5 Best Adventure Motorcycles 2018 - Mind Blowing Sports

Now, we are in 2018 and the thrill isn't started yet, we've handpicked 5 Best Adventure Motorcycles for you to make this year memorable, full of Thrill & Adventure Spirit. 2017 was a great year for all Motorcycle Enthusiasts with brands like Honda, Ducati and Triumph launching their most pristine offerings in India.

Adventure sport segment motorcycles offer a multitude of experiences. Here are the best Adventure Motorcycles or Sports bikes you need to look out for this year!

1. Honda CRF1000L aka Africa Twin

The CRF1000L is better known as the almighty Africa Twin. It is the modern-day equivalent of Honda’s most iconic rally motorcycle, the NXR750V which won the Paris-Dakar Rally back to back four times in the 80s. With its 998 cc (60.9 cu) 270o crack, parallel twin dual-sport, this is Honda’s response to Ducati Multistrada, Triumph Tiger Explorer XCx, and BMW R1200GS. Africa Twin can be described as a lightweight, off-road focused vehicle. A few hours on this beast is all it takes for you to fall in love with the extra refined engine, seamless transmission and the absolute beast of a machine the Africa Twin is. 250mm of ground clearance offers peace of mind and lets you take the Africa twin almost everywhere you lay your eyes on.

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[caption id="attachment_1081" align="aligncenter" width="611"] Credits: Honda India[/caption] Africa Twin comes with a lot of first in segment features too. The Africa Twin comes equipped with Dual Clutch Transmissions. DCT offers a wide variety of drive modes to play with. Drive Mode, Sports Mode and the Manual Mode, offers seamless transmission and this goes to show what Africa Twin brings to the table. The ride quality of the Africa Twin is something Honda requires a special pat on the back for. It is so sublime even on the hard terrain, thanks to the biaxial counterbalancers. Compared to the Multistrada and the R1200GS, the Africa Twin generates less power but it is compensated by the enormous torque it offers from as low as 2000 rpm. Off-Road is where the Africa Twin is truly at home. ABS, Traction Control, DCT, Linear Power delivery, and an excellent off-roader in all sense. Africa Twin offers great value for money as it is packed with features and is dependable on all terrains. Packing at INR 12,90,000 at its ex-showroom Delhi, the Africa twin is the best offering among its competitors if you look over the fact that it does not come with ride-by-wire, cruise control and other high-end electrical gizmos. Africa Twin, in short, is Adventure Sport done right!

2. Ducati Multistrada 950

A combination of comfort, style and exceptional performance with an incredible riding ease. The Multistrada is all about the experience and Ducati has outdone itself with the Multistrada 950, deriving a tamed and refined engine from the Hyper-motorad in the bodywork of a Multistrada.   The comfort and the long-distance capability of the Multistrada is not to be questioned - long travel suspension, 20 Liter tank, best ergonomics straight from the Multistrada 1200. The 930cc motor delivers 113bhp and 96.2 Nm torque and the fact that the motor is in the same state of tune as the hyper-motorad adds to the package.

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[caption id="attachment_1080" align="aligncenter" width="603"] Credits: Ducati India[/caption] Weighing over 229 Kg, the Multistrada 950 is guaranteed to be one of the best adventure sports offering in 2017. The Multistrada 950 doesn’t stop there! With 8 levels of traction control, 3 levels of ABS and 4 riding modes gives, even more, refinement to the experience. The slip assisted clutch ensures a lighter clutch and hops free downshifts. The 950 gets a bit grumpy after 7500 rpm but the massive mill gives you the confidence to ride a gear or two higher. The engine combined with the extra weight of the Multistrada gives a better and tamed feel to the hyper-motorad tuned engine. The power delivery is more linear thanks to the added weight. The Multistrada 950 is a very capable entry to Ducati’s touring family. But we still feel that Ducati could have done better considering its rich history with the touring line-up. Coming at a price tag of INR 12,20,000 (ex-showroom Delhi), the 950 is just about a lakh or two cheaper than its elder sibling which offers a better value for money and definitely a better riding experience. The difference with 1200 is so vast that the price difference is justified even before comparison.

3. Triumph Tiger Explorer XCx

Built for all-terrain, the explorer XCx is marketed as the go-anywhere, do-anything transcontinental motorcycle. The Explorer packs immense power and linear torque curve from Triumph’s signature 1215cc triple engine. The motor is tuned to take on all terrains by coupling it with spokes wheels, traction control, ABS, Brembo Monobloc 4 piston radial calipers at the front and a single 282mm 2 piston disc at the rear. [caption id="attachment_1078" align="aligncenter" width="611"] Credits: Triumph India[/caption] The signature motor develops 139 PS at 9,300 rpm and a staggering 123 Nm torque at 6,200 rpm which when combined with the astounding electronic meshed into the package. 6-Axis IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) offers superior safety with optimized cornering ABS and traction control. The 3 riding modes incorporate different settings for ABS, traction control and throttle maps, each optimized to suit the selected mode for maximum control, comfort and riding experience. The XCx offers programmable Rider mode with a customizable setting for throttle mapping. The XCx also features the all New Triumph Semi-Active suspension developed by WP. Priced at INR 18,75,000 (ex-showroom Delhi), the Triumph Tiger Explorer XCx is justified with all the advanced electronics and the pure pleasure of the experience it offers.

4. Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro

The all-new Multistrada 1200 Enduro takes traveling and touring to a whole new domain. Take it from Ducati when they say, “Time to reconceive the heights of performance and technology and rewrite rules of adventure.” The Multistrada 1200 Enduro doesn’t fall short of its tag of being an adventure sport with a special focus on the sport. The Enduro is powered by Ducati’s 160 hp Testastretta DVT Engine, which draws its juice from a 30 liter fuel tank, 19” front wheel, spoked wheels and 200 mm of wheel travel. [caption id="attachment_1079" align="aligncenter" width="608"] Credits: Ducati India[/caption] The Multistrada 1200 Enduro comes equipped with a full electronic suite. The electronics on the Multistrada 1200 Enduro is the best in its class which offers ABS with Vehicle Hold Control (VHC), Cornering ABS, Ducati Multimedia System (DMS), Cruise Control, Ride-By-Wire, Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC), 8-level Ducati Traction Control (DTC) 4 of which are integrated in the Riding Modes. The Multistrada 1200 Enduro offers 4 riding modes; Enduro, Touring, Sport, and Urban. Ducati offers maximum reliability and reduces maintenance costs. This is best defined by the Multistrada 1200 Enduro. Priced at INR 17,44,000 (Ex-Showroom Delhi), the Enduro is the best bet after the Africa Twin for an overall brilliant experience.

5. Royal Enfield Himalayan

The Royal Enfield Himalayan is the Indian response to the adventure sport segment and is best suited for the Indian road and market. The Himalayan is powered by a 411cc motor generating 24.5 PS at 6500 rpm and a maximum torque of 32Nm at 4000 rpm. It feels funny to compare the Himalayan with the adventure sport bikes in this segment but the Himalayan was the only motorcycle to feature in this category from India. The Himalayan doesn’t come with any fancy electronics and it costs the least among the bunch. Priced at INR. 1,51,000 (Ex-Showroom Delhi), this is the most accessible model to the most of Indian population.