So that's why they have touring bikes

"ImmoralMinority" (araimondo)
07/03/2019 at 19:31 • Filed to: None

My 3 hour Ninja road trip was pretty grueling. My 48 year old knees and ankles are barking at me, and I am very tired. I took pics of the bike on my rest breaks, and when I arrived.

DISCUSSION (22)

Ssfancyfresh > ImmoralMinority
07/03/2019 at 19:40

I did a road trip from Detroit to Vegas to Salt Lake City and back on a Yamaha FZ-6. It worked like a champ, but I swore I wouldn’t do it again unless I had one of those big BMW touring bikes or something similar.

But, t he little bikes are much more fun and versatile for day to day stuff. You just need more bikes. Yay!

RallyWrench > ImmoralMinority
07/03/2019 at 20:06

Enjoy your coastal rest! A very good friend of mine got rid of his CBR1100 for a 650 V-Strom and custom saddle for this reason. The sporty bike was immense fun for the occasional local rip but just beat him up on longer rides. But he does weeks long trips of several hundred miles a day on the V-Strom and loves it.

CRider > ImmoralMinority
07/03/2019 at 20:08

Ev ery thing about sport bikes is designed to go fast, because they’re uncomfortable and you’ll want the ride to end as quickly as possible.

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > ImmoralMinority
07/03/2019 at 20:19

600 miles on this Sportster 1200 has taught me much the same lesson.

B.J. "Jazzy Joe" > CRider
07/03/2019 at 20:48

That’s not a sport bike

CRider > B.J. "Jazzy Joe"
07/03/2019 at 20:53

Um... Yes it is?

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > ImmoralMinority
07/03/2019 at 21:04

My next motorcycle will probably be a sport touring bike, still somewhat sporty but with a more upright riding position and a bit of storage. BMW RT, Honda ST1100, Kawasaki Concours - something like that. Full on touring bikes are more than I need, and I can’t hunch over on a sport bike like I could a quarter century ago.

A friend used to have a custom Harley Sportster, and it was a gorgeous bike. But he was riding home from Los Angeles to Las Vegas every weekend, and a Goldwing Aspencade 110o just made more sense for that ride. One day we decided to ride up the coast to Malibu, then up the canyons to Malibu Creek State Park and hike to the location of the M*A*S*H set. We traded bikes for part of the ride, and within a mile of home I nearly dropped his GW. I had the radio on, no wind, a drink in the cup holder amongst other creature comforts. When I got to a red light I was so comfortable that I forgot I was on a motorcycle and almost forgot to put my feet on the ground when I stopped...

B.J. "Jazzy Joe" > CRider
07/03/2019 at 21:32

I look at the bars and think it’s a 650. Not really a sportbike per se if thats the case.

CRider > B.J. "Jazzy Joe"
07/03/2019 at 21:51

It’s not a supersport but it’s a sport bike. It’s not on the extreme end of the spectrum but it’s not a standard and it’s definitely not a cruiser or naked. Ninjas are sport bikes.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > ImmoralMinority
07/03/2019 at 21:53

back when I was single and not a full time farmer (Hay all this week, I’ll be baling tomorrow for the 4th ) I used to take my BMW F650 to Maine on saturdays for a lobster roll for lunch, then ride home again. That’s about 8 hours on the bike... it was totally comfortable.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > ImmoralMinority
07/03/2019 at 22:13

Yeah the versys 650/V-strom 650 make amazing mid-distance tourers. Hell, my KLR will do triple digit mileage easy and I’ll arrive in one piece. V-stroms can do that *and* tackle light trails with ease.

Co nversely, get an aftermarket seat. Corbin seats are known to do wonders for backs and butts.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now)
07/03/2019 at 22:15

How bad is the fuel range on it? I know the sportsters never had the biggest tanks to begin with so to see them stuff a 1200 in there and also go and fit it with the <2 gallon peanut tank in certain configurations was......an interesting choice....

B.J. "Jazzy Joe" > CRider
07/03/2019 at 22:17

I don’t agree with that statement. Its in the “sport” category, but like the CBR650F its too much of a tourer and not designed enough for speed/cornering I’ve always felt.

Personally I feel in the Ninja range the 300/400/ZX6R/ZX10R more reflects a sportbike than the 650 ever does. Still a good bike though.

CRider > B.J. "Jazzy Joe"
07/03/2019 at 22:32

Why? Is it not powerful enough?

B.J. "Jazzy Joe" > CRider
07/03/2019 at 23:19

My bad... its a 400. Kept thinking it was the 650, I’m so stupid :P

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/03/2019 at 23:32

I know multiple 50+ year old V-Strom owners who had given up on touring until they bought those bikes.

Manny05x > ImmoralMinority
07/04/2019 at 00:55

Yeah there just isn’t a bike that does it all, you need a tourer if you plan long road trips. I did a 4 hour on my FZ 07 and my body was hurting in all places.

CaptDale - is secretly British > ImmoralMinority
07/04/2019 at 01:24

Yeah that's a tight bike for a long drive but should be worth it

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Manny05x
07/04/2019 at 09:59

Multistrada? Tiger? Hell even my Monster!

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/04/2019 at 16:05

Fuel light comes on at 110 miles.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now)
07/04/2019 at 21:34

WOOF.

I know it isn’t a l ong distance tourer, but that’s not a lot if you wanted to make a whole day out of riding it. Especially if you went into a less dense area where there could be 10-20 miles between stations.

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/04/2019 at 21:36

Supposedly, the low fuel light indicates 1 gallon left, so theoretically you’ve got another ~60 miles. I really don’t trust it tho.