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Best sport tourer on today's market?

V4 said:
honda nt700v = best motorcyce evah, bishes...

560 lbs, 46 hp, 45mpg....shaft drive, adjustable windscreen *manual*, heated grips *that sticks way off the handle bars*, fog lights *that shines to the ground*, standard bags *which doesn't fit a helmet* and valve intervals at 8,000 miles *which will take about 5hrs removing body work* , and optional speaker vents *not really but they look like its for speakers but even honda doesn't know why it's there*

and it's a honda...


respeck....:cool
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Agreed. Sport touring.
 
V4 said:
honda nt700v = best motorcyce evah, bishes...

560 lbs, 46 hp, 45mpg....shaft drive, adjustable windscreen *manual*, heated grips *that sticks way off the handle bars*, fog lights *that shines to the ground*, standard bags *which doesn't fit a helmet* and valve intervals at 8,000 miles *which will take about 5hrs removing body work* , and optional speaker vents *not really but they look like its for speakers but even honda doesn't know why it's there*

and it's a honda...

honda-nt-700-v-deauville-ld0.jpg


respeck....:cool
Click to expand...

You can actually tote your long spagetti home from the deli with the attached bags pass through.:twofinger
 
i've always thought:

full on touring: full fairings, upright body position.
full on Sport: clip-ons for steering, sport body position
sport touring: inbetween of both.

Always thought the RT's and kawi's fell more on the touring side while the vfr's and sprints fell more on the sporty side.

that said i got an f800st but it's a 1 person tourer while two up, as some had mentioned, is just so so. Test rode the R1200RT for a whole day and it was a REAL fun bike to ride. Not so fun in stop and go SF traffic, but great for long day touring or through some nice twisties. I did not get the same sporty feeling tho as my f800, where i can really hang off of the bike through some twisties or corners. The f800 does have a great near upright body position, but it really is just a sporty bike that BMW re-purposed to a sport-touring by addition of more fairings larger screen, luggage rack, and higher handlebars.

touring.jpg


still darn fun bike to ride. love that its belt driven. 85 hp only tho... but the bike is 450 lbs wet... i think the VFR800 is 50-80 lbs heavier?

anyways, my vote goes to either the R1200RT. Though the bike was heavier than some, it felt really light once u get it upright - very well balanced.
 
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Banjoboy said:
Uhhh, hate ta burst yer bubble, but the R1200RT weighs in at a whopping 625 lbs wet according to MCN. (They actually weigh the bikes ready to ride.)
The Sprint ST a svelte 548 lbs wet, and the Tiger a little less. With the Triumphs you wanta get a post '07, the earlier ones had some fueling issues.
I hear/read that this new Yamaha Tenere, is sweet enduro that can tour. :teeth
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Yeah, I think MCN was wrong on that one. I have heard reports of curb weight with luggage between 532 and 571, with MCN's 625 way the fock out there.

I'm going to go weigh mine today, full tank with panniers attached. I'll post up the truth when I do. :)
 
dwarf said:
lol.. I'm 5'11 and a half, so im like average



Would it be better to get a bike that comes from the factory with better suited suspension or spend money on upgrading the Dl1000s?

And by better I mean cheaper
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I have ridden and researched a lot of ST bikes from both ends of the spectrum when choosing both of mine, from the "sport" end six years ago when I chose the Aprilia for emotional, solo riding, to the "tour" side six months ago when I chose the BMW for practical, two-up riding. I have done my homework, and this is my opinion:

I believe most ST bikes need suspension upgrades out of the box when the emphasis is on "sport". The only exceptions might be my own Aprilia RST1K, Ducati ST3 & ST4, the new Kawi Ninja 1000 and the new MultiStrada. Particularly poor suspensions in the genre include Triumph Sprint 955 and 1050 and Ducati ST2.

If the emphasis is on "tour", popular ST rides like FJR, ST13, ST11, DL1K, R1150RT and the base R12RT are all lacking and can benefit nicely with pricey suspension upgrades. Connie14 is very well sorted out of the box, and so is R12RT with the ESA option.

K12GT and K13GT ESA suspension is pretty sweet too, but those bikes are very heavy and their suspensions--though nice--provide a tacit disconnect from the road that I do not care for.

For what it's worth, I never considered either V-Strom. However, I rode my Aprilia solo behind a couple on a V-Strom 1000 a few years back on a weekend tour in NorCal. This guy had it set up nice, with side and top cases, Ohlins front and rear, stainless brake lines, Power Commander and very sweet sounding, dual Staintunes. He consistently set a very lively pace, and was a joy to ride behind for miles of twisties. That really opened my eyes to the two-up ST potential of that bike, and the only thing that kept if off my radar when I chose the RT was indeed the need for suspension upgrades, and the taller saddle for my sweetie.

When choosing a two-up ST bike, there is much to be said for a bike that comes equipped from the factory with a competent suspension, heated seats and grips, cruise control and good luggage. It sucks to buy a new bike, then still have to spend $3-5K extra to make it what you want. I got lucky with mine. The original owner traded it in after 9 months and 3600 miles, and I basically bought the "new" bike I wanted already broke in for $5-6K less than the new one right next to it.
 
How heavy is heavy? My 93 CBR is supposedly 518lbs dry so I feel like riding a newer ST would most likely feel lighter, as my bike is used and abused on shotty suspension and 17 years behind on the newest technologies
 
I think at this point you may just have to try out various forms of the bikes listed and just see which speaks to you.


If I had anything that fit, I'd let you try it out-somehow I don't think you want a 20+ year old BMW with 60HP to compare to though. :p
 
i think the suzuki bandit 1200S would be a good choice,even better if it were shaft-driven.the fact that not many are available used is a good indicator how good the bike is....
b12s.jpg
 
TripleThreat said:
2005 is when the R1200RT came out. That model ran from 2005 to 2009. In 2010 they changed it to an overhead cam design and added a few more bells, but basically the same bike, more or less. Should be about the same weight.


BMW claimed to have cut approximately 44 lbs from the previous version the R1150RT that ended it's run in 2004.

Michael
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Sorry for the confusion, my post referenced the Sprint ST 1050 ABS (2006-2010 model years), which has a wet weight of 530lbs. The new 2011 Sprint GT is *not* the ST.
 
I fear arguing over the best sport touring bike is kind of like debating the best apple pie recipe -- of course my mom's is the best! But even so, I can't believe Suzuki Bandits haven't been mentioned.

Mine is a 2002 1200S. I haven't ridden the smaller Bandits, nor the newer ones that aren't GSXR1100 engine based. For that matter, I haven't ridden many other big or touring bikes, except maybe a BMW GS1200. But I'd have to say that coming from a strong sportbike background, my Bandit felt alright. At first I loathed the massiveness of it and the relative lack of power. I suppose lack of liquid cooling and fuel injection, coupled with the big big bike that it is, made it feel more like a giant drooling newfoundland dog than a hungry pitbull. Like a newfoundland, it's kind of clumsy in tight quarters, but you can strap all sorts of random crap on it and it'll still get up and go and eat up the miles with stamina to spare. It can be a little thirsty around town and it's not technologically advanced (no radio, no rider aids, very basic suspension, no exotic components), but somehow it grew on me. The flip-side of all that unsophistication is that parts and upgrades are cheap and plentiful (as are the bikes themselves), OEM and aftermarket, and for the most part it's not terribly hard to work on. So you can think of a stock Bandit as a clean slate for building your own perfect sport-tourer without undoing someone else's vision from the factory and breaking the bank in the process. And now that I'm trying to make room in the garage for a second track bike, I'm reluctant to put that big shaggy dog of a bike up for sale along with the others. Think I'll keep it!

Disclaimer: despite the favorable comparison to newfoundland dogs, Suzuki Bandits do not like going through snow or swimming.
 
MrIncredible said:
This is why I always wanted a Ducati Indiana-never seen one for sale used! Must be one ot the Best. Bikes. Ever.
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i know of a barfer that owns one(Indiana).they are definitely rare.....
 
V4 said:
honda nt700v = best motorcyce evah, bishes...

560 lbs, 46 hp, 45mpg....shaft drive, adjustable windscreen *manual*, heated grips *that sticks way off the handle bars*, fog lights *that shines to the ground*, standard bags *which doesn't fit a helmet* and valve intervals at 8,000 miles *which will take about 5hrs removing body work* , and optional speaker vents *not really but they look like its for speakers but even honda doesn't know why it's there*

and it's a honda...

honda-nt-700-v-deauville-ld0.jpg


respeck....:cool
Click to expand...

The OP already has an F800ST that trounces the shit outta that slug. :laughing
 
V4 said:
the fjr is a darling motorcycle to own...


great windscreen...although it kinda sucks when ya turn the motor off , it goes back down ..

i like it with the heli bar risers but damn so expensive with all the triple clamp top and blocks...
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As for the windsheild, there is a fix for that so it stays where you left it - check the user's sites - I think it's just a jumper.

Heli-bars on an FJR ? Chree-rist, it's nearly bolt-upright as sold ! Heli-bars would be like ape-hangers - what do you have, short little T-Rex arms ?
 
TripleThreat said:
Worth noting, when I'm on a really long tour, and 200 miles from nowhere town, I've noticed there are only 2 kind of bikes you see on a regular basis: Goldwings and BMW's.

I may see the odd Harley here and there, but I have yet to see a FJR's, ST's or C14's that far out. I think most people who own those bikes tend to be commuters.

Michael
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True that. When you ride across the country, in that big middle part you see: Harley Baggers (lots and lots of 'em), Goldwings & Bimmers. I rode from Oakland to Philly and didn't see another FJR until I hit the Blueridge Parkway, which is odd because they sure sold a bunch of the things and they get hoardes of 'em when they have rallies.

Anecdotal, I know but curious nonetheless.
 
TripleThreat said:
Worth noting, when I'm on a really long tour, and 200 miles from nowhere town, I've noticed there are only 2 kind of bikes you see on a regular basis: Goldwings and BMW's.

I may see the odd Harley here and there, but I have yet to see a FJR's, ST's or C14's that far out. I think most people who own those bikes tend to be commuters.

Michael
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I've have exactly the reverse experience. In the middle of nowhere I still see more Harleys than anything. A LOT more.

I see just as many FJR's , ST's and C14's as I do BMWs. Probably more actually.

And, I see those more often than Goldwings.

As far as commuting, I see a million BMWs.


Just my take.:cool
 
GAJ said:
The OP already has an F800ST that trounces the shit outta that slug. :laughing
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Then OP already has a pretty darned good ST. :laughing

IMO, the best two-up improvement from that is C14 with a durable passenger, or R12RT with a princess. :ride

Keep in mind OP, fuel range is often a big consideration for touring. The only "ST" bikes that will go further on a tank than your F800 are ST13, R12RT, K13GT and FJR in that relative order. They'll all get you 260-300 miles between fuel stops. On the opposite end are the Ducs, my Aprilia, VFR12, C14 and Sprint1050, which all will get you about half that. That can be frustrating out on the open road.
 
Brown81 said:
I've have exactly the reverse experience. In the middle of nowhere I still see more Harleys than anything. A LOT more.

I see just as many FJR's , ST's and C14's as I do BMWs. Probably more actually.

And, I see those more often than Goldwings.

As far as commuting, I see a million BMWs.


Just my take.:cool
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Maybe west of the Sierras. Get east of the Rockies though, Beemers are the rarity, Harleys and GoldWings rule.
 
'Good to see all this discussion on sport tourers. They are an often overlooked and under appreciated segment of the market.
 
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