With our roads not known for being in the best of conditions, dual purpose bikes seem like avery safe bet. With the ease of riding in the everyday traffic due to their upright stance and the ability to take on bad roads if necessary, these bikes have become one of the most popular category in recent years.

Here are some of the best dual purpose bikes the biking industry has on offer.

Haojue NK150:

Heavily based on the Suzuki DR 150, the Haojue NK150 is powered by a 149.2 cc air cooled single that produces 11.96 PS at 8000 rpm and 11.6 Nm at 6000 rpm. The engine is mated to a 5 speed gearbox. The bike has a kerb weight of 139 kg and a fuel tank capacity of 12.5 litre.

The chassis and riding posture is quite similar to the internationally sold DR150. The ground clearance of the bike is 244 mm along with a seat height of 835 mm. The bike features a disc brake at the front and a drum brake setup at the rear. A telescopic front forks and a rear central monoshock handle suspension duties.

The NK150 is a slim bike with a tall front fender, upswept exhaust, composite rear carrier. The bike gets a 19 inch front tire and a 17 inch rear spoke wheels as part of the dual purpose styling and equipment. The bike also gets halogen headlamp, taillamp and side indicators only.

Yamaha XTZ 150 FI:

The Yamaha XTZ 150 FI sits above its sibling, the XTZ 125 with more equipment and performance. It has a 149 cc air cooled, fuel injected single that produces a max power of 12.5 PS at 7500 rpm and max 13.1 Nm torque at 6000 rpm. The engine is mated to a 5 speed gearbox. The kerb weight of the XTZ 150 is 131 Kg and has a fuel capacity of 12 liters.

The chassis of the XTZ 150 is a semi double cradle chassis suspended on telescopic front forks and a linkage type monocross suspension at the rear which promises better control of the bumps and uneven road surface. The bike gets disc brake at the front and a drum brake at the rear. It is equipped with a 19 inch front wheel and a 17 inch rear wheel.

The XTZ 150 has a seat height of 835 mm and a ground clearance of 235 mm. The instrument console is semi digital with an analogue rev counter. The bike looks rugged, ready to tackle any kind of terrain with its tall stance, comfortable 2-step seat and a tall mounted exhaust.

Honda XR 190L:

The Honda XR190L is shares its platform with the popular XR150L but now gets a different engine and design changes. The 184 cc air cooled, fuel injected single on the 190L produces 15.6 HP at 8500 rpm and 15.7 Nm at 6000 rpm. It’s paired with a 5 speed gearbox. The kerb weight of the bike is 123 Kg and has a 12 liter tank capacity.

The steel twin tube chassis along with a softly setup telescopic front forks and a monoshock at the rear. A 240 mm disc brake at the front and  110 mm drum brake at the rear handle the braking duties. The wheel sizes are 19 inch at the front and 17 inch at the rear. The slim body panels with graphics similar to the CRF 250 L look good specially in the red colored bike.

A well engineered ergonomics combined with a narrower, well padded seats make for a comfortable ride. The bike gets an all analog instrument console showing the speed and the fuel indicator along with a trip meter. A sturdy rear carrier capable of carrying upto 20 kgs at the back is handy. The seat height is a manageable 827 mm and the ground clearance is 245 mm.

Hartford VR 223 H:

The Hartford VR is one of the most iconic dual purpose bikes in Nepal and the VR 223 H gets a 223 cc oil cooled single producing 20.8 HP max power at 7750 rpm and 21.06 Nm max torque at 6250 rpm that is mated to a 5 speed gearbox. The bike has a kerb weight of 140 kg and a fuel tank capacity of 12 liters.

The bike also gets a semi double cradle frame and in terms of suspension setup, it  has an upside down front forks and a monoshock at the rear. The VR 223 H has disc brake at both the front and rear. The spoke wheels on the bike measure at 21 inch at the front and 18 inch at the rear. It’s sets height is 860 mm and the bike has a category leading ground clearance of 310 mm.

The VR has an all digital instrument that is a bit small and hard to read. The bike seems capable of handling rougher terrains a lot better because of its capable engine, bigger wheels and a good suspension setup. The tall and upright seating position, high ground clearance further help it’s cause.

Crossfire Tracker 250:

The Tracker 250, labelled as the everyday off-roader is the latest offering from Crossfire. It is powered by a 223 cc air cooled single, and produces 17 PS max power at 7000 rpm and 18.5 Nm max torque at 5500 rpm. It is connected connected to a 6 speed gearbox. The claimed dry weight of the Tracker is 117 kg and has a fuel tank capacity of 7.5 liter.

The Crossfire Tracker 250 has a reinforced steel frame that sits on telescopic front forks and a monoshock at the rear. The braking system includes disc brakes, 265mm front and 220 mm at the rear. The bike is equipped with 19 inch spoke wheels at the front and 16 inch spoke wheels at the rear.

As the name suggests, the dirt tracker styling of the Tacker 250 with its narrow seats and tank, round headlamps along with chunkier tyres looks quite appealing. A relatively low seat height of 810 mm is very manageable while a ground clearance of 279 mm is handy over bumpy, broken roads. The bike gets an all digital dash albeit showing the very basic information.  Bright LED headlamps as well as LED tail lamps on the Tracker look beautiful and are useful riding to the night.