Motorcycles That Are Surprisingly Good For Older Riders
Getting older doesn’t mean hanging up your helmet, but it definitely changes what you look for in a motorcycle. The days of being able to endure the fetal riding position of an aggressive sport bike, or muscling a 900-pound tourer around in a parking lot, are better left behind. For a seasoned rider, a riding position that doesn’t stress the back or wrists, a low curb weight, centralized mass, smooth torque, and safety are paramount. If you want to extend your riding career, there is a lot of choice available. Here are ten motorcycles that are surprisingly good for older riders.
Honda CBR650R E-Clutch
Price: $9,199
The CBR650R was always the kind of sport bike that could be ridden daily, but Honda has taken it a step further by giving it the E-Clutch semi-automatic transmission. This is now a sport bike that rides without having to use your left hand in traffic. But should you choose to go out on an open road over the weekend, you will have fun there as well.
That is due to the 649 cc engine that offers 93.8 horsepower at 12,000 RPM and 46.4 pound-feet of torque at 9,500 RPM. It is paired with a six-speed gearbox. Handling is taken care of by 41 mm inverted Showa SFF-BP forks, with another Showa monoshock at the rear; the only adjustment available is rear preload. As far as safety is concerned, it offers HSTC traction control and dual-channel ABS, with Nissin four-piston calipers and twin 310 mm discs up front.
Honda NC750X DCT
Price: $9,499
The NC750X DCT is the kind of motorcycle that you appreciate more at 45 than 25, because it is not flashy, but just plain works. It has the shape of an adventure motorcycle and a long-stroke parallel-twin engine with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. That means you get convenience and versatility in one package.
Yes, Honda classifies this as an adventure motorcycle, but it is one of the best motorcycles for city riding, with its upright position, high-torque engine that generates 57.8 horsepower and 50.9 pound-feet from 745 cc. The under-seat fuel tank also allows a front storage space, large enough for a full-size helmet.
Kawasaki W800
Price: $10,999
The Kawasaki W800 is the last of a dying breed: that of the authentic vintage motorcycle that you can buy brand new. Sure, it has modern quality and looks like a neo-retro motorcycle, but look under the skin, and you will realize that this is a parallel-twin engine with bevel-gear cams and a 360-degree crank, something the British performance twins gave up around the ’60s and ’70s. That is why older riders will appreciate this.
Diving deeper, this is a fuel-injected engine that displaces 773 cc and generates 47 horsepower and 46.4 pound-feet. It is put through a five-speed gearbox, and it goes well with the double cradle frame. Kawasaki has given it disc brakes front and rear along with dual-channel ABS. The older generation will appreciate its simplicity and design as well, with the twin analog instrument pods.
Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster
Price: $14,795
The Bonneville range has always had fantastic appeal among veteran riders because of its timeless looks and spot-on styling coupled with modern engineering under the skin. In the last couple of years, it has caught up with the Joneses; it now has a six-axis IMU and a by-wire throttle to go along with its liquid-cooled, 270-degree parallel-twin engine.
The figures might not sound like much, with 76.9 horsepower and 78.2 pound-feet from 1,200 cc, but it has a six-speed gearbox with an assist-and-slipper clutch. What is more, the Speedmaster has pillion accommodation as standard, and this is surprisingly a perfect cruiser for couples who like to ride. It helps that it has a full electronics safety suite that includes switchable cornering traction control and cornering ABS.
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce Lusso SCS
Price: $20,598
The Turismo Veloce is an exotic middleweight sport-tourer, but if you are into this sort of machine, it is money well spent. Its three cylinders generate 110 horsepower and 70 pound-feet of torque, now available with MV Agusta’s Smart Clutch System. So you do not use your left hand if you do not want to. Despite the convenience, it has premium features like top-shelf Brembo brakes, a single-sided swingarm, and an engine with a counterrotating crankshaft.
The suspension is electronically adjustable, semi-active, and supplied by specialist Sachs, which makes this a high-speed touring machine that stays comfortable all day. Everything is tied together by a by-wire throttle and a six-axis IMU, meaning you get cornering ABS, rear-wheel lift mitigation, and also a parking brake. Creature comforts have not been left behind either; a 5.5-inch TFT display, a center stand, heated grips, an adjustable windshield, and an anti-theft system are standard.
BMW R 1300 R ASA
Price: $21,250
The BMW R 1300 R’s launch gave the market a naked bike unlike any other; it is large and comfortable, and generates enough torque to make Harley-Davidson V-twin cruisers give it a second look. At the same time, it is quite fond of corners and would not mind keeping you company through traffic. A large part of this is due to the boxer-twin engine carrying its weight down low.
The other reason is the availability of an optional automatic gearbox. So there’s no need for gearshifts. At the same time, it has a full electronics suite that ensures it keeps the rubber side down. It includes a by-wire throttle and six-axis IMU, which means three ride modes, cornering ABS, cornering traction control, cornering engine-brake control, and even linked brakes. This is paired with an electronic suspension setup and a TFT screen with Bluetooth and navigation.
BMW R 1300 RT ASA
Price: $29,605
The R 1300 RT is the kind of BMW that makes luxury feel practical. It uses the same boxer-twin engine as the R 1300 R; here, too, it displaces 1,300 cc and generates 145 horsepower and 110 pound-feet of torque. It also has the Automated Shift Assistant as an optional extra, but it drives the price considerably higher than it does with the naked bike. Another difference is in the suspension: this has a wishbone front suspension.
The R 1300 RT also offers quite a few features that make it a great companion on the open road, which include a massive 10.25-inch TFT screen with Bluetooth and navigation, keyless ignition, TPMS, heated grips, electronic suspension, and linked brakes. The options list is even more impressive, with front collision warning, lane change warning, adaptive headlamps, adaptive cruise control, and dynamic chassis adaptation. This is the kind of touring motorcycle that is comfortable in the city as well as on a winding road over the weekend.
Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT
Price: $30,700
The Gold Wing is the standard when it comes to reliability in the full-size bagger and full-dress tourer segment, and it remains the same because of the longevity it enjoys with Honda. It still has the 1,833 cc horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine that generates 124.7 horsepower and 125.3 pound-feet of torque, paired with the optional seven-speed dual-clutch DCT automatic gearbox. Unlike its American competitors, it offers reverse speed and a walk mode. That convenience is why we would recommend this over a Harley of similar caliber.
There are a number of firsts on it, including reducing the length of the drivetrain by putting the gearbox under the engine, changing the front suspension to a wishbone setup so that it can move the engine further forward in the chassis, and giving the new engine four valves per cylinder and a Unicam SOHC head to keep its width as minimal as possible. The result is a tourer that you can ride easily for 100,000 miles without giving up on any of the luxuries you would expect from a motorcycle in this segment.
Can-Am Canyon Redrock
Price: $32,499
Trikes are a great way to elongate riding careers, and BRP offers what is known as a reverse trike (two wheels at the front and a driven single wheel at the rear) under its brand Can-Am. The Canyon is the off-road-capable trike that can commute, tour, and explore, and the Redrock is the range-topping variant. The base variant of the Canyon costs just over $25,000, but the Redrock is a good $7,000 more.
That’s justified by quite a few luxury features, like semi-active KYB suspension, a customizable ride mode, heated grips, and massive luggage space. It is powered by a Rotax inline three-cylinder engine that displaces 1,330 cc and generates 115 horsepower and 96 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed semi-automatic gearbox allows you manual control over the shifts; yes, there is a reverse gear as well.
Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide 3 Limited
Price: $54,999
The CVO Street Glide 3 Limited is Harley-Davidson’s range-topping trike, and just like its two-wheel counterpart, it uses the best available components from the brand. It is powered by the Milwaukee-Eight VVT 121 V-twin that generates 114 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque out of 1,977 cc. It still has pushrods and air-cooled cylinders, but it also has variable valve timing and four valves per cylinder that help it breathe well. This is fed into a six-speed Cruise Drive transmission.
It has an eye-watering price, but there is quite a bit of good news this year. There has been a genuinely big change to the rear suspension: it is now a de Dion-style suspension, and the travel has more than doubled to five inches. It has also managed to drop 68 pounds of unsprung weight from the rear axle. It retains all its good points, like the massive 7.1-cubic-foot storage space and the huge 12.3-inch TFT touchscreen with a great audio system, heated grips, and dual-zone heated seats. This is the kind of motorcycle you will appreciate more every year.
Sources: Honda PowerSports, Kawasaki USA, Triumph Motorcycles, BRP, Harley-Davidson USA
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