What is the sportiest sport-touring motorcycle?

[ontherearwheel]

Yep, you just cant ride a up right sitting bike in a sporty manner

https://www.cycleworld.com/story/bl...world-long-term-tracer-gt-performance-part-2/

The Tracer GT comes with bags and the FJR bags will fit right on to it, plus wind protection, center stand, and lower price then the s1000r.

It is the best motorcycle bang for the buck you can buy. I have not had to do anything to it, cept tires and oil changes, after I bought it and that’s what I wanted in a bike.

 

[jwb]

Ninja 1k?

Good answer. I was never bored on mine, to be sure, and it's the bike on which I put the most miles. Never in the shop, either.

 

[BIG186]

Pikes peak. Although you would be really surprised by a R12XXGS as well

 

[davidji]

VFR1200 has pretty sporty ergos, and I think all the other stuff too (available luggage, centerstand, etc.). Here's one now
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/mcy/d/berkeley-2010-honda-vfr1200-sport/7023882804.html

If you do tour on it, never pass gas. Or you could carry a fuel can. Applies to a lot of the sportbike with bags suggestions too.

 

[dtrides]

Aprilia v4 Tuono factory with aftermarket hard bags..
Problem solved.:x
DT

 

[rudolfs001]

VFR1200 has pretty sporty ergos, and I think all the other stuff too (available luggage, centerstand, etc.). Here's one now
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/mcy/d/berkeley-2010-honda-vfr1200-sport/7023882804.html

If you do tour on it, never pass gas. Or you could carry a fuel can. Applies to a lot of the sportbike with bags suggestions too.

If I'm doing a VFR, it'll be the 4th or 5th gen. I'm leaning pretty hard toward the 5th gen.

 

[CrazyBiker]

Aprilia v4 Tuono factory with aftermarket hard bags..
Problem solved.:x
DT

Seen a few pics. Do you have that setup?

 

[Rob]

Oops, fat fingers and bad eyes.

St4s or st3s

I think Bowling4bikes is selling his ST4S... I've ridden it.

I have a R1200RS and had a R1200GS... the RS is WAY more sporty but I was probably faster on the GS...:laughing


The ST4S felt like a sport bike comparatively speaking.

 

[dtrides]

Seen a few pics. Do you have that setup?

No, but have ridden with folks that have it.
They loved the set up for the best of both worlds.
Take a look on the AF1 site.
I now have the older Tuono Factory V2 and use a Moto-Fizz tail bag for simplicity.
I can motel it for a week with that thing.
DT

 

[Krooklyn]

Seen a few pics. Do you have that setup?

I do and it works well. Well, close to that (soft bags, not hard). You can get the Hepco Orbital bags if you want proper hard bags.

 

[sasquatch]

another in the same boat is the aprilia futura

that one is overpriced by at least $1k

The Aprilia Futura is the exact bike that the OP is talking about.
Too bad they are 14 - 19 years old and Italian.
Mine made it 82,000 miles on the first motor, and just installed a low mileage replacement.
Only thing I have ever had to 'fix' on it is the Regulator / Rectifier.
2002 Bought it from a Barfer in 2007/8 with 15k on it for $5500.
Mine has everything but the heated grips.

It might sound crazy, but the Futura listed would still be a good choice.

 

[thepretender]

The VFR 5th or 8th gen fit you need well if you need liter bike sporty ness both the Touno or the S1000R work real nice but no clip-ons so I guess they aren't sporty enough. lol

 

[yzsofst]

I didn't look through all 8 pages but my vote is a 2007-2015 FZ1. R1 motor, you can get bags, swap a larger windscreen, comes with center stand, half-fairing so oil changes are a breeze and fully adjustable suspension.

 

[bunnygoat]

Agreed! Gen 2 FZ1's are great sport-tourers with the addition of bags and can be had for cheap.

 

[Lazerus]

Second-gen FZ1 owners will chime in. This bike does almost everything you've asked, only complaint is the smallish gas tank at 4 gallons.

Otherwise:

Center stand- check
Widely available luggage (hard) - check
heated grips (aftermarket) - check
Upright seating position - check
145hp for a 480lb bike - check
variety of aftermarket windscreens - check
upright seating position - check
low maintenance (24k valve adjustment) - check

Tracer 900GT and BMW RS would be it's latest rivals.

Yup! No problem going A group pace in stock form. Forgiving reminders that it's NOT a sportbike when you do start to ask too much from it. I'm a fan, especially at the price. Like an sv for old guys.

 

[CrazyBiker]

Second-gen FZ1 owners will chime in. This bike does almost everything you've asked, only complaint is the smallish gas tank at 4 gallons.

Otherwise:

Center stand- check
Widely available luggage (hard) - check
heated grips (aftermarket) - check
Upright seating position - check
145hp for a 480lb bike - check
variety of aftermarket windscreens - check
upright seating position - check
low maintenance (24k valve adjustment) - check

Tracer 900GT and BMW RS would be it's latest rivals.

Owned one for 9 years and fully modded. Mine had R1 Forks, Penske/Elka shock, Micron Full exhaust, PC5, Ivan's ECU Flash, SS lines, etc

Gas tank was 4.8g with plenty of touring range. Got almost 45mpg one trip. 32-33 when riding hard in the twisties.

Fantastic ST bike. Did commute, twisties, track, multi-day touring.

2016-07-30 12.17.34 by Akshay_D, on Flickr

 

[RRrider]

well. as in most things, taste and preference come into play.

for me, the S1000XR wins. especially if you do the tractive suspension upgrade which makes the bike less wallowy and more scalpel like.

it's comfortable...no problem doing 9+ days of full days riding. It has heated grips for cold and plugs for your electric gear. A nice dash with the GPS unit. it has the electronics for weather or mood. If rain and I'm feeling lazy, put it in rain mode 1 rider...if I'm feeling spirited and good conditions, then I raise the height with 2 passenger mode, and put it into Dynamic / Dynamic mode.

The bike flies and is confidence inspiring.

plus I have hard luggage so I don't worry about my stuff getting stolen or drenched.

for me... the XR is the present SPORT-touring king.