Sport-Tourer Comparisons Part 2
Part I of these motorcycle sport-tourer comparisons outlined Horsepower, Fuel Capacity and Weight. Let’s see how things stack up when we consider Price alone, and then in conjunction with the earlier three specifications. After that, we’ll wrap up with an average of all four specifications and a summary.
PRICE
SPORT-TOURING MOTORCYCLE COMPARISON
Pricing for all these models includes ABS, except for the original Concours ZG1000, which does not have ABS available:
- 2006* Kawasaki Concours, $8,499 MSRP USD (RV=1)
- 2008 Kawasaki Concours14, $13,799 MSRP USD (RV=2.5)
- 2008 Yamaha FJR1300, $13,899 MSRP USD (RV=2.5)
- 2008 Honda ST1300, $15,599 MSRP USD (RV=4)
- 2008 BMW R1200RT, $16,800 MSRP USD (RV=5)
- 2008 BMW K1200GT, $18,620 MSRP USD (RV=6)
*Note: The 2008 Kawasaki Concours14 became available in the first week of July 2007 in the USA, as an early-release 2008 model. The Kawasaki Concours ZG1000 was manufactured for 20 “model” years, with 2006 being its last. (The first manufactured year was 1985, built for “model” year 1986). There was no “2007″ Concours.
The Kawasaki Concours ZG1000 is in a league of its own, in terms of cross-country miles for your dollar. It has long delivered the best value for anyone who enjoys spirited riding across the continent and would rather spend more money on traveling than on the transportation. Conversely, this bike does represent the oldest technology in this comparison.
On the other end of the price spectrum, both BMW models are also in a league of their own, based not only the prices seen, but also upon what is not seen here: BMW makes available a tremendous menu of optional add-on accessories for these bikes. Hence, you can spend a lot more than the stated MSRP before (or after) your bike leaves the showroom.
If we remove the Concours ZG1000 from this list, each of the remaining do represent advanced-technology motorbikes. Which means that it is arguable whether the difference in price between, say, the FJR and the K1200GT, really represents “better” technology for the money, or simply a premium for the name.
TOP RANKING SPORT-TOURER
SPORT-TOURING MOTORCYCLE COMPARISON
As noted earlier, manufacturing a sport-touring bike is about finding the best compromise between lighter, high-performance bikes, and heavier, full-featured, touring bikes. If you are the kind of rider who wants the most horsepower and fuel capacity with the least weight and price then let’s add each of the previous respective Ranking Values (RV) and list them accordingly:
- Yamaha FJR1300, 12.5 combined RV (ranking value)
- Kawasaki Concours, 13 combined RV (ranking value)
- BMW R1200RT, 14 combined RV (ranking value)
- Kawasaki Concours14, 14.5 combined RV (ranking value)
- BMW K1200GT, 15 combined RV (ranking value)
- Honda ST1300, 15 combined RV (ranking value)
The Yamaha FJR1300 is the best compromise representing the most power, with the most fuel capacity, combined with the least weight and the least money, relative to the other bikes in this comparison.
SUMMARY
SPORT-TOURING MOTORCYCLE COMPARISON
So which is the best for you?
Here are the summating conclusions:
- If you are primarily performance oriented, the best bike for you is either the Kawasaki Concours14 or the BMW K1200GT. (In the near future you may need astronaut training to fully take advantage of these rocket ships).
- If you are mostly inclined towards long-distance riding with fewer fuel stops, an ST1300 or a used Concours ZG1000 will take you the longest distance with ample power.
- If you want the longest riding range with the most power, the Honda ST1300 is your bike.
- If you want the lightest sport-touring motorcycle, the answer is easy: Buy a BMW R1200 RT.
- If you want the most expensive sport tourer, go to your nearest BMW dealer and purchase a K1200GT.
- If you want the least expensive and most value for your sport-touring dollars, you are in the market for a used Kawasaki Concours ZG1000 (2006 was the last year for new models).
- The Yamaha FJR1300 is the best all-around compromise of the four primary sport-touring qualifiers and their respective assumptions noted earlier.
It’s worth re-stating that the definition of a sport-touring motorcycle determined which bikes to include in this comparison.
So, now the moment of truth: Which is the best sport-touring motorcycle for “YOU”?
And of course, no matter which bike you take across town, the state, the country, or the world, you want to arrive in great shape. Be sure to order your reference of “Motorcycle Safety Tips” to keep with you on your sport-touring adventures.
Click Here For Motorcycle Safety Tips
Comments
Comment from Bif
Time: August 18, 2008, 7:40 pm
Fully agree with all your comments and logic. Three years ago my wife expressed the desire to learn to ride a motorcycle. We both started off with mid sized cruisers, not knowing how often we would ride, how far or even if we would really ever get to like it at all. Within about 6 months we were doing weekend trips of around 2,000 Kms and absolutely loving it. On the return leg of about our third trip I started questioning the suitability of our bikes for the type of riding we were doing eg: short fuel range, luggage tied on ‘hell, west & crooked’, no weather protection, lack of instrumentation (fuel guage at the very least), and really not that comfortable for my 6′ 4″ frame.
I had no real knowledge of what sort of bikes were out there in the market place, but I had a good idea of what I wanted in a bike. After not a great deal of research on the net, I discovered the sports touring range of bikes - seemingly tailor made for me…As a 52 yo my primary focus was on a bike’s touring capability rather than sportiness.
Wanting to buy locally, and living in a small inland commumity, I only had a choice between a Yamaha/Harley dealer and a Honda dealer. Honda offered me an excellent trade-in (VT750 Shadow for new ST1300 ABS PanEuropean with top box).
After 18 months and 73,000 trouble free Kms, I am very pleased with my choice of bike.
Comment from George
Time: September 2, 2008, 4:57 pm
More of a question than a comment-I am in the minority category like Bif above. I am over 50, 6′-4″ and 215 pounds. I bought a V Star 650 mostly for the price. I had to make modifications, pushed the boards out 4.5″, made a bracket to raise the front of the seat 2″ and purchased risers. It’s better but before I spend more for a seat I am looking for the best Sport Sport Touring bike for my size. One I can sit up as straight as posible. Any ideas?
Comment from admin
Time: September 2, 2008, 7:11 pm
Hi George,
Well done on your handy modifications. I believe the stock seat height on your V Star is around 27 inches. Any of the purpose-built, sport-touring bikes on this website have seat heights that are roughly around 31-32 inches (some even have adjustable seats). So, straight from the factory your legs will be a little less cramped on any of these bikes. At your size, you may still benefit from risers for the handlebars (which will allow you to sit a little more upright). You might also consider a lowering kit for the footpegs to give your legs and knees even more flex space, should you need it.
I would start your bike selection process by reviewing the info on this site and then sitting on each of these bikes on a showroom floor to get a feel for how each bike fits you.
MC-G
Comment from Scott
Time: September 10, 2008, 2:01 pm
Hi,
Very nice write-up. I’m not sure where I fit in the minority/majority categories, but I’m 27 and my girlfriend is 22. We both currently ride (her: 2006 Yamaha FZ6 and me: 2005 Suzuki SV650S). We both started on the smaller ninja 250 and moved up. The last year or two of riding together we find ourselves riding mostly long distances (1 hour commute one-way just for work for both of us) and several hundred miles on the weekends.
We’ve been looking for alternatives for more sport-touring rides. Her FZ6 is much better suited for this kind of riding compared to my SV650S. The problem is, anytime we look for a new sport-touring option we run into problems regarding our own requirements: weight, price, brand. We were hoping to get away from the biggest name brands (honda, yamaha, etc) but everything seems to be too heavy for us. I’m 5′7″ and she is 5′6″ roughly, both around 140lbs (me) and 130lbs(her).
What options do we have? Right now both our bikes are around 400lbs and it seems the next step up is going to be at least 500lbs and way more power than we need. We were hoping to find something around 450lbs max that isn’t a 1,000cc or bigger bike. There seems to be a lack of mid range (between 600cc and 1000cc) options out there for sport-touring.
We’ve looked at Triumph, the Sprint ST looks nice, but weighs too much. Nothing in the Aprilia line-up. What are we missing?
Comment from admin
Time: September 10, 2008, 6:58 pm
Excellent question, Scott,
You highlight an important point regarding “weight vs. comfort.” None of the bikes featured on this website are considered lightweight. On the other hand, most long-distance riders would find these same bikes to be the most “comfortable” for cross-continent touring (other than a full scale luxury tourer, such as a Gold Wing, which, of course, is much heavier). Having said that, a few decades ago what I would have considered “comfortable” for a bike was considerably more flexible than my definition today. What that means is that for most younger riders, their choices for a sport-touring bike is broader. But…since you don’t want a bike from the “Big 4″ manufacturers, you’ve narrowed that field down.
Anyway, to answer your question directly, if you are looking for a non-Japanese, mid-size, relatively-lightweight sport-tourer, you may want to take a look at the BMW F 800 ST (412 pounds dry weight). I’ve ridden the bike and it is my favorite chain-driven sport-tourer. (All the “purpose-built” sport-tourers on this site have shaft-drives).
MC-G
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