New 20 ounce tumblers available now! Forum donation credit with purchase. https://www.wildguzzi.com/Products/products.htm#Tumbler
The whole reason I'm on this site is that I'm looking for a mid-weight sport-touring bike, and a couple of Guzzis are on my shortlist.I'm not necessarily looking for a lower power or smaller engine bike, but I want a sport-tourer with a bit of a bias towards the sport, and a wet weight of less than 600lbs.My current main contenders are:Ducati 939 SuperSport (someone pictured one above)Moto Guzzi Griso or NorgeKTM 1290 SDGTKawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE (haven't had a chance to test this one yet)Honda VFR1200 (haven't had a chance to test this one yet, either)I was looking seriously at the Motus MST, but they've quit making them.There are actually a *lot* of sport-touring bikes on the market, but if I go with wet weight under 600lbs, that narrows the field quite a lot.I don't care for adventure bikes, and I'm short, so the Ducati MS and the Aprilia Caponord, among others, are out.I'm currently leaning towards the Duc 939SS, although the Guzzis are still in contention, and I need to testride the two Japanese bikes.The KTM is great to ride, and a stonking gonzo choice, but I can't get a good read on its longevity.No one seems to put 100K+ on a KTM. I tend to keep my stuff a long time, and use it 'til it wears out, and I'm looking for my next bike to be something I'll turn over 250K on in about 2040.I have tested the BMW F800 (several variants), and just didn't like the feel of it much. The belt drive is a plus for me -- combines the efficiency of a chain with the low maintenance of a shaft. On the road, belts are fine. Offroad, the getting-a-rock-caught-in-it issue is real, and that's why the F800GS has a chain. But I wouldn't worry about having a belt drive on the street. I just didn't gel with the rest of the bike.PhilB
Clearly the problem is there is next to no consensus on what a “middle weight sport tour” is. O wonder you can’t find one, what mfg would want to market to such a fickle bunch?
So what is mid-weight anyway?Electraglied 900Goldwig 860K1600 7101980 Suz GS850G 602 ( I want one!)My Honda NT700v 570Norge 550My 1981 Honda DOHC CB750 naked 540Lbs+/- VFR800f 540? CB1100 naked 540Griso 1100 2v 540R1150r 530My V1000 G5 naked 510BMW F850GS 510?Royal Enfield Continental 650 Twin 490?Kaw Versys 650cc: 475My R100/7 naked 475Triumph 1050 Tiger 470V7 III naked 4701978 Yamaha XS650 430 new CB500F 415 lbsand the winner is?.... lots of honorable mentions...looks kinda like a Griso 1100 is the way to go for power to weight ratio on a "Mid Weight" touring bike. 6th gear would be perfect for coming down off the mountain passes, i hear.
I gave you the business on the 939 but you're all over the map. H2 and KTM are way more power and over the top. Might consider beetle bags on a Hayabusa too. You might check with Leroy, he was an H2.
Surprised nobody has mentioned the Triumph Tiger 800. I will be seriously considering one once I get the Guzzi out of the garage.
I just sold mine today (hopefully). 2013. 50k miles. $2,200. Worst purchase I ever made. Good riddance. Some are good. Mine was garbage. Do your due diligence.
...and what am I now? Wait, don't answer that!Bike ('19 H2 SX SE+) is crazy fast...so much so that I really appreciate the big-a&* shift indicator in my peripheral vision when I gas it while concentrating on any threats to my forward momentum. Lean angle display is addictive. Eco-mode idiot light is..ironic, to say the least. Bags and OEM farkles are outrageously expensive, saved a big chunk of change by getting them from Europe (and they arrived sooner than the stuff I could only get thru the dealer.) Valve clearance check at 15,200 miles. Chain adjustment tool (single sided swingarm) is a $100 OEM add-on, don't buy it..do some web research and get it at a much more reasonable price. Turns out the tool that came with my 916 works. Around 580lbs, but I wanted a road trip bike to replace the >800lb F6B. Cruise control, pre-programmed suspension adjustments for one up, one up with luggage, and two-up..and other modes including sport, road, and rain. Now, if I could I only find where the points are hiding..... imagehost
I really like my Le Mans, but having this K75S around fills the need for a relatively light, nice handling reliable sport tourer.
V7 is more than capable of touring. I know guys that travel Oz on old 2 stroke Vespas. Having said that, Breva or Bellagio if you can find one over there or wait and see what Guzzi do next with the new 850 donk.
and the winner is?.... lots of honorable mentions...looks kinda like a Griso 1100 is the way to go for power to weight ratio on a "Mid Weight" touring bike. 6th gear would be perfect for coming down off the mountain passes, i hear.
I was looking seriously at the Motus MST, but they've quit making them.PhilB
I had a Griz 1100... Great bike, tight ergos, bad seat, shit range. Service isn't really ever needed when you do it yourself....The range is 125 miles. That sucks for a touring rig
I wouldn't discount this bike just because they stopped making them. You can get them new for ~$19-20k (most with bikes are looking to deal). Parts are available from LAP, most consumables are standard off the shelf stuff... I tour on mine all the time without worry. Fantastic bike.I have two, one made into a naked bike:https://motusmstr.blogspot.com/https://2017motusmst.blogspot.com/
gone nearly extinct because the sport-touring riders that drove the market in the 1990s have gotten old and creaky, and switched to ADVbikes for the more comfy ergos.Honda's VFR800 is about the last man standing...
I guess the line has been blurred between Sport-touring and Adventure-touring when we also have "Adventure-Styled Sport-Touring" motorcycles like Versys. LOL!Anyway, traditional Sport-touring machines like Triumph Sprint, Ducati ST, BMW R-RS, Guzzi V11 LeMans, etc., have gone nearly extinct because the sport-touring riders that drove the market in the 1990s have gotten old and creaky, and switched to ADVbikes for the more comfy ergos.Honda's VFR800 is about the last man standing...