Tempted to buy

[Stately]

Nick Saunders is quite short, which helps. But it also depends on the bike. I am 6'2'' and find sportsbikes ok over distance because the wind tends to hold you up at speed. [Censored] murder after 20 mins around town or in slow traffic.

I have a friend up in Londoon who dispatches a Fireblade over 500-1000 miles a week who doesn't seem to struggle in traffic.

How tall is Nick Sanders ?

Yup, honda. Nuff said

So why are Honda's "crap"

Quite a sweeping statement

I'd be interested to know on what experience you base that conclusion.

Oh sorry I forgot - you haven't actuall got any

[jason]

ironically I think sportsbikes make better touring bikes than the sports tourers,

Don't get that. Surely a sports tourer is more comfortable.

Don't you get wrist,back & leg ache on a sportsbike after a couple hundred miles? I've never rode a sportsbike but i know people who have and they do complain about this over a distance.

they are slightly more comfy but depending on the bike there aint as much in it as you might think...and the trade of is a sportsbike can cruise comfortably at much higher speeds..so if your in germany on autobahns and want to cover ground quickly your much better off on a sportsbike.

I have done 4500 miles in 16 days on a K6 gsxr 1000 (down to the bottom of croatia and back around eastern europe) on all manner of pot holed shitty roads.

I have also done 750 miles in one day on the same bike (hamburg to plymouth, with a blazing hangover ). If you're an arthritic old man you might have a problem with it, other than that its fine

[Stately]

they are slightly more comfy but depending on the bike there aint as much in it as you might think...and the trade of is a sportsbike can cruise comfortably at much higher speeds..so if your in germany on autobahns and want to cover ground quickly your much better off on a sportsbike.

Not sure I agree with that.
Yes, you can go touring on a sportsbike, I agree, but you can also take a Pan European to a track day and have a lot of fun, but only a fool would argue it's the best tool for the job.

[Daresay]

Yeah but sports tourers can travel comfortably at high speed & lower speeds,and not only that, they can do it with a pillion & luggage. So surely they have to be better at touring.

[Stately]

Yeah but sports tourers can travel comfortably at high speed & lower speeds,and not only that, they can do it with a pillion & luggage. So surely they have to be better at touring.

My view on this is that within reason, you can tour on anything.

We have to accept though, that bikes designed with that purpose in mind, are going to be better at it, but I don't see that as a reason anyone with an R6, should stop themself from giving it a go, just because convention dictates he/she has the "wrong" bike for the purpose.

The last time I was in Germany, I met a great guy, in his late 60's, who'd just lost his Wife, and was travelling alone through Europe, achieving a life long ambition he and his Wife had, but never got around too.

He was doing it in rememberance of her and was into his 6th month of travelling.

What was he riding ?

A 1982 Honda CB250N that he'd owned from new.

Travelling on a bike isn't a race.

If you think it's all about getting from point A to point Z in the quickest possible time, then you've completely missed the point.

If you have a purpose built tourer, then yes, you'll do it in supreme comfort, and if you do it on a sports bike, you'll have an absolute riot when you get to the mountain passes, but the real joy of touring on a bike is the adventure, and the challenge of it.

If it's all about being practical, then you might as well just chuck everything you need in the boot and take the car.

[Daresay]

I agree you can tour on anything...but all i am saying is, in my opinion,a sports tourer is a better bike for touring than a sportsbike.Something that someone else said,in their opinion,was not.

Each to their own.

[Cheese Monkey]

Yup, honda. Nuff said

So why are Honda's "crap"

Quite a sweeping statement

I'd be interested to know on what experience you base that conclusion.

Oh sorry I forgot - you haven't actuall got any

Honda VFRs, YAWN. Honestly cant think of a more uninteresting bike. I'd rather ride a CG.

[ZXR400Lee]

I'd rather ride a CG.

I love CG's! When I did my bike test few years ago now, thought they were awesome! I was allowed out on my own, got the pegs scraping around corners!

[Stately]

I agree you can tour on anything...but all i am saying is, in my opinion,a sports tourer is a better bike for touring than a sportsbike.

And nowhere have I said otherwise.

My problem is that there is a mindset within the biking community, perpetuated by the press, that if you don't have the correct purpose built bike for the task, then you don't have the right bike period.

I believe this attitude puts a lot of people who might really enjoy the experience of long distance travel, off, because they are conditioned into believing that there are set perameters that their bikes are not desiged to perform outside of.

I'll bet there are people who own full on tourers like Pans and BMW R's that would find a track day an absolute hoot, but have never tried it for those very reasons.

Personally, over the years I've toured on virtually everything from Cruisers, sports bikes, sports tourers, and one full on tourer, and I cannot honestly say that any one of those bikes stood head and shoulders above the others in terms of riding enjoyment over big distances.

Each had their challenges.

Sports bikes are great in the Alpine passes, but a bit cramped and uncomfortable on the motorways - full on tourers are great on the motorways and sweeping A roads (the continental equivalent), but heavy going, even a bit scary in the mountain passes, and sports tourers do it all, but are not as acomplished in any one area as the other two.

Of course whatever you ride, you are going to have to make compromises, but to me, that's half the fun.

Touring trips are about having an adventure, and facing up to challenges and the limitations of our chosen form of transport, and let's face it, there are limitations, no matter how big and comfy your bike is.

In summary, then yes, tourers and sports tourers are better for touring, because that's what they are designed for.

Sports bikes are better for twisting back roads and trackdays, because that's what they are designed for - but that doesn't mean that they should be completely excluded from one anothers territory because of our preconceptions about their limitations.

Personally, I think it's our bikes limitations that make them so much fun.

My friend takes a Harley Davidson 1200 Sportster to track days.

OK he's at the back of the slow group, but he loves it and I bet he's having just as much fun doing it as the guys on the faster tackle.

[Daresay]

Ah great,you agree with me.
A bit like going camping,not the most comfortable,but it's an experiance you make the most of... which makes it fun.

[Blue]

With the luggage options these days touring on anything is easier, but it depends on how really comfortable you are on your bike i.e seat and bars. As the miles clock up so will the back, wrist and arse ache on sports bikes compared to sport tourers.










Oh and Stanley your lying again. you've said twice now that you have a friend

[Stately]

I can drive my car non stop to London and arrive the other end without an ache or pain anywhere.

I have a touring bike, and when I do the same, (with one fuel stop), I feel it everywhere.

So why do I choose such a relatively uncomfortable mode of transport for long hauls across the continent ?

It's because I enjoy my bike.

The car is boring, and I'm prepared to put up with the discomfort of a bike for the sheer enjoyment it provides me with.

That maybe the same reason a sports bike fan would choose his / her bike over a sports tourer.

[greg]

Nick Saunders is quite short, which helps. But it also depends on the bike. I am 6'2'' and find sportsbikes ok over distance because the wind tends to hold you up at speed. [Censored] murder after 20 mins around town or in slow traffic.

I have a friend up in Londoon who dispatches a Fireblade over 500-1000 miles a week who doesn't seem to struggle in traffic.

How tall is Nick Sanders ?

About 5'8''. You aren't going to start bugging him aswell are you?

[jason]

they are slightly more comfy but depending on the bike there aint as much in it as you might think...and the trade of is a sportsbike can cruise comfortably at much higher speeds..so if your in germany on autobahns and want to cover ground quickly your much better off on a sportsbike.

Not sure I agree with that.
Yes, you can go touring on a sportsbike, I agree, but you can also take a Pan European to a track day and have a lot of fun, but only a fool would argue it's the best tool for the job.

I guess it depends what your after .....

Im touring again this summer, through the ukraine, down the coast of the black sea through romania and bulgaria to istanbul then back up through serbia/bosnia and croatia....ill be doing it on a K7 gsxr 1000 with two other gsxr thous....If I had to do it on a vfr800 I would do it, but I know it would do my head in as having lived with one for a bit I know it makes way to comprimises and is to put it bluntly boring. On the flip side the only comprimise a sports bike makes is comfort and frankly if I was overly bothered by that Id use my car...oh and two up travel, but no way would i tour two up anyway. If I had to do it on a pan european I wouldnt bother id take a car.

Maybe if you where doing route 66 on endless straight roads a pan might almost make sense...its scope of being the best tool for the job is narrow as hell as its plainly shit at most things you would expect from something with 2 wheels and where it possibly is ok I would rather be sat in a car listening to the cd player.

[Stately]

Have you ever ridden a Pan ?

I have, and although it's not the sort of thing I'd buy, it certainly was impressive for something so big and heavy.

I agree that sportsbikes are perfectly fine for long distance travel, although if you were carrying a pillion, (which I suspect you aren't), you may not be waxing quite so lyrical, or at least she wouldn't