10 Touring Bikes That Marry Lifetime Reliability With Luxury Comfort

A touring bike has a few things it needs to do well. ‘Be comfortable’ is right at the top of that list. Comfort on a touring bike involves quite a few things, like wind protection at highway speeds, all-day seating, and a powerful mill enough to overtake on the highway. Looks that turn heads are a bonus. One aspect that is overlooked a lot is reliability.

But as the decades have gone by, this has grown in importance. After all, breaking down in the middle of nowhere can be a real bummer. Plus, you want a trustworthy machine on such long tours, not something that keeps you in a constant state of “what can go wrong”. Here then are ten touring bikes that offer reliability and comfort in heaps.

10

Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+

Price: $14,399

The GSX-S1000GT squeaks into this list by virtue of a combination of affordability and luxury. Sure, it doesn’t have a lot of features that we’d consider essential to a luxury motorcycle – for example, a six-axis IMU is missing – but you wouldn’t know or miss it with one of these. It is such incredible fun to ride hard while offering comfort that you wouldn’t expect from something this quick. To make matters sweeter, you get a standard two-way quickshifter, a 6.4-inch TFT display with Bluetooth and navigation, and hard saddlebags.

9

Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX

Price: $13,999

The Ninja 1100SX follows the same blueprint as the Suzuki above, but it does a few things differently. For one, it has a much lower power figure from an engine that has more displacement. This has been done in an effort to focus on torque rather than power for a better touring experience. Kawasaki has also equipped it with a six-axis IMU. That means standard features include modern-day electronic aids, a TFT display, and a two-way quickshifter. Invest a little more for the SE model, and you’ll get Öhlins rear suspension, Brembo front brakes, braided front brake lines, and heated grips as well.

8

Yamaha FJR1300ES

Price: $18,299

The FJR is one of the old guard. It hasn’t been updated in a while, but then again, it doesn’t really need to. You get electronic suspension as a standard feature, unified brakes, and a strong 144 horsepower from the engine. An aluminum diamond frame holds everything together, and you’ll love the part-analog, part-LCD instrumentation if you like retro designs. All that is missing is Bluetooth and navigation, but their lack can also make you simply focus more on the ride. You’ll need to focus, too, because it tops out at 154 miles per hour.

7

Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager

Price: $20,199

The Vulcan 1700 Voyager is quite an old model. It hasn’t been updated for a very long time, either. But to be honest, it has enough to keep you in luxury anyway. The engine has liquid cooling for the heads (which is what Harley-Davidson currently uses), fuel injection, and a by-wire throttle. The latter means traction control is available. Elsewhere, the rear shocks are air-assisted, the brakes have ABS, and the transmission is a six-speed one. It only lacks in terms of the super-dated instrumentation.

6

BMW R 1300 RT

Price: $22,645

The R 1300 RT is BMW’s premium sport tourer, and it doesn’t get much better than this. It shares its driveline with the R 1300 GS, so you get great power and torque thanks to the variable valve timing. There is also the option for an automated manual, so you don’t have to shift gears if you don’t want to. There is a two-way quickshifter available, too. Of course, besides all the performance and safety, it is packed to the gills with features like electronic suspension, keyless ignition, heated grips, and cornering headlamps.

5

BMW K 1600 GTL

Price: $27,745

The K 1600 GTL is what you get when the R 1300 RT isn’t enough bike for you. It has the world’s only inline six-cylinder motorcycle engine, and an amazing power output of 160 ponies. Features include a throne for the passenger, massive luggage space, automatic leveling electronic suspension, keyless ignition, cornering headlamps, and a reverse gear. A two-way quickshifter is on the options list, and you’ll be happy to know that there is reverse assist as a standard feature.

4

Harley-Davidson Road Glide

Price: $27,999

The Road Glide is positively good value for money when compared to the CVO models, and that’s a good thing. This is powered by the Milwaukee-Eight 117 that does duty in a number of Harley models, right from the Street Bob that costs nearly half as much. That means it is an extremely reliable driveline. You also get a generous helping of features to go along with it. They include a six-axis IMU, a 12.3-inch TFT display, and a premium audio system.

3

Honda Gold Wing Tour

Price: $28,700

There was never any question that the Gold Wing would be on this list. It is the benchmark when it comes to the combination of luxury and reliability, and it helps that Honda has the habit of getting it right the first time around. The Gold Wing is also unique because it is reliable despite having a lot of components that it doesn’t share with other models. The flat six engine, for example, or the seven-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox are both unique to it. You also get all the creature comforts you’d expect, including the world’s only motorcycle airbag.

2

Harley-Davidson Street Glide Ultra

Price: $30,749

The Street Glide Ultra is Milwaukee’s full-dress tourer. It has one of the Milwaukee Eight 117 engines with water-cooled heads, which makes it quite reliable. The rest of the driveline is quite simple, with a six-speed manual and belt drive. It’s got some great features, too, like an enormous 12.3-inch TFT display with Bluetooth, navigation, and voice command capability. The suspension is by Showa, and a six-axis IMU offers access to a full safety suite.

1

Indian Roadmaster Thunderstroke

Price: $33,499

Indian might be seeing a change in management yet again, but the Thunderstroke engine is a lot more reliable than the company structure, that’s for sure. The Roadmaster is an old-school large-displacement V-twin with air cooling, but it also has modern features like fuel injection, a by-wire throttle, and rear cylinder deactivation. It is accompanied by a 7-inch TFT screen, adaptive headlamp, electrically adjustable windscreen, heated and cooled seats, and a look that is unique.

Sources: Harley-Davidson USA, BMW USA