What exactly is an "adventure" bike?

[Thump]

Everybody knows the difference between street bikes and dirt bikes - a street bike is for riding in the streets and a dirt bike is for the dirt, doesn't have headlights, turn signals or a license plate.
I tried to explain to a CBR rider what a supermoto is, and after talking about street bikes and dirt bikes and the resulting cross called an enduro or dual sport he couldn't really follow when I told him that a supermoto is sort of between an enduro and a street bike.
When it comes to adventure bikes things aren't that clear, either. Is it a street bike with a tiny bit more suspension travel, a higher seat height and Pirelli MT90s or is it something like a faired enduro designed for traveling distances?
What is an adventure bike? I'd like to hear your opinions, and see if you agree among each other.
Seems like a twin-cylinder engine is a good start since most big singles are more in the dual sport corner. Or not?
What kind of suspension, engine size, weight, rim size, tire does an adventure bike make?
What would be the best example of an adventure style bike? The V-Strom 650? The Tenere 660? The F800GS or the Tiger 800?
Honda builds a "cross-runner" and a "cross-tourer" - where does the whole "cross-over" thing fit in?
Is the NC750X an adventure bike or a "cross-over"?

 

[CraigBKK]

The glib answer, although not particularly useful in elucidating this matter, is that an adventure bike is one that allows its rider to have an adventure, i.e. a trip that is daring, exciting or unusual.

For most riders this would be riding in a wild/natural environment with challenging terrain to traverse. However, the possibilities of an 'urban adventure' do exist.

 

[bill]

The glib answer, although not particularly useful in elucidating this matter, is that an adventure bike is one that allows its rider to have an adventure, i.e. a trip that is daring, exciting or unusual.

For most riders this would be riding in a wild/natural environment with challenging terrain to traverse. However, the possibilities of an 'urban adventure' do exist.

There's a chap currently 2 years / 40,000miles into a trip across Nth America and Europe on a Paningale

In 2012 I hit the starter button on my Panigale and the reset button on my life.

Around the World with an Italian Supermodel - Ducati.ms - The Ultimate Ducati Forum

 

[Thump]

I think you can have an adventure on a Honda Monkey, or on a ten year old XR250L, probably more so than on a BMW GS - where's the adventure in riding a comfortable, safe, expensive bike? The adventure begins when you have to improvise, when things go wrong, when you have to repair your bike on the side of the road and meet new people.

But I wasn't asking for the definition of adventure, I wanted to know what kind of bikes are marketed under the exciting sounding category of "adventure bike".

 

[Harrythefinn]

A can of worms.

 

[CraigBKK]

I wanted to know what kind of bikes are marketed under the exciting sounding category of "adventure bike".

Touring bikes that you can ride light off-road on. Probably the best example of what an Adventure bike can be is the KTM 990R. Hopefully the Honda True Adventure will be the next