9 High-Tech Adventure Bikes That Can Take The Ride Across Any Terrain

Motorcycling can be a grand adventure. Whether dragging a knee at the local track or striking out for a cross-country cruise, bikers have found fun aplenty astride the saddle of their favorite bikes.

No genre of motorcycle represents the spirit of exploration quite like the adventure bike. Sometimes unique, often innovative, and always promising to explore the unbeaten path, adventure bikes have evolved significantly in recent years. The age of high technology has infiltrated the adventure motorcycling market as surely as touring bikes and luxury vehicles.

Today's top-tier adventure bikes offer a range of advanced features geared toward making the mountain path or desert road less dangerous while upping fun and comfort. From automatically adjusting suspensions to GPS and infotainment systems, getting lost has never been more fun.

In honor of the latest and greatest to emerge in adventure motorcycling, let's examine nine high-tech adventure bikes that can take the ride across any terrain.

In addition to its many car accomplishments, BMW was also responsible for the first full-sized adventure bike, the BMW R 80 GS, in 1980. With decades of subsequent experience building adventure motorcycles, the brand is bringing lots of great tech to its 2025 R 1300 GS.

It starts with the motorcycle's flat-twin engine and low center of gravity, which provides stability and smoothness. This one happens to be a 1,300cc model making 145 hp and 110 lb-ft of torque, but the bells and whistles go well beyond that.

The R 1300 GS has a slew of electronically controlled rider aids. A quartet of riding modes (Eco, Rain, Road, Enduro) alters performance thanks to several sensors that detect conditions such as throttle response, traction control, wheel-lift detection, torque control, hill start, dynamic traction control, and dynamic brake control. BMW's ABS Pro system also monitors bank angle against brake pressure, preventing wheel lock-up in fast-braking situations.

Despite the bike's role as an off-road king, designers included dynamic cruise control for long stretches on the highway. Other comfort aids include a thin film transistor (TFT) display to monitor its systems or follow the map at a glance. A small compartment has a USB charging socket and a safe space to stow your cell phone.

BMW has always sought to bring the latest technology to its vehicles, and its top-of-the-line R 1300 GS carries on in the wake of that legacy.

Premium European brands are hardly the only ones associated with adventure motorcycles. Honda has a long and proud lineage, and its legendary Africa Twin has been in the game since it emerged as the XRV650 in the late '80s. Every generation of the Africa Twin offers something different, and Honda hasn't skimped on the high-tech in its latest and greatest.

The Africa Twin uses a liquid-cooled 1,083cc parallel-twin engine. The upright engine may not have as low a center of gravity as the BMW's flat twin, but Honda seeks to alleviate that with a compact engine design and low placement of heavy components like the battery.

Amongst the suite of electronic aides is Honda's selectable torque control system, which helps riders maximize acceleration while avoiding wheel spin and undesired wheelies. Six riding modes supplement the system, including urban, touring, gravel, and off-road riding settings. The Africa Twin is a paragon of ride customization.

Off-road riding can be physically demanding, but Honda wants to soften some of the blows. The Showa electronically equipped ride adjustment (EERA) system includes five further possible suspension adjustments. It also includes an anti-lock braking system that monitors wheel slip rates and automatically adjusts for the type of terrain the bike is on.

Honda has a sterling reputation for building bulletproof bikes and cars, and the Africa Twin's innovative approach brings adventure motorcycling into modernity.

Ducati straddles the chasm between sport and adventure motorcycling with the Multistrada V4. Given its distinctive futuristic design, it makes sense that this bike comes packed with some pretty cool tech, with special attention paid to rider and passenger comfort.

Starting at the front, we have an LED cornering headlamp that activates as the bike turns, automatically directing the headlight beam into your path and eliminating blind spots. But just in case you don't see the car in front of you spike its brakes, Ducati included front and rear radar along with adaptive cruise control that works in conjunction with a collision warning capability.

Ducati sources the Multistrada's powerplant from that found in its Panigale V4 superbike, combining the torque benefits of the V configuration with the smooth balance of a four-cylinder engine. In the Multistrada, the 1,158cc engine makes 170 hp and 91 lb-ft of torque, channeled through several systems, including the aforementioned radar, automatic lowering, blind spot detection, quick shifter cylinder shut-off, hill control, and a ride-by-wire system that eliminates the mechanical connection between throttle and engine.

The Multistrada V4 not only has all the earmarks of Italy's most sophisticated motorcycle builder, but it's also one of the most powerful adventure bikes around.

The history of Harley-Davidson is rife with criticism of its inability (or unwillingness) to embrace new technology. Fair or not, the Wisconsin-based bike builder is exploring new areas with its recently released adventure bike line.

The Pan America 1250 Special is distinctively a Harley — just not like one you've seen before. A liquid-cooled V-twin makes 150 hp with plenty of that torquey Harley pull enthusiasts love. But a V-twin powerplant is hardly news in the Harley world. What sets the Pan America apart are the whiz-bang gizmos like the electronically adjustable semi-active suspension, adaptive ride height, nine selectable riding modes, a six-segment LED banking light, and a 6.8-inch TFT display, all packed between the wheels, putting it in top competition with established adventure bikes.

The electronically adjustable semi-active suspension, for instance, provides a smoother and more controlled ride, especially on rough terrains. Combined with adaptive ride height, nine selectable riding modes, a six-segment LED banking light, and a 6.8-inch TFT display to monitor it all, the Pan America offers a comprehensive and user-friendly package.

Part of a line overhaul that began in 2020, the Pan America is a promising experiment, still in its early stages. While its full potential is yet to be realized, on paper, it's already a strong contender, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the most modern offerings from the competition.

If muscling a liter bike around the trails doesn't suit you, Yamaha has a versatile middleweight option in its Ténéré 700. With a 689cc engine, a set height of 34.4 inches, and a wet weight of 459 pounds, the Yamaha is perfectly suited for smaller riders and presents a competent package for all skill levels.

The 6.3-inch TFT display is nothing short of gorgeous, and it is mounted vertically. The Ténéré also sports smartphone connectivity, a modern feature that allows you to integrate your favorite apps or GPS programs into the adventure, making your rides more convenient and enjoyable. It shares Yamaha's chip controlled throttle (YCC-T) system with its street-going cousin, the MT-07.

Selectable throttle mapping includes Sport and Explorer modes, a traction-control system that can be turned off if you want a more visceral feeling, and a three-mode ABS that can also be adjusted to your tastes or turned off entirely. Perhaps the most innovative feature is a thumb-controlled joystick that allows riders to manipulate the infotainment system without taking a hand off the grip.

At a glance, Yamaha's middleweight rally-inspired adventure bike may look fairly basic, but it's packed with advanced technological surprises that'll have you ripping across the desert in no time.

Triumph bills its Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer as an all-road option, and the British builder appears to be onto something. The full-sized Tiger is a liquid-cooled, DOHC inline three-cylinder, a configuration the builder has used to great effect in street bikes like its Rocket 3 and Street Triple.

This time, Triumph took its triple-cylinder transcendence off-road (or should we say to all roads). The 1,160cc in the inline triple makes 147 hp and 95 lb-ft of torque via a multipoint sequential fuel injection system with an electronic throttle connected to a six-speed transmission with a multi-plate clutch.

A tubular steel frame with an aluminum subframe keeps weight to 578 pounds. A Showa suspension with automatic electronic adjustment keeps it comfortable whether doing a solo run or piling on the gear and a passenger. The affair is pulled to a stop by a Brembo brake system with dual 320 millimeter discs in the front and a single 282 millimeter disc in the rear.

As Triumph's top-of-the-line adventurer, the Rally Explorer trim comes with every bell and whistle the company can master. High-tech features include rear-mounted radar blind spot and lane change assist, heated seats and grips, under-seat storage with a USB charging port, and an inertial measurement unit that feeds optimized cornering ABS and traction control systems.

The Rally Explorer is a big-kid bike with a big-kid price tag, but Triumph has been making quality bikes for a long time, and the Tiger beats the BMW price mark.

Electric motors replacing combustion engines is either the worst thing ever to happen or the undeniable wave of the future. It depends mostly on who you ask, but no list of high-tech adventure bikes is complete without a nod to the electric market.

Former NASA engineer Neil Saiki founded Zero Motorcycles in 2006 to bring a viable electric motorcycle to mass production. Since then, the company has developed several lines, including the adventure-oriented DS line.

The DSR/X offers the obvious benefits of electric power, namely a 179-mile range with a one-hour charge time. With basically no engine sound, this could be the answer for those who want to enjoy nature from the saddle without pollution, noise, or otherwise.

The high-tech doesn't begin and end with the powerplant. Zero has partnered with Backcountry Discover Routes to create and share off-road routes, including charging infrastructure. Aside from that bonus, the DSR/X includes motorcycle stability control, vehicle hill hold, and ride modes, including standard, eco, rain, sport, and canyon, accessible through a 5-inch TFT display.

Coming from a NASA engineer, it should be no surprise that the Zero boasts its operating system, a highly customizable software known as Cypher III+ that can unlock performance enhancements, including increased battery capacity, faster charging, and slow-gear reverse enabling.

The future is impossible to predict, but Zero's DSR/X is about as close as it gets in adventure motorcycling.

Back in the realm of internal combustion, we arrive at KTM's full-scale adventure bike, the Super Adventure 1290. With a torquey V-twin that makes 160 hp and 101 lb-ft of torque, it has the power to dominate any terrain.

Adaptive cruise control and a semi-active suspension make it a bona fide highway tourer, but it's in the dirt that the Super Adventure shines. A laser-cut trellis frame built from chrome-molybdenum stainless steel ought to convince you that KTM put serious effort into bringing the technology to the king of what it calls its Travel line.

Up front, an LED headlight with supplemental cornering lights illuminates shaded trails and nighttime highways. A 7-inch TFT links riders to KTMconnect, the company's proprietary Bluetooth system that provides turn-by-turn navigation, music, and even answering phone calls (seriously, who wants to take a phone call in the middle of a ride?). You don't have to answer, but KTM wants you to have the option.

If the 1290 is bigger than you want, KTM has an expansive Travel line that includes the 890 Adventure at a lower price, as well as a number of enduro and adventure bikes down to the 400cc range.

The final entry on our list is the middleweight Aprilia Tuareg 660. A rally-inspired dual-sport that looks positively slim compared to some of the chunky choices on this list, it packs a respectable suite of tech into a manageable package.

Despite being in a lower displacement tier, the Aprilia Tuareg 660 doesn't compromise on technology. The high-visibility 5-inch TFT display is a standout feature, allowing riders to easily cycle through its four riding modes: urban, explore, off-road, and individual. This display enhances the riding experience by providing clear and concise information, and two of these modes allow the rider to customize performance characteristics.

The Aprilia performance ride control (APRC) technology is a game-changer for the Tuareg 660. It includes selectable front- and rear-engagement for ABS, engine mapping, and engine braking selections. This technology, which has been refined through Aprilia's successes in grueling tests like the Hellas Rally Raid, Africa Eco Race, Baja Aragon, and Italian Motorally Championship, significantly enhances the bike's performance and control.

While it may not be the ideal choice for long-distance touring with a passenger, the Tuareg is a versatile machine that offers more than enough for thrilling rally adventures. Its adaptability and performance make it an exciting prospect for a variety of riding experiences.