Sport Tourers; Where Art Thou?

[Tropical Bird]

Rocket powered sport touring...

[Domromer]

I'm the perfect candidate for a sport tourer. I ride a lot of miles and go on trips often. The reasons I don't own them are pretty simple. Size, I don't need a 1400cc bike. They lost me when they stopped making 800cc bikes. Also I don't want a 700lb bike for my commute. Expense, they are just a lot more than I want to spend. Mpg, my buddy rides his st1300 with me and gets in the neighborhood of 39mpg most of the time. That's just too low for a touring bike. I currently ride a Vstrom 650 and it gets me all around the country, is it a great sport tourer, no not really but it's cheap, good mpg, lots of storage with 3 E45s and can explore some dirt roads. Honda should have never dropped the VFR 800. I rode that thing all over the country and commuted on it. 800cc is the sweet spot for size, weight, power

[Podman]

You are so right! If honda made a VFR tourer 800-1000cc would buy it in a heartbeat. Hopefully new DL1000 will fit the bill but for now KTM990SMT is about as close as I can get to it.

[Jay S.]

Originally Posted by Domromer

Honda should have never dropped the VFR 800. I rode that thing all over the country and commuted on it. 800cc is the sweet spot for size, weight, power

I agree with this more than just about any post I've ever read. When I made my transition in 2010 from a big v-twin cruiser to a sport touring bike, I looked everywhere within a days drive for a new VFR800 and no luck. Althought I'm not upset with my current bike.



I think the 750-800cc range is perfect for sport touring...but I don't ride 2 up either.

[scfrank]

Interesting thread. I'm looking to get back on a bike and am considering an RT. somewhat concerned about size. The 1050 tiger keeps calling my name. I like a gs but don't want to spend 18k on a new one. All street so the rt might be an option.

[Disco Stu]

Originally Posted by scfrank

Interesting thread. I'm looking to get back on a bike and am considering an RT. somewhat concerned about size. The 1050 tiger keeps calling my name. I like a gs but don't want to spend 18k on a new one. All street so the rt might be an option.

You should also look at the guzzi Norge. My wife tried an 1150rt for about a month. It felt too big for her.

[Grainbelt]

Originally Posted by Jay S.

I agree with this more than just about any post I've ever read.... I think the 750-800cc range is perfect for sport touring...but I don't ride 2 up either.

Indeed.

I've been sticking with middleweights since now that I want one, the old ST2/Sprint 955/VFR segment is gone.

I've given up on Honda, they've totally lost the plot. I can't see Ducati going back there. I hope hope hope hope hope that Triumph drops the Tiger 800 motor into a Sprint package. Though I bet they'll just let the base 800 with a 19" front 'fill' that segment.

The BMW F800ST gets really close but then doesn't, I wanted to like that bike on paper but riding it just didn't do much for me.

[DFH]

Originally Posted by Domromer

I'm the perfect candidate for a sport tourer. I ride a lot of miles and go on trips often. The reasons I don't own them are pretty simple. Size, I don't need a 1400cc bike. They lost me when they stopped making 800cc bikes. Also I don't want a 700lb bike for my commute. Expense, they are just a lot more than I want to spend. Mpg, my buddy rides his st1300 with me and gets in the neighborhood of 39mpg most of the time. That's just too low for a touring bike. I currently ride a Vstrom 650 and it gets me all around the country, is it a great sport tourer, no not really but it's cheap, good mpg, lots of storage with 3 E45s and can explore some dirt roads. Honda should have never dropped the VFR 800. I rode that thing all over the country and commuted on it. 800cc is the sweet spot for size, weight, power

Have you considered or test ridden a BMW F800ST? A friend owns one & while it is not to my taste it ticks every box you listed above. Extraordinary fuel economy (better than the 650 WeeStrom), as light as the WeeStrom & way lighter than the VFR800, more torque than the VFR but less top end HP, much more agile & direct handling plus better ABS brakes than the VFR or your WeeStrom, intergrated factory hard panniers & topbox, low maintanance belt-drive, 17inch wheels sized for the latest sport-touring rubber, neutral ergonomics ( VFR is sportier, WeeStrom more sit up & come to Jesus) better seat & pillion comfort than the VFR... might just be the thing you are looking for.

[Domromer]

Originally Posted by DFH

Have you considered or test ridden a BMW F800ST? A friend owns one & while it is not to my taste it ticks every box you listed above. Extraordinary fuel economy (better than the 650 WeeStrom), as light as the WeeStrom & way lighter than the VFR800, more torque than the VFR but less top end HP, much more agile & direct handling plus better ABS brakes than the VFR or your WeeStrom, intergrated factory hard panniers & topbox, low maintanance belt-drive, 17inch wheels sized for the latest sport-touring rubber, neutral ergonomics ( VFR is sportier, WeeStrom more sit up & come to Jesus) better seat & pillion comfort than the VFR... might just be the thing you are looking for.

I like the idea of the Beemer but I do my own work and I'm put off by the Beemers mechanical complexity. That being said if I were to buy a BMW it would be the 1200gs.

[Jim K.]

Originally Posted by Domromer

800cc is the sweet spot for size, weight, power

You have uttered wisdom here, amigo! That ST 800 from BMW checks all of my boxes,.......right until I read the tag hanging off the bars. Then the loopy "dealer prep" charges, then the $500.00 belt that needs changing every 30,000, & the fact that the only dealer in the state is 100+ miles away. Great bike otherwise though! I got lucky & found a leftover GSX 650 F...the sheep in wolf's clothing. I put on my own hot grips, 12v socket, & luggage rack, & sprang for the optional center stand. All of that still didn't add up to $5300 + my 11 year old Connie. Only problem is...the GSX in classic Zookie blue & white draws the same attention from our uniformed friends as it's fiercer cousins. I've sworn off liter bikes for good. But when I burn through this Suzuki, (11,000 mi. in 14 months) I'm not sure where I'll go. There aren't many alternatives out there between 650 & 850. Maybe I'll try to civilize that GSXR 750 with new bars, lower pegs & new seat, but the insurance company won't see it quite that way, I'm sure.

[Skitch]

This conversation on smaller/less conventional sport tourers has got me thinking. After years of riding large sport tourers (Connie, 2 x ST1100s, ST1300 and now an R1200RT), I'm seriously considering downsizing to something smaller. I've been drawn to the larger bikes for their wx protection and luggage capacity. I'm now thinking previous generation VFR or something like that. Maybe even a 600 cc sport bike with some minor modifications (CBR F4i, FZ6, or SV650S). We'll see...

[ka5ysy]

[slickwill]

I saw an FZ6 with hard bags and top box recently and thought it looked like a nice ST setup. However, I had an F4i prior to my VFR and while it was a VERY good bike the engine just didn't have the right power delivery for ST work. It was great if you were going 10/10ths with it wound up to 12.5K but relaxed pace at lower revs it fell on its face. Especially when loaded down or two-up. My VFR doesn't have quite as much peak power but the power is much more accessible and it has much better torque.

[Rider]

While I do a lot of 2-up with The Lovely Missus and love the extra size and power of the FJR1300, I can definitely see the appeal of smaller and lighter sport tourers in the 800cc range.
Hell, if I were single I know I'd have a VFR in my garage.
While we've seen a growth in mid-size adventure tourers, I do think some companies are missing the boat by not offering sport touring bikes in the same size range.

[Grainbelt]

Originally Posted by slickwill

I saw an FZ6 with hard bags and top box recently and thought it looked like a nice ST setup. However, I had an F4i prior to my VFR and while it was a VERY good bike the engine just didn't have the right power delivery for ST work.

I ran a Ninja 650R before my FZ6, both with Givi V35s and E470. Add frame sliders, GPS, wiring for heated vest, and go. Four thousand dollars of solo sport touring, available all day long on craigslist.

The 650R did have the better day in / day out motor. But the 5gal tank and centerstand on the FZ6 is nice. I think the new FZ6R is the best of both worlds - 4cyl with actual midrange, centerstand, decent sized tank, and Givi racks mount right up. (Kawi dropped the passenger handrails in the US and that is where all the luggage makers attach mounts. ).