10 Touring Bikes That Double As Everyday Commuters

As much as high-end full-dress touring bikes are great on the highway, that is pretty much the only thing they are great at. Those are not the touring bikes we have in mind. The touring bikes that can double as ideal commuter bikes are all middleweight tourers.

There is a wide variety of great middleweight bikes that will all cater to different kinds of riders. While all these bikes are quite at home on the highway, they are also light and nimble enough to handle the rigors of a city commute. The main thing that counts against the bigger touring bikes is weight. In line with that, we only considered bikes that weigh less than 500 pounds.

To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from authoritative sources, such as Kawasaki USA, Suzuki Global, and Yamaha Motorsports. The motorcycles on this list are rated according to MSRP.

KTM 890 SMT

MSRP: $13,949

The 890 SMT has the potential to turn your everyday commute into an absolute blast. While it is classified as a sport-tourer, it has a pretty serious supermoto vibe to it. The Austrian-made LC8c engine has a bit of a past, but KTM claims to have solved the problems which led to some cam failures. Long-term reliability is still not a guarantee, which is far from ideal for a bike which you might want to take on a longer ride away from civilization.

Specifications

Yamaha Tracer 9

MSRP: $12,599

If the potential risk involved with the KTM is not worth the reward, then the ultra-reliable Tracer 9 might be a better fit. Even though it is a middleweight, it is a deceptively advanced motorcycle with a host of great comfort features. The CP3 engine also has a flat torque curve, ideal for real-world riding conditions, and certainly won’t leave you in want of more power.

Specifications

Triumph Tiger Sport 800

MSRP: $12,495

The Tiger Sport 800 is one of the few motorcycles – and the only bike on this particular list – that has a brand-new engine this year. While its frame is just a modified version of the 660 frame, this is an all-new triple which will soon feature in a few other models. It is also right up there with the other bikes in terms of features, although it does have a smaller dash, which we actually quite like.

Specifications

BMW F 900 XR

MSRP: $11,995

BMW is on something of a roll with the XR series. This tall sports bike design has proven to be a big hit, and several other manufacturers are following BMW down this particular path. While the S 1000 XR offers superbike performance in a more comfortable package, the F 900 XR is a more simplified, budget-oriented option that offers the same great design aesthetic paired with a more reliable and economical parallel-twin.

Specifications

Kawasaki Versys 650 LT ABS

MSRP: $10,099

The Versys 650 has traditionally been the default choice in this space, but the latest version faces some stiff competition. To combat the growing number of competitors, Kawasaki has thrown pretty much every touring feature you might want at this bike. Its price is somewhat higher than it used to be, but with all the added features, there is still a lot of value on offer.

Specifications

Triumph Tiger Sport 660

MSRP: $9,695

With the arrival of the 800 platform, there is a possibility that Triumph will consider phasing the 660 out at some point. Its recent refresh suggests that won’t happen anytime soon, though, with the addition of cruise control and a quickshifter. For less than $10k, this is an absolute bargain, and is an excellent alternative to the aforementioned Versys.

Specifications

Honda NC750X

MSRP: $9,499

Honda has bet big on automatic motorcycles, and we can’t help but feel that this bet is paying off. The NC750X is actually based on a maxi-scooter platform, and as a result, you do get this best of both worlds kind of motorcycle. It has a huge amount of storage space thanks to the fact that the engine lies flat in the chassis, and even though its power to weight ratio isn’t much to write home about, most of the torque lives low down in the rev range, which is ideal for city riding.

Specifications

BMW C 400 GT

MSRP: $8,445

In reality, this is more of a commuter that doubles as a touring bike, not the other way around. Most of us will end up spending more time commuting than touring. Maxi-scooters are admittedly an acquired taste, but if you do acquire the taste, this premium bike offers incredible comfort and a long list of modern comfort features.

Specifications

Moto Morini Calibro 700 Bagger

MSRP: $6,799

While there are several great entry-level cruisers that can be easily converted into lightweight baggers, this is the only off-the-shelf option. Chinese bikes like this have come a long way, and mechanical reliability is not a concern thanks to its stroked-out Kawasaki engine. Unfortunately, build quality still leaves something to be desired, but at this price, it is still worth a look.

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Bonus: Suzuki SV-7GX

MSRP: N/A

We wanted to include this as a bonus entry for those willing to wait until next year to buy a bike. While some were a little surprised at the fact that Suzuki didn’t use the new 800 platform for this new lightweight touring bike, that would have pushed the price up. We suspect that this will come in at under the magic $10k mark, and if that is the case, it might just be worth waiting for.

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