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Help me pick a sport tourer

I use my 2017 ninja 1000 for long'ish trips (to Tahoe / mt Shasta / etc).
love it.

thinking of trading it in for a new 2020 one, cuz it comes with cruise control etc.

highly recommend.
 
XPEHBAM said:
I use my 2017 ninja 1000 for long'ish trips (to Tahoe / mt Shasta / etc).
love it.

thinking of trading it in for a new 2020 one, cuz it comes with cruise control etc.


highly recommend.
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The real question is, have you rode it in the dirt... And more specifically, a fire road?

I've taken my K1200S through a rocky water covered road once and I didn't like the feeling... So I do NOT recommend any sports touring bikes for off-road use.
 
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You can almost certainly find a Multistrada 1200 for <$8k. Go find one and don't look back.
 
My usual blahblah but fwiw best sport touring mc out there now, today, hands down, no competition, the R 1250 rs. Value for the money best is ninja 1000.
 
hophead said:
My usual blahblah but fwiw best sport touring mc out there now, today, hands down, no competition, the R 1250 rs. Value for the money best is ninja 1000.
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Interesting, definitely was not on my radar. What in particular is great about it?
 
I’ve logged about 30K miles on my FJ-09 and am incredibly pleased with it. Great bike, and stone cold reliable.
 
You can probably get a R1200GS in your price range. Likely a well farkled, reasonable mileage, 2010 to 2013 "Camhead". Uses the same spherical shims as the F series Rotax motors. Super easy valve adjustments.

IMHO the water boxer added a lot of weight and a little power. The last oil cooled is the best in the series (of that era). The R1250 "shift cam" is a major jump in power, technological jump and of course price jump. Out of your range.

All that said the boxer platform may not be for you. I suggest a week or long weekend on one. Put 1,000 miles in the saddle and see. If your not sure you can buy an older R1150 and sell it for what you got it for. I think the market has hit the floor on them. I sold an '02 R1150GS to a BARF'er for $4k and he's super happy. I'm sure he could ride it and sell it for the same. The platform is similar enough to the later versions to let you know if you can live with it long term. The later ones got more power, better shifting, better electronics: but the "soul" of the bike is pretty much the same. Just an idea.

I have an '11 Camhead and it's quite nice. Good at pretty much everything I want to do. Commute, long distance travel, camping and fire roads. With a 32" inseam it's just about at my limit. Handfull in the dirt for sure but capable. If I had to sell all but one that one would remain. That says something.
 
zammer said:
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?
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I have a 2009 Multi 1100S with 64K miles. Bought it in 2015 with 3K miles. It’s been my commuter bike since then and has been super reliable. Other than maintenance, I did have to replace a starter (not because it failed but because it was acting a bit iffy so it was preventative) and the fuel tank breather valve is quirky. I wouldn’t get a Ducati older than that, but Ducatis are fine in terms of reliability - as long as they get ridden regularly!
 
doc4216 said:
True but you can find the R1200RS close to that. There has been one on CL at $9500 in Marin for about 6 months. Maybe negotiable?
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Fair enough.

R1200R & R1200GS are a better fit for OP's usecase. Depending on if they'd rather ride a street bike on dirt roads or an adventure bike on paved roads.

Similar trade off between KTM 990 adventure (recommended above), and KTM 990 SMT.
 
My advice would be to get something a little bit under your budget, like a v-strom or versys, and then have some cash left over to customize to your liking. Most of these sport touring/adventure bikes are very comfortable, especially if you get a windscreen that fits your height and reduces sound well. It sounds like suspension will be a bigger aspect for your enjoyment, as well as decent brakes. Hard to come by sport bike quality stuff TBH, but at least get something with decent adjustability.

I've owned a Strom, and a BMW S1000XR, and honestly I went to more fun places and did more fun stuff on the V-strom, simply because I wasn't afraid to tip it over in the dirt (which I did), so keep that in mind. This is a huge thing to consider, especially when weighing a used ducati/bmw/triumph versus a japanese bike with cheaper replacement parts and stuff.

If you want an actual bike recommendation from me, it is the FJ-09 10/10. You really don't get this much for your money from any other bike in its class when you consider the power, electronics package, looks, and yamaha build quality. Definitely ride one!
 
scootergmc said:
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.
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This.
60k miles on mine in 4 years.
 
some friends were looking for bikes so I got into looking for some for them and...
The smaller multistrada 950 can be had used for that kind of money and will do everything you mentioned.
When you mention riding goat trails - ergos mean a lot, if you can supermoto a goat road it makes it a lot of fun, if you just gotta sit upright without being able to get on the front wheel it makes it less fun. you can take a sport bike through a mild dirt road but why would you want to?!

Also, KTM SMT990 if you can find out is a super awesome bike with an awesome suspenion and lots of luggage options
 
soggy said:
If you want an actual bike recommendation from me, it is the FJ-09 10/10. You really don't get this much for your money from any other bike in its class when you consider the power, electronics package, looks, and yamaha build quality. Definitely ride one!
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Love my FJ-09, but it's not suitable for riding off road in any meaningful way. Tires and suspension are not up to the task and it has an exposed undercarriage. You can get away with going slow on seriously tame fire roads but that's all I'd ever want to do. Plus, you'd end up buying the beers for your buddies on proper dual sports who have to wait around for you, so be sure to include that in the budget. :ride
 
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