The adventure motorbike segment has been growing steadily for some time, but has really picked up steam in the past few years. While BMW celebrated the 40th anniversary of its iconic GS in 2020, a lot has changed in the past 43 years—and although the Bavarian OEM is an indelible and important part of adventure riding, one thing they absolutely aren’t is alone in that category.
Here in 2023, there are a whole lot of adventure bikes available for a wide variety of riders. Speaking as a shorter rider, it’s nice to know that there are more options now that can accommodate riders who don’t have the longest legs in the world—but of course, ground clearance and suspension travel will usually be lessened as a result.
