Touring motorcycles are a special breed. They need to be strong and reliable, and able to accelerate to highway speeds...
Touring
Touring motorcycles are becoming popular as riders extend their horizons beyond the local cafe. Touring bikes have larger capacity engines, bigger fuel tanks, more comfortable seats, pillion accommodation, luggage capacity, low maintenance and durability. MotorbikeWriter previews coming touring models, attends launches of touring bikes around the world and road tests the bikes in Australia and overseas.
I was glad I was aboard a 2019 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special when we hit appalling weather and narrowly avoided...
Harley-Davidson is running another great competition where you test ride one of their Touring models and go in the draw to win a trip to ride the famous Route 66 in the US. It is part of the corporation’s global marketing push this year spending 65% more on advertising and marketing and...
KTM has unveiled its 1290 Super Duke GT touring sports bike and it’s coming to Australia early next year to...
Harley-Davidson Australia is giving test riders of their Big Twins a chance to win one of 20 trips for two...
For the first time, Harley-Davidson has shoehorned the Twin Cam 110B (1800cc) Screamin’ Eagle engine into “standard” bikes for more power, rather than just their CVO models. The Softail Slim S and Fat Boy S will get the powerful engine when they arrive at the end of next month. SEE...
Apart from the first electric motorcycles from Victory Motorcycles, the Empulse TT, the only changes in the 2016 model line-up...
The 2016 Indian Motorcycle range is wearing some new paint, including a “pearl white” Chief Classic, a “blue diamond” Roadmaster,...
If you’re into towing a trailer behind your motorcycle, this blow-up tent trailer may be just right. American travellers Mike and Mary Setzer have developed the ScarabRV which weighs just 136kg (300lb) and has a 12-volt inflation system that pitches the tent, providing a queen-sized sleeping area for two. UPDATE:...
BMW looks set to return to cruisers – or at least cruiser-style baggers – with the release of the Concept...
Hot on the heels of the Benelli BN 302 learner-approved motorcycle come two 600cc sports tourers, one of which is...
The Yamaha MT-09 Tracer is basically an MT-09 naked bike with a swag of accessories that turn it into a tourer worthy of our wide, brown land. It comes standard with hard panniers, adjustable seat, three-position windscreen, centre stand, hand guards, three engine modes, traction control, ABS, sporty fairing and larger fuel tank...
Italian-designed and Chinese-made Benelli motorcycles are adding two learner bike models to their line-up in 2015. The new BN 302...
Hot on the heels of the announcement that Mercedes-AMG has taken a 25% share in the company, MV Agusta has...
Black and white “urban camo” has been added to the 2015 Ural as the Russian motorcycle manufacturer fine-tunes its models. Ural Australia will unveil the 2015 EFI model sidecars at the Melbourne Moto Expo later this month days before the first shipment arrives in early December. Ural upgraded to electronic fuel injection...
The retro-styled Ural outfit is finally entering the space age with a limited edition model named after the combined USA-USSR...
To celebrate 40 years since the Honda Goldwing was introduced to the world at the Cologne Motorcycle Show, the Japanese...
Australian riders may not be able to buy the new low-riding flagship Harley tourers available in other markets, but they will be able to get a factory lowering kit to meet their requirements. Harley-Davidson Australia marketing director Adam Wright says our market is too small to import the Ultra Classic Low and...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNQIc9DMSnQ&sns=em Put simply, the Harley-Davidson Road Glide has the best aerodynamics of any touring bike I have ever ridden. The...
Sometimes the planets align and all your ducks are in a row. That was today when I got to ride...
If you are planning to travel long distances with style and grace, and in a great deal of comfort, the Victory Cross Country Tour must be on your shopping list. My wife and I are currently in the middle of a 3200km trip from LA to Sturgis on the Victory...
The Harley-Davidson SuperLow XL1200T is not made for me, yet somehow I like it. The SuperLow is, as its name...
UPDATED SEPTEMBER 11: A recent US survey found that customers want test rides more than anything; discounts included. Sounds simple,...
The Victory Cross Roads Classic is a soft bagger that is made for the long haul. I reviewed the Victory Cross Roads last June and you can read my review here. Nothing has changed except for the addition of a two-tone colour option for an extra $500. It’s a...
(UPDATE JULY 21: Harley has just confirmed the Road Glide will return for 2015.) I’d like odds on Harley-Davidson reintroducing...
Getting to the annual HOG Rally is half the fun. This year, a contingent of motorcycle media rode Harley-Davidson...
Yamaha has added electronic suspension adjustment to its sports tour-de-force FJR1300. It is now called the FJR1300E and costs $26,999, up $2000. What a difference a year makes. When the updated FJR1300 was launched a year ago, Yamaha Motor Australia decided not to import the FJR1300E which also adds upside-down...
The Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic is unusual for a couple of reasons – Harley asked riders some questions and found the...
Harley-Davidson’s big frame-mounted tourer, the Road Glide, is making a comeback. The bike was axed for 2014 and, as I...
As Harley-Davidson is about to release its 2013 earnings figures, there have also been leaks of the power figures for the new Harley Street 500 and 750. Shares in the iconic American heavyweight motorcycle manufacturer have jumped 40%. However, it may have to re-brand itself as it will this year...
The Italian marque will make their bikes safer this year with the introduction of ABS on Australian 2014 models. The...
Australia is one of the top five markets in the world for Ural motorcyles and sidecars. It makes sense since...
Honda’s NC700SA “new concept” commuter has grown some highway legs, as well as more manners and grunt. It’s now the NC750SA and costs $8799 (plus on-road costs) which is just $309 more than the previous model. For that you get an extra 75cc of engine capacity with more power and...
Victory has added the word “Tour” to its Victory Vision and made it one of the best options for those...
While this year will be remembered as the year of hi-tech, my pick for bike of the year is more...
Despite the numerous changes to the 2014 Harley-Davidson Street Glide, there are two that stand out the most. Well, actually one of them doesn’t stand out at all. I’m talking about the new slimline air filter. Most riders replace the bulky air filter as their first order of business...
Kawasaki has launched two new 2014 sports touring models. The new 2014 Kawasaki Z1000 ABS SE has more power, torque,...
2013 has undoubtedly been the year of the Indian Chief. Thanks to Polaris profits and industrial acumen, the iconic American...
Chinese brand CFMoto was a little premature in the launch of the 650TK touring bike earlier this year. The pre-production bikes were below par in terms of finish and equipment, and in comparison to the 650NK naked bike. Only a handful of the bikes were sold. Now CFMoto has gone...
Victory Motorcycles just keep getting more and more attractive – in looks and price. For 2014 they have optional factory...
Just as BMW 7 Series (and Mercedes S-Class) are the epitome of hi-tech in the car world, the new BMW K 1600 GTL Exclusive...
Honda doesn’t seem content following the herd. Consequently the CTX1300 was unveiled at the Milan motorcycle show. It’s a cross between a tourer and cruiser. There’s also a little bit of scooter in there and even some F6B GoldWing. The CTX1300 is powered by the VFR1200 V4 engine with 62kW...
It snuck up on us without warning, but Chinese manufacturer CFMoto is now selling more units than BMW Motorrad in...
The Suzuki C50T is an aptly named cruiser. The C stands for classic, referring to its traditional big fenders, two-tone...
Before the BMW R 1200 GS went to partial water cooling, I drew up a wish list for the new bike. As an owner of an R 1150 GS, then an R 1200 GS Adventure and now an air-cooled R 1200 GS, I had 10 improvements on my wish list...
The new KTM 1190 Adventure follows its biggest competitor, BMW’s R 1200 GS, into a more road-focused market. Both are...
Honda Goldwing has shed some weight, but gained some street cred. The new F6B (flat six bagger) is a menacing-looking...
A day riding the Indian Chief Vintage with brown leather saddle and bags leaves you feeling a bit like an urban cowboy. It’s a good feeling thanks to a bike that exudes character, style, performance and quality. We’ve just returned from a ride through the Tweed hinterland on the new...
Riders in hot climates should appreciate the cool, new Indian Chief. Indian Motorcycles product manager Gary Gray from the USA...
Yamaha XV1300: Most cruisers are air cooled and low revving, but the Yamaha XV1300A and T (touring model) are delightful...
It took some time, but Harley-Davidson has suddenly come thundering into the 21st century, thanks to its Project Rushmore. The new Touring features hi-tech infotainment systems, wind-tunnel aerodynamics, LED and halogen headlights, linked brakes, hydraulic clutch and partial water cooling. It’s typical of Harley not to be the first with...
Harley-Davidson has solved a raft of “first-world problems” with its new Touring range. It’s not as if they have discovered...
Harley admits that customers had asked for an adjustable windscreen on the new Touring range, but they rejected the idea....
Has Harley really gone water-cooled? When Harley launched the 2014 model range this week they introduced a new Twin-Cooled 103 and 110 engine to the range. By Twin-Cooled they mean that water and coolant is used to cool the heads near the exhaust ports where most of the heat is...
Harley-Davidson has axed the Road Glide for 2014. But I doubt it will be the last we see of the...
Triumph has fine-tined its Tiger 1050 from adventure to sports. The more sporty version has 50mm lower suspension and therefore...
Riding the Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 on the morning commute is a bit like taking a bazooka to a knife fight. Yet, Aprilia says it has repositioned its Dorsoduro supermoto range from “weekend warrior” to “fun commuter”. It’s really a bit of both. It’s certainly no tourer as I found out....
There are some bikes that scream and demand attention. And then there are those that quietly go about their business...
Versatility is the key word for the Harley-Davidson Dyna Switchback. It’s a tourer with hard panniers and a big windscreen,...
There is no replacement for displacement and you’ll buy the Yamaha Star Tourer (XV1900AT) just for its thumping engine. At 1854cc, or 113 cubic inches in the old vernacular, it’s the biggest V-twin in a production bike in the world. But rather than feeling like two rhinos bouncing on...