Yamaha WR250R Adventure Setup
August 13, 2024 No Comments
How to Choose the Best Motorcycle for a Round the World Travel?
Choosing the right motorcycle for a round the world travel is a topic of endless debates—much like finding the perfect tires. One thing to know is that you definitely don’t need the latest or most powerful bike to go around the world. In fact, people have done overlanding trips on just about everything from sports bikes to choppers, scooters, and mini bikes. It just goes to show, if you’re open to adventure, any bike can get the job done.
But if you’re looking for a few tips to help you make your choice—and if you’re like us and want a bike that can go anywhere, handle tough off-road sections, and keep you going without draining your budget—then this article is for you.
After traveling over 100,000 kilometers across multiple countries and on several different bikes, we’re now reviewing all of our potential RTW motorcycles by 5 key criteria: reliability, weight, affordability, simplicity, and parts availability.
Criteria for Choosing a Motorcycle for Round the World Travel
- Reliability – A long-documented history of dependability.
- Weight – Lighter bikes are easier to handle & more fun off-road.
- Affordability – Cheap to buy, run, and maintain.
- Simplicity – Simple, easy-to-maintain builds.
- Parts Availability– Parts are quick to get anywhere.
Japanese dual-sport and light adventure motorcycles usually meet these criteria well, though no bike is perfect straight out of the box. Our current top choices are Yamaha WR250R and Honda CRF300L.
1. Reliability
▶ Documented Bulletproofness
Main Takeaway
Reliability should be your top priority for an RTW motorcycle—you want to ride it, not keep fixing it in remote corners of the Earth. Japanese brands have the most proven track record.
While repairing your bike in the middle of nowhere makes for a good story, it’s rarely as fun as it sounds. It can be stressful, time-consuming, and expensive. And let’s face it—on an RTW trip you usually have either time or money, but rarely both.
That’s why choosing a reliable bike is so important. You want the confidence that your bike will keep running no matter what you throw at it, without a long list of “known & potential issues” looming over your journey.
When it comes to reliability, Japanese brands have earned their reputation. Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, and Kawasaki have honed the art of building tough, long-lasting bikes that are ideal for global adventures. In the world of RTW travel, some of the most trusted models for reliability are the Suzuki DR650, Kawasaki KLR650, Yamaha WR250R, Honda XR650L, and Honda CRF300L.
2. Weight
▶ Light is Right
Main Takeaway
Light bikes are easier to handle, less exhausting to pick up, and let you explore with confidence—even when the road ahead looks a bit gnarly.
We’re all for light bikes. They’re easier to handle on tough terrain (unless you’re a pro like Pol Tarres on those big ADV motorcycles!) and a whole lot easier to pick up (your knees and back will thank you). Truth is, we’re just having way more fun with lighter bikes these days because they give us the freedom to explore nearly anywhere. In the past, we passed up some interesting-looking tracks, not feeling confident enough to tackle them with the heavy bikes we used to ride. Now, we wouldn’t take anything over 170 kg (375 lbs) for a round-the-world trip—especially once you add in all the luggage!
Some of the lighter dual-sport or ADV bikes we’d recommend include the Yamaha WR250R, Honda CRF300L, Honda CRF300 Rally, and Suzuki DR-Z400S. From non-Japanese brands, there’s the KTM 690 Enduro R and Husqvarna 701 Enduro—but they come at a higher price and don’t quite check all the other boxes on our list.
3. Affordability
▶ Economical Second-hand Bike
Main Takeaway
You don’t need an expensive new bike for your RTW trip; a simple but reliable second-hand bike with good fuel consumption is often a better choice.
Money is often a key part of any overlanding trip, mainly because it’s limited. Beyond the bike’s price tag, you’ve got plenty of other expenses to think about—gear, insurance, shipping, visas, and more. With this in mind, your bike shouldn’t just be affordable to buy; it should be cheap to run and maintain. Consider factors like fuel consumption, service intervals, and parts prices.
So don’t blow your budget on the newest, most high-tech bike. The second-hand market is packed with solid options, and many bikes come with valuable upgrades like larger tanks and comfort seats—things you’d likely want to add to a new bike anyway. In fact, we bought all our bikes second-hand, and none of them cost more than 6,000 USD.
4. Simplicity
▶ Simple Build & Easy Maintenance
Main Takeaway
Opt for simple-build bikes with long maintenance intervals. The fewer screws to remove for an oil or air filter change, the better.
When it comes to RTW travel, simplicity is your best friend. Bikes with straightforward builds are generally easier to maintain and keep running smoothly, no matter the conditions. With minimal electronics and no complex features, many issues can be patched up with a bit of duct tape or a few zip ties. And if you can’t handle it yourself, even a mechanic in the middle of nowhere is more likely to be able to help.
With a simple build, routine tasks like changing the air filter or oil are quick and easy, often involving just one or two screws. Less wrenching, more exploring, it our guiding line here.
5. Availability of Parts
▶ Parts are Easy to Get Anywhere
Main Takeaway
It's easier to find parts and mechanics familiar with Japanese motorcycle brands like Honda or Yamaha, as they are among the most popular worldwide.
Even the most reliable bikes can run into issues from time to time, making it important to consider the availability of support and parts along your route. While European and American brands are gradually expanding their dealership coverage, Japanese brands like Honda and Yamaha remain the easiest to find parts and support for worldwide. Additionally, due to their widespread popularity, their designs are also familiar to most local mechanics.
Choosing a simpler, more common bike is often the safer bet. Overly complex or vintage models can lead to serious delays when you’re stuck waiting on parts or searching for someone who knows how to fix them. For instance, Yan once had to wait two weeks for a part for his 1993 Honda, despite breaking down just a few hundred kilometers from where the bike was originally built in Japan. The part was out of production simply because the bike was too old.
What Bikes Fit the Above Criteria?
Over the years and countless kilometers, we’ve tested a range of motorcycles, helping us narrow down our ideal RTW motorcycle. We started with bigger bikes like the 1993 Honda XRV750, taking it from Europe to Japan through Russia and Mongolia. We also briefly owned the KTM 640 Adventure and Yamaha XT660 before downsizing a bit and riding 33,000 km (about 20,500 miles) around Australia on two Suzuki DR650SEs. After that journey, we “downgraded” again, covering 25,000 km around Japan on a pair of Honda CRF250Ls.
Finally, after many debates, we settled on the Yamaha WR250R and Honda CRF300L, which we put to a test during our 4-month long trip in New Zealand.
These two bikes come closest to meeting all of our criteria for the perfect RTW motorcycle, although they do need a few tweaks (for more details see our WR250R and CRF300L adventure setups).
How much power do you really need?
If you’re going on a round-the-world motorcycle adventure, chances are you won’t be on highways most of the time. You only need enough power to comfortably cruise at around 100 kph (60 mph), and honestly, you’ll likely be going slower than that in most parts of the world. So why choose a bike that can cruise at 160 kph (100 mph) and sacrifice other important criteria like affordability, weight, and ease of maintenance?
For us, motorcycle travel is about going off the beaten path, exploring side roads, and tackling off-road terrain. You don’t need excessive engine power for that—you need a bike that’s light, reliable, and simple to maintain. A 250cc-300cc engine is plenty for these kinds of adventures. Maybe one day, we’ll get a 400cc bike that fits the above criteria, but for now, the smaller engines do just fine.
The Bottom Line
When preparing for a round-the-world motorcycle adventure, it’s easy to get caught up in the marketing hype—focusing on horsepower, technology, and flashy features. But the truth is, you don’t need the latest or most expensive motorcycle to have an unforgettable journey.
What matters most is choosing a bike that fits your adventure—considering the destination, type of riding, and timeframe—and matches your financial, physical, and mechanical abilities. For us, simple dual-sport or light adventure motorcycles make the most sense because we like off-roading, exploring remote areas, and minimizing time spent on maintenance. These types of bikes are also usually cheaper than the bigger ADV machines due to their simpler builds and fewer features.
However, your situation may be different, and if you’re undecided about which bike to choose, apart from following our suggested criteria, you can start by listing the pros and cons of each potential bike and thoroughly considering the type of riding you plan to do and the locations you want to explore.
Table of Contents
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I choose a modified DR650 for my world travels. I am still happy with the decision many years and countries later.
Hi Daniel! DR650 is a great choice. What a legendary bike! We went all around Australia with two of them and had a blast. Our issue was that we couldn’t easily import it back to Europe, because of the environmental laws. Happy travelling!