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.
Five Fast Fellows: 2013 Sport-Touring Shootout
Greg Drevenstedt
May 6, 2013
Sport touring, a hybrid category that blends the performance of sportbikes with the comfort of touring bikes, takes many forms. Some add a taller windscreen, bar risers and soft luggage to their GSX-R, while others bevel the pegs and scrape the belly pan on their Gold Wing. Between these two extremes... Read more »
2013 Yamaha FJR1300 Review
Greg Drevenstedt
May 6, 2013
Every bike in this comparison has roots that go back decades, from the BMW R100RT in the late ’70s, to the BMW K100RT, Kawasaki Concours ZG1000 and Yamaha FJ1100 in the ’80s, to the Triumph Trophy 1200 in the early ’90s. Engines, chassis, components, tires, technology and features have improved... Read more »
2013 Triumph Trophy SE Review
Greg Drevenstedt
May 6, 2013
The Triumph Trophy SE is the only all-new model in this comparison, yet it seems strangely familiar. Its liquid-cooled, 1,215cc in-line triple is the same engine found in Triumph’s Tiger Explorer adventure tourer (though the Trophy has a taller sixth gear and recalibrated throttle-by-wire settings),... Read more »
2013 Kawasaki Concours 14 Review
Greg Drevenstedt
May 6, 2013
When the Kawasaki Concours 14 sped onto the sport-touring scene for 2008, it easily arm-wrestled the competition into submission. With its liquid-cooled, 1,352cc in-line four derived from the time-warping Ninja ZX-14 sportbike, the mighty Concours puts 144.2 horsepower to the rear wheel—4.4 more than... Read more »
2013 BMW R 1200 RT Review
Greg Drevenstedt
May 6, 2013
Now in its 34th year of production, the BMW R 1200 RT has long been sport touring’s standard-bearer. Designed, built and refined in the shadow of the Alps, the RT name is synonymous with tractable power, intuitive handling and first-rate comfort and wind protection. Its trademark air/oil-cooled boxer... Read more »
2013 BMW K 1600 GT Review
Greg Drevenstedt
May 6, 2013
Tremors and aftershocks are still being felt two years after the Big One, when BMW’s dynamic duo—the K 1600 GT and GTL—reconfigured touring’s tectonic plates (Rider, May 2011, and on ridermagazine.com). After impressing us in their respective solo and comparison tests, both models shared Rider’s... Read more »
2013 Honda CBR600RR—First Ride
Greg Drevenstedt
March 29, 2013
Ten years. More than 100,000 units sold. Multiple AMA Supersport and Formula Xtreme championships. Seven FIM World Supersport titles. Genesis for the official spec engine in Moto2 racing. New MotoGP-inspired bodywork has 6.5% less aerodynamic drag. Those are serious bona fides for a serious sportbike.... Read more »
2013 BMW F 700 GS: Ridden & Rated
Greg Drevenstedt
March 7, 2013
Height-adjustable or optional low seats can drop seat height by an inch or so, but for many riders that isn’t enough, especially on dual-sport/enduro motorcycles with large-diameter front wheels and long suspension travel. Given the popularity of BMW’s GS line, the Germans have gone one step further.... Read more »
2013 BMW F 800 GT – First Look
Greg Drevenstedt
November 28, 2012
For 2013, BMW has introduced a replacement for the F 800 ST sport tourer, an more touring-ready model called the F 800 GT. Living up to its new “Gran Turismo” moniker, the F 800 GT gets a 5-horsepower boost (claimed) in power, a wide range of upgrades aimed at improving wind protection and comfort,... Read more »
Rider Test: 2013 Yamaha FJR1300
Mark Tuttle
November 27, 2012
When we broke the news that an updated Yamaha FJR1300 was on the way for 2013 in the December 2012 issue, the reader reaction was the usual mix of praise and grousing (mostly that the bike hasn’t been changed enough). What surprised us, though, is that almost everyone who wrote qualified their opinions... Read more »
