Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Touring motorcycles....

The fact is, real touring, is hard to do. Set your sights to 2-3 day trips, get a bike that can carry enough stuff, and have at it. A dedicated touring bike, is like a dedicated race bike. Works great for the intended purpose, but everything else is a compromise. If you decide to go for it in the future, either get a bigger bike, or make the one you have, work. Keep it fun. It's not a car. You can't carry enough to get by, and when the weather turns to crap, you still have to get home.

'Preciate the advice.

I say let we rip.

I’m not a bike guy. But I have a buddy that takes a month long trip across USA and Canada every year. He’s never happier than when he’s on that bike.

Your experience may be different. I've had sixteen bikes of various sizes over the last fifty years. The most comfortable one and the one I didn't have to make any comfort modifications to was a Victory. With the Gold Wing, I had to redo the seat, put highway pegs on it and put raisers on the handlebars. Even then it was only borderline comfortable for long trips.

Four wheel drivers are not your friend. Riding in the rain is miserable. When young, most of this doesn't matter. You are having an adventure and the discomfort, weather, other lousy drivers and any other negatives are all part of the experience. The older you get, the more the negatives matter. Having said that, touring and long distance on a bike is like nothing else.

You have to love being outside... in every kind of weather...
I prefer the Roadglide.
Harley seats are crap. Be prepared to spend serious money on a real seat.
When your bum is happy...your happy.
Tooling around with mumma on the back is some of the best times I.ve had.
dave

Now 76 years old, over 4 days in June I rode this bike 1485 miles from Gig Harbor, Wa to Venice, Ca, mostly along the Oregon and California coast route.

This a Bonneville-sized bike, not a big touring model, and not really built for days in the saddle. I'm no longer up to the task of carrying a passenger, but still want to ride as long as I'm able.

Rent before you buy!

Describe “touring.”

For on road and off road, the Honda Africa Twin is exceptional.

I suggest you rent for two days before purchase.
Lay a Gold Wing on it's side and pick it up.(953 lbs)
If you can fine if not rethink it.
Try to put it on the centerstand without help.
I owned one for 2 years, put 25,000 miles on it.
Now I have a Heritage Softtail Harley Davidson. I like it better, 200 lbs lighter. I am 65 years old and plan on riding the wheels off it this summer.

I owned a similar bike, (2002 Hinckley Bonneville) for 9 years and had a great time with it. They're styled after the Brit bikes of the late 60s but everything about them was different. Mine was stone ax dependable the entire time I owed it.

Somewhere along the way motorcycles started to take on track bike ergonomics and the styling of the old standards fell by the wayside.

At the same time that I owned the Bonneville, I also owned a Ducati 900SS.A 200 mile ride on the Ducati was about all the fun I could stand. But I could stay on the Bonneville all day.

The Ducati soon went on to another owner.

I had owned a few 60s era Brit bikes, but keeping them on the road was far more trouble than they were worth. When the new Bonnievilles were introduced, they were the Brit bike that I had always wanted.

I put a lot of miles and had a lot of fun on the Bonneville. It was the only bike I wanted for a long time.

This bike is a 2000 Kawasaki W650, a Bonneville redux that evolved from Kawasaki actually licensing the drawings from BSA. Numerous advancements were made, including bevel gear/shaft-driven overhead cam, 4-valves/cylinder, etc. I found this one with only 2300 miles on it.

I love riding my motorcycle. I love "touring". However, even for those of us who have been riding forever, it is work. I love it. It's fun. It is work. Also keep in mind that big old heavy weight 1500s and 1800s aren't the only appropriate bikes for touring. Plenty of touring is done on 650s and below. If two-up is your goal, bigger is better. Anyway, if you are new to it, buy a smaller bike and ride it for several months. Take it to work and back. Ride the local highways. Head over to the town 20 miles away and back. You will learn really quick whether it is something you really want to do. If you decide it is not, no big deal.