Heading off the beaten track needn't cost the earth. Check out these used adventure bike heroes!

Ever since the surge in popularity of adventure bikes in the early Noughties these two-wheeled SUVs have grown ever-more sophisticated, versatile… and expensive, with BMW and KTM’s latest now easily topping £20K once a few options boxes have been ticked.

But that also means there are plenty of older, used examples around with lots of capability and appeal for as little as four grand – here’s our expert’s pick of the best and what you should look out for.

Related: Adventure bike tyre buying guide

Read on for our expert guide to used adventure bikes!

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MCN Recommended: 2004-2012 BMW R1200GS – from £2890

MCN Best Buy

Spec:

• Power 1170cc
• Engine capacity 100bhp
• Seat height 850mm
• Kerb weight

Not many bikes are disruptors, but the BMW R1200GS changed the landscape when it arrived, killing sports-tourer sales, as a genuine all-rounder that could tour and hustle through bends. It wasn’t simply a tweaked R1150GS, it was a completely reinvented bike. Sharper, lighter and more powerful than ever, the only parts carried through were the front brake discs. The R1200GS offered loyal BMW riders what they’d been demanding: agility and the ability to tour comfortably on their adventure bike.

Related: Best kit for adventure bike riders

BMW R1200GS used buying advice

● A £5000 budget means you’re looking at first-generation 1200s, and from 2006 to mid-2008 they have sealed ABS modules, so if it goes you won’t get much change out of £700. That’s why many have had a by-pass kit fitted and removed the ABS warning bulb, so check it all works on a test ride.
● The rubber shaft drive boot can also perish and split where it joins the engine, which means pongy gearbox oil will leak out. It’s a 4 to 5 Haynes Difficulty rating to fix. The hub bearings also need changing at the 25,000-mile mark and if the horn or flash button don’t work, the plastic circuit board in the left hand switch cluster has let go.

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2006-2012 Triumph Tiger 1050 – from £3499

Road-Focused Fave

Spec:

• Power 1050cc
• Engine capacity 115bhp
• Seat height 830mm
• Kerb weight

The road-focused first-generation Triumph Tiger 1050 feels nicely integrated. If it wasn’t for the broad handlebars and tall suspension it’d be easy to forget the Tiger 1050 is a large trailie and not an everyday motorcycle.

Triumph Tiger 1050 used buying advice

Higher mileage 1050s can use up to a litre of oil every 1000 miles, but if they start to smoke heavily and are 2007-8 models it’s a sign a piston may be cracking up and allowing oil to sneak past the scraper rings. Other warning signs are overheating and a noisy engine. You’ve got 100 miles or less to get it sorted before it lets go and you get a repair bill bigger than the bike’s value. The exhaust has two braces which can crack, but can be rewelded. Useful as aftermarket pipes are costly. Triumph stators are also weak, if they let go they will take the reg/rectifier with them.

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2010-2014 Triumph Tiger 800 – from £3291

Entry-Level Ace

Spec:

• Power 799cc
• Engine capacity 94bhp
• Seat height 810mm
• Kerb weight

The more entry-level, cheaper, road-biased Triumph Tiger 800 is visually differentiated from the XC by its cast wheels (19in at the front in place of the XC’s 21), lack of beak and shorter travel suspension.

Triumph Tiger 800 used buying advice

● These have a stalling problem as the electro-mechanical stepper motor, which controls tickover, goes out of adjustment so you get an erratic idle or the bike will stall.
● Panels are brittle and start to get ‘spiders’ legs’ around bolt holes. Switchgear is tacky and, like most Triumphs, the 800 doesn’t weather well. Reg/rectifiers regularly fail and the battery bleeds out quickly which triggers problems with the factory-fitted alarm systems if a trickle-charger isn’t used. You can get a blanking plug for £60 that takes the alarm out of the equation as physical removal is a big job.

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2012-2015 Kawasaki Versys 1000 – from £3190

Worthy Work Horse

Spec:

• Power 1043cc
• Engine capacity 116bhp
• Seat height 845mm
• Kerb weight

The Kawasaki Versys 1000 has Marmite looks but a peach of an engine with loads of bottom-end, nice spread of torque and a dollop of top end. It’s also very comfortable, will eat miles all day long and handles reasonably well.

Kawasaki Versys 1000 used buying advice

This is one of those typical Kawasakis that just gets on with it. The rocker cover gaskets can go, signalled by an oil mist that burns off on the exhaust. It’s time-consuming and will take a competent DIY man three to four hours to replace. Brakes need regular half-yearly fluid changes or the ABS can fail as the tiny valves get clogged up, so make sure the ABS light goes off when test riding the bike. You can get fluid testers for a couple of quid with a traffic light warning system that check how much water has been soaked up by the hygroscopic fluid.

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2003-2012 KTM 990 Adventure – from £6500

Best Off-Roader

Spec:

• Power 942cc
• Engine capacity 97bhp
• Seat height 860mm
• Kerb weight

If you thought giant trailies were all about sloshy handling, monster fork dive and woeful brakes then the KTM 990 Adventure will turn your world upside-down. Despite the colossal 21in front wheel the road-holding is excellent and utterly confidence-inspiring and it all works off-road, too. Result.

KTM 990 Adventure used buying advice

● KTM electrics aren’t robust and the wiring around the headstock can chafe where the steering yoke crushes it, blowing random fuses and creating starting problems. If battery voltage gets low, you’ll get a cracking noise when you press the starter as the sprag clutch kicks back, so get a trickle charger.
● Low power also affects the immobiliser-linked key while leaking oil seals will see the engine oil going milky.