Top Touring Motorcycles in 2023

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If you’re going the distance, why not go in comfort? BMW’s K 1600 GTL brings all the power, plushness, and buttery-smoothness you could want. (BMW/)

Any motorcyclist will tell you there’s nothing like experiencing the countryside aboard two wheels. But it could also be argued that any motorcycle, be it a Panigale V4 R or a Honda Trail125, can be used to that end, and to muddy the waters even more, the touring segment has continued to splinter into ever-more specialized segments. You got your sport-tourers, your big-boat luxury tourers, your adventure-tourers, your baggers, etc., etc., so here we’re just aiming to round up a couple of examples from each category.

Although this list is just the tip of the iceberg, the good news is that today’s purpose-built tourers are more capable and better equipped for the long haul than ever, boasting modern features like ABS, traction control, and rider modes, and at the upper end, even more advanced systems such as adaptive cruise control, heated seats, electronically adjustable windscreens, plus turn-by-turn navigation systems, to name just a few. We didn’t have room for every possible model, so feel free to list your choices in the comments below.

Long-Haul Luxury

Any compilation of touring bikes is bound to have a Honda Gold Wing near the top of its list. (Honda/)

2023 Honda Gold Wing Tour Automatic DCT | $29,600

A perennial rider and magazine editor favorite, the Honda Gold Wing has been soldiering on in one form or another for more than four decades. But today’s Gold Wing is a fully modern machine, and it’s received regular technological and mechanical updates that have helped keep it comfortably atop the long-haul category.

Key attributes include a 1,833cc flat six-cylinder engine good for 90 hp on our dyno, and an electronically adjustable double-wishbone fork, both of which contribute to an uncannily smooth power delivery and ultra-stable footing, even while fully leaned over. On the Tour Automatic DCT model, Honda’s Dual-Clutch Transmission will do the shifting for you, but for 2023 you can also choose from the Gold Wing DCT (auto shift, no top trunk), the Gold Wing Tour (with top trunk but no DCT), and the top-of-the-line Gold Wing Tour Automatic DCT Airbag, which adds an airbag to the auto shift and top trunk. All trims carry a full-color 7-inch TFT screen and Apple CarPlay integration, four ride modes, dual disc brakes with ABS, a 5.5-gallon tank, and LED lighting. Add an electrically adjustable windshield, keyless ignition, lockable luggage, cruise control, standard navigation, and even a low-speed reverse feature and it’s easy to see why the Wing is still a top choice for touring riders everywhere.

Related: Ten Great Motorcycles Under $9,000

The K 1600 GTL may be smooth, plush, and sophisticated but it can also bring the heat; 160 hp is nothing to sneeze at. (BMW/)

2023 BMW K 1600 GTL | $26,895

Another six-cylinder example that rivals the Wing for smoothness and sophistication, BMW’s flagship K 1600 GTL mile-muncher has also made our Ten Best list more than once. Updated for Euro 5 emissions regs last year, the transverse six-cylinder mill pulls you along with a mighty 160 hp on tap, backed by a head-snapping peak torque of 133 lb.-ft. If those numbers aren’t impressive enough, check out the big K’s electronically adjustable suspension and an adjustable windscreen along with a huge 10.25-inch TFT color display with integrated navigation.

You also get adaptive headlights, tire pressure monitoring, and programmable handlebar buttons, and standard equipment now includes engine-drag torque control and dynamic traction control aided by input from the six-axis IMU. The 7-gallon tank, BMW’s Partial Integral ABS, and five-level heated grips (and seat) go a long way toward keeping pilots comfortable and safe. Passengers won’t suffer either, as the K’s large top case is well padded with a backrest that extends all the way up, and combined storage equals 29.9 gallons.

If you want the same 1,649cc powerplant with fewer gizmos, look to the K 1600 GT (which skips the top case), the bagger-inspired K 1600 B, and the K 1600 Grand America, which shares the B’s subframe and adds a top case.

Classic Touring Twins

Harley’s Grand American Touring category lists 13 bikes, but the M-8 114-powered Road Glide Limited is one of the cushier examples. (Harley-Davidson/)

2023 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Limited | $29,399

Rumbly, classic, and plenty comfortable: That’s generally how Harley tourers roll, and while you can choose from other big bikes in H-D’s Grand American series, the Road Glide Limited is a great option for two-up touring thanks to its powerful Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine, frame-mounted fairing, and plush passenger accommodations. The 114ci Twin-Cooled motor cranked out 76.3 hp and 108 lb.-ft. last time we had it on our dyno, while a 49mm dual bending valve fork, dual front discs with ABS, spacious integrated hard luggage with a passenger backrest, and a Boom! Box audio system along with a large TFT touchscreen round out the list of welcome amenities.

There’s plenty of storage space for two people on a weekend getaway, with a huge Tour-Pak trunk to swallow all your gear or full-face helmet (for 4.7 cubic feet of capacity in total). Your passenger gets armrests and their own audio speakers to keep backseat complaints to a minimum, while the bike’s solid ride quality, heated grips, cruise control, and a 6-gallon fuel tank will get you where you wanna go in comfort.

As we’ve come to expect from Milwaukee’s touring line, the Road Glide also brings class-leading paint quality with outstanding fit and finish, making for a classy, comfortable well-equipped V-twin tourer.

Indian’s full-dress Pursuit Limited carries the liquid-cooled 1,768cc PowerPlus engine and a full suite of touring amenities. (Indian Motorcycle/)

2023 Indian Pursuit Limited | $30,999

Built on Indian’s liquid-cooled Challenger platform, the Pursuit offers full-dress luxury with a smidge of retro styling. If you want traditional, Indian also offers the air-cooled Chieftain and Roadmaster models, but we’re listing the Pursuit as it’s Indian’s latest model.

Based on Indian’s liquid-cooled 1,768cc Challenger motor (good for 103.1 hp on our dyno), the Pursuit adds on a full suite of luxury touring features, including a cargo trunk with an integrated passenger backrest, heated grips, and a full two-up leather touring seat. The base is still composed of the Challenger’s aluminum frame and liquid-cooled PowerPlus engine acting as a stressed member, with a 43mm inverted fork as well as that frame-mounted fairing which also integrates an electrically adjustable windshield.

Cargo capacity is plentiful as well, with remote locking hard saddlebags and a trunk combining for 35.8 gallons of storage while safety and convenience features like selectable rider modes, LED lighting, cruise control, and ABS all chip in to make the miles go by safely and more comfortably. The powerful 200-watt audio system and Indian’s Ride Command features (includes navigation, live weather, and traffic) as well as normal bike readouts can be viewed and adjusted from the standard 7-inch color touchscreen display as well.

The Sporty Tourers

You won’t be just sport-touring, but hypersport-touring on the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE. (Kawasaki/)

2023 Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE | $28,000 (base); $28,823 (as shown)

Cue sad trombone: Kawasaki has officially dropped the Concours 14 from its 2023 lineup. Long a favorite of sport-touring pilots, the Concours hadn’t been tweaked since 2015 and needed major updating to survive in the global marketplace. That said, the 2022 C-14 remains a good-ish value at $15,999—if you can find one.

We hear dealers are steering customers to the new Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE, which is, of course, 100 percent a Sport-touring motorcycle (capital “S,” small “t”); in fact, the hard bags you see are optional accessories. The hypersport Ninja is all about power, which it brings courtesy of a supercharged 998cc inline four-cylinder engine tuned here to deliver thrust in the low to midrange—though it did pull a whopping 166.1 hp on our dyno. The sub-600-pound H2 also has provisions for a passenger, so your adrenaline-loving partner can share in pulling G’s as you shoot out of corners.

The H2 is packed with some of the most advanced rider tech you’ll find on a bike today, with four rider modes, traction control, electronically controlled (and fully adjustable) suspension, an Advanced Rider Assist System (ARAS) with multiple radars, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning system and blind spot detection, and new for 2023, Auto Hi-Beam (AHB). If you’re into testing every corner of the canyon surrounded by the latest high tech, the sporty H2 is likely right up your alley.

But if you don’t need all that wizardry, the $18,889 Versys 1000 SE LT+ is a more affordable option, and hard bags are included.

Lighter than the K 1600 models but still tech-laden, the BMW R 1250 RT is a consistent middleweight touring favorite. (BMW/)

2023 BMW R 1250 RT | $19,695 (base); $23,895 (as shown)

If you’re looking for reliable German engineering in a capable, supremely comfortable middleweight tourer, the RT should be on your list (as it’s been on ours several times). You can think of it as a lighter alternative to the K models, but with no less punch; the RT’s two-cylinder 1,254cc boxer engine is liquid-cooled and equipped with BMW’s ShiftCam variable intake camshaft control, and cranks out a claimed 136 hp and 105 lb.-ft. of torque with an almost eerie smoothness.

Although it doesn’t come standard with a top case (not a deal breaker, as a 49-liter case is available from BMW) and leans to the sporty side of the design spectrum, the RT doesn’t skimp on practical touring amenities, with an included audio system, wireless smartphone charging, and 10.25-inch TFT display. Other bleeding-edge tech includes dynamic cruise control, blind spot monitoring, three ride modes, BMW’s IMU-enabled Integral ABS Pro, traction control, hill start control, an adjustable touring screen, and of course, integrated hard luggage (with 18.4 gallons of space). There are several seat height options, and this year BMW is offering adaptive cruise control as an option. The RT’s 6.6-gallon tank and a relatively reasonable 615 pounds (for this group) of mass also makes it a favorite among the touring set.

The sport-touring archetype? Maybe so, but the FJR1300 still brings all the essentials you need for the long haul. (Yamaha/)

2023 Yamaha FJR1300ES | $18,299

Comfortable, fast, and in existence for 20 years now, the Yamaha FJR1300ES can be called the archetypal sport-tourer. Powered by a punchy 1,298cc inline-four good for a claimed 141 hp, the FJR1300ES hasn’t truly had an update since 2016 when it got a sixth gear and added electronic suspension as an option (now standard), so even though we consider it a value option here, there’s not much modern tech for the price.

You’ll still find a ton of useful features on the old warhorse though, like cornering lights, linked antilock brakes, and three throttle modes. Add to that a comfortable touring saddle, adjustable windshield and seat, heated handgrips and integrated hard luggage along with a 6.6-gallon tank, shaft drive, and the aforementioned electronically adjustable suspension (both front and rear) and you can see why it’s still a capable sport-tourer.

Yamaha is still selling FJRs for the 2023 model year (that are basically 2022 models), but if you’re interested, act fast; there’s no guarantee it won’t face the same fate as Kawasaki’s heralded Concours 14. (Yamaha discontinued FJR sales in Europe some years back, as well as in Japan last year; North America is now the only FJR market.)

Backed by a K5-derived engine, the GSX-S1000GT+ is Suzuki’s most legitimate sport-tourer yet. (Suzuki/)

2023 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+ | $14,099

Since we’re talking value, you might find even more of it on Suzuki’s sole sport-tourer. It may not have the hi-zoot IMU or 200 hp rating of the H2, but the 2023 GSX-S1000GT+ does come with hard bags as standard equipment. It may not have the adjustable windshield or 10-inch display of the BMW RT, but it is lighter (at under 500 pounds claimed weight) and easier to shuffle around at low speed.

OK, so those other tourers win the feature set wars, but for bang for the buck, it’s hard to find fault with the Suzuki’s overall competence, especially considering the price tag. For under $15K, you get the immortal, race-bred GSX-R1000-based K5 engine (updated for modern duty) with a nimble, lightweight chassis on a true sport-touring bike. All the basic touring goodies are here, including an 999cc DOHC engine tuned to be more low-and-midrange accessible, three ride modes, cruise control, traction control, and a fully adjustable inverted fork carrying dual, ABS-equipped four-piston front disc brakes.

Other welcome bits include those 25.7-liter integrated side cases and two-up capability via a more plush passenger seat, while the full-color 6.5-inch TFT panel (Suzuki’s first!) displays basic bike info as well as giving you access to contacts, maps, music, and the phone via Suzuki’s mySPIN app.

Adventuring On

Ducati’s Multistrada comes in several forms, but the new V4 Rally ticks all the long-distance touring boxes. (Ducati/)

2023 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally | $29,995

Originally conceived as a sport-touring bike, the first Multistrada morphed into a light-duty adventure-touring rig, and then a couple of years ago, reemerged as a hot rod in the ADV segment with a punched-out and all-new V4 S.

That bike was a more capable all-arounder, but with the new 2023 V4 Rally we finally see the bigger 7.9-gallon fuel tank, 19/17 spoked tubeless wheels, longer-travel suspension, and (at last) hard luggage we longed for as standard equipment on a true adventure-tourer. All the boxes are checked here: The 170 hp V-4 Granturismo engine is more than capable; the long-travel (7.9 inches) suspension is fully adjustable front and rear; and the rest of the spec sheet is thoroughly up to date with a full suite of modern tech—four ride modes, lean-sensitive ABS and traction control, and even adaptive cruise control and blind spot detection. In short, the V4 Rally is the best-suited Multistrada for long-distance, two-up travel. The bigger tank gives it more range, its windscreen is taller and wider than that on the V4 S, and it serves up more spacious passenger accommodations.

The 2023 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally comes to North America in one version: Adventure Travel & Radar, equipped with adaptive cruise control and blind spot detection, aluminum side cases, and heated grips and seats. MSRP is a lofty $29,995.

Triumph’s new Tiger series includes the Tiger 1200 GT Explorer, which the brand says is aimed at the venerable BMW R 1250 GS. (Triumph/)

2023 Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Explorer | $23,595 (base); $25,443 (as shown)

Triumph made no bones about the fact that it was targeting BMW’s R 1250 GS with its new Tiger 1200 GT models, claiming they were lighter, more powerful, and cost less. But this isn’t a comparison test; as we noted at the launch, “price-wise it is definitely competitive on a spec-for-spec basis.” We’re including the Tiger 1200 GT Explorer here mostly because it recently captured the Guinness world record for greatest distance on a motorcycle in 24 hours, and if that doesn’t speak to long-haul capability, we don’t know what does.

True, the record was accomplished in closed-course track conditions, but going 2,500 miles on a stock bike in one day is not nothing. Obviously you need the right tool for the job, and the Tiger 1200 GT Explorer Iván Cervantes used in the attempt brings it in spades, with a 147 hp, 1,160cc triple-cylinder powerplant, semi-active suspension with 7.9 inches of travel, five ride modes, triple disc Brembo brakes with ABS, traction control, cruise control, and a 7-inch TFT screen to keep an eye on everything. If you want something more off-road capable, the Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer brings a 21-inch spoked front wheel with knobbies and added engine guards. Unfortunately, neither model comes with luggage included, which will add north of $1,000 depending on which configuration you choose.

If you’re looking for more info or just an adventure-tourer comparison with more bikes, check out our latest here.

We’ve heard the charges of “too big, too heavy, and too complicated,” but for some, the BMW R 1250 GS is still the best all-around tourer. (BMW/)

2023 BMW R 1250 GS Adventure | $20,345 (base); $25,259 (as shown)

No discussion of adventure-tourers is complete without mentioning the R 1250 GS, a bike that continues to set the bar in what’s become a supercompetitive class. Considered by many to be the ne plus ultra of do-it-all tourers—whether tarmac or forest trails—the GS owes its long-running competence to a combination of excellent handling, prodigious power, all-day comfortable ergonomics, and delightful balance. That applies to the base GS model as well as the more robust GS Adventure trim here, both of which are backed by a comprehensive catalog of touring accessories.

Chassis-wise, both R 1250 GS trims have a Telelever unit up front and a paralever out back equipped with long-travel shocks (8.3 inches of travel up front, 8.7 inches rear, with electronic adjustment as an option). At the heart of the bike is a ShiftCam-enabled 1,254cc boxer twin delivering 136 hp and 105.5 lb.-ft. of peak torque, complemented by an advanced electronics suite stuffed with goodies like selectable driving modes and traction control. LED lighting, 7.9-gallon tank, and BMW’s IMU-managed Integral ABS Pro are standard equipment. A 6.5-inch TFT display serves as the command center for basic info as well as connectivity functions via Bluetooth, including a navigation system by Google.

We’ve seen numerous new contenders step up and try to unseat this bestselling big adventure rig, but for some it’s still the one to beat.

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