10 Touring Motorcycles That Make Long-Distance Riding Feel Effortless
Covering big miles comes down to one thing: fatigue management. When a motorcycle gets aerodynamics and ergonomics right, and controls the vibration, a 500-mile day will feel like a morning commute. The best touring motorcycles remove the physical strain of long-haul travel. They pair comfortable seating positions with excellent wind protection and engines that lope along at highway speeds without strain. Today, semi-active suspension, cruise control, and generous tank ranges all need to be present to hang with the big boys. From heavyweight luxury cruisers to agile sport-tourers, these ten motorcycles take the physical penalty out of distance riding.
Kawasaki Versys 1100 LT SE ABS
Price: $19,499
The Versys range of motorcycles is good no matter what displacement you aim for, and as is expected from a flagship, the Versys 1100 is the best of the lot. It uses the same engine as the Ninja 1100 – a 1,099 cc inline four that generates 133 horsepower at 9,000 RPM and 82.5 pound-feet at 7,600 RPM. This is put through a six-speed gearbox with an assist and slipper clutch and two-way quickshifter.
The driveline is paired with a chassis that is more than capable of handling touring duties: semi-active suspension is fitted to the sole SE variant available in the US market. There is a by-wire throttle, six-axis IMU, and even an analog tachometer paired with a TFT display. The color screen might be a little small at 4.3 inches, but it has all the connectivity you’d want – and all of this for under $20,000, which makes luxury bikes feel overpriced.
BMW R 1300 RT
Price: $22,645
The R 1300 RT is BMW’s sport touring model, with suspension and a driveline that is similar to the R 1300 GS. That means the exact same 1,300 cc boxer twin with variable valve timing on the intake valves. It puts out 145 horsepower at 7,750 RPM and a massive 110 pound-feet at 6,500 RPM, which makes it easygoing yet with punch when you want it. A driveshaft eliminates the need for chain maintenance, and you can even specify it with an automatic gearbox.
Of course, it is lower to the ground with less travel, which makes it that much more responsive at speed, but without sacrificing too much comfort. This is the ultimate touring bike for real-world riding, with features like semi-active suspension that is also self-leveling, a by-wire throttle, six-axis IMU, heated seats, grips, and backrest, TPMS, adaptive cruise control, and of course, that massive 10.25-inch TFT screen.
BMW R 18 Transcontinental
Price: $24,395
If you want an old-school BMW tourer, there is a solution for you: the R 18 Transcontinental. It balances technology and character beautifully and is powered by BMW’s largest boxer engine in history, the 1,802 cc air-and-oil-cooled unit that generates 91 horsepower at 4,750 RPM and 120 pound-feet at 3,000 RPM. Of this, at least 110 pound-feet is available from just 2,000 RPM, which helps negate its 955-pound bulk to a large extent.
It is also just as well that it is available with reverse assistance, although you still have to take care in traffic because it is 104 inches long. The character also comes from unexpected places: the ride-by-wire throttle has modes called Rock, Roll, and Rain, and the rear preload can be set electronically. The brakes are also linked, and there are features like active cruise control, hill start assist, a Marshall audio system, and of course, the ubiquitous 10.25-inch TFT screen.
BMW K 1600 GTL
Price: $30,095
This one is the big daddy of them all from BMW’s K series. The K 1600 GTL sits unequivocally at the top of the BMW tourer range and is one of only two motorcycles on sale right now with a six-cylinder engine. This inline-six engine is a marvel of engineering, being barely wider than an equivalent inline-four. It displaces 1,649 cc and generates a stonking 160 horsepower at 6,750 RPM and 132.7 pound-feet at 5,250 RPM. It has a six-speed manual gearbox with an optional quickshifter and shaft drive.
This is possibly the smoothest engine you will ever experience on a motorcycle, but it is only one of the many highlights of the GTL; this is the touring bike that has Gold Wing owners reconsidering their choice. It has Duolever front suspension, the semi-active suspension self-levels, the LED headlamp adjusts for corners, acceleration and braking, keyless ignition, and a massive 7-gallon fuel tank. This is nowhere near a complete list of its features; you will be transported at warp speed in ultimate comfort.
Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT
Price: $30,500
The Gold Wing is the standard for touring motorcycles, and has been for over five decades. It is also the most relaxing motorcycle you can buy today when you equip it with the dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The flat six engine is smooth, quiet, and generates enough shove to surprise you. It doesn’t sound like much, with 124.7 horsepower at 5,500 RPM and 125.3 pound-feet at 4,500 RPM, but it is a large engine at 1,833 cc, so there is a lot of torque no matter where in the rev range you have it.
You could have it with the six-speed manual, but the seven-speed DCT is the transmission to have. Both offer ways to back the bike up without exercising your quads, which is nice. It has a very reasonable price for the features it offers, and it might seem a little dated what with its instrument cluster sprinkled with analog dials, LCDs, and the TFTs as well. Look closer, and you’ll realize that it displays a wealth of information at a glance. It also has a few tricks up its sleeve, like the sat-nav that works even in tunnels and the ability to fit a CB radio(!) and a button to open your garage door.
Indian Pursuit Powerplus 112
Price: $32,499
The Pursuit is the model that leads Indian’s charge against all comers, with the largest liquid-cooled V-twin engine on American soil powering it. This is a monster of an engine, displacing 1,834 cc, and generating 126 horsepower at 5,500 RPM and 133 pound-feet at 3,600 RPM. This might not sound like much of a difference to the competition, but the difference in revs between the peaks hints at how flexible it is – and this has been developed with the help of motorsport, in the King Of The Bagger racing series where it has had much success.
That makes it a touring bike built for America’s greatest roads, but it isn’t its only strength. It has inverted front forks, electronically adjustable rear preload, a 7-inch TFT screen equipped with Apple CarPlay, and it has connected features that can show you ride stats and live traffic and weather updates. All useful features when you’re headed to the horizon, and they exist in addition to the standard we’ve come to expect from the segment, as lean-sensitive rider aids.
Harley-Davidson Road Glide Limited
Price: $32,999
The Road Glide Limited has returned to the Harley touring lineup, and it fills an important gap: it is one of the Harley tourers that is perfect at highway speeds for two-up riding. That is thanks to the addition of the Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine to the current iteration. This displaces 1,923 cc and generates 106 horsepower at 4,600 RPM and 131 pound-feet at 3,250 RPM. The frame-mounted fairing and tall windscreen also offer exceptional wind protection.
Additionally, it has highway floorboards, a heel shifter, heated grips, cornering-enabled safety features, tire pressure monitoring, hill hold assist, and a wealth of upgrades, like the two-tone paint scheme in the images. There are some truly interesting options, like suspension from Öhlins and titanium mufflers, to go with the usual smorgasbord of seats, handlebars, and air cleaners.
Indian Roadmaster Thunderstroke
Price: $33,749
Where the Pursuit is the tech-heavy slugfest that competes for the crown with European and Japanese competitors, the Roadmaster Thunderstroke is content to lay back and let its torque do all the, well, talking. This is Indian’s largest-displacement engine, at 1,890 cc, and it is a large part of what gives the Roadmaster its Honda reliability and Harley presence. This air-cooled engine has only two valves per cylinder, but it also has a by-wire throttle and rear cylinder deactivation. 92 horsepower and 126 pound-feet at a car-like 2,900 RPM are the key numbers.
It doesn’t skimp on the luxury side, though. It has a 7-inch TFT color screen with Apple CarPlay, adaptive headlamp, electrically adjustable windscreen, heated and cooled seats that can be set differently for rider and pillion, and cornering-enabled safety features. No, that isn’t all: there is also keyless ignition, an electrically adjustable windshield, adjustable passenger footboards, TPMS, a USB port, and a 12V charging socket!
Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide Limited
Price: $51,999
The CVO Street Glide Limited is the pinnacle not just of Milwaukee’s touring range, but its entire two-wheel portfolio, and it dominates America’s longest highways. It has an eye-watering price, yes, but that is only because it is equipped with pretty much all the options possible right out of the box. Before we head there, though, we must pay our respects to the Milwaukee-Eight VVT 121. Not only is its 1,977 cc displacement first among equals, but it also sports variable valve timing. The result is 115 horsepower at 4,500 RPM and 139 pound-feet at 3,000 RPM, which give it ample performance.
The features don’t lag behind, either. It has a veritable television of a TFT touchscreen, at 12.3 inches, and it is equipped with Apple CarPlay. Other features worth noting are a removable rider backrest, linked brakes, electronically locking luggage, and an upgradable audio system. The only bugbear with the American tourers on this list, including the CVO Street Glide Limited, is that none of them have a reverse assist, even as an option.
Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide 3 Limited
Price: $54,999
Trikes get an unfair rep, but anything that allows you to extend your riding career, or enable those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to experience a motorcycle, cannot be that bad, right? The CVO Street Glide 3 Limited is the kind of trike that you’ll appreciate more every year, especially given the recent updates to the three-wheeled products with a Bar And Shield badge on them. It is powered by the same engine as its two-wheeled sibling, and it makes the same amount of power and torque as the CVO Street Glide Limited.
However, the big advantage of Harley’s 2026 trikes lies in the new rear suspension. They have moved to a De Dion setup that has doubled the travel to 5 inches, and the unsprung weight is a lot lower. It has all the features of the premier touring motorcycle, and it offers gigantic luggage space of 7.1 cubic feet. Oh, and this one has a reverse gear as well!
Sources: Kawasaki, BMW, Honda, Indian, Harley-Davidson
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