Touring bike ramblings

[faffi]

Although our roads generally poor state of repair scream out for dual sport machines, and some of them are fine tourers as well, I have never really lusted for one. Those good for touring are fairly useless offroad unless you have great skills, and those good offroad are generally not all that good for touring in inclimate weather.

Hence my ideal touring motorcycle is fairly light, have great wind- and weather protection, handles corners with aplomb and flatten bumps and potholes, all this while being reliable and easy to maintain. Here is a list of bikes that fulfill those objectives:

Did you see any? No. They simply do not exist. So we must compromise. Or, more correctly, I must.

One could argue that a BMW R1300GS is the best multipurpose motorcycle out there, and you may be right. But I do not want one, possibly because it is so popular, so complex, so costly and plain ugly. And it would still be a compromise.

The Honda ST1100 is likely the motorcycle that come closest to fulfilling me needs and wants. Sure, it looks like it was designed by Tupperware, and maintenance can be somewhat time-consuming for some jobs, and it is darn heavy at around 700 lbs wet. But it has a huge tank and a great range, pretty good protection from the elements, close-fitting luggage that keeps the bike narrow, reportedly great comfort and competent suspension and handling. And after 62k miles / 100k km, every single part of the engine internals showed no wear and everything was within spec of a fresh engine off the assembly line. What it does lack is character, for lack of a better word. It is an appliance, albeit a very good one.

The Guzzi SP1000 is a viable alternative, but it would need a lot of modifications to suit my requirements. Wider rims/wheels (will those of the Le Mans V fit?), de-linking the brakes, better suspension, carbs that are easy to open with the throttle, and proper switchgear, for starters. Finding luggage that hold enough gear and still do not protrude a lot will be difficult. Also, I seriously dislike dry clutches, although not enough to rule out the bike. What the SP has that the Honda lacks, is ease of maintenance and a bit of character. But no matter what I do to it, it will never become as competent as the Honda. Oh, the 850 T4 ranks along the 1000 SP.

I have a like/hate relationship with Beemers, but I think it will be very difficult to love one. They are cheap here, though, and functional merits are often at a high level with BMWs. For between under 2000 and less than 3000 USD I can choose between among others K100, K100RS, K100RT, K75S, R1100RT, K1200RS, K1100RS currently for sale. For some weird reason I have always liked the K1200RS, despite it not fitting me very well what with its drastic forward lean caused by low bars set way forward.

I will never(?) buy a Ducati, and bikes like the GTR1000 Concours, FJR1300 and GSF1250GT are out because of their inline fours.

What other bikes do you reckon I should consider?

[Perazzimx14]

If you can do without electronic cruise control the 2010 - 2013 Camhead R1200GS/GSA all day every day.

If you cannot do without ECC then step into a water cooled R1200 or better yet a R1250 GS/GSA and you'll not look back.

[faffi]

I can easily do without ECC. Why would you recommend the air cooled earlier version GS over the later ones?

[Gusable]

My tiger fits the bill NICELY and is on the affordable side of town!  Touring/sport bike that can take a dirt road ( only smooth dirt)

[Perazzimx14]

I can easily do without ECC. Why would you recommend the air cooled earlier version GS over the later ones?

DO you mean oil cooled over water cooled? If so would pick the water cooled 1200 over any of the air/oil cooled GS and the 1250 over any of them.

If budget is an issue or you don't want to invest the GDP of a small nation into a bike then I suggest the Camhead. Excellent bikes that are the lightest of the GS's since the airheads with a great anvil type reliability motor that has plenty of power and is not maintenance heavy. The Camheads also are not electronic heavy if that's important to you.

I have had 18 or 19 Hexheads, 2 Camheads, 1 water cooled 1200 and 2 water cooled 1250's. With the current bikes being a 2013 R1200GSW and a 2024 GSA "low" and if I had to keep only one bike it would be the R1250 GSA. In fact I'm currently looking for a 2022+ R1250 GS to pair with the GSA and will sell the water cooled 1200 once that happens. Not that there is anything wrong with the water cooled 1200 I just like the simplicity of the all my maintenance tools, fluids and filter are the same.

Onto maintenance, I have recently checked and adjusted the valves and cam timing on both the water cooled bikes and other than the tooling investment the process is actually very easy and straightforward. As far as oil, filters and fluids across the board hex/Cam or water cooled spend on average:

Water cooled bikes:
 
$38 - 4L 5W-40
$9 - oil filter
$3 - final drive oil change
$35 to $50 per set of sparkplugs (the 1250 eats sparkplugs every 12,000 miles)
$17 - Air filter - $17
$5 - Brake fluid

Oil cooled

$27 - 5 quart 15W-50
$9 - oil filter
$11 - for 1 liter of gear oil enough to change the transmission and final drive oil change
$25-  per set of sparkplugs
$17 - Air filter - $17
$5 - Brake fluid

[aklawok]

 On the very shallow end of the market, I am now on the second season of a 2007 suzuki v- strom 650. Threw on some cheap soft saddle bags and already had a top case in the back. Just did a round trip from Anchorage to Denali this weekend with my gf on the back, just a little bit cramped but I am a big guy. Runs very smooth and efficient at 85mph and handles some gravel too. I put on some shinko 705s and that was it.

[Huzo]

My tiger fits the bill NICELY and is on the affordable side of town!  Touring/sport bike that can take a dirt road ( only smooth dirt)

This…

[Littlefield]

I'm with you on the K1200. I had an 04 K1200GT and it was a fine ride. Servo brakes were the only reliability issue that I recall.

[faffi]

Thank you @Perazzimx14 for the writeup Still not sure I would want one, because BMW GS's are the most common model in Europe, outselling any other model by a huge margin. However, there are good reasons why they sell so well, simnply because they work.

The Tiger... My brother has owned a 900 and a 955i, and neither of us liked them much. And my brother is a Triumph fan. Riding the 900 on gravel is the scariest thing I have done in my life, I'd much rather ride a Gold Wing. And the old triples tend to produce finger-numbing vibrations. Out of the 6 or 7 T300s me and my brother have owned collectively, only one (900 Daytona) had a for us tolerable level of vibrations. Finally, their fairings do no offer the amount of protection I am looking for.

[MikeP996]

The Honda Africa Twin is very capable...  My wife has one and on some road trips when she's not riding I take it instead of one of my own bikes.  It does quite well off-road as well though, of course it's not a toss-around lightweight REAL dirt bike!!

[faffi]

I presume it is a 1000 or 1100 AT, not the old 750? Never ridden one, but the new generation AT has always received praise from the press. Basically, all modern bikes are pretty good, it boils down to person fit and preferences. While not mandatory, I am pretty keen on retaining shaft drive for my next bike also.

[MikeP996]

Yes, it's the current Africa Twin.  I don't care for the look of the "adventure bikes" but every time I ride her AT I come back saying, "This is a really nice bike, I could own of of these!"

[chuck peterson]

At my age a Suzuki TU250 would be all i need…

[Tkelly]

I think Guzzi makes something called a TT?

[Huzo]

I think Guzzi makes something called a TT?

Norges were popular among the riders that actually “did it…”

[Tusayan]

I'm with you on the K1200. I had an 04 K1200GT and it was a fine ride. Servo brakes were the only reliability issue that I recall.

2001 and prior models do not have servo brakes, FYI.

I recently bought a 2001 K1200RS, with 10,000 miles registered and in desert stored condition (no corrosion, like new, likely never wet).  It was $5K which is if anything over market price, but it’s huge value regardless.  I haven’t had a point-to-point missile in the fleet for a long time and it is surely that, plus it is remarkably nimble and quick on twisty roads for a bike of its size. Mine came with GT style higher bars and I’ve put a GT seat on it.  It fits me like a glove.

I have two R100GSs too, one in Europe and one in the US.  These are to me the ultimate do it all motorcycle, never bested in that regard when considering maintenance ease and longevity.  They are also a pleasure to ride.  Highly recommended unless you want to cruise at high speed. 

I also have an ST4 Ducati which is a very satisfying ride with really good hard saddlebags - the bags are bigger and more useful than either of the BMWs.  The ST4 is a sport bike with full touring equipment and a soul stirring engine.  I’d ride it more miles but the maintenance effort every 6,000 miles is significant so it’s used for a trip or two a year.

My V85TT is up for sale, because while it has the excellent aluminum bags and is a practical choice, for me it is too generic and scooter like (that’s the only way I can describe it) and little things like the dealer only service light reset drive me crazy, I don’t like my motorcycles to see other mechanics

[SIR REAL ED]

A friend of mine who buys and sells motorcycles like there is no tomorrow claims the greatest sport/touring bike ever made is an Aprilia Futura.

Not much of a looker to me, too much body work.  At least in my old age, when i was younger, I thought they looked cool!!

I have two other friends who have Triumph tiger 900's.  They beat the piss out of them, and ride them off-road like they are hard enduro motorcycles.

They can't say enough good things about them.

[Gusable]

There is also my saggy boobs tiger’s old sister long gone that is a fantastic bike and great for everything r1150gs. Easy to work on too

[red stripeguz]

My V85TT is up for sale, because while it has the excellent aluminum bags and is a practical choice, for me it is too generic and scooter like (that’s the only way I can describe it) and little things like the dealer only service light reset drive me crazy, I don’t like my motorcycles to see other mechanics

where at?

[inditx]

Best touring bike out of the box imho is the now discontinued Triumph 1200 Trophy SE
Best wind protection and windshield stock, bar none
Cracking motor
Cruises effortlessly
Nice electronics
Shaft drive
Warning, it is top heavy pushing it 'round the garage!
inditx

[Tusayan]

where at?

PM sent.





Now sold (6/6/26)

[TN Mark]

"Hence my ideal touring motorcycle is fairly light, have great wind- and weather protection, handles corners with aplomb and flatten bumps and potholes, all this while being reliable and easy to maintain."


If you can find one, a Victory Cross Country or Cross Roads fits your description perfectly. Exceedingly comfortable, reliable, well balanced and much easier to ride than you may think possible.

[faffi]

"Hence my ideal touring motorcycle is fairly light, have great wind- and weather protection, handles corners with aplomb and flatten bumps and potholes, all this while being reliable and easy to maintain."


If you can find one, a Victory Cross Country or Cross Roads fits your description perfectly. Exceedingly comfortable, reliable, well balanced and much easier to ride than you may think possible.

Not many Victory found their way to Norway, never seen one in the flesh.

[SIR REAL ED]

So far, no one has mentioned KTM in this thread.  A friend who has owned dozens of bikes loves his farkled out KTM 690 Enduro.

790's, 890's, 1290's, 1390's, quite a selection.

[Bulldog9]

Norge - 4V or 8V with the 8V being preferenced for better fairing and luggage, 4V for motor.

[faffi]

Norge - 4V or 8V with the 8V being preferenced for better fairing and luggage, 4V for motor.

Norge is definitely an alternative.

[Stretch]

Best touring bike out of the box imho is the now discontinued Triumph 1200 Trophy SE

The Trophy is, indeed, a fine touring motorbike.

Fast enough, great mid range, comfortable - although the seat could use some improvement,
handles very well even two-up, great fuel economy even two-up, brakes are very good, and
the ride is very good. Oil changes are easy. Battery is easy to get to. Getting the rear wheel off
is a doddle, and the front isn't much worse. Brake pads are easy. It's possible to change headlight
bulbs without disassembling the fairing, but it's not that much fun.

Everything else maintenance-wise is a nightmare.
"Disassemble the motorbike to do anything else. Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly."
(The manual doesn't really say that, but it might as well.)
One needs a computer to bleed the brakes or sync throttle bodies. The air filter is buried under
an hour's work. Etc......

Still, it's a great ride.   

I wouldn't buy a big BMW GS new, I don't think. Can't get a service manual for the new ones, and they are
awfully big, tall, and heavy. And the rear shaft setup is not known to be all that reliable. It's become
a consumable, it seems.

Were I to buy a new touring bike for solo riding, I might go with a CFMoto 800.

2 up touring bike new? Dunno. Nothing really catches my eye that's not hideously expensive, hard
to work on, or obsolete in just a few years. Some Indians are really nice, but is the company going
to be around in 5 years? You need lots of dealer codes for the new Harley-Davidsons. No thanks.
Maybe a new Stelvio? Lots choices used.



                                             -Stretch

[azccj]

Best touring bike out of the box imho is the now discontinued Triumph 1200 Trophy SE
Best wind protection and windshield stock, bar none
Cracking motor
Cruises effortlessly
Nice electronics
Shaft drive
Warning, it is top heavy pushing it 'round the garage!
inditx

I had one of these and agree with what you said........but this bike had the worst airbox design of any bike I've ever owned. Not only was the air filter a pain to get to, but the airbox allowed all kinds of junk, as in sand, dirt and even bugs to get past the filter edges and into the engine. There is what I would describe as a small clear plastic bulb located on the bottom of the airbox that would end up containing all kinds of crap, including bugs. Back when I was a member of the Trophy forum, a member took the time to remove his airbox and shine a light on the filter while using a borescope through the engine side. He could clearly see the light shining around parts of the filter edge where it came in contact with the airbox. His fix was to use silicone sealant on the filter where it contacted the airbox. I sold my Trophy because I was concerned just how much crap the engine had ingested. It was a great bike for touring and drove it one summer cross country and back, but I would not own another one.

[azccj]

If I was going cross country touring the bike I would most likely take of the bikes I currently own, 2020 Rokon Mototractor, 2019 Goldwing Tour DCT, 2019 Suzuki Vstrom 650, 2022 V85TT Travel, 2023 Husqvarna Norden 901, 2025 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT, I think I would take the V85tt Travel. With its factory plastic side cases and Givi top box it has more storage than the Goldwing and it's more comfortable to ride. It has good wind protection with its Givi Airflow windscreen. It has tubeless rims and cruise control. It gets good gas mileage and has a nearly 300 mile range. It's a decent off paved roads bike. It's also very pleasant to ride long distant even at highway speeds. My only real gripe with the V85tt is its crappy airbox design which allows fine dust to get into the engine side of the airbox.

[Huzo]

Norge is definitely an alternative.

Being that you are from Norway, the Norge should have a heightened appeal.
I did Nordkapp on my ‘07 and it seemed somehow fitting. I certainly considered this as a sign that I was

on the right path.