Sports Tourer - Any advice?

[LThornton]

Hello, 

 

I have just joined this forum seeking advice regarding a sports tourer bike. 

At the moment I am on an A2 license riding a Kawasaki 650 Ninja (restricted) and I can upgrade to an A license in September 2023. I am doing some early research to budget for a bigger bike when I can upgrade. I am hoping I can sell my Ninja for approx. £5,000 at a guess in the hope of buying a sports tourer (I think) which offers me a straight/tall riding position, comfort, plenty of room for panniers and also a pillion. I would love to do a tour one day with a pillion through the scenic parts of the UK (I live on the South coast) however, my bike is mostly used for commuting to work 44 miles round trip and also seeing my parter, 66 mile round trip. 

 

I love bikes however, my knowledge is very thin. 

Obviously I would love to have a BMW 1200GS but as everyone knows....they are silly money. I am hoping to sell my Ninja for £5k and will be happy to put abit more money in for a bigger bike...not thousands and thousands though. Looking to buy second hand. 

 

So far I have looked at: 

- Suzuki V-Strom 1000

- Kawasaki Versys 1000 (DO NOT LIKE)

- Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin 

- Triumph Tiger 1050

- Yamaha Tracer 900 GT (Abit too expensive right now)

 

Hopefully these bikes give a better idea of what I am looking for but based on my lack of knowledge, can anyone suggest which bike is best money for value or suggest any I haven't looked at? I fully appreciate a bike is very much ones personal preference however, I am simply at a starting point and would appreciate any advice!

 

Thank you!. 

Edited June 5, 2023 by LThornton

[Gerontious]

You might be lucky to find an earlier Africa Twin  for £5000 sold privately, though they do tend to go for more than that. Very desirable bikes that don’t hang around for long. You can’t mess about when one appears and you might need to travel to see or buy it. Might be better to wait  until you sell your current bike and can arrange a top up bank loan if you really want one.

 

personally I would continue to look at bikes and see if you can up your cash a tad and perhaps aim for an ex PCP bike as these do come with a lot of benefits. Someone else has taken the hit on depreciation. It will have full verifiable history. Mileage tends to be adhered to. And so on.

 

September onwards is generally a very good time to buy a bike. And there is a ready market for good second hand A2 bikes which is year round. Bike values have been artificially high these past few years as a consequence of the pandemic.

 

good luck with your search.

Edited June 5, 2023 by Gerontious

[Fiddlesticks]

Window shopping is the fun bit! That list looks more "Adventure Bike" than "Sport Tourer" (which I would think of as something like a FJR1300, K1300S or a GTR1400) but that's what a lot of people are touring on these days.

I'd be tempted to have a day out at one of the big bike sheds - not to buy, but to have a look, feel the weight and sit on as many bikes as possible. Then find one at a reputable local dealer.

Have fun with the search and let us know how you get on.

 

 

[LThornton]

Thank you both for your replies! 

 

I will probably add a couple thousand in to see what I can get as I don't want to pick up any old scrap, I take pride in what I ride/drive! This is why I am looking early on to start saving

 

That shows my lack of knowledge!! Are adventure bikes acceptable then to tour on? I was deeply researching the Africa Twin and it had really good reviews but most places say they are mostly made for off road - I will not be off roading!!

I love a window shop, the trouble is trying to find a place near me that offers a big warehouse to sit on multiple bikes etc! I will probably have to travel further to find this! 

[LThornton]

19 minutes ago, Fiddlesticks said:

Window shopping is the fun bit! That list looks more "Adventure Bike" than "Sport Tourer" (which I would think of as something like a FJR1300, K1300S or a GTR1400) but that's what a lot of people are touring on these days.

I'd be tempted to have a day out at one of the big bike sheds - not to buy, but to have a look, feel the weight and sit on as many bikes as possible. Then find one at a reputable local dealer.

Have fun with the search and let us know how you get on.

 

 

That shows my lack of knowledge!! Are adventure bikes acceptable then to tour on? I was deeply researching the Africa Twin and it had really good reviews but most places say they are mostly made for off road - I will not be off roading!!

[Fiddlesticks]

5 minutes ago, LThornton said:

That shows my lack of knowledge!! Are adventure bikes acceptable then to tour on? I was deeply researching the Africa Twin and it had really good reviews but most places say they are mostly made for off road - I will not be off roading!!

Check out Richy Vida on the Tube. He's got an Africa Twin, perfect for touring.

That style of bike is very capable and comfortable, especially if you're taking a pillion.

Edited June 5, 2023 by Fiddlesticks

[Gerontious]

 

15 minutes ago, LThornton said:

Are adventure bikes acceptable then to tour on? I was deeply researching the Africa Twin and it had really good reviews but most places say they are mostly made for off road - I will not be off roading!!

 

The marketing for the Africa Twin does emphasise off roading. It’s in the DNA as it were. But the side effect of that for us more normal riders is that the bike…. Adventure bikes in general are totally untroubled by the condition of the road you are riding. Bad tarmac. And so on. No problem at all.

They have become the most popular bikes for touring as well as general riding for this reason.

 

I go abroad on mine a lot. Great in the mountains. As well as the more nadgery roads at home and abroad.

Edited June 5, 2023 by Gerontious

[fullscreenaging]

What is it about the Versys 1K you don’t like? 
 

I’ve owned a 2017 from new and it’s the best bike I’ve owned. Before that I owned an MT09 Tracer and before that a CBR600RR to name a couple. I had the 600RR for a year and the Tracer for two and each time I just got the itch to change them as the cons just outweighed the the pros after a whole of ownership. 
 With the VK1 I have not even contemplated another bike in the 6 years I had it. 
 

You could look at the Kawasaki 1000SX also. 
 

[onesea]

Look at the bike from a practical point of view.

 

Although you say you would love a GS.  Do you do much Filtering during your commute?  

 

Watch out with bikes they are becoming increasingly wider and heavier.

 

IMHO this is less of an issue when your on tour.  It's as your daily ride commuting, parking etc that the extra weight and width can become tiresome.

 

As others have said sit on lots of bikes.

 

[Old-codger]

Why dont you get the  restriction removed on the Kawasaki ninja in september ( as I understand it its only programming in the ecu) then ride the bike until spring next year giving you time to get used to it and more time to find look for your next bike ready for summer. Just a thought.

[Steve_M]

10 hours ago, LThornton said:

Hello, 

 

I have just joined this forum seeking advice regarding a sports tourer bike. 

At the moment I am on an A2 license riding a Kawasaki 650 Ninja (restricted) and I can upgrade to an A license in September 2023. I am doing some early research to budget for a bigger bike when I can upgrade. I am hoping I can sell my Ninja for approx. £5,000 at a guess in the hope of buying a sports tourer (I think) which offers me a straight/tall riding position, comfort, plenty of room for panniers and also a pillion. I would love to do a tour one day with a pillion through the scenic parts of the UK (I live on the South coast) however, my bike is mostly used for commuting to work 44 miles round trip and also seeing my parter, 66 mile round trip. 

 

I love bikes however, my knowledge is very thin. 

Obviously I would love to have a BMW 1200GS but as everyone knows....they are silly money. I am hoping to sell my Ninja for £5k and will be happy to put abit more money in for a bigger bike...not thousands and thousands though. Looking to buy second hand. 

 

So far I have looked at: 

- Suzuki V-Strom 1000

- Kawasaki Versys 1000 (DO NOT LIKE)

- Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin 

- Triumph Tiger 1050

- Yamaha Tracer 900 GT (Abit too expensive right now)

 

Hopefully these bikes give a better idea of what I am looking for but based on my lack of knowledge, can anyone suggest which bike is best money for value or suggest any I haven't looked at? I fully appreciate a bike is very much ones personal preference however, I am simply at a starting point and would appreciate any advice!

 

Thank you!. 

An interesting list of bikes there.

 

Having owned a Tiger 1050 I’ll put in a good word for it. I used mine for commuting (briefly as I retired), social riding, and touring in Europe. 
 

It’s really an “adventure style” bike which is more tall sports tourer than any suggestion of having off road abilities. The riding position is comfortable, the pillion, my good lady assures me, is also comfortable. The standard luggage on the SE I bought is a decent size, though I had a top box fitted as we don’t travel light. The top box sits quite high which isn’t always convenient.

 

The engine is a peach, though the sound of the triple was strange to me at first…

 

Downsides? I once had to filter around 10 miles through a gridlocked M25, two up, full luggage. The mirrors are exactly the same height as Transit mirrors which was mildly annoying. Also, two up, fully loaded, clumsy acceleration in 1st and 2nd gear can make the front wheel lift, as I found in the Alps much to my pillion’s amusement.

 

i can’t comment on long term reliability as I sold mine at 3 years old and 24,000 miles. 
 

 

Edited June 6, 2023 by Steve_M

[manxie49]

The Tracer 900GT is a really good bike, great engine with lots or torque, and very capable.  The downsides I found for touring were, the OEM screen, buffeting and wind noise are horrendous.  The seat gets uncomfortable after about 40 miles.  I found the suspension wasn't really up to two up, fully loaded touring.  The bike would always seem to run wide on fast bends, mainly due to rear suspension sag.  If you're just looking at touring on your own, then sort out the minor niggles, and it really is a great all rounder. I did a review on the bike for a more in depth personal opinion.  

[Steve_M]

49 minutes ago, manxie49 said:

The Tracer 900GT is a really good bike, great engine with lots or torque, and very capable.  The downsides I found for touring were, the OEM screen, buffeting and wind noise are horrendous.  The seat gets uncomfortable after about 40 miles.  I found the suspension wasn't really up to two up, fully loaded touring.  The bike would always seem to run wide on fast bends, mainly due to rear suspension sag.  If you're just looking at touring on your own, then sort out the minor niggles, and it really is a great all rounder. I did a review on the bike for a more in depth personal opinion.  

After being accustomed to the huge screen on my ST1100 I found a similar problem with the Tiger. Replacing the screen with an MRA screen, as seen in the photos, sorted that. I could adjust it on the move for more airflow when needed which was a bonus.

[manxie49]

11 minutes ago, Steve_M said:

After being accustomed to the huge screen on my ST1100 I found a similar problem with the Tiger. Replacing the screen with an MRA screen, as seen in the photos, sorted that. I could adjust it on the move for more airflow when needed which was a bonus.

Yes, it's the MRA screen that I changed it for, I changed it to the sports screen though.  Wind hit me in the chest, and I could live with that, still had to wear ear plugs but it was night and day different to OEM screen, hardly any buffeting either.

[LThornton]

7 hours ago, Old-codger said:

Why dont you get the  restriction removed on the Kawasaki ninja in september ( as I understand it its only programming in the ecu) then ride the bike until spring next year giving you time to get used to it and more time to find look for your next bike ready for summer. Just a thought.

This is certainly something I've considered! It is just a de restrict through the ECU. 

It's all about money at the end of the day and this is something that will be looked at if money is slim! 

[LThornton]

15 hours ago, fullscreenaging said:

What is it about the Versys 1K you don’t like? 
 

I’ve owned a 2017 from new and it’s the best bike I’ve owned. Before that I owned an MT09 Tracer and before that a CBR600RR to name a couple. I had the 600RR for a year and the Tracer for two and each time I just got the itch to change them as the cons just outweighed the the pros after a whole of ownership. 
 With the VK1 I have not even contemplated another bike in the 6 years I had it. 
 

You could look at the Kawasaki 1000SX also. 
 

It just doesn't appeal to meal and sounds very revvy! 

It is very prejudice of me having never sat on one or ridden one but through early looks I'm not a fan. I will likely look at one anyway due to having a local Kawasaki dealership

[peatear]

I don't know the reliability of BMW 1200/850/850 GS's after a few years, but you can get them at your price point of £5000.
They're just older ones (most pre 2009ish). So I guess it depends how old you want to go, and if they're a good bike that far back.

If that is a bike you're really liking.
 

[LThornton]

9 hours ago, Steve_M said:

An interesting list of bikes there.

 

Having owned a Tiger 1050 I’ll put in a good word for it. I used mine for commuting (briefly as I retired), social riding, and touring in Europe. 
 

It’s really an “adventure style” bike which is more tall sports tourer than any suggestion of having off road abilities. The riding position is comfortable, the pillion, my good lady assures me, is also comfortable. The standard luggage on the SE I bought is a decent size, though I had a top box fitted as we don’t travel light. The top box sits quite high which isn’t always convenient.

 

The engine is a peach, though the sound of the triple was strange to me at first…

 

Downsides? I once had to filter around 10 miles through a gridlocked M25, two up, full luggage. The mirrors are exactly the same height as Transit mirrors which was mildly annoying. Also, two up, fully loaded, clumsy acceleration in 1st and 2nd gear can make the front wheel lift, as I found in the Alps much to my pillion’s amusement.

 

i can’t comment on long term reliability as I sold mine at 3 years old and 24,000 miles. 
 

 

Haha! I love that, thank you for your comment and photos  Comfort is a big thing for me and it seems it has that for not only you as the rider but your pillion as well! 

 

[LThornton]

8 hours ago, manxie49 said:

The Tracer 900GT is a really good bike, great engine with lots or torque, and very capable.  The downsides I found for touring were, the OEM screen, buffeting and wind noise are horrendous.  The seat gets uncomfortable after about 40 miles.  I found the suspension wasn't really up to two up, fully loaded touring.  The bike would always seem to run wide on fast bends, mainly due to rear suspension sag.  If you're just looking at touring on your own, then sort out the minor niggles, and it really is a great all rounder. I did a review on the bike for a more in depth personal opinion.  

Thank you, that's really helpful! I have seen varied reviews about the Tracer

[LThornton]

17 minutes ago, peatear said:

I don't know the reliability of BMW 1200/850/850 GS's after a few years, but you can get them at your price point of £5000.
They're just older ones (most pre 2009ish). So I guess it depends how old you want to go, and if they're a good bike that far back.

If that is a bike you're really liking.
 

It is more the 'modern' ones I really like but in reality it is probably too big of a bike/too much for what I actually need! More than happy to explore other options as buying that old isn't my cup of tea, not that there is anything wrong with an older bike 

[LThornton]

11 hours ago, onesea said:

Look at the bike from a practical point of view.

 

Although you say you would love a GS.  Do you do much Filtering during your commute?  

 

Watch out with bikes they are becoming increasingly wider and heavier.

 

IMHO this is less of an issue when your on tour.  It's as your daily ride commuting, parking etc that the extra weight and width can become tiresome.

 

As others have said sit on lots of bikes.

 

I do very little filtering during my commute as I am fortunate enough to commute 30 mins every day to and from but never hit any traffic due to the time of days I work. However, it wasn't something I considered being wider weirdly enough. I do love a filter through traffic though as travelling to my partners is mostly where I filter and often skip 20-30 minutes worth of traffic on my 650 Ninja! 

[Steve_M]

29 minutes ago, LThornton said:

Haha! I love that, thank you for your comment and photos  Comfort is a big thing for me and it seems it has that for not only you as the rider but your pillion as well! 

 

Pillion comfort is a necessity. We do around 3,000 miles each tour including several seven or eight hour days. We also have an intercom… I’ll let you make the connection.

[bonio]

21 hours ago, fullscreenaging said:

You could look at the Kawasaki 1000SX also. 

This is a great tip.

12 hours ago, Old-codger said:

Why dont you get the  restriction removed on the Kawasaki ninja in september ( as I understand it its only programming in the ecu) then ride the bike until spring next year giving you time to get used to it and more time to find look for your next bike ready for summer. Just a thought.

This is an ever greater tip. Being able to walk into a dealer and say you're looking for a bike puts you in a good position to try out anything that takes your fancy. Not only is it great fun, but you'll also find out a lot about the kind of bike that works for you. 

 

[Pie man]

out of all the bike on your list, I would say the V Strom is the most over looked and under rated, a great bike, very capable and a bomb proof engine. Looks are subjective, I ride a KTM .  I would otherwise chose the BMW R1200RS 

Edited June 6, 2023 by Pie man

[Steve_M]

7 minutes ago, Pie man said:

out of all the bike on your list, I would say the V Strom is the most over looked and under rated, a great bike, very capable and a bomb proof engine. Looks are subjective, I ride a KTM .  I would otherwise chose the BMW R1200RS 

I test rode the R1200RS. Superb bike. However, given various physical constraints (knackered knees, hips, neck and shoulder) I had my doubts. Then the salesman suggested I try a GS. Bar steward, as my dad would have said.