fact, he lies on the gas tank with his chest, I almost completely hide behind the visor of the fairing in order to reduce the aerodynamic load.

Sports also include the so-called superbikes - more powerful brothers of sports models, with even more refined aerodynamics.

Off-road motorcycles

All of the above types of two-wheeled vehicles feel good in an urban environment and on good asphalt. Below we will consider a technique that is designed to drive on bad roads and without them at all. Adherents of this type of riding are not decreasing, but the motorcycles themselves are changing. New directions sprout from the main groups, names and terms multiply. In order not to get confused in the variety of models, we will divide off-road motorbikes into groups.

Cross

As the name implies, a technique for motocross, that is, racing over rough terrain. This is the ancestor of the species, so to speak about the motorcycle.

A motocross bike is austere compared to its flat-road counterparts. During the races, one of the main tasks was to lighten the structure, because on the classic cross bike there are no head optics, no stop lights, no mirrors, no trunk.

The exhaust pipe is raised up to reduce the chance of damage if dropped.

The seat is shifted forward, partially on top of the gas tank. This makes the fit of the athlete more comfortable and makes it easier to operate the wheel.

The front fork travel is increased to accommodate bumps and holes on average 250-300 mm.

For cross, high speeds are characteristic, and driving on the ring track known to the racer. Driving mode involves sharp acceleration and equally sharp deceleration, so the engines must work efficiently at high revs, providing fast acceleration. The motocross bike is sensitive to any movement of the pilot with the throttle. At low and medium revs, driving on such a technique is not very comfortable. In short, motocross motorcycles are a niche vehicle designed to operate under strictly defined conditions.

The classic cross-bike engine is the single-cylinder two-stroke engine, although many manufacturers have reverted to four-stroke engines after 2000.

The wheel tread is deep, with aggressive lugs.
The wheel size is different. The front wheel is 18 inches, the rear wheel is 19, with less deep tread. This combination allows for greater stability and stability in handling at high speeds.

Due to the lack of headlights, side lights and mirrors, cross-country motorbikes on public roads are not allowed. They are not registered with the traffic police and are not considered a vehicle. Therefore, the vehicle arrives at the starting point by freight transport or trailers.

Due to the narrow tread and high front forks, driving on equipped roads is uncomfortable and unsafe.

Tank capacity has also been reduced to reduce the overall weight of the bike. On average, this is 6-8 liters. More is not required for arrivals.

Enduro

Continuation and development of the line of off-road vehicles. Enduro class motorcycles participate in the corresponding off-road races, and are also used by extreme lovers simply for riding in rugged corners of nature. Taking into account these features, changes have been made to the design of the bike.

The engines, in comparison with the cross, are low-speed, confidently pulling equipment at low and medium speeds. The power is less in comparison with the cross-country, but according to the operating conditions, the bike does not need such dynamics, and can even become dangerous.

Reduced fork angle. On motocross bikes, the wheel is moved further forward for better stability at the expense of maneuvering.

For enduro, high cross speeds are not typical, and therefore maneuverability is paramount.

Off-road trips or races are much longer than cross-country, because the volume of the gas tank is comparable to any classic bike and, depending on the model, is 15-20 liters.

Enduro is fully equipped with all the necessary optics: headlights, dimensions, direction indicators. Motorcycles of this class are certified and subject to registration, and are also allowed on public roads.

The class of dual-sport motorcycles should be singled out separately. It is an enduro adapted for off-road and for comfortable movement on the road. The suspension is made less rigid, all the optics are fully present, there is a place for a passenger and a footrest for him.

The engine also differs from sports models. Such dynamics out of competition is not needed, because the power is reduced, and the reliability and service life have increased due to the fact that the operating modes wear out the motor components less.

Motorcycle accessories

In addition to the iron horse itself, the motorcyclist will need many additional items, ranging from special clothing to electronics, which will make life easier and often prevent injuries in case of force majeure.

In general, equipment and its choice is a topic for a completely separate review, since there are a lot of varieties of equipment and the nuances of its use. Therefore, we will just briefly list those accessories that you cannot do without when storming off-road.

Helmet

Required item of equipment.Riding without it means deliberately putting your life in danger. Helmets can be open, closed, and modular (when the visor rises with the bottom of the helmet).

For off-roading, a closed helmet with a visor is best suited, which will protect against branches, small stones, and splashes of mud.

Prices for helmets fluctuate quite a lot depending on the manufacturers and the materials used, but I would like to warn the buyer against trying to save money. A helmet is your chance to survive an accident, and it would be extremely short-sighted to save on it.

clothing

Special clothing is required for off-road driving. Waterproof, windproof. Resistant to breaks from branches, encounters with which on the off-road are almost impossible to avoid.

Footwear

Regular boots or sneakers will not work. When riding, protection of the feet and ankles, and a firm support of the leg are important in order to reduce the likelihood of injury.

Protection

This includes knee pads, elbow pads, shin guards, gloves, protective vests (or so-called "turtles").

Do not neglect protective equipment, carefully approach the selection and advice of consultants, and be sure to try it on before buying. The physical condition and features of the figure are different for everyone, and it will be very annoying if a friend ordered expensive equipment on the Internet starts to press or rub on a long trip.

Best off-road motorcycles for 2020

The review includes:

SUZUKI V-STROM 1050

The motorcycle of the updated line belongs to the "tourenduro" class, that is, it is designed for long trips over rough terrain with access to dirt roads and smooth asphalt. The bike successfully combines the qualities of an aggressive SUV and a touring motorcycle, feeling equally confident on a flat road, and in the absence of any road at all.
The model is equipped with a V-shaped two-cylinder engine with a volume of 1037 cubic centimeters.

Power: 107 hp

The engine has been redesigned to provide a smoother torque response over an increased rev range. In other words, even at high revs, the engine maintains traction, which is important when overcoming obstacles and steep slopes.

The Suzuki V-Strom 1050 is packed with state-of-the-art electronics.
This includes electronic throttle control, traction control, traction control, and inertial boost to ensure efficient cooling at high speeds.

The dashboard is electronic. All the main indicators are taken out on it: speed, fuel consumption, intelligent systems that are currently on. The system also has a built-in navigator.

However, if you wish, you can also use third-party devices for the power supply of which there is a separate USB output powered from the on-board network.

The model is produced in three modifications:

1. V-STROM 1050 is standard with alloy wheels. Does not include traction control and intelligent front brake control when descending.
2. V-STROM 1050XT is an off-road modification that includes spoked wheels, height-adjustable windshield, hand-guarded steering wheel, roll bars.
3. The V-STROM 1050XT Adventure is additionally equipped with a heated steering wheel.

The weight of the bike is 236 kg as standard and 247 in the extended versions. Weight may vary depending on the optional equipment installed.

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REGULMOTO SK 200GY-5

A very popular model from China. It will certainly lose out in performance to Suzuki, but gain in price. The bike is almost 8 times cheaper than its titled Japanese counterpart, which makes it so popular with outdoor enthusiasts.

Regulmoto can drive both on public roads and off-road, but the level of comfort when driving on concrete or asphalt leaves much to be desired, after all, the suspension is more tuned to bumps and bumps.

Engine power: 13.6 HP
Gas tank volume: 13 liters.
The maximum declared speed is 130 km / h.
Front disc brakes, rear drum type.
Motorcycle weight: 118 kg.

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IRBIS TTR250R

In third place is another budget enduro version of the Chinese manufacturer. At the same time, the firm is positioned as a Russian one, but do not let this mislead you - this is pure China.

The model is equipped with a 15.6 hp single-cylinder four-stroke engine.

Like most representatives of the off-road tribe, it starts with a kick-starter, however, an electric starter is added for ease of operation in the city.
The frame is steel, which increases the total weight of the structure, which is 132 kg in the equipped state.

Gas tank volume: 12 liters.
Brake type: disc brakes at the back and front.
Maximum declared speed: 110 km / h.

The IRBIS TTR250R does well in moderate off-road conditions. Low engine power does not allow it to take steep climbs. It is also better to refrain from long trips on water. The electronics are not well protected from water, and can fail without preliminary modification.
The rubber on the motorcycle is hard, with an aggressive tread, so driving on asphalt is not very comfortable.

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HONDA AFRICA TWIN ADVENTURE SPORTS 2020

In second place is the product of one of the flagships in the production of off-road motorcycles. Truly legendary models, rightfully considered the best in their class, came out of the Honda workshops. The company's engineers are constantly improving popular models, taking into account the experience of previous releases.

Twin Adventure Sports combines the frenetic nature of enduro with the comfort of a touring bike through its intelligently tuned suspension.
The suspension has four adjustable operating modes - soft, mid, hard, off-road. This is sufficient for the vast majority of road conditions and driving style. However, the engineers have provided for manual adjustment of the suspension mode for experts.

The possibility of long trips is also indicated by a tank with a capacity of 24.8 liters
Engine: 4-stroke, 2-row, 8-valve
Volume: 1084 cc
Power: 102 HP
Wheels: Lead with aluminum rims, front disc diameter 21 inches, rear disc 18.

The engineers of the concern also took care of comfortable driving on long trips. Cruise control is standard, as are heated seats and handlebars.
In addition, the systems for raising the rear wheel, rollover control, warning of emergency braking, ABS are called upon to control the situation around them.

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KAWASAKI KX250

The first line of the rating belongs to the Japanese enduro. The KX250 model has not been produced for the first year, but in 2020 engineers have seriously redesigned its units and appearance.

The main task set by the specialists of the Japanese concern is to reduce weight, increase power, and increase reliability.
The bike is designed for off-road and rough terrain, for use on public roads is formally suitable, but a small gas tank and a fussy engine, coupled with a sensitive suspension, make the ride not particularly comfortable.

The updated model received a 4-stroke single-cylinder 249 cc engine.

In the name of increasing reliability, it was decided to get rid of the electronic starter.

The front shock has 310mm travel.
Gas tank volume: 6.4 l.
Curb weight: 104.7 kg.

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If you have any experience with off-road motorcycles or tips for choosing, share them in the comments.