Touring bikes under $10,000 are rather rare. After all, most touring bikes are full-fledged things, built with utmost comfort and convenience in mind. These bits add money to the manufacturing processes, which then add extra money to the MSRP you pay the manufacturer for taking one home. Just take Harley-Davidson, for example, whose cheapest touring bike costs close to $20,000.
Does that mean touring on a budget is impossible? Well, of course not. But you’ll have to compromise on some things and pick one of the new-age tourers rather than your old behemoth options. Performance isn’t one of those compromises, though, since you can get an 80-horsepower touring bike under $10,000 today. Let’s dive into what it is.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Triumph Motorcycles and other authoritative sources.
The Triumph Tiger Sport 660 Is The Most Powerful Touring Bike Under $10,000
Price: $9,695
It comes as no surprise that European and Asian bikemakers dominate this space. You’ll find representation from Japan, China, and Britain here, all of which compete for the title of the “most powerful touring bike under $10,000”. Out of these, it’s Triumph Motorcycles that hits the nail on the head with the Tiger Sport 660.
Yes, ‘Tiger’ is usually a moniker given to adventure bikes, but ‘Tiger Sport’ is set aside for a lineup of ADV-style sport-tourers (or crossovers if you may). So the 660 looks like an ADV from afar, but it’s neither suited for rough terrain nor does Triumph claim this. Everything–the underpinnings, engine, features–are all for tarmac touring. As for power, you get 80 horsepower here, and it doesn’t get any better than this under $10,000.
Your next best option comes from China in the form the Moto Morini Calibro Bagger. This is an entirely different touring bike compared to the Tiger and falls on the traditional side of things. So it’s built on a cruiser platform, then topped with a fairing and hard saddlebags from the factory. It’s a much simpler touring bike than the Tiger and comes in a lot cheaper at $6,799. For that money, its near-70-horsepower seems rather impressive.
Post this, you have another crossover-type sport touring bike: the Honda NC750X. It’s arguably the most usable bike here, courtesy of its torque-focusing 745cc parallel-twin engine paired with a dual-clutch transmission. That means no fuss of shifting gears, whether you’re in the city or the freeway. Honda has also introduced a minor refresh for MY25, so you’re getting plenty of impressive features like a TFT and a helmet storage in the tank area. What you don’t get, though, is impressive performance. This one tops out at just 57 ponies.
Touring Bikes Under $10,000
- Triumph Tiger Sport 660
- Moto Morini Calibro Bagger
- Honda NC750X
Triumph’s Proven Triple-Cylinder Engine Powers The Tiger Sport 660
Power: 80 HP
Diving deeper, the Tiger Sport stands out in the under $10,000 touring segment, thanks to its unique engine. While parallel-twins are the most common here, Triumph does its own thing and plonks a 660cc triple-cylinder engine here. We already know triple-cylinder engines offer the best compromise between punchy p-twins and screaming four-pot mills, and it’s no different here.
You get 81 horsepower and 47 pound-feet, where the former comes in at nearly 10,000 RPM, but the latter is concentrated quite low at just 6,250 RPM. That’s enough to take you to almost 124 miles per hour with ease. While you enjoy your tours, you’ll also appreciate the long service interval of 10,000 miles (or 12 months). Tank-to-tank range, meanwhile, is said to be over 230 miles.
Tiger Sport 660 Engine Specs
|
Layout |
Three cylinders |
|
Capacity |
660cc |
|
Bore X Stroke |
74 X 51.1 mm |
|
Power |
80 HP @ 10,250 RPM |
|
Torque |
47 LB-FT @ 6,250 RPM |
|
Transmission |
Six-speed |
|
Fuel efficiency |
~53 MPG |
Likable Electronic Features Ensure Safety While Riding The Tiger Sport 660
Updates For 2025 Sweeten The Pot
80 horsepower is a lot for some serious speeds and fun. So if you’re not well-versed, you will need electronic aids to watch your back. And luckily, the Tiger Sport hits the nail on the head here. You get a digital instrument cluster that gives you access to cornering ABS, traction control, and ride modes.
Both the ABS and TC have been optimized for 2025, and a third riding mode (Sport) has been added, too. Another addition for 2025 is the connectivity module. It allows you to enjoy phone notifications on the fly during your tours. At the same time, you’ll enjoy the cruise control and a two-way quickshifter.
Key Features
- Cornering ABS
- Traction control
- Ride modes (Sport, Road, Rain)
- Cruise control
- Two-way quickshifter
- Adjustable windscreen
A Perimeter Frame With Showa Suspension Makes Up The Tiger Sport 660’s Underpinnings
Curb Weight: 456 Pounds
Remember, we said the Tiger Sport was biased towards paved roads? It’s because of the underpinnings. The sport-tourer hides a sporty steel perimeter chassis, with a gullwing-type aluminum swingarm, both drawn from the Trident 660 street naked. This is topped with road-biased suspension from Showa, comprising 41 mm USD forks and a monoshock. Both have 5.9 inches of travel, but only the rear is adjustable. In case you’re curious, the travel is about 0.7 more than the Trident.
Topping things is a set of 17/17-inch cast aluminum wheels. These house two 310 mm front discs and a single 255 mm rear disc, again identical to the naked. The brakes should be enough to shed speed fast, considering the Tiger Sport is one of the lighter touring bikes (456 pounds wet). All this while, the saddle height is an accessible 32.9 inches.
Tiger Sport 660 Underpinnings
|
Chassis |
Steel perimeter |
|
Front suspension |
41 mm USD forks |
|
Rear suspension |
Monoshock |
|
Wheels |
17/17-inch alloys |
|
Front brake |
2x 310 mm discs |
|
Rear brake |
255 mm disc |
|
Weight |
456 pounds |
|
Tank capacity |
4.5 gallons |
|
Seat height |
32.9 inches |