The 14 Best Retro Scrambler Motorcycles For 2025!

So you want a motorcycle that's rugged and has a bit of off-road capability but you also want something that looks a little old school cool. Well a retro scrambler is the perfect tool for the job and so in this video we'll go through 14 of the best on the market in 2025 and we're going in price order ascending. First up we've got the CL500 scrambler from Honda which for 2025 still comes in at the same £5,499 that it started at when it was launched back in 2023. This bike is powered by their 500 parallel twin which you could consider a strength at this end of the market where most bikes tend to use a single. It's perhaps not the most juicy of engines with a plain sounding 180 degree crank but it does make 46 horsepower peak torque which is about as good as you'll get for less than £6,000. The chassis is relatively basic as you'd expect for this price but it does handle quite nicely and the 19-inch front wheel gives it at least some level of light off-road ability. So a solid choice if you're on a budget providing you can get on with the looks which in my experience are a bit divisive with a slightly polarising juxtaposition of classic shapes with Honda's modern finishing touches and materials. But to be fair the same could also be said of Husqvarna's Svartpilen 401 which takes some styling cues from the bikes of yesteryear with the round headlight and spoke wheels but then smashes it together with matte paintwork and sculpted body panels for an overall look that I guess they're hoping is the best of both worlds. Whether it works or not is kind of down to your personal taste but what I don't think is up for debate is the level of spec and features that you get in here for just over £5,500. KTM's 390 single cylinder engine is peppy and revvy and plenty of fun. WP suspension is great quality and has loads of adjustment and the bi-brake braking setup is crisp and precise and again the levers offer some level of adjustability but I think the most impressive part of this bike at this price point is the 5-inch colour tft display which has nicely laid out menus and some connectivity features. Through this you can choose from two riding modes as well as adjust the lean sensitive traction control and supermoto abs and you've also got a standard fit quick shifter, a speed limiter, a usb port and led lighting all round. Genuinely it's a heck of a lot of bike for the money although I think it's fair to say that this one is one of the more road bias bikes on the list so perhaps consider something else if you want to ride anything much more aggressive than really quite easy gravel tracks. A great candidate for that though would be the Fantic Caballero which given Fantic's pedigree might not come as a big surprise. Their main business is enduro and motocross bikes but the Caballero lineup offers some of the same capability but in a retro inspired styling package. The single cylinder engines have the character of a dirt bike, the riding position is fine for standing, the chassis is relatively lightweight so it's easy to pick up and there's enough suspension travel on hand to have a bit of fun in the dirt. The trade-off I guess is that it's not the most refined bike on this list when it comes to road riding but it's rare that you'll find any motorcycle without compromises and with the great styling and tidy finishing and the way it can off road well this is definitely one to demo if you want a cool looking green laner. Similar money though will also get you one of the best-selling bikes of 2024 at least here in the UK and that's the relatively new Scrambler 400X from Triumph. Admittedly it's not quite as svelte and agile as the Caballero but what you do get is a bike that's a little more pleasant to use on tarmac with a smoother 400 single that has a super sweet note at the exhaust. There's just enough pep with 40 horsepower peak and 37.5 newton meters of torque and the handling is decent too with a nicely set up chassis. Perhaps it's not as techy as the Husqvarna with a simple analog dash but for me that perhaps better fits the retro persona of the bike and I know that a lot of you actually prefer a more stripped back undistracted riding experience that's provided by a technologically simple bike. From an off-road perspective this one's somewhere in the middle of the capability spectrum perhaps mainly designed for the road but you do still get that open riding position and the rugged looks that help make the Scrambler category so popular. But look from one of the best-selling bikes of last year to the one that I think will be a best-seller this year we've got the new for 2025 Bear 650 from Royal Enfield. This one has been on the cards for some time with their Interceptor Retro being super popular and ripe for a quick Scramblerification. So you've got largely the same frame, the 47 horsepower air-cooled parallel twin is the same too but it sits a little bit taller, the tires are a bit more knobbly, the handlebars are higher and wider and the paint job's quite a bit more popping. For me I think of all the bikes on this list this will be the one to go for if you want something that looks and feels authentically old-school apart from the new TFT dash that kind of gives it away a bit in the cockpit. And as per usual with Royal Enfield the price at just under seven grand looks to be exceptional value for money. Next up we've got Yamaha's XSR700 Legacy which takes their regular semi-retro XSR700 and adds a couple of robust touches. The Pirelli MT60RS flat track style tires look a little bit more chunky, the bars are wider and braced, the footpegs a bit bigger with grippy teeth and there's also a flattish bench seat, fork gaiters and a bit of a headlight guard to finish it off. Certainly with a low slung stance and a 17-inch front wheel this one is built for the road but it does have a fun flat tracky feel to it and the CP2 engine is always entertaining. It's a simple bike with nothing much in the way of rider aids apart from the mandatory ABS and so you're totally left to the fundamentals which happen to be really quite good. It has to be said though it's not the most authentic looking retro with a lot of the build taken from their MT07 modern naked and so if you want something with that iconic scrambler silhouette then perhaps you'd be happier with something like Triumph's Scrambler 900. This bike screams classic scrambler with impeccable styling and finishing that I think combine to make it possibly the best looking bike on this list. Also in the strengths column you have to include that peachy Bonneville parallel twin which in this 900cc variant makes about 65 horses peak and 80 newton meters of peak torque. It's a rich and satisfying engine that suits this style of bike and the rest of it is decently specced with pleasant Perhaps you could criticise it for not being the lightest bike with the traditional build of a tubular steel frame but it is low in the seat at 790mm which means the mass rarely feels unmanageable. Pick this one if you like the old school charm of the Enfield but perhaps want a bit more punch from a liquid cooled engine. Next up we've got the Scrambler from Ducati which comes in a few flavours for 2025 including the return of the Icon Dark which comes in at just nine and a half grand owing to the fact that it's got a simple finish with black paint and some more affordable parts. Sitting above that you've got the more colourful Icon or you could go one further and pay just over 11 grand for the flat track inspired full throttle or the more classic looking Nightshift. All of these it's got to be said are predominantly road bikes just with a bit of the Scrambler look but they are bags of fun on a country road with a soulful air-cooled Eltwin engine that's good for about 70 horsepower. This most recent generation has really benefited from a smoother ride-by-wire throttle and the new TFT dash does give you plenty of features but ultimately it's that engine that stands out to me combined with a slender and flickable chassis that always puts a grin on my face. Now this next bike is from Fantic again but it's kind of a bit of a combo of two bikes that are already on the list. Of course it has some of the looks of their smaller Caballeros and it feels similarly put together too but the engine in this 700 version has been licensed from Yamaha with it basically being identical to the parallel twin in the XSR700 that I believe is by no means a bad thing as you remember I said it was a strong point of that bike and here it means you get just over 70 horsepower which is a significant step up from the 40 of the Caballero 500. Sadly it does come with a bit of a weight penalty though that makes this one more suited to riding on tarmac and it's also quite a bit more lower slung so still go for the 500 if you do want to off-road but this one's still worth a look if you like the general Caballero vibe but want something that's reasonably quick on road. In very much a similar vein we've also got the Svartpilenato one from Husqvarna although I think it's fair to say it bumps up the performance quite a bit still further. You see it's built upon the same platform as KTM 790 Duke naked but just with a more palatable styling package that takes a little bit of scrambler inspiration. The result though is a rapid bike at 105 horsepower peak with great suspension from WP and some proper stopping power in the brakes. The tech package is also comprehensive with all the rider aids and settings you could ever need and so this one is perfect for someone who wants all the capability of a modern naked but just without the futuristic insectoid looks. Just shy of 12 grand though will get you one of the best bikes I think on this list and that's the Scrambler 1200x from Triumph which was introduced just last year. It's pretty much exactly what you'd imagine when you think of a retro scrambler with all of Triumph's ability to make something that looks authentic and good combined with modern day performance and spec. The 1200 Bonneville Parallel Twin has bags of power and torque, the tech is up to date, chassis components are decent too and there's a proper 21 inch wheel up front for smooth rolling when the roads are rough. Specifically this X model has been built to be approachable with a moderate seat height of 820 mil but there's also still the XE model in the lineup which is probably the one to go for if you want to go full send. This one comes in way taller at 870 mil predominantly owing to the fact that it's slung on much taller suspension but then it also gets a level of spec and technology that's equivalent to a modern day adventure bike. The downside is the cost at just over 13 grand but it is a beautiful machine with the ability to match. For something a little less mainstream though perhaps take a look at the Maverick which comes from CCM based in the north of the UK. We recently reviewed their Street Moto R which is a bit of a supermoto style bike with a simple lightweight stripped back build that's plenty of fun on a back road. The Maverick though is based upon the same platform with the big 600cc single but this one is set off for on and off road riding with a scrambler inspired finish that definitely stands out from the crowd. Also at just 147kg dry it's certainly light enough for some easy trail riding although with looks this good and a fairly high price for what's effectively quite a simple bike I'd perhaps be a little too cautious about damaging it. Still definitely want to consider if you want something that has the character and attention to detail of a custom build. This next one is still TBC but had to include it anyway because BMW have been spied out testing with a new GS version of their R12 Retro. This would effectively follow on from their R90 Urban GS although it does look a lot more off-road capable with a 21-inch front as opposed to 19 and a much taller stance too. So look if you're a fan of the original air-cooled GS's but want modern day reliability well this one could well be worth waiting for and BMW's CEO recently confirmed on Instagram that it's on the way soon so hopefully the finished article lives up to expectations. Top of the list though at just 5 under 15 grand we've got the FTR Rally from Indian. This one is only listed on the UK website nowadays though so perhaps it's no longer available in the US which is a bit of a shame as it's an absolute hoot to ride. The 1200 V-twin makes 120hp and 120Nm and it does so in a way that's very direct so there's rarely a dull moment on an FTR and this slightly scrambly rally version offers more of the same just with the spoke wheels and a retro paint job. The only major downside is the price which is pretty hard to justify versus a Triumph Scrambler 1200 for example and also the fairly high set foot pegs which make it pretty tough to stand up on. But if flat track slides and general silliness are absolutely your bag then I don't think there's any other bike on the list that can match it. As always though I'd love to know your pick so do let me know down in the comments below and if you're also a fan of adventure bikes then I'll put our list of the best new and updated models for 2025 on the screen now so you can give it a click and give it a watch in case you haven't already. Do hit subscribe as well for more of the latest motorcycle news like this right here on Motobob. A massive thanks for watching today and we'll see you in the next video.