2021 Sports Tourer Roundup - Which would you choose?

If the global pandemic has done one thing over  the last year it's kept too many riders at home,   depending of course where you live. So in  an effort to fight the cabin fever i thought   i'd take a look at some sports tourers that are  just waiting to help us munch some miles in 2021   i tried to stick to the traditional features that  constitute a sports tourer so the bike must have a   sporty but not too aggressive riding position,  good wind protection a powerful and flexible   engine decent pillion space a comfortable seat and  of course luggage options having looked across the   market i've picked out nine manufacturers  to look at their offerings in this segment   and to be fair i've covered them in alphabetical  order let's start with bmw and there are two bikes   that fit the bill particularly the new r1250rs  fulfills the sports tourer criteria very well   as does the s1000xr despite that model sitting in  the bmw motorrad adventure lineup the r1250rs uses   the latest 1250 shift cam motor found in the gs  model which puts out 136 brake horsepower and 106   foot-pound of torque a lot of the other features  are quite similar too it's kind of a squished gs   and it's possibly a better option if you  never intend to venture off the tarmac   the executive model at 13 960 pounds is the  option i would pick for touring as it comes   with electronic suspension cruise control center  stand and a whole host of other handy features   it does weigh in at 243 kilograms so it's a little  bit chunky but that's not too bad really in this   class it's the s1000xr which grabs my attention  more it's arguably a much sportier ride with more   power 166 brake horsepower but at the expense of  torque with only 84 foot pounds the bike is also a   few kilograms lighter at 239 kilograms wet the 999  cc inline four comes straight from the s1000 rr   although obviously in a milder tune and  it's an engine that sings on open curvy   roads it doesn't have the rrs variable valve  timing but the reality is you won't miss it   it's well spec 2 with electronic suspension  cornering abs four riding modes traction and   wheelie control phone connectivity and many many  others but it will set you back fourteen thousand   two hundred and ninety pounds which is a lot of  money go for the te version and it's very nearly   another 2 grand on top of the price for which you  get heated grips a quick shifter daytime running   lights and cornering lights and a keyless ignition  but for me that's not really a benefit i'm not a   fan of those it's a slick looking machine and it  will take you anywhere you want to go quickly and   in comfort arguably for british roads the less  powerful lower spec but also cheaper f900xr   might be all you need i've looked at the new  multistrada v4 in my adventure bike roundup and   whilst it's not a sports tourer it looks like an  incredible touring machine however the supersport   950 fulfills almost all of the aforementioned  criteria maybe it's not so great for pillions   and i think it's probably the most beautiful  machine on my list just look at it okay so   it's not got the panigale performance to go  with the looks but the 110 horsepower and 69   foot pound from the 937 tester strata v-twin is  far more usable on the road given that it weighs   184 kilograms dryer it's going to be a lively and  flickable tourer the base model is fitted with   mizaki faulks and a sax shock whilst the higher  spec s model gets olin's goodies at each end   the 2021 model is largely a cosmetic refresh of  the previous model with a change to the fairing   headlight and seat designs the latter apparently  being much more comfortable 2021 also brings a   tft screen replacing the lcd of its predecessor  which gives access to ducati's multimedia system   i won't spend a lot of time trawling through  the specs but for the base model price of 12   295 you get corning abs and traction control  wheelie control and an up and down quick shifter   all of which are controlled by the six axis imu  yes even the quick shifter throw another 1200   pounds at the bike for the touring pack and you  get a taller windscreen plug and play heated grips   and a pair of clip on side panniers there are  a few bikes that look better in this category   although i appreciate looks are subjective  but it's a bike that's going to be great to   ride on the road as well as spanking it around  the track once you've unclipped the panniers   this is a sector that honda seems to have  turned their back on a little bit the gold wing   is a fantastically comfy tourer but it's hardly  sporty and the cross tourers are more adventurey   obviously the vfr 800f is still in the range and  provides a flexible and well-loved sports tourer   it's a recipe that has worked well for honda since  the vfr 750 launch back in 1986 and although the   bike has developed its tech over the years honda  haven't moved away from a tried and tested formula   and can you blame them on the basis that  vfr has acquired the acronym are very   reliable from its owners why would you want to  mess with it it still stacks up well against its   rivals despite only having a large analog display  and not much else in the way of electricity   but that's its beauty it's good old-fashioned  reliable and functional and at 9999 pounds it's   one of the cheapest in the shortlist but perhaps  it is getting a bit long in the tooth that's where   the cb4 concept may come in there's still no  official news as to whether the bike will make   it to production or not but a patent filed by  honda for a four cylinder sports touring bike   gives us some hope it's likely to be based  on the cb650 motor which is a cracking engine   and a very much tried and tested unit the concept  images released at ikma in 2019 look amazing and   if honda can get a production bike anywhere  near this it's sure to put the cat amongst the   pigeons in the midsize tour market claims of a 95  horsepower machine coming in at under 9 000 pounds   have been thrown around by the media and i for one  will be watching closely as this story moves along   it also looks like a cb1100x may be coming in 2022  as honda continued to expand the range around the   excellent africa twin parallel motor these designs  however are complete conjecture the kawasaki h2sx   is a beast and is possibly the king of sports  tourers even if you just look at the numbers   the supercharged motor produces 198 brake  horsepower and 101 foot pound of torque more than   anyone could ever need this is a machine that  will whisk you down to the south of france   in comfort and in a very short space of time  it's loaded with tech as you would expect and   with the clean mount pannier system fitted  it's incredibly practical too at 15 899 it's   not cheap but you can easily argue it's very  good value for money given the overall package   potentially though for a lot of riders it's  the ninja 1000 sx which makes more sense   don't get me wrong it's still a blisteringly quick  motorcycle but it's perhaps more manageable than   the h2 it also starts at just eleven two nine nine  and you get a lot of bike for that money the silky   inline four produces 140 brake horsepower and  88 foot-pounds of torque perfect for relaxed   cruising and more spirited riding when you want it  wind protection is good the electronics are right   up there with the competition and it comes with  a quick shifter and cruise control as standard   in fact it offers everything you need from  a sports tourer without any unnecessary   belt and whistles the clean mount pannier system  is particularly neat offering a good level of   storage space but with a simple convenient  and slimline design it's not surprising that   this bike has been consistently one of the best  best-selling sports tourers and the 2021 version   looks to continue that rich vein of success the  new 1290 super duke adventure s has been getting   a lot of column inches since its recent launch  and understandably so but it doesn't belong on   this list ktm sports touring solution is the 1290  super duke gt another beast of a bike and one that   i reviewed last year i'll put a link in the top  corner of the screen as usual with ktm it looks   a little different to its peers which i think is  a good thing whether you like the styling or not   there's no denying its performance with 175 brake  horsepower and 104 newton meters of torque on tap   and it actually provides a very relaxing tour  option for effortless mile munching it's also   very easy to step over to the dark side and be  an absolute hooligan too the gt super moto mode   will let you free the back wheel whilst leaving  abs active on the front wind protection is good   from both the adjustable touring screen and pointy  body work and despite looking sparse the wide seat   is comfortable for long days in the saddle the  bike is equally at home on motorways twisty b   roads and the track it's a lot of bike for sure  but it's hefty 17 249 price tag is hard to swallow   in this company there are however some decent  deals on offer from ktm dealers for those of you   that are maybe looking for something away from  the mainstream how about the mv augusta turismo   veloce it's more upright than an out and out  sports tourer but i think it should still be   included it's certainly a handsome machine and the  peachy 798 12 valve triple puts out 110 horsepower   and 59 foot pound of torque to whisk you around  the blacktop the exotic bodywork covers a steel   trellis frame an aluminium swing arm sack's  semi-active suspension takes care of the ride   quality and stopping duties are handled by the  brembo radial four piston calipers at the front   and a twin pot at the rear if you plump for the  lusso addition at fifteen thousand seven hundred   and eighty pounds you get heated grips cruise  control a gps sensor center stand adjustable   windshield and clip-on luggage which holds a  useful 34 liters on each side your entry point   into the model range is the rosso edition at  13 480 pounds the top of the range rc scs will   lighten your wallet by 18 880 pounds dealers are  a little thin on the ground in the uk but if you   want a little italian sexiness and you want to  stand out from the crowd then the turismo veloce   might be the bike for you the venerable british  mark no longer have anything that sits in the   sector since the demise of the tiger 1050 sport  the new tiger 850 is the closest they get and i   guess you could argue a case very loosely for the  rocket 3 gt but the brutus cruiser with luggage   isn't hitting the mark in this company so why did  i mention the name well the launch of the new 1200   speed triple got me thinking could it possibly  be the base for a replacement of the 1050 sport   imagine this bike with a fairing to  upseat and luggage options interesting   news of the new hayabusa recently broke and it  looks just as exciting as the old models but   that's a big beefy performance bike the katana  with it's half fairing doesn't cut the mustard   as a tourer either but despite the fact that it's  been around for a long time the gsx s 1000 f looks   like a decently priced alternative to some of  the competition based around gsxr 1000 the f has   a more street friendly tune but still puts out 148  brake horsepower and 80 foot pounds of torque it's   pretty well spec'd for the price and can be made  more touring friendly from the accessory catalogue   by adding the torah pack which brings a 10  centimeter taller screen heated grips a rear   seat towel bag and a large tank bag it falls short  on competition in terms of factory luggage options   but suzuki have always made good looking  sports bikes and at 10 799 on the road   11 578 with the torah pack it does look like  good value you can also pretend if you want to   be joanne mia whilst heading off for your weekend  away so on to the last manufacturer in the video   and as you may have already guessed i'm ending  with the yamaha obviously i'm going to take a look   at the new tracer 7 and tracer 9 gt but if you  want to go a little bit left field the nikon by   all accounts has proved to be a fantastic touring  machine the tracer 7 gt is the midsize offering   and is based around the very well proven cp2  cross plane engine which is now euro 5 compliant   it's a talky twin for its size and along with 72  brake horsepower it puts out 49 foot of torque   offering punchy performance for the 193 kilogram  ready to go bike you don't get a tft screen the   tracer 7 sticks with an lcd version but that's no  bad thing add in the 20 liter side cases touring   screen comfort seat and adjustable suspension and  you have a very capable mid-weight tourer better   still the gt is available on the road for just  eight nine nine nine remarkable value moving on to   its bigger sibling you gain one more cylinder more  power more kit and more weight but it still tips   the scales at a respectable 220 kilograms wet the  889 cc triple motor found in the mt-09 and xsr900   is a real butte putting out 117 brake horsepower  in its latest guys in terms of extra kit the   tracer 9 gt gets semi-active kyb suspension  hard side panniers an up and down quick shifter   cornering lights controlled by the six axis imu  which also handles the cornering abs traction   control slide and wheelie controls unlike  its smaller sibling the nine gets a tft   screen in fact it gets two with a funky looking  split display offering loads of information there   are some really well thought out features such as  the amazing 10 level heated grips i don't know if   you really need that many levels but hey it can't  hurt i wasn't a fan of the previous tracer 900   looks particularly but i think the 9 is a much  better looking bike it's not as radical as the   styling of the mt-09 but for me that's a good  thing it's modern without too much weirdness   the tracer has always been at the top of the sales  charts in this sector and to be honest i can only   see this strengthening with the new model it looks  great it goes well and is loaded with useful tech   and better still you can get all this in the  gt model for one nine nine that's still a lot   of money to spend obviously but i think the yam  offers the best value in this list by quite a way   i hope you've enjoyed this trip around my pick of  the sport tours that we're all lichen to ride in   2021 i've bound to have missed some and if you  think of any i should have included pop them in   the comment section down below a hit of the like  button would be greatly appreciated and if you're   new to the channel and would like to see more of  these videos as well as tried and tested bike and   gear reviews then please consider subscribing to  the channel and clicking the notification bell too   so until next time thanks for watching take  care ride safe and i'll see you soon bye you

Channel: Views from the Man Cave

Views: 243,331

Rating: 4.8598328 out of 5

Keywords: 2021 sports tourers, Best sports tourer motorcycle 2021, best sports tourers 2020, best sports tourer motorcycle 2020, top sports touring motorcycles, top sports tourers, top sports tourer bikes, top 10 sports tourer bikes, bmw s1000xr, bmw r1250rs 2021, bmw r1250rs review, honda cb4x 2021, honda cb1100x 2022, honda vfr800f, kawasaki h2 sx review, kawasaki ninja 1000sx 2021, mv agusta turismo veloce 800 review, 2021 hayabusa review, gsx s1000f review, Yamaha tracer 9 gt 2021

Id: qc8KRIiZzaw

Length: 16min 13sec (973 seconds)

Published: Fri Feb 12 2021