A dual-sport, colloquially known as "dualie" or an "on-off road bike" is a type of street-legal motorcycle that is designed for both on and off-road use. The terms 'All-road' and 'Dual-purpose' are also used. Dual sports are equipped with street-legal equipment such as lights, speedometer, mirrors, and horn, and can, therefore, be registered and licensed. Examples of dual-sport models include the BMW GS series, KTM Adventure series, Kawasaki KLR, Suzuki DR-Z400 and V-Strom, Honda XL, Yamaha XT and many more.

Evolution of Dual Sports

Yamaha is credited with rekindling popular interest in dirt worthy motorcycles that could also be ridden on the street. In 1968 they introduced the hugely successful DT-1 based on a 250cc two-stroke engine. Other manufacturers soon followed with similar models called enduros. These light weight machines were good on trails, and adequate on pavement.

“Over the next 20 years manufacturers began producing heavier and less dirt worthy enduros based on four-stroke engines, as they searched for better combinations of weight, power, durability, performance and comfort. The heavier machines were less popular with “real” dirt riders and who began modifying them to create lighter, more competent, trail machines.

Suzuki introduced the DR350 in 1990 and promoted it as a DualSport (one word) or “dirt bike with a license plate”. DualSport is a registered trademark of Suzuki Motor Corporation. The terms dual sport or “dualie” were quickly adopted by riders and the motorcycle press.

Manufacturers use several different names for their dual sport models. Suzuki uses DualSport to describe its products. Kawasaki describes its offerings as dual purpose, Honda lists its entry under off-road, and other manufacturers describe machines as enduros, or simply list them as model numbers. A few models are described as adventure bikes. Despite these differences in terminology most enthusiasts understand that dual sports are licensed motorcycles that can be operated on highways, dirt roads and trails.

Types of Dual Sports

There are four ways of creating dual sports. Some manufacturers add street-legal equipment to existing off-road motorcycles. These bikes are usually light and powerful, at the expense of shorter service life and higher maintenance. This approach is currently taken by European manufacturers such as KTM and Husqvarna. Other manufacturers start with a clean sheet of paper and design a new model designed for a specific combination of dirt and street use. These motorcycles are usually heavier and more durable than the models derived from off-road motorcycles. This approach is currently taken by BMW, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki. Several manufacturers modify street motorcycles to make them more dirt worthy. These bikes are usually more at home on pavement. Finally, owners add street-legal equipment to off-road bikes. However, some states only license motorcycles that meet emissions requirements.