Buying guide · by the team at All-Terrain Motorsports, Grand Junction & Rifle CO · updated 2026-08-20
Grand Junction might be the best adventure-bike base camp in America: paved passes in every direction, thousands of miles of gravel county roads, the Uncompahgre Plateau out the back door, and Moab 90 minutes west. We watch what actually gets ridden here — not just what gets bought — and this guide reflects it.
The 700–900cc twins — Yamaha Ténéré 700, Husqvarna Norden 901, KTM's Adventure line, Triumph's Tiger 900 — are what most Colorado ADV riding actually calls for. Light enough to manage on rocky forest roads and the Rimrocker's ledges, powerful enough for I-70 and 11,000-foot passes. When customers ask what we'd ride to Moab tomorrow, the answer is almost always in this class.
Liter-plus ADV bikes earn their keep for riders whose 'adventure' is mostly paved: two-up touring over Independence Pass, camping gear, 400-mile days with a gravel shortcut. They're wonderful at that — and a handful in deep gravel. Be honest about your dirt-to-pavement ratio before buying the big one.
A 300-class bike with luggage — or a dual sport wearing street tires — does 80% of what most riders use an ADV for at half the cost and weight. If your adventures are day rides on county roads rather than cross-state epics, small is a legitimately great answer, not a compromise.
For most Colorado riders: a mid-weight twin, set up with proper tires and luggage — Ténéré for maximum dirt, Norden or Tiger for maximum comfort, KTM for maximum performance. Come ride the seat heights in Grand Junction and tell us where you want the bike to take you; we'll match the machine to the map.
Yamaha Tenere — 7 in stock from $10,249
Husqvarna Norden — 8 in stock from $10,581
KTM Street — 16 in stock from $4,999
Triumph Motorcycles — 47 in stock from $2,525
Suzuki Street — 3 in stock from $3,999
Counts and prices update nightly from our live inventory. Website prices include freight & setup.
The classic shakedown: Highway 141 through Unaweep Canyon, then Divide Road onto the Uncompahgre Plateau — pavement, gravel, and optional rough stuff in one loop. We'll mark you a map at delivery.
Crash bars and handguards, yes — Colorado rocks don't forgive. Luggage can wait until your first overnighter. We install both, and factory-fit racks are worth ordering with the bike.
In the Grand Valley, mostly yes — winters are mild at 4,600 feet and the desert rides all winter. The high passes close with snow; that's what the season's for.