2025 DUAL-SPORT BIKE BUYER’S GUIDE

This is going to be a very interesting year in the dual-sport world. Many of  the products for 2025 were late in arriving. In fact, several manufacturers that planned to announce 2025 models have pushed delivery back, and many will be early 2026 models. This is a list of dual-sport bikes that are fully homologated and street legal. All are legit, although some will arrive later than planned. Scroll down for electric models, which for the first time, comprise a significant part of the market. Prices shown reflect manufacturer’s suggested retail prices and do not include destination, set-up, tax or dealer mark up.

 

01

GASGAS ES700: TBA

This is the most powerful bike to ever carry the GasGas name. The 692.7cc single-overhead-cam engine is, in fact, one of the most powerful single-cylinder motors ever built. The ES700 has a ride-by-wire EFI system with a six-speed gearbox. A trellis frame is mated to a polyamide airbox. The ES700 shown here is a 2024 model, and an updated version is said to be announced soon. It is unclear if it will be called a 2025 model or a 2026.

 

HUSQVARNA 701 ENDURO: TBA

The Husky 701 Enduro is halfway between adventure bike and dual-sport. It is said to weigh 322 pounds without fuel, but it produces 74 horsepower, which is more than many twin-cylinder ADV bikes. It has a very offbeat layout, with the fuel tank mounted under the seat. The 701 has a map switch that allows two modes as well as traction control. The 2024 model is shown here with a new version to be announced mid-year.

 

KTM 690 ENDURO R: TBA

There’s a whole family of bikes in the Pierer Mobility line related to the 690 Enduro R. It originally was an offspring of the 690 Duke street bike, and then it spawned the GasGas ES700 and the Husqvarna 701 Enduro. Like all those bikes, the motor is the star of the show, with 74 horsepower and 55 pound-feet of torque. KTM has teased us that a new version is to arrive mid-season.

 

HONDA XR650L: $6999

This machine is an icon in the dual-sport world. It hasn’t seen any mechanical advancement since it was introduced in 1992, and even then it borrowed technology from the XR600 of 10 years earlier. But, it still has excellent suspension, a reliable motor and electric start. The XR650L remains an air-cooled five-speeder that uses a CV carburetor. It’s said to weigh 346 pounds, yet comes equipped with good components and is still made in Japan rather than any of Honda’s partners in Southeast Asia.

SUZUKI DR650S: $7199

To this day, the Suzuki DR650S enjoys cult-bike status in many parts of the world. It’s a basic dual-sport machine with an air-cooled motor fed by a 40mm Mikuni carb. The 644cc, SOHC four-valver has electric start and an oil cooler. The wheels are shod with a 21-inch DOT front tire and a 17-incher in back. It holds 3.4 gallons of fuel and has an old-school, spread-out riding position.

 

Husqvarna’s dual-sport bikes are similar to KTM’s, but one of the key differences is in the rear suspension department. The Husky 501 uses linkage to compress its WP shock rather than the PDS system. Changes in the bodywork, subframe and components also serve to differentiate the Husky from its brother in orange. After a big makeover in 2024, there are very few mechanical changes this year. The Husqvarna still uses a coil-spring version of the WP Xact fork.

HUSQVARNA FE501S HERITAGE EDITION: $13,499

Most of the 2025 Husqvarna motorcycles are available in a “Heritage Edition.” This is a cosmetic treatment based around a blue color scheme. The tank shroud have been updated to the one-piece design, but there are no other physical changes. Husqvarna used the blue look on some of its 125s and 175s in the ’70s. If that’s your period, this is your bike.

 

BETA RS: TBA

A delay in production means that the next batch of Beta dual-sport bikes to arrive in the U.S. will be designated 2026 models. Beta will continue with its tradition of offering four different dual-sport models that look virtually identical. There will be a 500RS, 430RS, 390RS, and 350RS that all use the same chassis and bodywork. Likewise, the motors are almost identical, varying only in bore, stroke and compression ratio. There will be numerous updates on all of them for 2025, although they will be late arrivals. The 2024 RS500 is shown here.

 

GASGAS ES500: $12,499

As a card-carrying member of the Pierer family, GasGas gets its own dual-sport 500. It has the same motor and frame as the Husky FE501S, with linkage suspension in the rear and a WP Xact coil-spring fork in front. The GasGas has a number of different bits and pieces, including a cast triple clamp, Braktec brakes, a Braktec clutch master cylinder and its own bodywork. It doesn’t have access to traction control or multiple maps unless you purchase a map switch separately.

 

KTM 500EXC-F: $13,099

After a big change in 2024, the standard version of the 500EXC-F is mostly unchanged this year. The mother corporation in Austria only offers no-link PDS rear suspension on KTM models, not GasGas and not Husky. In front, all three use the coil-spring version of the WP Xact fork. The EXC also comes with Brembo brakes, a Brembo hydraulic clutch and a map switch. The motor remains a SOHC four-valver that shares its basic architecture with KTM’s 450SX-F motocross bike.

 

KTM 500EXC-F CHAMPION EDITION: $13,599

This year KTM has extended its Factory Edition treatment to its dual-sport bikes. The KTM 500EXC-F Champion Edition gets many of the upgrades that we have seen on the motocross side of town. It has Red Bull graphics, an orange frame, a radiator fan, a front axle handle, a semi-floating front brake rotor and a number of other cosmetic treats. Under it all is the same motor and chassis as the standard 500EXC-F.

 

KTM 500EXC-F SIX DAYS: $14,349

Every year KTM releases an early edition of the 500EXC-F to commemorate the ISDE. The 2024 running of the event was recently held in Spain, and most of the factory-supported KTMs there had this look. It includes special Six Days graphics, a glossy orange frame, a special seat, orange triple clamps, a front axle handle, a semi-floating front brake rotor, a solid rear brake rotor, a skid plate and a radiator fan.

 

HONDA CRF450RL: $10,099

Honda’s dual-sport 450 was a game changer when it was introduced in 2019, proving that Japan could produce a serious street-legal off-road bike. But, it hasn’t changed since then, while European bikes have made serious progress in this field. The good news is that the Honda is actually less expensive than it was in 2019. It still has excellent suspension, a responsive motor and a reliable six-speed gearbox.

 

SUZUKI DR-Z4S: $8999

This is the biggest surprise of 2025. Suzuki’s DR-Z-4S replaces the 25-year-old DR-Z400. It is fuel-injected, has four levels of traction control and switchable anti-lock braking. Within the new chassis, you can see hints of the original DR-Z400 motor, but it now has dual spark plugs and a Ride-by-Wire throttle system. The DR-Z4S is said to have gained some weight over the old 400, but has more modern electronics and suspension.

 

KTM 390 ENDURO R: $5499

KTM isn’t dumb. They have heard all the complaints about their products out-pricing the average rider. The 390 Enduro R is the response. It’s an inexpensive dual-sport bike aimed at the buyers who might consider a Honda CRF300L or a Kawasaki KLX300. The concept was developed in Austria, while the design and final product development was done in India by Bajaj.

 

 

GASGAS ES350: $12,099

This is only the second year that GasGas has been in the dual-sport business. The ES350 is similar to the KTM and Husqvarna 350 dual-sports, and the basic platform isn’t that far removed from the full-blown off-road race bikes out of Austria. Unlike the KTM 350EXC-F, the GasGas uses linkage rear suspension. The front suspension is handled by the coil spring version of the WP XPLOR fork. The GasGas uses Braktec components for the brakes and clutch.

 

Husqvarna’s FE350s is just a little more expensive than the KTM or GasGas dual-sport bikes despite using the same motor. It actually blends some of the components of those two bikes. The Husky has linkage rear suspension like the GasGas and Brembo hydraulics like the KTM. It has bodywork all its own as well, and a proprietary subframe and airbox. The Husqvarna has a map switch that offers access to different power characteristics.

 

KTM 350EXC-F: $12,649

The 350EXC-F is KTM’s featherweight entry in the dual-sport world. The suspension is WP’s coil-spring Xact fork up front and the link-less WP XPLOR PDS rear shock in back. It uses Brembo brakes, Galfer Wave rotors, CNC-machined hubs, Giant rims and Continental TKC80 tires. This model is basically unchanged from last year when it got a big makeover that included a chassis that was influenced by the Red Bull KTM pro motocross team.

 

KTM 350EXC-F CHAMPION EDITION: $13,149

KTM loves to offer limited runs of special-edition motorcycles. This year the 350EXC-F has a Champion Edition that offers a look straight from the factory motocross team. It has Red Bull graphics, an orange frame, a radiator fan, a front-axle handle, a semi-floating front brake rotor and a number of other cosmetic items that, if purchased separately, would out-price the $500 increase in MSRP. In performance, it’s virtually the same as the standard 350EXC-F.

 

SWM RS300R: $6999

SWM is an Italian company that took over the Husqvarna factory when that company moved to Austria. The RS300R is actually based on the Husqvarna race bikes that came out of the Italian factory prior to 2013. Now, it’s a 50-state-legal dual-sport bike with a very attractive price. It has Mikuni/GET fuel injection, twin mufflers and KYB suspension. We expect an updated version of this bike and perhaps a 500cc version mid-season, although the 2024 model is shown here.

 

HONDA CRF300L: $5449

The Honda CRF300L is wildly popular because it sells for half the cost of a KTM or Husqvarna dual-sport bike. To be fair, it isn’t capable of hard-core off-road riding like more expensive bikes, and the assembly is performed at Honda’s plant in Thailand. But, the Honda is reliable and capable of light off-road adventures. The 286cc motor has double overhead cams and a six-speed gearbox. There is an ABS model for $5749. The 2024 model is shown here.

 

HONDA CRF300LS: $5749

The S model of Honda’s CRF300L means it’s a little shorter in height than the standard version. Honda trimmed off about an inch of suspension travel at both ends and made a few other changes to bring the seat height down 2 full inches to 32.7 inches. The suspension travel now measures 9.3 inches in the front and 9.0 inches in the rear. It also lost a little ground clearance, which is now 9.6 inches versus 11.2 inches on the standard version. The 2024 model is shown here.

 

KAWASAKI KLX300: $5449

The KLX300 is a trend-breaker. It actually has a lower MSRP than it did last year—by over $700! The Kawasaki KLX300 was also the winner of Dirt Bike Magazine’s 300 dual-sport comparison test in 2023. The suspension is adjustable via a 43mm cartridge fork with a 10.0-inch-travel front-suspension and a 9.1-inch Uni-Trak rear-suspension setup. The 292cc engine is liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, has a six-speed gearbox and electric start.

 

YAMAHA XT250: $5399

Yamaha believes there’s still a place for an air-cooled, 250cc dual-sport machine. The XT250’s biggest selling point is old-school simplicity. It has fuel injection and electric start, but in most other ways it’s a bike that uses technology from the previous century. It has a five-speed gearbox and a single-overhead-cam, two-valve motor. The Yamaha also has a lower price than it did in 2023 and gets 76 mpg.

 

YAMAHA TW200: $4999

This bike has become a fat-tired classic in the dual-sport world. Yamaha’s TW200 is still powered by an air-cooled, two-valve, 196cc carbureted engine. It features electric-start and a five-speed gearbox. With a 31.1-inch seat height, it’s one of the lowest and lightest bikes that is eligible for a license plate. The small-diameter 130/80-18 front and 180/80-14 rear tires are part of its appeal to entry-level riders.

 

 

HONDA XR150L: $3099

The Honda XR150L is special. It’s a legitimate dual-sport bike that’s approved by every government agency that has a say in the matter, and it sells for one fourth the price of a Husky dual-sport bike. It has an air-cooled, two-valve motor with a real-live carburetor. The rear wheel has a drum brake, and the suspension is non-adjustable. It does have electric start, a six-speed gearbox and a hydraulic front disc brake. o

CAN-AM ORIGIN: $14,499

In 2019, Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), the parent company of Can-Am, bought some assets from Alta Motors. These assets included intellectual property and patents. The result is the Origin, a bike that references the Can-Am off-road bikes of the mid-’70s. It is heavily street-oriented, but is said to have 47 horsepower and up to 90 miles of range.

 

STARK VARG EX (ELECTRIC): $12,900

Stark has taken its electrically powered platform to the dual-sport world. The EX is now street-legal in all 50 states. It has increased battery capacity (7.2 kWh), an off-road-specific frame and off-road settings for the KYB suspension. You can set the motor to produce up to 60 horsepower, and a $1000 option pushes the limit to 80 horsepower. Range can be up to six hours and charging time is two hours.

 

ZERO FX (ELECTRIC): $12,495

Zero has been in the electric motorcycle business longer than anyone, and the FX dual-sport model has been in the line-up since 2013. It has 7.2 kWh of battery capacity, produces 78 pound-feet of torque, has a top speed of 85 mph and can be charged in 1.3 hours. The FX leans towards the pavement side of the spectrum, but is very capable of casual off-road outings. The 2024 model is shown here.

KTM FREERIDE E (ELECTRIC): TBA

KTM has has the Freeride E in its model line up for over 10 years with very little change. The next version we see will be completely different. KTM will be making the electric drive train in-house and the bike will be street-legal in the U.S. At this point, the arrival date is unclear and we don’t know if it will officially be a 2025 model or a 2026 model.

HUSQVARNA E-DUAL-SPORT (ELECTRIC): TBA

Husqvarna will be going electric very soon with its own version of the KTM Freeride E. It will be aimed at exploring and trail riding rather than racing, much like the Freeride of past years, but it has already passed homologation for street-legal status. At this point, much is unsettled, including the name. Husqvarna called the preproduction version the “Pioneer” but Honda reports that name is taken. We also don’t know if it will be a 2025 or 2026 model.