10 Best Motorcycles For Stress-Free Touring And Spirited Rides

We love motorcycles because of the emotions they give us. Not because they make us feel safe and cocooned – most of the emotions you’ll feel on a ride are probably “I’m hot,” “I’m cold,” or “My butt hurts.” But for those few moments when you experience the most beautiful views, or hit a smooth piece of tarmac that might have a string of well-sighted curves, it all becomes worth it.

To truly enjoy a long ride like this, you need a few things. Comfort is one, as we’ve just discussed. If you’re uncomfortable all the time, you’re not going to have fun. Another is confidence in the motorcycle: you need to know that you’re going to get there and back without any mechanical or electronic failures. And finally, it would be great if the motorcycle was also a great companion if you chose to switch it up and ride like your pants were on fire. We’ve got the touring motorcycles that do this the best; these are the ten best motorcycles for stress-free touring and spirited rides.

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 Cycles, and BMW Motorrad.

Yamaha Tracer 9 GT

Price: $12,599

The Tracer 9 GT is possibly the most fun touring bike you can have, and by no small margin. In fact, it might get a little too sporty for some, with its aggressively placed footpegs. But that’s just the Tracer staying true to its roots: under the skin, it is an MT-09, and the engine hasn’t been detuned even a little for the touring bike. Yamaha has even left all the electronic aids in with the six-axis IMU, even slide control… on a touring bike! It is practical as well, with standard luggage, a two-way quickshifter, and a large 7-inch TFT color display with Bluetooth connectivity and navigation.

Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX

Price: $13,699

The Ninja 1100SX forges its own path. Yes, it’s a sport tourer with an inline four engine, but it focuses on torque rather than power. That’s why is makes ‘just’ 134 horsepower from nearly 1.1 liters. It has a lot of features that make life easier out on the open road, but it remains a Ninja, so it will put a big smile on your face should a curve come up. You also get a slightly small 4.3-inch TFT color display. For $1,700 more, you can opt for the Ninja 1100SX SE, which adds a few premium components like an Ohlins S46 rear shock, Brembo front brakes, stainless steel braided brake hoses for the front, and heated grips.

Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+

Price: $14,299

If you prefer your sports tourer to remain Japanese, but want more performance from it than the Kawasaki offers, well, Suzuki has you covered. The GSX-S1000GT+ uses old GSX-R parts to make a modern sport tourer that hasn’t lost its sport bike DNA. You’ll need to rev it up and keep it on the boil to get it going, but once there, it is a lot of fun. You also get a larger 6.5-inch TFT color display, standard color-matched hard luggage, and fully adjustable suspension.

BMW S 1000 XR

Price: $17,995

The S 1000 XR is a crossover, or a sport tourer with an adventure bike rider triangle quite like the Tracer 9. And like the Yamaha, it pulls no punches with its engine. You get a whole 170 horsepower from its liter inline four, which is among the highest in the category. Even BMW thinks it is more sport than tourer, if you look at its website. There is an options list a mile long, but weirdly the quickshifter is on it as well. You do get as standard switchable ABS, keyless ignition, and a cornering headlamp.

Suzuki GSX-S1000GX+

Price: $18,599

For a few dollars more than the GSX-S1000GT+, you can opt for the Suzuki crossover, the GSX-S1000GX+. This adds a few things more than the sports tourer for the extra money. A six-axis IMU makes things safer and more convenient. Suzuki’s smart cruise control allows you to change gear without disengaging the cruise control. The long-travel suspension is electronically adjustable, and you get large 310 mm front brake discs and Brembo monobloc radial calipers.

Ducati Multistrada V4

Price: $19,995

The Multistrada has always been a very sharp bike, happy to blast along the straights and hunt down apexes despite its appearance of a large, tall bike. With the Multistrada V4, Ducati has addressed the other bits that needed improvement. The Granturismo engine has conventional valve springs, so valve adjustments need to be done every two years or 37,000 miles. Service is required annually. You don’t fall short on power, torque, or features, either. You get 170 horsepower, 91 pound-feet, a six-axis IMU, fully adjustable suspension with remote preload adjustment for the rear, Brembo brakes with monobloc calipers and a radial master cylinder, and a 5-inch TFT color display.

BMW R 1300 RT

Price: $22,495

The R 1300 RT is a relatively recent entrant into the segment, and it brings all the good things we’ve seen from the driveline from the R 1300 GS, including the option of an automated manual gearbox. This makes it unique in the US market. A quickshifter is also a paid option and not standard, on a bike whose base price is over $22,000. The sky’s the limit when adding options to the R 1300 RT, and you can have yourself one of the most technologically advanced motorcycles on an unlimited budget.

BMW K 1600 GT

Price: $24,475

BMW’s K 1600 series is one of the greats when it comes to a balance of touring comfort and outright pace, led by that seminal inline six-cylinder engine. It is the only one of its kind in the two-wheeled world, and it has the numbers (160 horsepower) and the noise to back it up. You get a large 10.25-inch TFT color display up front, BMW’s Duolever and Telelever suspension in electronic form, and shaft drive. An aluminum twin spar frame holds everything together, and with the engine canted over at 55 degrees, the center of gravity is really low. That means the K 1600 GT loves corners just as much as it is comfortable staying on the highway all day.

Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX

Price: $29,100

For many, the Ninja H2 SX is the ultimate sports tourer. Look at the specs and that might just check out, what with the supercharged engine that makes a whole lot more torque than a naturally aspirated engine. There is everything you’d expect from a product that sits at the very top of its range, including a six-axis IMU, a 6.5-inch TFT color display, cornering headlamps, keyless ignition, and tire pressure monitoring. You also get premium features like blind spot detection, forward collision warning, semi-active electronic suspension, and self-healing paint and launch control.

Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST

Price: $44,999

The CVO Road Glide ST is a tourer, but it is quite different to what you’ve come to expect from Harley-Davidson so far. It has been tuned for performance, since its pedigree is the King Of The Baggers race series. It therefore runs the ‘High Output’ version of the Milwaukee Eight 121 engine, giving up the variable valve timing for pure horsepower. You get petal disc brakes, Brembo radial brake calipers, inverted front forks from Showa, and a carbon fiber front fender.