6 Concept Adventure Bikes We Can’t Wait To Get Here  We're hoping these adventure bikes bust out of prototype purgatory.

Concept Adventure Bikes are both intoxicating and infuriating. They take us on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. First, we are elated with joy at their very existence, then we have to face the cruel truth that the beautifully exotic machine in the spy photos or motorcycle expos might never see the showroom floor. Or, we are dragged along by seemingly endless promo videos strategically spaced out to keep our interest.

Yet we are motorcyclists, are we not? That means we have just a touch of masochism in our blood somewhere and we still want to see these cool bikes even if they never reach a production line. Here are six (with a bonus!) prototypes and concept bikes that we here at ADV Pulse would personally love to see come to fruition ASAP, and we think you would, too.

1. Moto Guzzi V85

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With the unfortunate retirement of Moto Guzzi’s only adventure bike, the Stelvio 1200 NXT there is a gaping hole in the Italian manufacturer’s model line-up. Fortunately, MG is teasing the ADV-riding public with the Moto Guzzi V85 concept bike. And unlike leaked spy shots or fantasies created in Adobe Illustrator, this machine looks pretty legit, especially since it has its own website.

What is readily apparent is the retro-ish overall style and seating position that reminds us of concept bikes from the 70s but with a splash of modern-scrambler revival. The high front fender, relatively flat seat, angular tank, and un-fairinged front-end give it more of a beefed-up dirt bike look than hyper-techno adventure-tourer. Moving past just the visuals, the motor is stepping down from a 1,151cc transverse twin to a 850cc engine of the same style. For those in the market for a 1200 beast don’t fret – there are still plenty of options. For us, a sub-liter engine sounds like a nice breath of fresh air (and a common theme when looking at some of the other bikes on this list). So far there is no indication of a timeline or production date, but with all the hype MG couldn’t gracefully backpedal from this project.

READ MORE: Moto Guzzi V85 on its way to the future

2. Honda Africa Twin Enduro Sports

While certainly a looker, this lightened and beefed-up CRF1000L concept machine is further away from reality than some of the other bikes on this list. There has only really been one of these Africa Twin Enduro Sports seen in the “flesh” and that was at EICMA. No spy shots or other hints from Honda other than a news release from its European Media Newsroom site. And this bike isn’t to be confused with the Africa Twin Rally that is a custom build by Honda RedMoto.

But we digress. The Honda Africa Twin Enduro Sports is a Honda R&D project created in-house pulling from the CRF off-road and motocross models. The reason it is so enticing is that, as a lot of you know, the standard Africa Twin is a darn good bike. Starting with a solid platform and making it lighter, slimmer, more agile, and with better suspension sounds like a winning combination to us. We also understand that with deep pockets, connections, and a lot of time, anyone could turn their AT into something close to this bike, but it’s a whole different story when it comes stock from a OEM.

READ MORE: Honda Shows Off New Africa Twin Enduro Sports



3. Triumph Tiger Tramontana Rally

Now we are venturing into probably-won’t-happen-anytime-soon territory but, we dare to dream. The Triumph Tiger Tramontana was a one-off, competition only Tiger 800 built to compete in the 2017 PanAfrica Rally. Brothers David and Felipe Lopez work for Triumph’s chassis development team and had the keys to the castle to turn the 800 XCx base model into a desert shredding beast.

Why we want this bike to be a real, ownable machine is that, like the AF Enduro Sports, starting with a good all-around bike and taking it to the next level is a recipe for a rad motorcycle. The styling hasn’t strayed too far from the stock bike but the front is noticeably more rally-like with a high fender, clear windscreen, and rally tower. Also, Ohlins suspension can be seen on at least the fork. It is then all wrapped up in custom crash protection. Since this was made in-house at Triumph, it gives it a little better shot to becoming a stock bike, but we aren’t holding our breath.

READ MORE: Triumph Tiger Tramontana Rally



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