Sport Tourers; Where Art Thou? - Page 2

wipfel · 06-29-2012, 12:53 PM

Most folks that want a sportier bike won't shell out the dough for a 650 lbs bike, and those that want a tourer tend to prefer the cruiser style. I do hate that I rarely run into similar bikes when I'm out, but I do get a ton more comments on the Concours 14 than I did on my old cruiser.

Rider · 06-29-2012, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wipfel

Most folks that want a sportier bike won't shell out the dough for a 650 lbs bike, and those that want a tourer tend to prefer the cruiser style. I do hate that I rarely run into similar bikes when I'm out, but I do get a ton more comments on the Concours 14 than I did on my old cruiser.

It's funny ... if I see a guy on a sport tourer going the other way and wave at him, I almost always get the feeling the guy's going, "Hey, another one like me!"

2whl-hoop · 06-29-2012, 04:12 PM

I sold an FJR last year, and honestly, I haven't missed it.

I bought it to tour on, and it does that VERY well, but as a day to day bike it's just too big. I also had a wr250r and I preferred riding that on short rides,

Slappy00 · 06-29-2012, 04:25 PM

Got a K1200GT (04) and i use it for everything, commuting, and touring.

I think it is a matter of which way you want to compromise. For me I'd rather have a meh commute than a garbage 1200 mile tour. The nice thing about the K1200 is that I can take the bags off and it is a decent sport bike, heavy but I can deal with it.

Every year I want to trade it and every year it stays.

nwdub · 06-29-2012, 05:04 PM

1200rt does everything very mediocre.. for a hefty pricetag.

Most people don't ride all that much, so they can put up with a cruiser, chopper or sport bike

glynb · 06-29-2012, 05:38 PM

I consider the sport touring bike as being the best of all things road bike. Speed and agility, yet the ability to carry a lot of stuff while traveling at high speed in comfort. I also think that the sport touring type is more popular in Europe, and are heavily used there as police bikes. If I'm not mistaken I think BMW came out with the first sport touring type bikes in Europe. In fact the Honda ST1100 was in response to the BMW sport tourers. A main requirement in the development of the ST1100 is that it would be able to go top speed on the Autobahn for hours and miles on end.

I agree that the sport touring rider is more independent and not drawn to the squid or pirate lifestyle. The sport touring riders I know, including myself, would rather ride solo or with one other rider at most. We also tend to ride a lot of miles, way more than the riders of cruisers and sport bikes.

Just some observations that I have made since I have owned my sport tourer.

Bueller · 06-29-2012, 06:12 PM

In the beginning most bikes were basically what we would now call standards. You toured on them, you raced on them, you commuted on them. Over time designs became more narrowly focused. Sport touring bikes were an attempt to combine some of those categories and make a more usable and comfortable, but high performing bike. And usable they are, but they are a compromise. A comparatively poor performing sport bike combined with a less comfortable touring bike. Or if your an optimist you'd call them a sport bike you can tour on.

Putting the vastly popular cruiser market aside for a moment, motorcycling is coming full circle. The latest adventure offerings are really quite close in design to standards, albeit a lot larger than they used to be. Upright, comfortable seating positions, modest weather protection, engines tuned for usable power delivery in the low and mid ranges - to me it's all reminiscent of motorcycling from 35 years ago, just modernized quite a bit. I also think at least in this country the future of the sport tourer is going to be even more challenged as a result of the growing popularity of adventure bikes.

You bought a great bike in that new FJR, and you bought it at the right time. I really don't think the selection is going to grow over time.

DAKEZ · 06-29-2012, 06:30 PM

It is 1% of the Market and I think it is OVER represented.

And that is the reason MOTUS is not going to survive long.

Low Budget · 06-29-2012, 07:14 PM

Yes, they might well be 1 % of the USA market.........the 1 % who is smart enough to know if you ride a nice rural touring area that has sporty sections to sweep through at reasonably quick speeds, along with rolling relaxing countryside, there is no better single machine to cover all those conditions as best as possible for a single bike.

Compromise, you bet, but not nearly as bad as the compromise you will have to make on any other style bike over that many different tarmac conditions if you ride the kind of miles most of us dedicated sport tourers ride.

Grainbelt · 06-29-2012, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Low Budget

Compromise, you bet, but not nearly as bad as the compromise you will have to make on any other style bike over that many different tarmac conditions if you ride the kind of miles most of us dedicated sport tourers ride.

Please, share your IBA number with us. I'm dying here.

Jonesee0505 · 06-29-2012, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grainbelt

Please, share your IBA number with us. I'm dying here.

See my sig line.
and yours?

Garp · 06-29-2012, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Low Budget

Yes, they might well be 1 % of the USA market.........the 1 % who is smart enough to know if you ride a nice rural touring area that has sporty sections to sweep through at reasonably quick speeds, along with rolling relaxing countryside, there is no better single machine to cover all those conditions as best as possible for a single bike.

Compromise, you bet, but not nearly as bad as the compromise you will have to make on any other style bike over that many different tarmac conditions if you ride the kind of miles most of us dedicated sport tourers ride.

Sounds like the perfect bike for about 1% of the roads then

You can try and argue with me, but I should tell you upfront that I own a sport tourer, so by your logic I must be pretty smart

biker1235 · 06-29-2012, 08:21 PM

I guess I fit the demographic. Been riding for over 30 years so I'm no longer boy racer but I still like the curves. I have an HD Dynaglide sport. Its a Harley but it does handle well and I can load a lot on her. Most of of us that ride these bikes, ride because we want to. I personally hate the kickstand Harleys. Harley has made several models in this style but none of them has lasted very long. I guess we are part of the 1% does not follow the herd. I thought that was what made riding fun was all the different people and machines out there.

goinssr · 06-29-2012, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAKEZ

It is 1% of the Market and I think it is OVER represented.

And that is the reason MOTUS is not going to survive long.

MOTUS will not survive because it offers nothing that is not already out there and it does so at a totally RIDICULOUS price!

cug · 06-29-2012, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ray_rev

That said, no-one in europe would regard an RT as a sports-tourer; that's firmly in tourer territory, probably because we don't associated Harley with 'touring'. All relative I guess.

It's the land of the land barges like Gold Wings and 400kg Harleys where an RT is considered a "sport tourer". In comparison it is. But a BMW X5 is also considered a "compact" SUV in this country ...

06-29-2012, 05:38 PM	#21
glynb Relentless Underachiever Joined: Feb 2006 Location: N/W Louisiana Oddometer: 762	I consider the sport touring bike as being the best of all things road bike. Speed and agility, yet the ability to carry a lot of stuff while traveling at high speed in comfort. I also think that the sport touring type is more popular in Europe, and are heavily used there as police bikes. If I'm not mistaken I think BMW came out with the first sport touring type bikes in Europe. In fact the Honda ST1100 was in response to the BMW sport tourers. A main requirement in the development of the ST1100 is that it would be able to go top speed on the Autobahn for hours and miles on end. I agree that the sport touring rider is more independent and not drawn to the squid or pirate lifestyle. The sport touring riders I know, including myself, would rather ride solo or with one other rider at most. We also tend to ride a lot of miles, way more than the riders of cruisers and sport bikes. Just some observations that I have made since I have owned my sport tourer. __________________ glynb 02 Honda ST1100 "STella" "Pour yourself some backbone, and shaddup!" Movie- Colt .45

06-29-2012, 06:12 PM	#22
Bueller Cashin? Joined: Sep 2003 Location: Hide Away Hills, Ohio Oddometer: 16,339	In the beginning most bikes were basically what we would now call standards. You toured on them, you raced on them, you commuted on them. Over time designs became more narrowly focused. Sport touring bikes were an attempt to combine some of those categories and make a more usable and comfortable, but high performing bike. And usable they are, but they are a compromise. A comparatively poor performing sport bike combined with a less comfortable touring bike. Or if your an optimist you'd call them a sport bike you can tour on. Putting the vastly popular cruiser market aside for a moment, motorcycling is coming full circle. The latest adventure offerings are really quite close in design to standards, albeit a lot larger than they used to be. Upright, comfortable seating positions, modest weather protection, engines tuned for usable power delivery in the low and mid ranges - to me it's all reminiscent of motorcycling from 35 years ago, just modernized quite a bit. I also think at least in this country the future of the sport tourer is going to be even more challenged as a result of the growing popularity of adventure bikes. You bought a great bike in that new FJR, and you bought it at the right time. I really don't think the selection is going to grow over time. __________________ "Bueller, you're an island of sense in a sea of bullshit" - swimmer

06-29-2012, 06:30 PM	#23
DAKEZ Beastly Adventurer Joined: Mar 2007 Location: U-gene, OR. Oddometer: 17,983	It is 1% of the Market and I think it is OVER represented. And that is the reason MOTUS is not going to survive long. __________________ "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." — Dr. Seuss “Watch out for everything bigger than you, they have the "right of weight" Bib

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06-29-2012, 12:53 PM	#16
wipfel Adventurer Joined: Jul 2011 Location: Nashville Oddometer: 95	Most folks that want a sportier bike won't shell out the dough for a 650 lbs bike, and those that want a tourer tend to prefer the cruiser style. I do hate that I rarely run into similar bikes when I'm out, but I do get a ton more comments on the Concours 14 than I did on my old cruiser.

06-29-2012, 04:12 PM	#18
2whl-hoop Studly Adventurer Joined: Jan 2008 Location: Cottage Grove, the ragged edge of suburbia, MN Oddometer: 659	I sold an FJR last year, and honestly, I haven't missed it. I bought it to tour on, and it does that VERY well, but as a day to day bike it's just too big. I also had a wr250r and I preferred riding that on short rides,

06-29-2012, 04:25 PM	#19
Slappy00 Adventurer Joined: Apr 2010 Location: The Chicago, IL Oddometer: 13	Got a K1200GT (04) and i use it for everything, commuting, and touring. I think it is a matter of which way you want to compromise. For me I'd rather have a meh commute than a garbage 1200 mile tour. The nice thing about the K1200 is that I can take the bags off and it is a decent sport bike, heavy but I can deal with it. Every year I want to trade it and every year it stays.

06-29-2012, 05:04 PM	#20
nwdub Banned Joined: Jul 2011 Location: PNW Oddometer: 1,097	1200rt does everything very mediocre.. for a hefty pricetag. Most people don't ride all that much, so they can put up with a cruiser, chopper or sport bike

06-29-2012, 07:14 PM	#24
Low Budget Veteran "Have Not" Joined: May 2011 Location: Where eagles soar high & savings sink low Oddometer: 325	Yes, they might well be 1 % of the USA market.........the 1 % who is smart enough to know if you ride a nice rural touring area that has sporty sections to sweep through at reasonably quick speeds, along with rolling relaxing countryside, there is no better single machine to cover all those conditions as best as possible for a single bike. Compromise, you bet, but not nearly as bad as the compromise you will have to make on any other style bike over that many different tarmac conditions if you ride the kind of miles most of us dedicated sport tourers ride.

06-29-2012, 08:21 PM	#28
biker1235 n00b Joined: Oct 2011 Location: western NC Oddometer: 3	I guess I fit the demographic. Been riding for over 30 years so I'm no longer boy racer but I still like the curves. I have an HD Dynaglide sport. Its a Harley but it does handle well and I can load a lot on her. Most of of us that ride these bikes, ride because we want to. I personally hate the kickstand Harleys. Harley has made several models in this style but none of them has lasted very long. I guess we are part of the 1% does not follow the herd. I thought that was what made riding fun was all the different people and machines out there.