Dual Sport

Dual-sports sometimes called dual-purpose or on/off-road motorcycles or adventure motorcycles, are street legal machines that are also designed to enter off-road situations. Typically based on a dirt bike chassis, they have added lights, mirrors, signals, and instruments that allow them to be licensed for public roads. They are higher than other street bikes, with a high center of gravity and tall seat height, allowing good suspension travel for rough ground.

Adventure motorcycles are motorcycles with touring capability on paved and unpaved roads. As dual-sport, they have a significant on-pavement bias and perform well on the pavement at higher speeds, unlike most dual-sports. Their size, weight, and sometimes their tires, however, limit their off-road capability. Most adventure motorcycles function well on graded dirt and gravel roads but are less than ideal on more difficult off-pavement terrain.

Supermoto motorcycles were designed to compete on a single course that alternated between three genres of motorcycle racing: road racing, track racing, and motocross. This increasingly popular type of motorcycle is often a dual-sport that has been fitted by the manufacturer with smaller rims and road tires. Supermotos are quickly gaining popularity as street bikes due to their combination of lightweight, durability, relatively low cost, and sporty handling.