Which Motorcycle Makes the Best Touring Bike?

When you think of big touring motorcycles, do the big Harley Davidson cruisers easily come to mind? Or, does a big Honda Gold Wing with all of the doo-dads, lights and a trailer on the back make you think, "now, THAT'S a touring bike!" If either of these big bikes comes to mind, then you're not alone. But, are these two big touring bikes the last word on touring motorcycles?

Some motorcycle riders have to have a full fairing and windshield, while others insist upon a face full of pure air hitting their helmet at 80 miles per hour, no fairing and leather saddlebags holding a change of clothes and lunch. This can be a touring bike as well, but probably is not one that easily comes to mind.

Surely, there's got to be some middle ground - right?

To me, the truth surely does lie in the middle, as any motorcycle can be an ideal touring bike - your ideal touring bike. For me, I've had at least three ideal touring bikes - motorcycles that I put a lot of miles on through the years. The first one was a Honda 350 twin. You may snicker a bit, but to a young man on his first motorcycle, it was truly great.

Then came the Triumph Bonneville 650. Now, that was a great touring bike - as long as you didn't need to see how fast you were going, as that British twin engine vibrated so heavily at speed that the speedometer was virtually useless. But, it looked great, was very reliable, handled well and was a great touring motorcycle to me.

Now, your turn. What do you think makes a great touring bike? Do you ride alone, or do you usually have your wife or girlfriend on the back (but not both at the same time)? I always rode alone, but if you ride tandem, you will need a motorcycle with some power for two-up riding. Probably something on the 750cc + range would provide the power you need. Plus, two will need to haul twice as much stuff, so better add some type of motorcycle saddlebag to your ideal touring motorcycle.

Are you a wind-in-the face person? Then you'll probably want to avoid a fairing or a windshield. One word of warning here - if you like to ride any distance at all (beyond an hour or two in the saddle), than I suggest you add at least a windshield to your ideal tourer. If you've ever put more than a couple of hours in the saddle, then you know the fatigue a constant barrage of wind in the face will provide.

Are you a long-distance rider, or more of an around-town person? If you go the distance, better make a good riding posture a priority for your touring motorcycle. Some of the sit-upright bikes can prove tiresome on the highway as you hold on for dear life with an 80 mph wind constantly battering your chest. I always thought the BMW with its slightly forward sitting position as superbly comfortable. I would think that a crotch rocket could prove tiresome on long rides - no?

If you do most of your riding in town, then real comfort may not matter much. Without the wind pushing against your chest, a big cruiser Harley Davidson's upright posture is probably real nice - and it looks great.

Do you like to ride in cooler weather? As I discovered, completely open motorcycles (those without fairings or windshields) can be downright miserable in cool or wet weather. These motorcycles offer no protection, so at speed your body will take the full brunt of whatever weather you have. I remember riding for over three hours on a cold, wet Spring afternoon. I was soaked to the bone, and when I tried to dismount the bike, my muscles were so cold that I fell right over!

How about handling? Do you like to ride in a straight line, mostly on the highway, or do you like to hit the curvy portions of the road? That's called handling, and some of the big, low-slung cruiser bikes can be absolute elephants on roller skates in the twisties. For me, I like my motorcycle to be a "handler." I like to ride the curvy secondary country roads more than interstate highway jogs. But that's just me - some folks really like the straight-ahead cruising, and they may get nervous and uncomfortable in the twisties