Expert guide to: sub-£3k adventures

Updated: 07 December 2023

Tall, upright and comfortable, adventure bikes make for great tourers – and that’s the secret of their enduring success.

If you are after a bike to carry you and a pillion on a tarmac trip away, adventure bikes make great travelling companions.

But with the latest crop of tech-heavy machines devouring upwards of £20k, buying one is a very serious commitment.

Which is where these five bikes step in. Costing less than £3k, these five adventure-style bikes are packed with practicality and won’t bust your budget…

MCN best buy: Honda Varadero (2003-10)

Honda’s road-going V-twin has so much to offer

92bhp
996cc
838mm seat height
262kg (kerb)

The Varadero is a brilliant workhorse that has a good reputation for reliability and build quality…

By Jon Urry

MCN contributor, original 916 & R1-owner, human Labrador, thoroughly nice bloke. Working for over 20 years in the motorcycle industry, Jon not only has an encyclopaedic knowledge of bikes, but has also interviewed many key players in the motorcycle industry, including designers, factory bosses and legendary racers. Still a passionate motorcyclist with child-like enthusiasm for two-wheels, Jon has a collection of both modern and classic bikes that he maintains himself and he writes a weekly column in MCN (newspaper) about used bikes and the state of the motorcycle market.