Sport + Sport Touring Motorcycles
Motorcyles guides discussing Sport + Sport Touring Motorcycles include discussion of sportbikes that resemble road race bikes with turn signals and license plates, and motorcycles that blend the performance of sportbikes with the wind protection, comfort and luggage capacity of touring bikes. Sportbikes, some of which are homologated for racing and others that offer the go–fast look but are designed exclusively for street riding, cover a broad range of engine sizes (from the 150cc Kymco Quannon 150 to the 1,441cc Kawasaki Ninja ZX–14R), numbers of cylinders (singles, twins, triples and fours) and configurations (parallel twin, V–twin, V4, in–line triple or four), but according to reviews and road tests, most have performance oriented engines and components, aerodynamic bodywork and aggressive riding positions. Because sport–touring motorbikes are a hybrid category, guides also cover a broad range of engine sizes and types, but reviews state that they tend to have comfortable riding positions, good wind protection thanks to a windshield and fairing, standard luggage (saddlebags, perhaps a trunk) and touring amenities such as cruise control, ABS, audio systems and more.
2013 Triumph Daytona 675 and 675R – First Look
Greg Drevenstedt
November 16, 2012
After failing to find success with its TT600, a sportbike with a 600cc in-line four-cylinder engine that competed head-to-head with well-developed offerings from Japan’s Big Four, Triumph launched the Daytona 675 in 2006, powered by a 675cc in-line triple, an engine configuration that has largely come... Read more »
2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 ABS – First Ride
Greg Drevenstedt
October 26, 2012
Like its ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it KLR650 dual-sport, Kawasaki produced the Ninja 250 for more than two decades before giving it a major overhaul for 2008. Styling went from utilitarian to sporty and updates to the engine boosted midrange. The wee Ninja’s monopoly of the quarter-liter sportbike... Read more »
Ridden & Rated: 2012 Honda VFR1200F DCT
Greg Drevenstedt
October 4, 2012
Honda held nothing back when it overhauled the esteemed VFR sport tourer for 2010. Engine technology and architecture was adapted from Honda’s MotoGP race bikes, the Unicam valvetrain was adapted from its motocross bikes, displacement and power were significantly increased, and styling was a unique,... Read more »
2013 Yamaha FJR1300 and FZ8 – First Look
Rider Magazine
October 2, 2012
Just as this issue was going to print, Yamaha revealed updated FJR1300 and FZ8 models for 2013. The four-cylinder, 1,298cc FJR1300 sport tourer (we test the 2012 version in this issue) gets a new fairing design, new headlights and revised electric windscreen for improved protection. It features quicker... Read more »
2013 Triumph Trophy SE First Ride
Greg Drevenstedt
September 20, 2012
Is Triumph still salty about having its Coventry factory destroyed by the German Luftwaffe during World War II? The all-new Trophy, a sport tourer powered by the 1,215cc triple found in the Explorer, shares more than a passing resemblance with BMW’s perennial, Alps-bred R 1200 RT (Rider, September... Read more »
Kawasaki Unveils More 2013 Ninja Sportbikes
Greg Drevenstedt
September 13, 2012
September 13, New York City – Kawasaki has taken over Times Square today, using one of the most high-profile locations in the world to unveil the latest batch of Ninja sportbikes. In July, Kawasaki released information about the 2013 Ninja ZX-10R and Ninja 650/ABS. Today’s unveiling fills out the... Read more »
Ridden & Rated: 2012 BMW R 1200 RT
Greg Drevenstedt
September 7, 2012
My, how time flies. Our last full test of a BMW R 1200 RT was back in August 2005, when you could still get money for nothin’ and mortgages for free. And an RT hasn’t ridden through the pages of Rider since July 2008, when we compared it to the Moto Guzzi Norge 1200—right about the time gas prices... Read more »
2013 Triumph Trophy Pricing Announced
Press Release
September 4, 2012
Pricing for the new Triumph Trophy was recently released. The U.S. price for the Trophy SE starts at $18,999. Dealer delivery is scheduled for January, 2013. The Trophy SE is a luxury tourer that focuses on comfort combined with agile handling. The Trophy features high-level equipment including cruise... Read more »
2013 Triumph Trophy SE – First Look
Rider Magazine
June 22, 2012
Triumph is jumping back into the heavyweight sport-touring arena with an all-new motorcycle for 2013 wearing the familiar Trophy model name, but looking nothing like the bike last seen in 2004. The 2013 Trophy is the third new bike to be launched by the company in the last 18 months. It’s based... Read more »
2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650 Review
Mark Tuttle
April 2, 2012
Before a burst of technology and specialization in the mid 1980s commenced sharpening our motorcycles into sportbikes, long-distance luxury tourers and cruisers, a street bike was a street bike. In those days you pretty much used the same one for everything: touring, commuting, canyon carving, even dirt... Read more »
