Long Distance Riders : a poll

[aw58]

Heck, I toured on my 650 V-Star. It's amazing what you can pack into a milk crate.



Don't forget the Yamaha Royal Star Venture. It's a touring bike and is a bit less costly than the Goldwing.

Don't know about the milk crate - but the seat cover is ok - by Welsh standards.

Ade

[blues2cruise]

Heck, I toured on my 650 V-Star. It's amazing what you can pack into a milk crate.



Don't forget the Yamaha Royal Star Venture. It's a touring bike and is a bit less costly than the Goldwing.

Don't know about the milk crate - but the seat cover is ok - by Welsh standards.

Ade

When you don't have any extra $$$.....you find alternative ways to do things.
I left my milk crate in California and now have a new sissy bar bag and saddlebags.

[slimcolo]

Most distance riders prefer to use the following
1) R80 GS BMW (swingarm not para still more desirable than the newer GS)
2) AT750 Honda (euro model)
3) KLR 650 Kawasaki
4) 650 KTM
5) Transalp 600 Honda (small brother to the AT only in NA two years)

Of course this is for World riding with roads much worse than NA or Europe

[badinfluence63]

tex1230,

Sounds like you have it under control and know just what you are doing.

I have a hard time coming to terms with a duality type bike. Multi purpose. Meaning "Sport Tourer" or "on/off"road etc.... I'm not sure one can actual get the best of both or many worlds in one bike? I like the looks of the sport tourers by all the major manufactorers. I can see where they would perform better in the ocassional twisties that can be encountered on a long ride but is a sport tourer giving the rider as much rider comfortability as the pure tourer on the long cross country haul?

I recently purchased a used/low mileage 1998 FLHTCUI and the longest ride so far has only been 3+ hours and it was total rider accomadating. Not sure how prolific it would be on the west coast Rout 1 coastal highway twisties but for the highways and back roads of South Carolina is was the best. Tunes blaring out of the 6 speakers (2 front,2 back and 2 in the sidecar).

I had a 1996 Buell S2T, Sport/Tourer. Rode it to Nova Scotia and it killed me. Maybe because being an old guy with a big stomach I ain't suppose to be bent over that way, as is the seating position of most sport tourers. They all have seem to have varying degrees of a leaning forward position....hence the sport aspect of it maybe. I don't know. Just thinking out loud.

[aw58]

Most distance riders prefer to use the following
1) R80 GS BMW (swingarm not para still more desirable than the newer GS)
2) AT750 Honda (euro model)
3) KLR 650 Kawasaki
4) 650 KTM
5) Transalp 600 Honda (small brother to the AT only in NA two years)

Of course this is for World riding with roads much worse than NA or Europe

Roads in UK aren't what they used to be.

ADE

[slimcolo]

I have one riding partner ,in Denver, that claims his KLR is the best street bike he has ever owned! When questioned his responce is "have you seen Denver streets lately?"

[santanu]

Sorry In India haven't tried all those but for me My bajaj Pulsar or karizma will do. Not to forget Royal Enfields.

[Derail]

I don't really have much to add, I've only made a 240 mile trip 120 each way a few times. I did want to ask if motorcycles, like cruisers that have loud engines, and I assume much more vibrations hurt your arms on long trips?

[RidingAK]

I rode my BMW F650 GS over 750 miles in one day on the Alcan in some pretty nasty weather (snow, sleet, and heavy wind). I got off and was tired, but ready to ride the next morning without any aches and pains. I think it's because I have a totally custom seat, and good gear that works for me. I doubt that a traditional touring bike could have handled the combination of bad road and bad weather on that ride, and I doubt that a dirt type bike would have been comfortable enough to make it enjoyable.

The same distance on good roads would probably have been much more comfortable on a Goldwing, and had we been on all dirt, a KTM probably would have been better. There is no one bike that is best for every rider in every circumstance.

[Bluebabe]

The Goldwing is hard to beat. My husband has one and on this particular trip, I just flew down to Seattle (didn't have as much time off), and we rode down to Sacramento and back up the Alcan to Alaska pulling a Bunkhouse trailor and it was an absolutely flawless and amazing ride on that bike, about 6,700 miles.

It's a '04, 1800 "we" bought used for our 30th wedding anniversary.

They are known to be able to go many, many miles with only the usual maintenance and tire replacement. He has ridden many other bikes, but this is the one he settled on because he doesn't want to have to worry about breaking down.....AND that 6 cylinder will get you up and out of some pretty sticky situations real quick and depending on your riding skills, is a very manuverable bike.....don't let the "size" fool you....he has lots of stories with other bikes pulling up beside him.....

No other choice in our book... You are doing your homework, good for you!