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Help me pick a sport tourer

zammer

zammer

Tripler
Joined
Nov 22, 2013
Location
Albany
Moto(s)
'16 BMW R1200GS, '15 Yamaha R6 (Track), '13 Panigale 1199s
BARF perks
AMA #3004877
I've been riding a street triple for, well, triple duty here the last 5 years... touring, commuting, sunday morning rides. Looking to sell it and buy a couple more purpose built bikes. I'm a coronavirus researcher so probably have job security for a while : |

Looking used, I have a sub 8k budget. I do 90% 'sport' road touring and 10% tame ish fire roads with some more adventurous folks, 3-5 days. Want something that will still put a smile on my face while carving but not kill my butt/neck from wind, but can still handle the trip to kettenpom :cool

Ideally, I'd get a multistrada or a super duke 1290 gt, but those are out of my touring budget. FJ-09? Hyper with a giant windscreen? Is there something I'm overlooking?
 
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You're somewhat unclear. Do you want to sit up, lean forward, carry luggage, ride dirt, tour, adv, or sport tour like the title says?

Imo, there is no better bang for the buck than a couple year old Kawasaki Ninja 1000 with bags.
 
I said 90% pavement 10% fire road

3-5 day trips so I don't know about you but I like to change my underwear. So yeah, some light luggage options. Though I use a kreiga drypack now on the tail and that works just fine.

I guess that means sport touring. I want something with enough clearance to take some goaty roads but still fun to push in the canyons. I'd consider something more leaned like a ninja 1000 or upright like an FJ as long as it's 300 mile a day comfortable
 
Kawasaki Versys 1000

SUZUKI V-STROM
 
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zammer said:
I said 90% pavement 10% fire road

3-5 day trips so I don't know about you but I like to change my underwear. So yeah, some light luggage options. Though I use a kreiga drypack now on the tail and that works just fine.

I guess that means sport touring. I want something with enough clearance to take some goaty roads but still fun to push in the canyons. I'd consider something more leaned like a ninja 1000 or upright like an FJ as long as it's 300 mile a day comfortable
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That means semi-adventure or dual sport/street. For the most part, we older folks hear sport tourer and we think a wannabe sport bike vfr/fjr/Ninja 1000 etc. with bags, and so will your local dealer.

In your case, I agree with the above as well, and the better deal can probably be had on the Kawasaki as usual.

I'll go out on a limb and even say an older air cooled multi 1000/1100 with a skid plate might be right up your alley. I don't know what your personal tolerance is with maintenance and how persnickety a bike can be, but since you're already looking at a Ducati, there's that, and they can be had for a song.
 
zammer said:
...........

Looking used, I have a sub 8k budget. I do 90% 'sport' road touring and 10% tame ish fire roads with some more adventurous folks, 3-5 days. Want something that will still put a smile on my face while carving but not kill my butt/neck from wind, but can still handle the trip to kettenpom :cool
................
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10% dirt Unless you have a dirt riding background the FJR, Concours, Honda ST's are a no go. Heavy and not made for any dirt.

Even the Multistrada with a 17" front is not a dirt friendly bike but will work. You could pick up a 10-year-old GS in your budget. The Boxers will run a lot of miles and handle way better than most people think they should.

This GS is probably sold Barf classified.

But keep searching you will find a bike that will work for you. If riding single don't overlook a smaller adventure bike with bags.
 
There is nothing in the definition of 'Sport-Touring' that includes dirt.
Dual sporting includes dirt.
Sport touring is a sport bike that you can do long mileage rides on. On the pavement.
This may be what's confusing people.
 
zammer said:
I'd consider something more leaned like a ninja 1000 or upright like an FJ as long as it's 300 mile a day comfortable
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That's the tricky part. What's 300 mile comfortable for one rider isn't for another. You might need to ride a few and see what you enjoy and what you feel comfortable on. It might only take a new seat to achieve all day comfort.

The best all day comfort I've had on a bike was my Versys 650. One BARFer kept one in the US and one in Europe.

Vstrom 1000 seemed to have similar ride all day, day after day comfort, but I haven't ridden one all day.

I was surprised what a good touring bike my R1200R with tiny stock sport screen makes. Definitely a ride all day bike. Some owners like a bigger screen though.

I wouldn't pick the Ninja 1000 you mention, for both comfort and fuel tank range (and I might not pick the FJ09 for range), but both might work for you.

Range is tricky when touring. On the remote backroads, a lot of what gas stations there were are no longer operating. While you may have enough range to get to the next station, if you aren't sure you may find yourself stopping to refuel more often than necessary.
 
Lonster said:
There is nothing in the definition of 'Sport-Touring' that includes dirt.
Dual sporting includes dirt.
Sport touring is a sport bike that you can do long mileage rides on. On the pavement.
This may be what's confusing people.
Click to expand...



‘Werd. :thumbup
 
I thought OP's use description is clear. He seems to want an adventure-style bike.

With $8k it's not hard to get an older Multistrada 1200 (2010-2014) with around 10k-20k mi. It's also within reach for an air-cool R1200GS (2005-2009) with around 20k mi. Tiger 800 works too.
 
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I do any and all mechanical work and some on other barfer's bikes for some side cash - never owned a duc but I don't mind extra work since my labor is free (especially since this isn't my daily driver). I do mind a bike breaking down in the middle of a trip, however, and multi's seem to be problematic. None of the touring guys I ride with have them - all KTMs and BMWs. Any particular year/model update I should be looking out for?

S1000xr or 1290 gt seem like more ideal options that are more 'sport' on the spectrum, and can go down a fire road when need be but used options are pretty sparse. I rode a ktm 1190r and actually surprisingly felt i could push it rather hard on pavement.

I seem to hear nothing but good things about the water cooled r1200gs but hard to find in my price range here.

Tiger 800 is an option but they are surprisingly expensive used, never ridden one but thought with the 19" front they were dirt/adv focused but seems like there are several models
 
Gary856 said:
I thought OP's use description is clear. He seems to want an adventure-style bike.
Click to expand...

Here, I'll quote his post headline:
"Help me pick a sport tourer"

Triumph Tiger is what my friends ride for dual sport tourers. :ride
 
You could easily find a KTM 990 Adventure in your price range.

I rode a Ducati ST2 for many years, a great sport touring bike. Then I bought the KTM 990 and realized that there wasn't a single thing the ST2 did that I couldn't also do with the KTM. So I sold it. The big adventure bikes are good enough on twisty roads that I don't miss a more sporting bike at all. And when I see an interesting dirt road I have no hesitation to find out where it leads to.
 
Ok a few points here. Depends on your background but I do ride my FJR in the dirt.....fire roads are not a problem for me two with the wifey; however grew up on dirt bikes etc etc. that being said the v-storm 1000 is not too different from my FJR big pig in the dirt so again depends on your skill set. I know McLovin had his TIGER for sale in the ads here on teh barf and can attest he takes very good care of his bikes as we rode the western United States with him and his wife a couple years ago. Good luck......and for the record, riding the big pig in the dirt is not for the faint of heart :)
 
Versys is the answer

What others said - a Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT. Comes with side cases (but irritatingly not a topcase). I've put almost 30K miles on mine in the last three years.Almost all on road, but I've ridden some light off-road (smooth-ish fire roads etc.) and it was fine doing that. With knobbier tires, I'd me more than willing to do some more significant off-road stuff.

The list price on these was about $13K until (I think) 2018, when the price went up to $18K. So look around for a lightly-used 2017 - if available, should be about $7-9K. YMMV.
 
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