Touring Motorcycles That Will Make You Rethink Expensive Luxury Motorcycles
Luxury tourers were once seen as the only way to cross a continent in comfort, and a high price tag became the entry fee for anyone who wanted to do it properly. That fee has since climbed past $30,000, but the club isn’t as exclusive as it used to be. Cheaper motorcycles have been slipping in through the side door, bringing serious pace, real luggage, and the kind of tech only the big boys used to enjoy. From superbike-powered Japanese sport-tourers to a fully loaded British triple and a pair of shaft-driven veterans, these 10 touring motorcycles bring many of the flagship frills without the premium.
10
Honda NT1100 DCT
Price: $11,999
The NT1100 DCT comes from the maker of the Gold Wing, and it even borrows some of that flagship’s tricks. The biggest is a six-speed dual-clutch automatic, which takes the clutch work out of a long day for $18,701 less than a Gold Wing Tour DCT. An IMU helps refine shift timing through corners, while the 1,084cc twin makes 100 hp. That’s well short of a flagship, but the comforts aren’t. Heated grips, cruise control, and a center stand all come standard, as does a 6.5-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The five-position windscreen adjusts with one hand, and a 5.4-gallon fuel tank ensures ample riding range.
9
Yamaha Tracer 9
Price: $12,599
The Tracer 9 is built around the MT-09, so this is a street bike that learned to pack a bag, not a tourer trying to act sporty. That’s where the fun comes from, because the 890cc triple makes 117 hp and the bike only has 483 pounds to haul around. The triple would be fun, but there’s a lot more, too. Color-matched hard cases, cruise control, hand guards, and an adjustable windshield are all standard. Yamaha also includes a six-axis IMU with traction, slide, and lift control, plus LED cornering lights that brighten as the bike leans. Yes, you still set up the KYB suspension by hand, but once you’ve had this much fun for this little money, a luxury tourer’s price tag gets a lot harder to explain.
8
Kawasaki Versys 900 SE LT
Price: $13,599
The Kawasaki Versys 900 SE LT brings a feature you’d normally pay big money for, and that’s radar. It’s the first Versys with the tech, so you get adaptive cruise, forward collision warning, and blind-spot detection. There’s a catch, though. Kawasaki calls the system ACC Lite because it handles the throttle but can’t apply the brakes. Even so, this is a bike that shows how far flagship tech has trickled down. The 948cc inline-four makes 120 hp, and the standard kit runs on 32-liter Shad side cases, heated grips, hand guards, fog lights, and a center stand.
7
Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+
Price: $14,599
If engine character matters most to you, the GSX-S1000GT+ is hard to beat at this price. Its GSX-R-derived 999cc inline-four makes 150 hp, so a quick overtake never takes much planning, and the two-way quick shifter only adds to the fun. Yes, the riding position leans sporty, and the KYB suspension adjusts by hand, but that’s part of how Suzuki holds the price down. It still takes touring seriously. The integrated side cases are included, Smart Cruise Control takes care of the highway, and the 6.5-inch TFT connects to your phone. Heated grips cost extra, though.
6
Triumph Tiger Sport 800 Tour
Price: $14,695
Triumph has already done the accessory shopping on the Tiger Sport 800 Tour. Panniers, a top box, heated grips, hand guards, a center stand, and tire pressure monitoring are all included, so there’s very little left to buy before you leave town. Pack it full, and it’s still a Triumph triple at heart. The 798cc engine makes 113 hp with the eager character you’d expect from a three-cylinder. Triumph Shift Assist lets you swap gears without the clutch, and cruise control takes over when the miles pile up.
5
Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX SE
Price: $15,999
Kawasaki saved the good stuff for the Ninja 1100SX SE. For $1,800 more than the base bike, you get an Ohlins S46 rear shock, Brembo M4.32 calipers, steel-braided brake lines, and heated grips, the kind of hardware you’d usually find on far pricier machines. All that hardware would be wasted on a dull engine, and this Ninja doesn’t have one. Its 1,099cc inline-four makes 134 hp, but the real story is the midrange, so you can just roll on the throttle and get past traffic, even with a full load on. Cruise control and a two-way quick shifter make long days easier. Luggage costs extra, though.
4
BMW S 1000 XR
Price: $18,825
The S 1000 XR is a touring bike, but only just. Its 999cc inline-four traces back to BMW’s S 1000 RR superbike, and with 170 hp and 84 lb-ft on tap, it would much rather chase the next corner than settle into a highway cruise. You can still pack a bag and cover serious miles, but this is a tourer for riders who want their pulse raised. The catch is the options list, because the good stuff costs extra. Dynamic ESA Pro, Shift Assistant Pro, and cruise control sit in the Dynamics package, while heated grips and a center stand come with the Touring package. BMW’s as-shown bike reaches $23,457, which is a lot of money.
3
Suzuki GSX-S1000GX+
Price: $18,949
Suzuki calls the GSX-S1000GX+ a Luxury Crossover, and for once, the marketing department has a point. The semi-active suspension reads the road through stroke sensors and adjusts the damping on the go, the kind of tech you’d expect on a bigger, pricier tourer. The upright riding position comes from the V-Strom 1050, but this still has the 150 hp GSX-R-derived 999cc engine from the GT+. For the long haul, Smart Cruise Control, hand guards, a center stand, and 25.7-liter side cases are all standard.
2
Used Kawasaki Concours 14
Price Range: $5,000 – $11,000
Some used motorcycles are such good bargains that they can stand up to today’s premium flagships, and the Kawasaki Concours 14 proves it. Its ZX-14-derived 1,352cc inline-four makes 155 hp, more than a new Gold Wing, so a loaded highway pass takes little effort. Keyless ignition and tire pressure monitoring help it feel modern, and later bikes add an electrically adjustable windscreen, traction control, and linked ABS brakes. Shaft drive and a 5.8-gallon tank suit long trips. Kawasaki sold it in the US through 2022 with few changes after 2015, so a later bike gives up little to the last one sold. Kelley Blue Book puts a 2015 model’s typical listing price at $9,150.
1
Used Yamaha FJR1300ES
Price Range: $10,000 – $13,000
The FJR1300ES was Yamaha’s long-distance flagship, not a sports bike with luggage. Its 1,298cc inline-four makes 146 hp, more than a Gold Wing, and it drives a six-speed gearbox and shaft drive. At 642 pounds wet, it’s also 147 pounds lighter than a road-ready BMW K 1600 GTL. Electronically adjustable suspension, cruise control, heated grips, and lean-sensitive cornering lights cover much of what flagship buyers expect. The sixth gear arrived for 2016, and the US run continued through 2024. The final US model was listed at $18,299, but many 2017 to 2021 examples now list at roughly $10,000 to $13,000, less than half the price of a new Gold Wing Tour.
Source: Yamaha, BMW, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Triumph, Honda
Related posts
Latest Post
No Comments