Best Sport Tourer in Mid 500 lb Range

Tiger 800 with a Madstad screen.

Axio tailbag:
http://www.axioluggage.com/tailbag_silver.html

Guess I'm just getting old and confused, as most of the bikes mentioned I have owned. The ZZR1200 is a great bike, but seems happiest at double legal highway speeds. The Triumph 1050 ST, now GT was a fast, smooth handling bike, but bent my knees too much.

Tiger 1050, is not as fast or as quick handling as the ST, and I personally never grew to like it. Kawasaki's 650 line is a great one. Rode an ER6N, and it was a blast, but I bet the Versys has better wind protection and ergos.

The DL1000 VStrom is a wonderful road bike. Bad seat, but that was easily fixed. Really miss that bike.

Had an 03 1150 RT, and it was a great touring bike, though heavier than you desire, but you really don't feel the weight once moving.

Currently on a '12 1200RT and it is the best of all the bikes I've owned. With the ESA II controls, it will handle like a luxo touring bike or a sport bike with just a touch of a button. Great wind and weather control and plenty of torque and hp for all day highway riding. Cruise control and the audio system is good for the road, too.

Really, like has been said before, any bike you are happy riding will make a good touring bike for you. Just outfit it with the luggage you like and hit the road. BTW, I'm 5'10" and 31" inseam and 62...tomp

Reading the OP I figured a Sprint GT would make the list but mention of that great sport tourer excited no one but me, judging by the lack of response. I lust after a Sprint. On the subject of any old bike being a sport tourer I hung a few cheap bags off my cheap 2007 Bonneville and I guess it is, with a Parabellum shield a non-sport tourer.



My last five day, 2500 mile ride , revealed the inadequacy of the seat so off that went to Sargents for a refurbish. 26 hours from Key West to Knoxville via Deal's Gap revealed the extent of the compression my seat had undergone over the past five years. Ride what you've got has always been my mantra. I guess it still is, and I really enjoy my touring Bonneville, my daily rider. $210 for a "new "seat versus $15,000 for a new bike. Hmmm...I'm looking forward to putting another 65,000 miles on this bike.

FZ8S, smoother and better mpg than FZ1, still enough HP do ride with pillion and full luggages. Quite good as std, better with some basic mods (fairing, windshield, comfort seat, hard cases and top box). And still under 500Lbs loaded. Shame you do not get the abs version in the US.

I came in here to recommend my bike, the Ninja 1000. Because it is awesome, and what kind of forum member would I be if I didn't recommend what ever I ride.

But seriously, it is one capable touring steed, and fully wet it is 501lbs, get rid of those dual exhaust cannons and it will lose another 10lbs or so. Not bad.

But actually if I wanted the best sport-tourer in the 500lb range I would be looking damn hard that the new Kawi Versys with the 1000cc engine.

That motor is a torquey beast, even slightly de-tuned it rips. That is one nice bike (it even looks good to me), and if I toured more and did just less back roads riding, I would sell my N1K and get one.

OK...... you want light weight, comfort and reasonable cost. Here it is:
2009 Versys
Russel Seat
Tall CalSci windscreen
Givi E36's
Zumo with integrated dash mount
throttle lock for the boring stuff
electric tankbag for tunes, radios, etc.

I wouldn't think it too good for 2 up touring, but for me alone it's the cats azz.

Maybe not the greatest picture, but you get the idea:

537 lbs minus the bags and a full tank of fuel. This is my vote.

This... or at least I wanted one badly when I started hunting for a bike in this segment back in march.
I had settled on the ST3 or a Futura but after a month of looking (and with no vehicle of my own during that time period) I ended up with this:




I rode most of the bikes in the segment that I could afford with a budget of 6k or less. I loved the Futura and the ST3. It's a toss up with I liked more. Following closely behind that was the R1100S then the Sprint ST 1050i and 6th gen VFR800. I had ergo issues with Sprint and VFR800. The sprint's bars were too narrow for my shoulders and the VFR.. well I couldn't find a riding position I liked.
In the end I bought the Multistrada because after I rode the 1000 DS (before this I'd ridden a 620 dark for 5 hours in the rain.. in mixed city/twisties and I liked it except for the suspension.) It had just the right amount of every time for me. It like my Monster but faster, more comfortable with just enough weather protection and well the suspension just works especially on crappy back roads that are falling apart. My ride home was over Hwy 17 before it got resurfaced in 30 degree weather while it was raining. That trip on the monster would have been harrowing. On Dev.. I was cold and a little wet by the time we got home but she didn't care about the pot holes, cracks, ripples and other things I ran over because I couldn't see very well. She didn't care that it was wet and slick enough on this very twisty mountain highway where we passed 4 major crashes on the way there and back. On the Futura or ST3 I probably would have been warmer and more dry but I don't think (and I rode both on similar roads) I would have been as confident and I don't think they would have been as planted on the same road.

That being said my vote still goes to the ST3/Futura. The Multistrada does make an excellent ST bike. It's basically a comfy, tall SS1000 DS. The new ones is really a tall, comfy 1198. Ducati pretty much nailed the idea of a bike that could be fun to ride sporty all day on any road. That's the Multistrada. The ST3 and Futura do for me at least define the perfect comfortable sport bike that is most happy on smooth twisties 500 miles from home. The Multi can do that too and keep up just as well but it's down about 20-30 ponies from them. She makes up for it with having some of the most confidence inspiring suspension I've ever ridden on and being a little lighter. If she was 3 inches shorter I think I'd have the perfect bike forever.


For the record the other bikes in the photo are a 1999 VFR 800; 1985 VF700F (which just got a luggage rack) and a 2008 Moto Guzzi Norge GTS. All 4 of them are ridden every day as primary vehicles. My favorite after my own is the Norge. It's a little to porky for my tastes but it's got a fantastic engine and handles very well for it's size. I would love to own a white one with some of the fancy suspension bits off a V11 Le Man (which was on my list but I never found one to ride).



She has a top case now too so that ugly soft bag is gone.

What is it?

Kawasaki ZX-14 a.k.a. ZZR1400 a.k.a. Spawn of Satan

I admit it: I LOL'd!

( I'm owned by one of those spawn.)

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

You make that sound like it's a bad thing.

I'm going to look at an '03 Sprint this weekend. 57K miles on the clock, very good condition, adult owned/maintained. What should I look out for?

(apologies to ninepeaks9 for the hijack use of his thread )

No apology necessary...

I saw someone riding I think was a Triumph Trophy when I was passing thru Idaho. It looked like a pretty good rig that would meet the qualification here. Don't know what year. Ergos looked comfy with good size windshied. I don't know how they compare with a Sprint.

Here's my current mount. Got rid of 12RT to get this 12R. Love it! Set up with panniers & top trunk and taller windshield for touring.

Well, by now you know I didn't end up buying the Sprint. The SO didn't like it but we were able to score a schweet R1100R that I posted in your thread about the Roadster.

Yes, spanky, you made a wise choice. I would been happy with any R bike but just happened to acquire 12R.

The ZX14R gets top marks as a sport touring bike due to it's overall performance. ... not just it's awesome power, but also for it's nimble handling
as well as comfort and smoothness. I've owned several sport touring bikes over the years, and this one is becoming my favorite. Currently, my
other bikes include a Triumph Sprint 1050 and Aprilia Falco. Both are excellent sport tourers in their own right.

I fabricated pannier racks this weekend and as a result my ZX14R Hyper Sport is now a Hyper Sport Tourer

Givi E21 ( 21 liter) top loaders, and a Motocentric tail bag ( 23 liter) provide plenty of storage space for the riding I do. I've long preferred these
smaller Givi top loaders, though larger Givi side loaders like the E360 / E460 will work with this homebuilt setup ...


With only 4 bolts, the one piece racks attach / detach in a couple of minutes. The panniers are 36" wide overall, same as the mirrors.
The racks as shown weigh 6lbs and the Givi E21's weight 7.5lbs (pair) for a lightweight 13.5lb setup. Aluminum tubing is 6061 T6 and the adapter
plates are made with HDPE plastic. Paint is Krylon fusion ultra flat black.

Adding an adapter plate as a top rack for my Bestem or Givi E360 would be a simple matter, but I'll stick with the soft tail bag for now. Tom



Come to think of it, Kawasaki has the Sport Touring market well represented with the ZX14, Z1000SX, and the C14

I was very close to picking up ZX-14 from West Coast to do a cross country. Timing wasn't right at the time and later picked up 12RT and rode across. I probably couldn't have picked a more comfy ride than 12RT but often wonder how I would've like the ZX. The ZX-14 I was looking at had been set up with Corbin saddles.