Adventure riding on a 250cc is more common than you think because a light bike has so many advantages. I have been digging and found some cool riders who will inspire you to start adventure riding on your small bike.
Can you do Adventure Riding on a 250cc Motorcycle? Yes, it is 100% possible to go out and do some adventure riding on a small 250cc motorcycle. The advantages off a smaller bike are that they are easier to learn how to ride, easy to pick up after a fall and more budget friendly.
Let’s dig some deeper in the advantages and disadvantages of a small adventure bike and which bikes are the best small adventure bikes.
The advantages vs the disadvantages of a small adventure bike
Let’s begin by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of having a smaller adventure bike.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Lightweight | Low top speed |
| Easy to handle | Small fuel tank |
| Easy to ride | Higher maintenance intervals |
| Easy maintenance | Uncomfortable seating |
| Budget friendly |
Advantages
1. Why you want a lightweight bike for adventure rides
A motorcycle that is lightweight is generally considered to be around 150kg / 330lbs or less (including fuel and oils this is usually called wet weight or curb weight). Compared to a 650cc motorcycle which typically weigh around 220kg / 490lbs.
Adventure riding or dual sport riding combines the smooth riding on the pavement with offroad trails and tracks. Depending on your style and preference this can be well groomed gravel roads to gnarly single tracks in the remote outback.
No matter your style, a lighter bike will be easier to ride on the offroad sections. Imagine dropping your motorcycle and having to pick it up, fully loaded, multiple times a day. You will quickly feel the 70kg / 110lbs difference. Just think about adding that much weight to your squat routine.
This is the biggest reason people choose a smaller bike to ride on long trips, especially when traveling solo. It doesn’t matter how strong you are, after a long day in the saddle in soaring temperatures the last thing you want to do is to pick up a heavy motorcycle for the 10th time that day.
An even worse scenario might be that you get pinned under the motorcycle and because of its weight you are unable to lift it off yourself. Or because you crashed it on a slope or rode off the side of a cliff you are unable to retrieve the bike by yourself. Traveling solo this is a major risk to your safety. Traveling on a lighter bike is the smart thing to do.
2. A smaller motorcycle is easier to handle on difficult terrain
Besides the lighter weight making a smaller motorcycle easier to pick up, it also makes it easier to handle. Riding is done with your whole body, not just the arms. So you don’t need to be adding curls to your workout routine to prepare for a trip, but having a lighter bike is going to make it easier for you to manoeuvre the motorcycle where you want it to go.
If you are choosing to ride more difficult terrain, this is certainly a huge advantage. Being able to throw the bike around a corner will sometimes keep you upright in comparison to falling over.
As well as on the road, it will be easier to ride through congested traffic because you can easily move left and right without the fear of falling over and physically being smaller so easier to split lanes and fit in between the other traffic.
3. Why a 250 is easier to ride
A lighter bike reminds many of us of riding a bicycle which is a good mindset to be in. As they say, you cannot forget how to ride (or is that just a Dutch saying, lol). So starting to learn with a positive mindset is half the work done.
Having a smaller motorcycle on a long adventure ride will allow you to ride for longer because they are easier to ride then big motorcycles which are just more work. Another great benefit of smaller bikes. This is true not only for beginners, but for everyone. A lighter bike is less work, therefor you can ride further or have more energy left at the end of the day for another adventure. A trip into town or cooking up a fancy campsite dinner, adventure riding is not only about the riding.
4. Small adventure bikes are more affordable
Smaller adventure bikes are more affordable than big bikes. Too obvious? That doesn’t make it less true. A smaller bike will cost you less, especially when you buy a used bike, which I highly recommend for your first motorcycle. This leaves a bigger budget for modifications or other adventure gear like a tent or a nice helmet. Having proper gear makes riding any bike more fun.
The difference between a Honda CRF250L(MRSP €6000) and a Honda Africa Twin1100 (MRSP €21.000) is €15.000! This is the entire budget for an Africa traverse of 1 person. Don’t think that because other people are taking a big bike on an adventure, that therefor it must be the most suitable motorcycle. The most well worn travellers all swear by a smaller bike.
What to do with that extra budget
5. Small dual sport bikes are easy to maintain
A 250cc usually has less electronics and other fancy bits and bobs making it more reliable and easier to maintain yourself. Changing the oil for example is a fairly straight forward activity which you can learn from YouTube or a good maintenance manual. Saving you big time on expensive garage rates for tasks that do not require a degree in motorcycle maintenance.
Disadvantages
1. How fast can you go on a 250cc motorcycle?
The average 250cc motorcycle will have a top speed of around 130 km/h or 80 mph. The weather and road conditions will have an impact on the top cruising speed as well as the load being carried. A change of tire, sprockets or a tuning kit can increase your top speed.
Why is this a disadvantage for adventure riding or dual sport riding? You will probably ride a combination of dirt and road. The 250 will outperform any big bike in the dirt, but where the big bike shines is on the highway. Pushing your smaller bike to the max just to keep up with the traffic around you is not fun. The bike starts to vibrate more towards the top end of the speed range shaking your hands and arms to the point they get numb. Small sections on the highway are not an issue, but when you plan to ride long stretches to get from A to B a bigger bike might be more suitable. Or you decide to take the back roads and have a more relaxed ride, why are you in a hurry anyways?
2. Can a 250cc motorcycle make long trips?
A 250cc is perfectly capable of making long trips. The lightweight character makes it easy to ride and when you avoid highways as much as possible it is a very fun size to ride. The downside of a smaller motorcycle is the fuel capacity of these bikes with an average range of 200km / 125 miles.
The Honda CRF250L has a 7,8 Liter tank (1.7 imperial gallons / 2.1 US gallons) giving you a range of around 200km / 125 miles. This is not a lot. Especially when you are planning on riding long stretches of remote backcountry. Otherwise, I’ve found on my world trips that fuel can be found everywhere there are people. So it is something to take into consideration and be honest with yourself. Are you going into the outback with nobody around or is a 200km / 125miles range fine for you.
A quick fix is to take a fuel container like a rotapax or a fuel bladder to fill up before you head into that remote section. A more expensive option is to get a different tank with a larger capacity like this one.
3. Why smaller bikes require more maintenance
A smaller motorcycles usually have smaller oil containers which means they require an oil change frequently. Especially dirt bikes are advised to change the oil every 1000km. When adventure riding this is absolutely impossible. With a service interval that low, you might be changing the oil every 3 days. So before you buy a dirt bike as your dual sport motorcycle, check the required maintenance intervals and think if that would match your riding style.
4. An uncomfortable seat
A smaller motorcycle has a smaller seat which is usually not that comfortable when riding for hours. Having to stop to stretch your ass every half hour is not good for your daily progress. There are quick fixes people use such as a sheepskin, but the seat will never be as comfortable as that of a BMW1200.
What is the best small adventure motorcycle?
A1 bike specifications (UK)
> The A1 allows you to ride up to a 125cc bike with engine power not exceeding 11kw
> The maximum power to weight ratio of 0.1kw per kilogram
A2 Bike specifications (UK)
> You are restricted to a bike with a limit of 35kW
> The power to weight ratio must be no more than 0.2kW kilogram
The advantages of a small adventure motorcycle outweigh the disadvantages in many cases. So now that you are convinced, which bike should you get? I’ve collected 4 popular 250cc motorcycles and compared them. These are your 4 best options for you:
Find the best small adventure bike for you
Honda
CRF250L Rally
Yamaha
WR250R
Kawasaki
KLX250
Yamaha
XT250
| Honda CRF250L Rally | Yamaha WR250R | Kawasaki KLX250 | Yamaha XT250 | |
Verdict |
Best stock bike for long Around the World trips. | Strongest motorcycle out of these four. Great for gnarly single tracks. | Reliable bike that is really affordable, but needs some extra love from his owner. | Cheapest bike of the lot, but not available in Europe. Great long maintenance interval. |
Reasons to buy |
+ Large service intervals + No serious modifications needed |
+ Powerful little bike + Highest top speed |
+ Large service intervals + Very affordable |
+ Decent range with the stock tank + Cheapest bike out of the four + Lowest seat height |
Reasons to avoid |
- Pricy | - Small range with the stock tank
- Shorter service intervals |
- Small range with the stock tank | - Not available in Europe
- Shorter service interval |
Honda CRF 250L Rally
The Honda CRF 250L has been out since 2012 and soon became a favourite for adventure riders. I personally know many riders who chose the Honda for their trip around the world and with the Rally fairing it definitely looks the part too. The downside of the looks are that it is a fair bit heavier than the other bikes in the line up but that is mostly due to the larger tank giving it the biggest range with the stock tank. The biggest plus of this motorcycle is the large service interval at 12.000 / 8000 miles you do not need to worry about finding engine oil every other week. Here are some RTW travellers who chose to ride on a Honda Amsterdam to Anywhere and Steph Jeavons.
| Specification | Metric | Imperial |
| Engine power | 18,2 kW | 18,2 kW |
| Top Speed | 137 km/h | 85 mph |
| Weight | 157 kg | 346 pounds |
| Seat height | 89,5cm | 35,2 inches |
| Tank size | 10,1 liter | 2.7 US gallons |
| Range | 320 km | 200 miles |
| Service interval | 12.000 km | 8000 miles | Price new | €6999 | US$5949 |
Kawasaki KLX 250
Lightweight, nimble and cheap. Those are some of the things that the KLX has going for it, but with a 2 gallon tank on it you will definitely want to take some spare fuel for those remote outback rides.
When the trails turn technical you can rely on the KLX to take you there. A great report of how the KLX preforms you can find here.
| Specification | Metric | Imperial |
| Engine power | 16 kW | 16 kW |
| Top Speed | 137 km/h | 85 mph |
| Weight | 138 kg | 298 pounds |
| Seat height | 88,9 cm | 35 inches |
| Tank size | 7,6 liter | 2.0 US gallons |
| Range | 193 km | 120 miles |
| Service interval | 10.000 km | 6200 miles | Price new | €4999 | US$5399 |
Yamaha WR250R
The Yamaha WR250R is the bike with the most power, meaning it will take you up those steep hills without a problem. The R stands for road, meaning it is street legal. It is the tallest bike from the four, making it more suitable for vertically gifted people or riders with more experience. Read a helpful blog from a real adventure rider here.
| Specification | Metric | Imperial |
| Engine power | 22,4 kW | 22.4 kW |
| Top Speed | 140 km/h | 87 mph |
| Weight | 133 kg | 295 pounds |
| Seat height | 92,9 cm | 36.6 inches |
| Tank size | 7,6 liter | 2.0 US gallons |
| Range | 193 km | 120 miles |
| Service interval | 5000 km | 3100 miles | Price new | €6599 | US$6699 |
Yamaha XT250
The lowest stock seat height of the four bikes, which is great if you are vertically challenged. Being able to touch the floor with both feet gives a lot more confidence while starting to learn how to ride offroad.
Read about the XT on adventure with Lois on the Loose and a great post on the mods available on the Expedition Portal.
| Specification | Metric | Imperial |
| Engine power | 12,1 kW | 12.1 kW |
| Top Speed | 120 km/h | 75 mph |
| Weight | 132 kg | 291 pounds |
| Seat height | 81 cm | 31.9 inches |
| Tank size | 9,8 liter | 2.6 US gallons |
| Range | 317 km | 197 miles |
| Service interval | 5000 km | 3100 miles | Price new | Not for sale in the EU |
US$5199 |
In conclusion
The best 250cc adventure bike depends on your wants, needs, budget and physical location. A great option for Round The World trips is the Honda CRF250L Rally, requiring little modifications and with the long service interval is great on those year long adventures.
The Yamaha WR250R is the most powerful bike out of the four, so if you are heavier or a skilled rider looking for a bike that can handle your style then it will be a great choice.
The Kawasaki KLX250 is very affordable, but will need some modifications to make it suitable for adventure riding, but it is a great bike that doesn’t need a lot of maintenance.
The Yamaha XT250 is the cheapest out of the 4, but with the lower service interval will need some extra love so it is a great option if you are mechanically gifted.
A final comparison table with all the specs lined up (metric and imperial available)
Related questions that might interest you
Are adventure bikes good for beginners?
Adventure bikes are great for beginners, depending on the size you are getting. A smaller sized engine 450cc or less is better for those first years of riding. An adventure bike is lighter than your standard bike and is therefor easier to ride.
As well as the riders posture based on the position of the handlebars and seat on an adventure bike or dual sport motorcycle is ideal for beginners. It is more upright than a racing model giving you a better overview of the road and the road users around you. And it is not as laid back as a cruiser giving you a better position for quick steering actions.
It is comfortable for long trips and you can also stand up on the pegs and stretch when you get stiff on those long rides. And when you are ready for it, you can take your bike off the pavement and into adventure for that real feeling of freedom.
Lastly, a smaller adventure bike is also great in city traffic. Being able to swerve in and out of traffic. Lane splitting when necessary and turning around on a narrow pavement are all easier with a light adventure bike. Not to mention most adventure bikes are meant to fall over so if you take a dive you won’t damage the expensive fairing found on other models.
How big should you be to ride a 250 dirt bike?
As a rule of thumb, you should be about 178cm or 5’10 tall to ride a 250cc motorcycle. The average seat height of a 250cc bike is between 88-99cm or 35-39 inches so that you can touch the ground with two feet. A better rider can ride any size bike they want.
Is a 250 dual sport big enough?
A 250 dual sport is big enough for the average adventure rider. It will be able to handle technical trails as well as shorter highway sections. For long trips make sure you carry enough fuel and set your gps to avoid highways.