The choice of A2-compliant bikes – those available to A2 licence holders which generally means being sub-500cc (although restricted larger bikes are available) machine producing under 47bhp, has been steadily growing in recent years with offerings now available from all the major manufacturers across a range of styles from roadsters to adventure bikes and even sports machines.

But one of the fastest growing categories of all has been for A2 ‘scramblers’, by which we mean retro-inspired bikes whose styling, including semi-knobbly tyres, high trail bars, often dirt style mudguards and number boards, is influenced by dirt bikes of the ‘70s. 

Although usually not true off-roaders (although they would be capable of the odd, mild dirt track), they appeal by having the upright, novice-friendly ergonomics of a roadster but with a tad more substance and style. The result is unintimidating to ride, great around town, reasonable on country lanes and looks great – often for only a slight premium over a roadster equivalent.

But with recent newcomers from the likes of Triumph, BSA and Royal Enfield, not to mention an updated Husqvarna, what’s out there exactly, what do they offer and what do they cost?

In this blog, we pick 10 of the latest and best versions available for 2026 for those riding on an A2 licence and present them in price ascending order.

Engine Size	Power	Torque	Weight	Price
249cc L/C single	24hp	N/A	148kg (dry)	£2,795

The Maverick from British/Chinese brand Herald may be a little of a left-field choice and, being a 250, lack the full 47bhp power of most of the other bikes here, but at its bargain basement price it can’t be ignored.

Herald are based in Cambridgeshire, design their bikes in the UK which are then assembled here are the components arrive from China. As such they’re a little basic and lack the thorough, integrated design and proven reliability of, say, a Honda, but they look the part and come with a 24-month warranty.

Along with five different 125cc models, Herald offers two 250s, the tracker styled Brat and the Maverick Scrambler. Both are powered by a Chinese liquid-cooled single cylinder engine and come with stylish inverted forks and monoshock rear suspension. They’re not the fastest, best equipped, most refined or have the reassuring dealer network and decades-long proven reliability and durability as the more established brands but, at just £2,795 (recently reduced from £3,595) it’s bar far the cheapest A2 scrambler available.

Engine Size	Power	Torque	Weight	Price
500cc L/C twin	47hp	24.3Nm	186kg (dry)	£4,699

Benelli’s Leoncino 500 is another part-Chinese, part-European bike but is one with a much longer track record. Historic Italian brand Benelli was bought by China’s huge Qiangjiang concern was back in 2005 and shortly after began exporting affordable Italian designed but Chinese built bikes often using derivatives of Kawasaki’s old ER-6 twin cylinder engine.

One of the best known of those is the TRK502 A2 adventure bike, as introduced in 2017, with the slightly odd-looking Leoncino arriving as a retro-influenced roadster using the same platform the following year. A year after that this ‘Trail’ version arrived, which follows the scrambler pattern by having trail handlebars and slightly larger off-road wire wheels and semi-knobbly tyres.

If you can handle the slightly mishmash styling it’s a decent performer, too. Performance is right on the A2 limit, if less refined than some, equipment and detailing is more than adequate, although now starting to show its age with things like an LCD dash, and it’s pretty good value with a reasonable dealer network – but it’s not the best.

Engine Size	Power	Torque	Weight	Price
399cc L/C single	45hp	39Nm	159kg (Dry)	£5,099

Reborn historic Swedish brand Husqvarna hasn’t had the best of success since its relaunch under KTM ownership in 2013, but its bikes are more than worth a look and now better value than ever.

The Svartpilen 401 is a boldly styled A2 scrambler based on the highly respected KTM 390 Duke and there’s also a roadster version, the Vitpilen 401.

Both received a major overhaul in 2024 with an all-new steel-trellis frame, revised ergonomics, updated single cylinder engine and the introduction Bosch 9.3 MP ABS. While other updates included a new full TFT colour display with smartphone connectivity, WP Apex cartridge fork suspension, and ‘Easy shift’ gear changes, all designed to give the bike a far smoother (and enjoyable) riding experience.

The result, thanks to those updates and proven, punchy KTM underpinnings, is great A2 performance, handling that’s up there with the best and a cool retro-mod scrambler style that’ll be the envy of many. Best of all though, due to KTM’s recent well-reported financial woes, the prices of both have been significantly reduced, too, with the Svartpilen now £500 less than it used to be.

A very tempting buy – outdone only, perhaps, by the Vitpilen roadster being significantly cheaper still, at just £3499.

Engine Size	Power	Torque	Weight	Price
471cc L/C twin	47hp	43Nm	192kg (Kerb)	£5,699

Honda’s A2-specific 500cc twin family has been one of the success stories of the modern licensing era. Originally comprising the CB500F roadster, CB500X adventure and CBR500 sports, all date back to 2014, have had repeated updates, remain among the best A2 bikes you can buy and are now known as the CB500 Hornet, NX500 and CBR500R, respectively.

But they’re not the only ones. The CMX500 Rebel cruiser, with a bespoke, low-slung frame, was added in 2017 while that bike also spawned the CL500 scrambler in 2023. All are based on the same willing yet flexible 471cc parallel twin engine which in its latest updated form puts out 46.9hp, bang on the A2 limit, while they all also boast a neutral, well-sorted chassis, novice-friendly manners and impressive refinement.

The CL, being based on the Rebel, has a slightly odd, ‘hunchbacked’ look, but in every other respect is a stylish and credible scrambler powered by one of the best engines in the class.

It’s also proven, well-built and has reassuring residuals and dealer network. If you like the look, can stomach the price and want a no-risk scrambler, this is probably it.

Engine Size	Power	Torque	Weight	Price
398cc L/C single	39.5hp	37.5Nm	173kg (Kerb)	£5,745

It’s fair to say Triumph shook up the A2 class when it launched its all-new 400 duo, the Speed 400 roadster and Scrambler 400 X in 2024, the all-new 400cc single proving to be not just one of the very best bikes in its category but also a global sales hit.

Designed by Triumph in Hinckley and built in India via a collaboration with Bajaj Auto, both have been joined since by even more rugged Scrambler, the XC, with off-road wheels, raised mudguard and more for 2026, a new café racer, the Thruxton 400 and this, the flat track inspired Tracker 400, which just about sneaks into this scrambler definition.

All are based on the same punchy yet flexible single and typically fine-handling Triumph chassis, are brilliant A2 bikes, and offer impressive quality and style, too.

The 398cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine is capable of 39.5hp and 37.5Nm of torque at 6,500rpm. They impress equipment-wise, too, with an inlaid LCD display, clean switchgear, USB port and more and are even decent value.

Engine Size	Power	Torque	Weight	Price
398cc L/C single	39.5hp	37.5Nm	179kg (Kerb)	£5,845

If you fancy one of the Triumph 400s but want even purer scrambler style than the Tracker, the Scrambler 400X – or perhaps the Scrambler 400XC – is for you.

The Scrambler 400X debuted in 2024 along with the roadster Speed 400. Both were designed by Triumph in Hinckley and built in India via a collaboration with Bajaj Auto. Both were also based on the same punchy yet flexible single, had typically Triumph fine-handling chassis and proved brilliant A2 bikes, offering that rare blend of big bike feel yet novice-friendly manners. The two have since been joined by a more extreme Scrambler 400 XC, with larger wire wheels, raised front mudguard and small flyscreen, the flat track inspired Tracker 400 and café racer Thruxton 400 

The best-seller of the bunch has been the Speed 400, primarily as it’s the most affordable, but the Scrambler 400X hasn’t been far behind, offers extra scrambler style and, because of it, roomier, more substantial proportions.

And if you still want more, the XC adds to that even further. It’s arguably the best looking of the bunch and has the most convincing off-road ability – but does cost the most at £6545.

Engine Size	Power	Torque	Weight	Price
313cc L/C single	34hp	42Nm	169.5kg (Kerb)	£5,890

BMW’s offering for the A2 scrambler category, like its roadster sibling, the G310R, might not be the most impressive on paper but thanks to its enviable badge, easy manners, great dealer network and reasonable residual values (and finance schemes) it’s a great introduction to the whole BMW family.

Launched in 2016 alongside the R, the GS is also a fairly straightforward single that shares much of its mechanicals with its sister roadster, with both being built in India via BMW’s long-standing collaboration with TVS. It was then updated with a slight styling tweak in 2021.

As with the R, with just 34bhp from its 313cc liquid-cooled single and a fairly basic (but adequate) spec’, the junior GS has few standout features. But nor does it disappoint. It’s smart, decently put together, being adventure style means it’s a little bigger and roomier than the R without being cumbersome, is ridiculously easy to ride and in isolation is a sufficient performer – and, of course, it’s a BMW!

On the slight downside, strictly speaking it’s more ‘junior adventure’ bike than pure scrambler, being a BMW, it’s also a little pricier, like for like, than some rivals, is outpaced by larger capacity, more powerful versions and it’s difficult to justify the premium. But if you fancy a BMW A2 scrambler it pretty much delivers.

Engine Size	Power	Torque	Weight	Price
652cc L/C single	45hp	55Nm	218kg (Kerb)	£5,999

Launched in 2025 the Scrambler 650 from revived heritage British brand BSA has a lot going for it.

It’s based on the mechanicals of the marque’s debut bike, the 2023 Gold Star 650 roadster and uses the same, impressive, 45hp single cylinder motor but with a revised frame and scrambler style suspension and off-road wheels and tyres. The result has most of the proven decent dynamics of the 50s-style Gold Star but with, for many, a more appealing 1970s scrambler style. It’s even pretty affordable, too.

It’s not perfect, of course. Its cycle parts and equipment are a little basic, it’s a little raw and unrefined and, being built in India (BSA is now owned by Mahindra) its quality and reliability isn’t as reassuring yet as, say, Triumph or Royal Enfield.

But it does look great, performs more than acceptably, is one of the most credible A2 scramblers of all and is good value, too!

Engine Size	Power	Torque	Weight	Price
449cc L/C single	39hp	43.4Nm	150kg (dry)	£6,749

Heritage Italian brand Fantic returned to the market with its first Caballero in 2019 and it’s been a welcome addition to the A2 scrambler class.

Designed in Italy but with some components and a single cylinder engine procured from China it’s an interesting mix of style and value and delivers a ‘retro-mod’ package that’s very appealing.

The single-cylinder engine may not be the most potent but will be enough for most and is in-keeping with the Scrambler ‘vibe’. Its proportions strike the right balance between being unintimidating for novices and entertaining for more experienced riders. There are lots of neat detail touches that belie its Chinese origins, and it also stands out from the crowd.

On the slight downside, it’s also not as cheap as those origins suggest it might be dealers are fairly few and far between, although entertaining it’s outpaced by some rivals such as Husqvarna and Triumph (not to mention the twin-cylinder ones) and its design is now dating slightly. But it’s still charmingly tempting.

Engine Size	Power	Torque	Weight	Price
648cc A/C twin	47hp	56.5Nm	214kg (Kerb)	£6,799

Resurgent Indian/British brand Royal Enfield’s offering for the A2 scrambler class has been a long time coming, seeing as the Interceptor 650 twin on which the Bear is based debuted in 2018 while this version only came out in 2025, but it’s still got a lot going for it.

Basically a restyled version of Enfield’s popular retro roadster, complete with predictable wire wheels, semi-knobbly tyres, trail handlebars and even side number boards, the Bear shares the same, proven, 47bhp twin, handles sweetly and has lots of nice detail and quality touches such as its retro-style switchgear and tactile seat.

Strictly speaking it’s not as thorough a scrambler as some, as it’s still more road than dirt orientated and, to our eyes, isn’t quite as pretty as, say, BSA’s Scrambler. Nor is as cheap as Enfields used to be. But the quality, performance, handling and detailing is hard to argue against and the next step up from here is Triumph’s latest Scrambler 900 which now starts at a far, far higher £10,695.

So there you have it, I hope you enjoyed our rundown of the top 10 best A2 scramblers for 2026.

For those of you who have your full licence, why not check out our top 10 middleweight naked bikes for 2026 list?

Last but not least, if you are in need of insurance for your very own naked motorcycle, then make sure to get a quote direct with Lexham!