15 All New 2026 Sport Touring & Touring Motorcycles Unveiled At EICMA 2025

DesmoRonin said:
There is a (not so?) small group of riders, myself included, that think of "sport touring" as a mindset more that a particular configuration of bike. I've sport toured on dedicated sport bikes and recently did some light sport touring, about 1500 miles, on a MT-07 (naked) delivering it to my son stationed in Kansas.
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You can "sport tour" on anyrhing you want. We're talking about the term's use by the mfr to describe a motorcycle. It has changed from the 1100/1300, and I for one don't care for it. They take a dual-sport bike, swap out the knobbies for street tires, and give an option for saddlebags (not included!) to make a "sport tourer". No thanks.
 
jdmccright said:
Agree. I don't see how they call those bare-wheeled, tall-sprung, slapped-on bags, no-fairing bikes "sport tourers". I guess they are selling for a different generation. We don't count anymore.
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I can remember being totally surprised at some of the things on the adventure bikes. I looked down at the tiny windscreen on one bike and thought, "what a joke" and "that's worthless". Then a mile down the street feeling amazed that the fig leafed size windscreen actually worked well...and better than the larger windscreen I had.

As for the bags...there's pros and cons to each. My NT700V had some beautiful side cases like the ST1100 and ST1300 have. Aesthetically, they were perfect. But there were drawbacks to them. The plastic latches deteriorated from the sun and heat so you had to come up with some other means to hold them closed. If you packed a dry bag on the pillion seat, you stood a good chance of scratching the top of the side cases. And if you wanted to take them off for any reason, it was tough to do and it left some ugly mounting hardware.

On the other hand, if you have a choice of adding either factory bags or third-party bags, you can get whatever meets your needs. My next bike after the NT700V had SW-Motech 37 liter aluminum side cases. You could stuff them till you ran out of strength to continue and they just held it all. If you had a "SAD", they took the fall and looked none the worse for them. And while we might think they were ugly...I got more compliments on that bike than all the other bikes I've had together.
 
jdmccright said:
You can "sport tour" on anyrhing you want. We're talking about the term's use by the mfr to describe a motorcycle. It has changed from the 1100/1300, and I for one don't care for it. They take a dual-sport bike, swap out the knobbies for street tires, and give an option for saddlebags (not included!) to make a "sport tourer". No thanks.
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Technology marches on, and traditions evolve. What are the criteria for a bike to fit the "term used by the mfr," and what bias towards "sport" or "touring" should there be? My ST1100 has really grown on me, but I describe my bike as a touring bike that is slightly sporty (mostly look) contrary to what no doubt many others here might feel. Model years being somewhat equal, a VFR800 it is not. And while I'm not a huge fan of the ADV bike aesthetic or form factor as it relates to sport touring, a BMW XR1000 or Ducati Multistrada V4 PP or RS is far more of a sport tourer than a ST1100/1300 will ever be with respect to ride/capability. For me, it's less about look and more about use, even in this evolving mfr definition of sport tourer.
 
DesmoRonin said:
Technology marches on, and traditions evolve. What are the criteria for a bike to fit the "term used by the mfr," and what bias towards "sport" or "touring" should there be? My ST1100 has really grown on me, but I describe my bike as a touring bike that is slightly sporty (mostly look) contrary to what no doubt many others here might feel. Model years being somewhat equal, a VFR800 it is not. And while I'm not a huge fan of the ADV bike aesthetic or form factor as it relates to sport touring, a BMW XR1000 or Ducati Multistrada V4 PP or RS is far more of a sport tourer than a ST1100/1300 will ever be with respect to ride/capability. For me, it's less about look and more about use, even in this evolving mfr definition of sport tourer.
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Mfrs can use whatever terms they want to describe their offerings. So, it's as varied and fluid as liquid helium, but within the realm of believeability by their faithful customers. My point was, today's ST is not a standalone model any more like the 1100/1300 were. It is instead a thinly-veiled variant of a different model. While it may function and perform the role, it comes across to me as a cheap money-grab, and even charging extra for the essential bits to make it a true tourer. Perhaps I should put my butt in a seat to give the benefit of doubt, but I've no need for another bike and I'm not looking for another one (okay, maybe that ST1800). Time marches on, with or without me.
 
jdmccright said:
Mfrs can use whatever terms they want to describe their offerings. So, it's as varied and fluid as liquid helium, but within the realm of believeability by their faithful customers. My point was, today's ST is not a standalone model any more like the 1100/1300 were. It is instead a thinly-veiled variant of a different model. While it may function and perform the role, it comes across to me as a cheap money-grab, and even charging extra for the essential bits to make it a true tourer. Perhaps I should put my butt in a seat to give the benefit of doubt, but I've no need for another bike and I'm not looking for another one (okay, maybe that ST1800). Time marches on, with or without me.
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I have admired the owners of bikes like the ST1100 and ST1300. The bikes went out of production, but at one time they were the epitome of sport touring bikes. Even though they went out of production and aren't up to date with the latest electronic gizmos, the owners are smart enough to realize it isn't the electronic gizmos that make a bike great, it is the underlying bike itself that is what makes it great. The owners jumped off the bandwagon that said you have to have the latest and greatest. And in so doing, they've found sport touring is enjoyable without spending as much as a house used to cost.

"...I should put my butt in a seat" -- yeah, perhaps...but only if you're willing to face the consequences. :D Some of those consequences might be that you find your wallet lighter. Just for grins, see if you can find a BMW F900XR to test ride. If you do, set the throttle on "Dynamic". And enjoy the experience. :giggle:

Chris
 
Lots of things continue to change, and as @jdmccright reminded us,... with our without me.
With the Blackbird, and now the ST1300, I feel I have a clearer understanding of our "original" definition of sport-tourer.
Big tank.
Luggage capacity.
Power a-plenty.
Handling.
And shaft drive! (not on the 1100XX) to add gravy to your potatoes.
That's why I will keep the 1300, as long as I can ride.
However, at the same time, this big 1250GSA is a super-dooper sport tourer, too, even though it doesn't look like the picture we have in mind from 15-20 years ago. Minimal fairing/bodywork, but as noted above, that dinky little windscreen along with the big tank and handguards, provide amazing and simply astonishing weather and wind protection for long hours on the roads.
Looks are deceiving, especially in this case, but the cornering in the tight twisties is easy and effortless, thanks to the wider handlebars.
In the end, I'm like many here, and consider it nearly a guarantee that I won't be buying any more new motorbikes.
I'm open to a smoking deal on a used GL1800, perhaps, if it finds me before I get much older. (And if I get a bigger garage... nearly another guaranteed never-gonna- happen.)
 
The newer Versys 1000 LT SE and the the 1100 are virtually the same. except the 1100 really only has about 50 CC more. I really liked mine and had it over six years and it gave me not a ounce of trouble. Great bike. Put nearly 28k miles on it. But I did trade it for the Honda NT1100 DCT. Only because I wanted to experience what all the fuss was about the DCT. I have been tempted more than once to buy back my Versys, as it is still at the dealer. But I really don't have the room or the time to ride four bikes and play with my Jeep Wrangler. Speaking of that if anybody has a Kawasaki with the Kaw panniers I have a set of like new insert bags taking up space in my cabinet. So Many Bikes and not enough Time, Space, or Money.

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I have read articles by professional motorcycle reviewers, i.e. people who get paid to ride and review motorcycles, where they have stated that many of the dual sport type of motorcycles that are currently available have advanced to the point where they now have better suspensions, more suspension travel, more ground clearance, better handling, better ergonomics, as big or bigger fuel tanks, better luggage systems, as powerful engine options, equal reliability, etc., than most motorcycles that were traditionally referred to as sport-touring motorcycles like the ST1100, ST1300, RT series. They argue that the dual-sport also offers the opportunity of much more varied types of riding as you can add forest roads, off-road, and back country riding to your routine that is not possible with a traditional sport-touring motorcycle where it is not really very capable off of the black-top. They argue that the dual-sport has made the traditional sport-tourer obsolete as it surpasses it in pretty much every way.

I encounter rain just as much as anyone else does when I am traveling by motorcycle but, because of where I live, I also have to consider riding in very cool and often cold temperatures much of my season. Because of that one of my biggest considerations when considering any motorcycle is weather protection. I have had two ST1100's and now an ST1300 and they all have provided me with very good protection from the cold. When I had one of my ST1100's my Brother in-law had two BMW GS's. One was an 1100 and the other was an 1150, so that gives you an idea of how long ago this was. When we would switch motorcycles I would be freezing riding his GS. This was because I was dressed in a manner that was more than adequate for riding my ST1100 but it couldn't cut it riding the GS. He was always dressed for much colder temperatures than I was because of the difference in weather protection offered by our two motorcycles. I often couldn't wait to get back on my ST1100 to get back to the benefit of the superior weather protection it offered.

So, the above is a long-winded to explain the basis of my question which is in regard to your below statement;
Sadlsor said:
Minimal fairing/bodywork, but as noted above, that dinky little windscreen along with the big tank and handguards, provide amazing and simply astonishing weather and wind protection for long hours on the roads.
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I have always liked his GS series. I always found them to be one of the most comfortable motorcycles that I have ridden. At the same time I have never even considered buying one based on my experience of freezing while riding them. Despite how superior they may be in many ways, and despite the greater types of riding opportunities that they can offer to me, I have never been willing to give up the superior weather protection offered by my sport-touring motorcycles. If that advantage no longer goes to the sport-touring class of motorcycles the considerations are now different. Buying a GS to find out isn't really practical so, because you have both a newer GS and an ST1300, you can readily compare and relate how the weather protection compares between the two and answer the question for me. Is the newer GS model really that good at managing the weather protection? Can it really compare to the level of weather protection offered by your ST1300?
 
I’m parochial, sorry, but sport-touring is a thing. Like baggers are a thing, or cruisers, or nakeds, or ADVs. Putting bags on a naked bike is a naked bike with bags, not a sport-tourer. Or maybe any bike with bags is a sport-touring bike as long as you ride fast. I don’t know. The rules are confusing.
 
Andrew Shadow said:
Can it really compare to the level of weather protection offered by your ST1300?
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In my case, yes, BUT! I have the GS Adventure, which is somewhat wider across the bow (the front, if you will, where my knees go). And I've never ridden any model prior to the 1250, so that's basically the next-to-most recent version.
I have zero experience, not even a test ride, on a standard GS. I'm pretty sure the windscreens are the same, though, and except for the larger tank on mine, practically everything else is the same externally. The smallish screen can be raised or lowered manually, but the newer 1300s have electric screens. I rarely raise mine, unless it's raining really hard.
My understanding is the GSA also has a lower first gear ratio, but that wouldn't affect wind protection.
And I make no bones about it -- I am the world's biggest pansy when it comes to getting cold. On the ST, Warm and Safe for anything below 45°, even 50° for longer rides. I don't like the cold, one little bit.
I wear pretty much the same gear for street riding on both bikes, only changing if I'll be going on the trails with the GSA.
Lots of words, but my experience is pretty identical riding the ST1300 or the 1250 GSA, insofar as wind and weather protection.
Hope this helps.
 
When I read this and someone says, "I'd never buy one of those", I realize there's more to the story. It's not black vs white. It's that...plus a lot of shades of grey in the middle.

I like to window shop like everyone else does. But I always look at what benefit a particular bike will give me over what I already have. If a new bike has cruise control as an advantage over what I already own that's great. But if it'll cost me $15K to get that ...I'm not so sure I want the new bike. In fact, I'm cheap and I'll say I don't want the new bike...even if it has that cruise control.

Another factor any more for many of us is age. I'm 73 now, but I feel like I'm in my late 50s. Great. But I'm also aware that the clock is ticking all the time and eventually there will come about an end to my riding days. Do I really want to buy a Klim set of riding gear for $1500-2000 to go with my new $25K motorcycle...and get one or maybe two years use out of them? And then sell them for a song? The question for me isn't IF I can do it...it's whether I'll feel stupid for doing it. The decisions I make now with the age limitations I know have to come in the future, are different than the outlook I would take if I was a bit closer to that late 50's age with 73 a distant thought. ;)


On the other hand, there are compelling reasons to look at some of the new bikes. One is related closely to "age". While I may feel like I'm in my late 50's most of the time....I also know I don't want to be on a bike that I would've ridden back then. Weight becomes more important as the age increases. When I bought my F800GT, I realized that not only would it do my epic post-retirement ride beautifully...but when I got older, I already had my "old man" bike. At 470 lbs wet, I no longer had to carefully plan which parking spots at Costco to pull into. Backing out of a downhill parking spot was no longer something that I would potentially need someone to help me with. Moving the bike around in the garage was the same thing. It felt effortless.

So there are a lot of shades of grey in this decision of whether to stay with the older technology found in the premier sport-touring bikes of the ST's, Concours and FJRs that were the epitome of sport-touring...or whether to look more favorably to the newer technology for one last bike. ;)

BTW, the new fairings do a really nice job. They often don't look like much, but I think the designers spend a lot of time in wind tunnels. My F800GT seemed like it had next to nothing for a fairing...yet it did the job beautifully. Put your hand down next to your thigh or shin and you felt just a little bit of wind. Move it out an inch...and you got the full brunt of the wind hitting the bike. The first time I did that, I was amazed. I'm impressed too with the F900XR's fairing. It has a few weird shaped pieces on it. I wondered why at first. Then I realized it was because those directed some of the wind out in certain places just enough...and no more. I suspect if you look at the other new bikes, you'll find they each do the same thing in their own ways. As good as my NT700V was in wind management, the F800GT was better. And as good as the F800GT was, the F900XR is better.

In the end we can take assurance that we have the right bike for us, if when we walk toward it, we get a little thrill of seeing it. Or when we walk away, we take one last glance to marvel at what a great ride it was just now.

Chris
 
irunamok said:
I’m parochial, sorry, but sport-touring is a thing.
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I agree. Making a bike with much better suspension and more capable for off-roading is fine. It still doesn't make it a built for purpose fit for purpose s-t.

But the fan base/rider base for sport touring just isn't what it was. Certainly those of us with STs of any flavor might/would replace them if something modern and comparable were available. There's not much of a consensus of what that is. Sure in broad strokes maybe. Even if that magical mystery tourer appeared would the customer that buy it be enough to make a manufacturer sustain support. I don't think so. A lot of s-t fans might by one but that's not a lot of customers. I don't know that it would bring in riders new to s-t'ing. Manufacturers don't like to build on spec. "If we build it will they ride?" isn't a great business model for a category that isn't on the up side of a huge cresting wave .

It's about number/dollars/cents. We just don't have the any of that or the s-t votes to pull it off.
 
I actually dont care what label is placed on my bike .... adventure bike, sports tourer, tourer, or just plain ol' street bike, as long as it makes me want to continue riding it, whenever I want (which for me still means nearly every day year round), wherever I want, as many miles as I want, for however long I want.

I loved my ST 1300 for 110,000 miles. I loved my FJR for 40,000 miles, those bikes ridden to all of the lower 48 states. Now, after 67,000 miles, I have come to love my NC 750 .... so much so in fact, that I just bought another one to start racking miles up on. I love the heated grips, I love the cruise control (aftermarket), I love the DCT trans, I love the light weight, I love the economy of it, I love the ergos, am happy with the power, I do wish it had shaft drive, but the chain isn't a deal breaker. Admittedly, at 75 years old, my needs have changed. My wife no longer rides double up ( we started touring together in 1973) and due to certain medical conditions for both of us, I no longer have the desire to spend several weeks away from home on the road.... even though the NC is certainly capable of doing so. And even though it's certainly freeway touring capable, I call it "the perfect state routes tourer" because I enjoy leisurly riding the 55 mph state routes within a few boundary states of my home state now, rather droning on the freeway to faraway locales, and that type of touring really suits the NC.

Life goes on. Things change. If you 're lucky, you still find a way to enjoy life on 2 wheels.
 
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John OoSTerhuis said:
All the panniers are hideous, bulbous, ugly afterthoughts. JMHO but the ST1100s’ are beautiful, fully integrated panniers. The best there ever was on a production motorcycle!

John
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I saw a YouTube review of the Honda NX500, complete with optional luggage. The panniers were well over $500, with another $300+ for the mounting brackets. And get this - the panniers were a clamshell arrangement with a zipper around it. They didn’t even include a padlock for the zipper, but did include a rain cover as the zipper isn’t waterproof. I predict most riders wanting luggage will look to the aftermarket like Givi.

I don’t recall the top box price. It was at least completely hard sided, but the latch handle looked a little clumsy. At least it locked.

Honda has a new CB1000GT with hard luggage. But that may be an EU thing - I don’t see it at the US website yet. Chain drive anyway.
 
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