Most comfortable sportbike?

[Fred W]

I'm not sure I follow you, but IMHO, the Sprint is a sportbike with hard bags.

Huh? The Triumph Sprint is a sport touring bike if ever there was one. The Daytona is Triumph's only sport bike model and this year it only came as a 675cc.

English is such a funny language! I own an 08 ST and I've owned and raced the R6. In my opinion, the Sprint is heavily slanted towards the sport bike end of the sport-touring spectrum and is more sport bike than super-slab, mile-munching tourer. Which is exactly what brings me to this fine board! I'm thinking I can do more miles on the highway, in greater comfort on the FJR. What do you think?

It sounds like you have the gist of it.

There are SPORTtourers: Triumph Sprint, Ducati ST, Honda VFR800, etc.

and there are sportTOURERS (aka "supersport touring" these days by the manufacturers): FJR, ST13000, new Connie, BMW K1200GT

and there are just plain Tourers (no sport): Gold Wang, K1200LT, Big sluggish V-twin touring bikes, etc.

One indicator as to whether a bike is a true sport bike of one of those SPORTtourers is if the bike is available from the manufacturer with hard bags. That would seem to indicate the intent of the designers.

Of course you could always strap some heli risers, a Russell daylong and a set of hard bags on a sport bike, (like say a Hayabusa for example ) , and it instantly becomes a SPORTtourer!!

At least that's my take on it.

 

[johnny80s]

SHAMELESS PLUG

I can make you a great deal on a cherry VFR.

Clicky

 

[dj313]

At least that's my take on it.

AND... a good one at that!

 

[mmonroe]

One other "comfort" thing with regards to the ZX-14 is that a Concours 14 (C14) seat is a direct replacement/bolt on. Most seem to agree that it is a nice enhancement including a passenger.

 

[Warchild]

Scored a brand-new, 0-mile 2008 Hayabusa right out of the crate about 9 months ago.

It appears to be doing the job for me, comfort-wise:

And just yesterday, finally received a set of K8-specific hard luggage racks from SW-Motech. Here is the right-side view - Givi E21 bags appear larger then they really are here:

Better perspective to show the relatively small size of these hard bags:

View from the left......

Rear view... the mounting bracket below the license plate is supposed to hold small turning signals (provided in the kit) to account for the fact the Givi bags obstruct the stock turn signals from the sides. I have not installed these, and I just may not bother. If you are behind the bike (like a cage would be at an intersection, for example), you can oviously still see the stock turn signals... but not so much if you are at an angle to the rear of the bike:

 

[dj313]

Scored a brand-new, 0-mile 2008 Hayabusa right out of the crate about 9 months ago.
It appears to be doing the job for me, comfort-wise:

You managed to sneak in 25,000 miles in 9 months? Quite impressive. Very nice SPORT-touring machine. I bet it doesn't matter to you, but have you tracked your MPG anywhere in that multi-mile odyssey?

 

[Warchild]

You managed to sneak in 25,000 miles in 9 months?

Truthfully, no..... I got the bike one week before the snow started to fly here in the Pacific Northwest, and the ensuing winter was the worse in many years. I could only really put the bike on the road starting in April.

It's been about 21,000 miles in the past 5 months.

I bet it doesn't matter to you, but have you tracked your MPG anywhere in that multi-mile odyssey?

Best I have ever gotten was 44.7 mpg. The worse I've ever gotten was 26.2 MPG.... during last June's Utah 1088.

 

[dj313]

It's been about 21,000 miles in the past 5 months.

You sir, are a mad man, but I mean that in the best way possible!

 

[Hotboot]

WC should not be used in any study about speed, comfort or mileage. The spreadsheet does not have that much range and applying it to mere motorcycle mortals just dwarfs their meager accomplishments.

Meant as a compliment, in 5 years of FJRdom I have never seen such such a riding mo-fo freek as this guy.

 

[mmonroe]

Scored a brand-new, 0-mile 2008 Hayabusa right out of the crate about 9 months ago.
It appears to be doing the job for me, comfort-wise:

Hey Warchild,

I know you have done a seat but is everything else "comfort wise" stock? For example, are the bars in the stock location or do you have risers? Pegs in stock location? Etc?

Thanks!

Mark

 

[Florida Bob]

This may be a crazy question, or at least an unanswerable one, but I am curious. I currently ride a cruiser, but I often want something sportier. Something like an FZ1 may be the best bike for me, but I have seen several articles about people using sport bikes for touring. So...I was wondering if anyone had any opinion on which sportbike would be the best for setting up for some touring. I am talking about adding some soft luggage, maybe a different shield, possibly lowering the pegs, and putting helibars or something like them on it to raise the grips a bit.
I am not the least bit concerned with which one is the fastest, although I do want one with decent torque in the midrange. I think for me though, the comfort will be a bigger issue as I am sure they are all faster than I could ride them.

Thanks

Dan

 

[Florida Bob]

Dan---

I have been looking for the perfect sport touring bike for at least 20 years. I have tried almost all of the canidates. If you want lightweight and comfort and reasonable power with senseable service costs then go for the FZ1. I have finally stopped looking.

 

[sml-27]

I heard the sprint has bad heat issues, maybe they fixed it by now. Of course my fjr has bad heat issues.

 

[Martin S]

great reviews of the new ktm rc8 - supposedly has adjustable everything and you can make it very comfy =]

and its a true sportbike with no touring intentions

 

[oldryder]

A sport bike or naked with a speigler handlebar kit, corbin seat (or equivalent), and a venture tour pack is a real nice way to go.

The seat's imperative, most stock bike seats are only slightly more comfortable than a toilet seat. once your butt starts hurting the fun's over.

Speigler makes "streetfighter" handlebar kits for many popular bikes; raise the grips and move them back a bit. a little expensive at about $500 a kit but excellent true "bolt-on' quality.

with the handlebar kit you'll usually want some type of taller windscreen since you'll be sitting more upright.

Venture makes a mounting kit for a bunch of different bikes and you can haul a LOT of stuff in one of their bags.

my 2 cents.

 

[SomethingSomeoneBlahBlah]

Most comfortable sportbike I've ever ridden was my CBR1100XX. Fast as hell, comfortable, and smooth. Did I mention fast as hell? 300 mile days were cakewalks on the XX.

I know Warchild put PILES of miles on his XX before defecting to the 'Busas.

I'd still have my XX if I could approach any sort of responsibility with the throttle. But I couldn't. I was blasting through towns at 100+, and running down the Interstate at 150+mph. F'n ********. It was only a matter of time before I became a greasespot.

I'll own another one someday, but need to learn restraint first. I'm 34 now; maybe when I'm 40ish I'll slow down?!?!

God I loved that thing.

 

[kolonial72]

I passed on a really nice XX before I bought the FJR, only because of the riding position. I guess you can get used to it enough to do 300 mile days, but one 25 minute ride just about busted my wrists. Everything else about that bike was pert near perfect. If I were going to get a true sport, I think that XX would have been it.

There was a bike that almost made it into my garage. Triumph Tiger 1050. I didn't even want to try the thing out, but once I did, I was like, DANG that's a nice bike. Good power, very comfy position, tight but forgiving supsension (maybe one of the best), and excellent brakes. Unfortunately, finding service would have been a PITA, and it's difficult to find these bikes used. And the real deal breaker was NO GALAXY BLUE!

But, I'm not sure you'd call the Tiger a sport bike.

 

[Fred W]

The Blackbird CBR1100XX was generally considered as a SPORT Touring bike (emphasis on Sport), rather than a "true" sport bike.

That's probably why it is so comfortable compared to the Gixxers and R1's...

 

[Bulldog9]

I'm not sure I follow you, but IMHO, the Sprint is a sportbike with hard bags.

Huh? The Triumph Sprint is a sport touring bike if ever there was one. The Daytona is Triumph's only sport bike model and this year it only came as a 675cc.

English is such a funny language! I own an 08 ST and I've owned and raced the R6. In my opinion, the Sprint is heavily slanted towards the sport bike end of the sport-touring spectrum and is more sport bike than super-slab, mile-munching tourer. Which is exactly what brings me to this fine board! I'm thinking I can do more miles on the highway, in greater comfort on the FJR. What do you think?

This is the reason I went back to an FJR and not a Sprint, including that the FJR is better two up and has a shaft (maintenance) BOTH are sport touring bikes, but the Sprint leans towards the Sport Side of the equation, the FJR to the Tour side.

My vote on the original topic would be an FZ1, check out the thread on putting the FJR on slimfast or something like that, it shows that Yamaha Canada sells a fully faired saddlebag equipped (FJR bags) FZ1, but also that you can order the parts separately.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

<snip>...I'd still have my XX if I could approach any sort of responsibility with the throttle. But I couldn't. I was blasting through towns at 100+, and running down the Interstate at 150+mph. F'n ********....God I loved that thing.

My sentiments, exactly.

Several of the previous generation Liter-Sportbikes (carburated and not the size of 600s) can make rational sport-touring bikes (with few, if any, modifications). The Yamaha 'Thunder Ace' comes to mind (not imported to the U.S.) or any of the Big Ninjas.

Beware, though, they are very fast -- very easily.... :blink:

Officer: "Do you have any excuse for the speed you were going....?"