Buying the Right Adventure Bike

Adventure motorcycles are powerful bikes that refuse to be restricted to the road. These multipurpose machines allow you to ride on dirt, gravel, pavement, and everything in between, but there are a lot of versions on the market. We here at Willamette Valley Harley-Davidson want to help you get the adventure bike you need, so we’ve put together a few tips on buying the right one, below. To learn more, or to see the adventure bikes we have for sale, contact our store in Eugene, Oregon, today!

Your Budget

First and foremost, figure out how much you can afford to spend before you start your hunt to avoid getting too attached to a model you end up struggling to afford. It’s safest to build your budget on a financing model, so first see how long you’ll need to save up to pay the down payment (usually between 10-20% of the sticker price). Then see how much you can afford to pay monthly, since the rest of the cost will be paid off in monthly installments with interest.

Your Skill Level

Because adventure bikes are built for so many different terrains, they come in a lot of sizes and shapes. Larger, more powerful versions will be more stable in difficult terrains and have more speed potential, but they’re also significantly harder to control. If you’re just at the start of your adventure biking, it may be best to begin with a smaller motorcycle that will be less likely to get away from you.

Your Height

While many street motorcycles have forward-leaning sitting positions, adventure bikes take the dirt bike path with an upright sitting position. That, combined with taller suspensions, tends to make adventure bikes taller than the average motorcycle. If you’re shorter than around 5’6”, you may struggle to find an adventure bike that you can use comfortably. Of course, there will be models that are made for people around that height. You may just have fewer options.

No matter your height, however, when you find a model you’re interested in, make sure to sit on it and see how easily your hands and feet reach their respective resting locations. Never buy an adventure bike if it doesn’t fit you like a glove from the start unless you’re willing to pay for customizations and modifications.

The Locations

Adventure bikes tend to focus more on street driving than off-roading, so if you plan on getting wild in the wilderness, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared for it. The tires your adventure bike will come with should be fairly standard, one-size-fits-all tires that will do okay in most environments. If you know you’ll be in specific terrains more often, try finding tires and accessories that better prepare your adventure motorcycle for those conditions.

Ready to see what the right adventure bike can do for you? Contact us at Willamette Valley Harley-Davidson if you have any questions, or if you just want to see the adventure motorcycles we have in stock. We proudly serve the people of Albany and Corvallis, Oregon—let us serve you today!