Sport touring bikes

sharpshooter

TB Veteran
Credits
0
Anybody have a sport touring bike, such as a Concours, FJR1300 or something similar?

I'm considering getting 1 this winter, I feel the knee dragging days have come to an end
 
I want a duel sport bike. ....ktm makes a 450.....more for racing but I'm thinking Honda's 650 would be better for me.
 
I want a duel sport bike. ....ktm makes a 450.....more for racing but I'm thinking Honda's 650 would be better for me.
I rode a friends duel sport a few yrs ago, decided to ride out into a housing development that was under construction. Found what looked like a nice spot to jump, wiped out and laid there for a half hour before I could move again..lol. I had a pear sized blood clot on my side for atleast a year after that.
I grew up on dirt bikes and never got hurt like that..lol.
It was a KTM 4-stroke kick start too, which took another half hr to start
 
never had one...never really wanted a dual type bike.

i have had 2 "baggers" in my day....

my last was a Suzuki Boulevard 805 CC..(C-50..??)

the first was a Honda ACE Shadow touring. 1100CC

both "baggers" had enough hp to get me where i wanted to go.

i liked also the other Japanese touring bikes, under the 1500 CC size.....
 
I considered the FJ, a Concours, K1200GT and a Sprint ST1050 (not the new GT).

In my mind it comes down to how much sport and how much touring you plan on doing.

The FJ would have been my first choice, but out here at that time dealerships were taking orders with non-refundable $2000 deposits and no choice of color, when your bike came in if you didn't like the color you forfeited the deposit. So I passed.

I decided to go with the Sprint ST. Love the sound of the triple. Love the look of the underseat exhaust. It doesn't have as much power as the others (it's only 125HP) but it's also much lighter 460# dry is only 8# more than the current GSXR1000, and between 150#-300# lighter than the other options.

The sprint is definitely quicker through the twisties than other sport tourers, but loading it down with gear and riding 2 up hurts it more than the other bikes.

I upgraded to a Corbin seat, zero gravity windscreen and 1" bar risers. In gear I'm about 6'5", 220# . I love the bike, it's been flawless. The others have a bit more power, but also a bit more heft.


I'd take the Sprint in the twisties any day, the FJ for a drag race with 2 up, and the K1200GT for longer touring rides.

One thing to consider is chain vs. shaft if you are going to put on a ton of miles. That's one regret as the sprint oil change intervals and chain lube/adjustment requirements preclude extended riding vacations.

What do you ride now?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
One thing to consider is chain vs. shaft if you are going to put on a ton of miles. That's one regret as the sprint oil change intervals and chain lube/adjustment requirements preclude extended riding vacations.

for me personally, i prefer shaft drive., enclosed, out of the weather and road debris. my bike riding days are over, at least the 2 wheeled kind.

if money were no issue, then i'd go for a trike. ( i have a dislike for the Polaris..??) trike.

then the question arises, what is used for the drive train, a shaft, belt or chain.>??

if no shaft is available, then i'd "prefer" belt, over chain.

to me, to have to lube a chain every so many miles, just ain't worth my time.
 
I considered the FJ, a Concours, K1200GT and a Sprint ST1050 (not the new GT).

In my mind it comes down to how much sport and how much touring you plan on doing.

The FJ would have been my first choice, but out here at that time dealerships were taking orders with non-refundable $2000 deposits and no choice of color, when your bike came in if you didn't like the color you forfeited the deposit. So I passed.

I decided to go with the Sprint ST. Love the sound of the triple. Love the look of the underseat exhaust. It doesn't have as much power as the others (it's only 125HP) but it's also much lighter 460# dry is only 8# more than the current GSXR1000, and between 150#-300# lighter than the other options.

The sprint is definitely quicker through the twisties than other sport tourers, but loading it down with gear and riding 2 up hurts it more than the other bikes.

I upgraded to a Corbin seat, zero gravity windscreen and 1" bar risers. In gear I'm about 6'5", 220# . I love the bike, it's been flawless. The others have a bit more power, but also a bit more heft.


I'd take the Sprint in the twisties any day, the FJ for a drag race with 2 up, and the K1200GT for longer touring rides.

One thing to consider is chain vs. shaft if you are going to put on a ton of miles. That's one regret as the sprint oil change intervals and chain lube/adjustment requirements preclude extended riding vacations.

What do you ride now?
I've got an Kawasaki 86' Ninja 1000R and a 2003 Harley Fatboy.
Neither are comfy for very long, although the Ninja is more so than the Fatboy (for me) The Fatboy is basically a "look at me" bar hopper, which I don't do anymore.

2014-02-02121327_zpsc2b3f553.jpg

168010_1659587982345_8023763_n_zps17fed07e.jpg


Thinking of selling the Harley and getting a Kawasaki Concours. Haven't test rode 1 yet though
images
 
for me personally, i prefer shaft drive., enclosed, out of the weather and road debris. my bike riding days are over, at least the 2 wheeled kind.

if money were no issue, then i'd go for a trike. ( i have a dislike for the Polaris..??) trike.

then the question arises, what is used for the drive train, a shaft, belt or chain.>??

if no shaft is available, then i'd "prefer" belt, over chain.

to me, to have to lube a chain every so many miles, just ain't worth my time.

Those are can ams. ...pretty much a snowmobile on wheels. ..not visually appealing to me. ...but it could be like an old joke. ... what riding a moped and a visual challenge woman(trying to be nice) have in common. .. fun to ride but hate to be caught seen riding it...
 
If you are a DIY'er type person (I am from roofing my house, doing my own lawn, clutch in my daily driver), one thing to consider is the Concours is shim under bucket valve adjustments.

That's considerable wrench time every 24K miles.

I am a big fan of Kawasaki bottom ends. They tend to live longer than other brands with high HP mods which tells me they are over-engineered and well built. Keeping it stock just means tons of trouble-free miles from the bottom end. However, those frequent, time-consuming valve adjustments are something to consider if you are going to ride a ton.
 
If you are a DIY'er type person (I am from roofing my house, doing my own lawn, clutch in my daily driver), one thing to consider is the Concours is shim under bucket valve adjustments.

That's considerable wrench time every 24K miles.

I am a big fan of Kawasaki bottom ends. They tend to live longer than other brands with high HP mods which tells me they are over-engineered and well built. Keeping it stock just means tons of trouble-free miles from the bottom end. However, those frequent, time-consuming valve adjustments are something to consider if you are going to ride a ton.
Yeah, I've always been partial to Kawasaki's. I've just always liked the feel of the engine. I've always had them since I was 5 too.
Actually, valve adjustments are the only thing, other than carbs, that's ever been done on my 86'. I was gonna do them myself this winter actually. It's getting rare to find a mechanic older than the bike these days..lol but, it still runs great, almost like new.
 
I was at the Honda shop today. ...sat on a crf250l....five grand. ...nice bike. I liked it better than the 650...seat height was lower. The 250 is water cooled too. I know this is not what you're looking for.

But they did have a cb1100... nine grand. ...it looked like the old one back in the seventies. ..way cool. I want one.
 
I was at the Honda shop today. ...sat on a crf250l....five grand. ...nice bike. I liked it better than the 650...seat height was lower. The 250 is water cooled too. I know this is not what you're looking for.

But they did have a cb1100... nine grand. ...it looked like the old one back in the seventies. ..way cool. I want one.
If I was younger, or lived in the country, I'd definitely consider a duel sport. They ones today are way better than the 80's-90's were
 
I want the duel sport for camping. ...you can't ride the dirt roads in state game lands anymore with a dirt bike. So if it is registered it's cool. .I was never a big fan of the road bikes.
 
If you're using a bike for camping I'd get a bmw 1200 gs or a bmw 1200 gsa. Electronic suspension, heated seats, heated hand grips. Bullet proof flat twin cylinder motor. It's hard to find a used one under 40,000 miles. That speaks for itself. The gsa model has an 8 gal gas tank. The bmw k1200 lt are nice but very heavy. The bmw r 1200 rt are lighter.
IMG_32523636406946_1.jpeg
 
I have been contemplating selling my Triumph sport-tourer and getting a pair of Dual-Sports.

Problem is they are huge compromises. To be good in the dirt they are set up such that they are terrible on the street/freeways. If they are decent over the long haul they are horrible in the dirt....okay maybe okay on hard pack wide trails. That's it: I need to sell my Triumph and buy a Gold Wing, GSXR, CRF450R, Beta, and a JAWA.
 
Top