Off-road riding and trail riding are becoming quite popular in India nowadays. But not everyone may have access to big, burly adventure bikes and still want to have a taste of decent off-road ability. India has a bunch of small and affordable ADVs on sale as well and these are not only easy to ride, light weight but do not cost a bomb when it comes to repairs either. Here is a list of our top recommendations for small, budget adventure bikes.
Also Read: Hero Xpulse BS6 Launched In India
(2020 Hero XPulse 200)
The Hero Xpulse 200 was recently launched in its BS6 avatar and having spent significant time with it, we can confidently say that if you are new to off-roading and trail riding, this is possibly the best bike to polish those skills of yours. It is lightweight, has enough power and near unbreakable (We say that after making it jump multiple times and dropping it too). With tall seating, long travel suspension and a ground clearance of 220 mm, the Xpulse 200 makes a lot of sense if you want a bike that can do regular commutes along with handling Sunday morning trail rides. It is bare-bones, purpose-built, has dual-purpose tyres, wire-spoked wheels and is always ready to take on the rough. The BS6 Xpulse makes 17.8 bhp of maximum power at 8,500 rpm and 16.4 Nm of peak torque at 6,500 rpm. The front end gets 37 mm telescopic forks with 190 mm of travel while the rear monoshock gets 170 mm of travel. Plus, the ABS works only on the front wheel, so if you want, you can lock the rear wheel for some sliding fun! A definite recommendation if you don't want to spend much money and have all sorts of off-road fun. The BS6 Xpulse 200 is priced at Rs. 1.12 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Also Read: BS6 Royal Enfield Himalayan Gets A Price Hike
(The ABS on the 2020 Royal Enfield Himalayan can now be disconnected from the rear wheel)
The Royal Enfield Himalayan is probably what kick-started the budget ADV segment. Yes! The Hero Impulse was technically launched a few years earlier than the Himalayan, but it was ahead of its time. The Himalayan, like its name suggests, is rugged and bare-bones. It can handle daily commutes and should you want, take you to far-flung places with ease too. Like the Xpulse, the Himalayan is very basic in nature and easy to repair in case you damage it or drop it. The bike gets a 411 cc, single-cylinder air-cooled engine that makes 24.3 bhp of maximum power at 6,500 rpm and the peak torque output is 32 Nm, which comes in between 4,000-4,500 rpm. The Royal Enfield Himalayan gets 41 mm telescopic front forks with 200 mm of travel and a monoshock at the rear with 180 mm of travel. The motorcycle rides on 21-inch and 17-inch spoked wheels at the front and rear with knobby tyres that work on off-road terrain too. Plus, you could also deactivate the ABS on the rear wheel when you are riding off-road. Prices for the BS6 Royal Enfield Himalayan start at Rs. 1.87 lakh and go up to Rs. 1.94 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Also Read: KTM 390 Adventure First Ride Review
(KTM 390 Adventure offers decent off-road ability)
The KTM 390 Adventure offers excellent touring ability and you can go on light trails with the motorcycle as well. It uses the same engine as the KTM 390 Duke, which is a 373 cc single cylinder unit that is liquid-cooled and pumps out 43 bhp at 9,000 rpm and has a peak torque output of 37 Nm at 7,000 rpm. The engine is BS6 compliant and is paired to a 6-speed gearbox and KTM offers a bi-directional quick-shifter as standard fitment. It gets long travel WP suspension with a travel of 170 mm up front and 177 mm travel at the rear. The ground clearance is about 200 mm and the motorcycle gets knobby Metzeler tyres along with a standard metal bash-plate. The motorcycle also gets a long list of rider aids which include lean sensitive traction control, cornering ABS, off-road ABS, KTM MyRide smartphone connectivity and optional turn-by-turn navigation. What it misses out on are wire-spoked wheels and adjustability for suspension. The KTM 390 Adventure is priced at Rs. 3.04 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Also Read: 2020 BMW G 310 GS Spied Testing In India
(The BMW G 310 GS is the costliest motorcycle on this list. An updated model will be launched in India soon)
At Rs. 3.49 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the BMW G 310 GS may not exactly be affordable, but it does wear the famed 'GS' logo, referring to its lineage of BMW off-road bikes. The BMW G 310 GS gets a 313 cc engine which makes 34 bhp at 9,500 rpm and 28 Nm at 7,500 rpm. The G 310 GS gets fat 41 mm USDs up front and a monoshock at the rear along with ABS that can be switched off at the rear wheel. It gets 19-inch and 17-inch alloys at the front and rear respectively. Apart from switchable ABS, the BMW G 310 GS doesn't get any extra features in order to make it more competent on off-road terrain. The BMW G 310 GS is priced at Rs. 3.49 lakh. But expect a facelift/updated version to be launched soon. Test mules of the new model have already been spotted testing in India.
Also Read: Hero XPulse 200 Rally Kit Priced At Rs. 38,000
(Hero's Rally Kit significantly improves the off-road capabilities of the Hero XPulse 200)
Hero also offers a Rally kit for the Hero Xpulse 200, priced at Rs. 38,000. The Rally Kit for the Hero XPulse 200 includes long travel suspension, handlebar risers, a flat rally seat, off-road tyres and a re-designed gear lever and brake pedal for use with off-road boots. The Rally Kit offers full adjustability on the suspension, with 250 mm travel on the front, and 220 mm travel on the rear monoshock. The ground clearance has also gone up to 275 mm, up from 220 mm on the stock XPulse 200. The raised handlebar offers more leverage for riding off-road and standing up on the footpegs, and the flatter and taller seat (110 mm taller) offers a comfortable perch and a tall stance, for off-road riding. Also included are the full knobby rally-spec tyres from Maxis. The engine specifications stay the same as before.
