2018's top ten adventure bikes (so far)
Adventure bikes are still the hottest property on the market at the moment, but which ones are on top?
It’s been years since anything other than the BMW R1200GS topped the sales charts in the UK – and it’s the same story across most of Europe – but it’s by no means the only adventure bike out there.
We’ve dug through the figures and pulled together a list of the top 10 strongest-selling models in the adventure bike class, and while you’re not going to be shocked by the number one, there are a couple of surprises on the list…
All our figures are based on UK registrations in the first quarter of 2018, which are the latest currently available. Without further ado, here are the country’s top 10 adventure bikes this year…
10: Ducati Multistrada 1260: 115 UK registered, Jan-Mar 2018
As a new model for and one of the most powerful, capable and high-tech all-rounders on teh market, we thought the new Multistrada 1260 might be higher on this list than 10th. However, it’s worth remembering that it wasn’t available right at the start of the year, so hasn’t had as much time on the market as some of its rivals. In case you’re wondering, the vast majority of buyers opt for the expensive versions of the bike – 80 of the registrations are ‘S’ models and 27 are the ‘Pikes Peak’ derivative. Just 8 buyers went for the pauper-level base version.
9: Honda VFR800X: 121 UK registered, Jan-Mar 2018
The Multistrada 1260 might be one of the newest things on the market, but the VFR800X Crossrunner is a dinosaur in comparison, particularly when you consider the number of parts shared with the VFR800 design that dates back to the turn of the millennium. Still, there’s no question it’s an appealing all-rounder, even if it’s really tall road bike rather than a machine you’d dare to take onto a rough surface.
8: Honda CRF 1000 Africa Twin: 150 UK registered, Jan-Mar 2018
For off-road use, the Honda to opt for is the Africa Twin, which manages to hit 8th place with 150 registrations in the first quarter of the year. Of them, the majority (108) are the simple, manual-transmission version, with just 42 buyers opting for the complicated dual-clutch semi-auto.
7: Kawasaki Versys 650: 175 UK registered, Jan-Mar 2018
Another simple, straightforward model, the Versys 650’s appeal is precisely that no-frills approach. It’s a capable, comfortable commuter that has the adventure bike stance, even if it’s not really something that would ever be able to stray from the asphalt.
6: Honda CRF1000 Africa Twin Adventure Sports: 190 UK registered, Jan-Mar 2018
Yes, it’s the Africa Twin again, it’s second appearance in the list. How come it gets two bikes of the cherry? Because this is the Adventure Sports version, complete with bigger fuel tank and more serious ‘adventure’ intentions. It’s more expensive than the basic Africa Twin, but it’s outselling its sibling nonetheless. Interestingly, while few buy the DCT version of the base model, the numbers are much closer when it comes to the Adventure sport – 106 manual versions were registered alongside 84 dual-clutch semi-autos.
