If you just took the A2 card and you look for one comfortable motorcyclethat serves to take you beyond the asphalt, with a striking look and good value for money, the answer to your prayers is probably a trail. Here we bring you the 5 most interesting options to get the most out of your motorcycle license (and no, there is no BMW GS).
Today the world of two wheels enjoys a wide variety of styles and segments. From the most radical motorcycles and sports until customized more touring, passing through the naked of various kinds or the ubiquitous scooter, if there is a motorcyclist with a desire to enjoy, there will be a mount that fits their tastes, needs and pockets. Without a doubt, the trail are one of the most sought after options due to their versatility and comfort by experienced bikers or by newcomers to this world with a brand new A2 permit.
Far from the fame of “motorcycles for old people”, trail bikes have established themselves as the companion that can take you much further than you thought.
The medium trail bikes, specific for the A2, are an ideal option for its quality-price
As has already happened with other segments, demand has led to a huge diversification of the subtypes, displacements and orientations of these motorcycles. No need to go to ambitious maxitrails like the BMW R1250 GS or the Honda CRF1100 Africa Twin to find very worthy options that serve as a school or meet the demands of experienced users who are looking for a cheaper and more logical motorcycle than those great references.
In the sector of mid-displacement trail There are many options and a very wide scale that goes from single-cylinder motorcycles of about 300cc to sophisticated 95CV mounts that allow their limitation for the A2. In this selection we focus on the middle ground, looking at options designed specifically for this license and therefore enormously balanced in terms of weight, power and general behavior, which offer their virtues to a relatively low price.
Among these five we will find well-known brands and other newcomers, which in the last year have made difficult the fight for the podium that the Honda CB500X and the Benelli TRK502 had maintained.
Voge 500 DS and KTM 390 Adventure, two trail bikes for the A2 with unparalleled value for money
The first on the list is also one of the last to arrive. 2020 has been the year of the consolidation in Spain of Voge, a Chinese brand that is clear about its ambition: to offer decent quality, performance on a par with its competitors and an unbeatable price. In the case of Voge 500 DSwe can talk about a trail bike with compact dimensions and weight, with a primary orientation to asphalt and category aesthetic and functional details such as its striking LED optics or its color TFT screen (something fair in design, yes), the inverted fork or the double brake disc (whose bite is perhaps below what might be expected, always within an acceptable level. 46.9CV at 8500rpm and has a torque of 40.5Nm at 7000rpm. Being a two-cylinder with 205kg weight promises docility and good management. Of course, there is no shortage of cards to seduce if we add to all this a price of €6,290.
The second in price, not in benefits, is the one that for many can be considered best A2 trail. The KTM 390 Adventure sneaks into this list despite being the only single-cylinder in the group and it is not for less: TFT screen and connectivity like its older sisters, top quality WP Apex suspensionelectronic aids… and an engine that stretches to the 43CV to move only 158kg of dry weight (a little more with the tank and full fluids). As a good “monkey” it gives this bike a unique character for the bad (it is less elastic and rattles more) but above all for the good (its response is more direct than in the two-cylinder). You can take the “ready to race” spirit of the Austrian brand home for €6,999
The KTM 390 Adventure keeps more similarities with its sister by posture 390Duke than it might seem at first glance, which makes it more suitable for inside the asphalt than for outside it, without having to give up getting on the track
Macbor Montana XR5, Benelli TRK 502 and Honda CB500X: three trail rivals over €6,500
The third of this review is a motorcycle that will undoubtedly remind the BMW R1250GS for its aesthetics, duck bill and spoked rims. Saving the distances, this motorcycle is positioned as the direct rival of the Benelli by representing the idea of a motorcycle with a larger appearance than it really is and balanced performance. With a twin-cylinder engine 48hp at 8500rpm well balanced but prone to vibrations, a 178kg dry weighta very solvent Nissin brake system and good ergonomics, this bike has equipment details such as fenders and skid plate included at a seductive price of €7,199.
And we touch the top of the table in sales and prestige with the Benelli TRK502. The brand with an Italian past and belonging to the Chinese giant QJ has reigned strongly in Europe for years, in part thanks to this trail bike that dared to stand up to Honda for the first time with a much more striking option in aesthetic terms. Existing in standard and X variant (more capable off-road) the TRK502 squeezes the A2 with a smooth two-cylinder 48hp at 8500rpman oversized fork, comfort and stability on the open road unmatched among its competitors and a weight (about 230kg with all the stuffed) that makes it more cumbersome than the rest, continues to convince many riders who are looking for the look of the biggest on their first bike. Currently offered by €6,790.
Finally, the one that for a good number of bikers can be the roundest and most balanced medium trail of the entire range: the Honda CB500X. With a twin-cylinder engine that also touches the 48CVa smooth-as-butter gearbox, a Nissin braking system with amazing bite, a slipper clutch, full-Led lights, an agile and relatively light chassis (197kg with all fills), good qualities and a consumption that at times hovers over the 3l/100km, it is not surprising that the rest of the motorcycles in the segment have it as a benchmark to beat. It arrives with new colors and adaptation to the Euro5, being marked at €7,200.
Honda offers with its CB500X a competent option in everything without standing out in any exceptional way, which surprises from the moment you get on it and convinces you of the advantages of taking home a motorcycle specifically made to maximize the possibilities of the A2
So now you know, if you are looking for bike for the A2 beyond the world nakedwhat are you waiting for to step on the dealers in search of the trail that will take you further than you ever thought before?
