Full-sized touring bikes are getting excessively expensive these days. If you are after a decent full-sized tourer, you might need to spend as much as $20k. If you are willing to consider something a little more compact and sporty, there is actually a growing contingent of middleweight options that cost a fair bit less.
The one thing all these middleweight bikes have in common is great value. Each bike offers something a little different that will appeal to different riders, but the bike in question packs a genuinely powerful engine that will make it feel like a bigger tourer. It also offers a level of refinement more commonly associated with the bigger, more expensive bikes.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Triumph. Whereas, the opinions are our own.
10 Touring Bikes That Double As Everyday Commuters
All these versatile middleweight touring bikes offer us an opportunity to own a bike that can be used for both commuting and traveling
The Triumph Tiger Sport 800 Tour Offers Big-Bike Touring Ability In A Smarter Midweight Package
MSRP: $14,695
The Tiger Sport 800 Tour is something of a rarity in this middleweight touring segment. Instead of a reworked engine extracted from another model, it features a brand-new triple. While it will certainly go into other bikes (there’s already a Trident 800), Triumph has prioritized the tourer. It is a signal of intent from the British brand, and with its new powertrain, this Tiger is able to take the fight to the value-packed Japanese competition.
Honda’s NT1100 has been selling well throughout Europe for a while now and offers incredible value for those looking for a fully automatic tourer. It’s running on the same platform as the Africa Twin, and is a pretty big, heavy bike as a result. If you want something a little lighter, the Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+ offers a great all-round touring package. It has significantly more power thanks to the fact that it runs on an old sports bike chassis, and it is cheaper, too.
From the moment it was launched, it was pretty clear which bike Triumph saw as a key competitor. The Yamaha Tracer 9 offers a comprehensive touring package at an even lower price point. It also makes use of a triple, and, unlike the other two Japanese bikes, it is a genuine middleweight with a wet weight of well under 500 pounds. While the Tracer certainly has its merits, the new kid on the block has a few nice-to-have features that make it worth the extra outlay.
The Tiger Sport 800 Has A New Triple-Cylinder Engine
Clearly emboldened by the success of the 660 platform, Triumph wants more. To get that, more power was required. With 113 horsepower and a characteristically flat torque curve, this 800 nails that part of the brief. By shoehorning it into the same frame as the smaller Tiger Sport 660, Triumph was also able to save both weight and manufacturing costs. With the added power and minimal weight gain, the 800 is able to really take the fight to its competitors. Unfortunately, some problems can’t be resolved by adding displacement.
New Triple, Same Old Problem
Triples have a built-in advantage over other configurations. They offer similar top-end performance to an inline-four and similar torque to a twin. In so many ways, they are the best of both worlds, except for one. Any triple is inherently unbalanced, and no matter what each manufacturer does to eliminate the vibrations caused by this, you will feel some of them, especially higher up in the rev range, or, more to the point, while cruising down the highway. Some riders will get annoyed by this, and others simply won’t care. You really need to take the bike for a test ride to figure out where you stand.
Why The Triumph Tiger Sport 800 Might Be The Sweet Spot For All Riders
This impressive triple blends features, comfort and performance better than any other middleweight tourer
The New Tiger Sport Strikes A Balance Between Comfort And Performance
In this highly competitive part of the market, keeping the bike affordable is key. Triumph has done a great job of keeping the price below $15k for a bike with an attractive design, powerful engine, and a host of touring features. Obviously, money had to be saved somewhere. That somewhere is the chassis.
As previously mentioned, this is just a modified 660 chassis, which means it is a fairly simplistic steel perimeter frame. It might get found on track, but that is not what this bike is designed for. It is meant to be fun on a twisty canyon road, and comfortable enough for you and your passenger on the highway. Once again, it nails the brief, largely thanks to its adjustable Showa suspension, which makes it relatively easy to set up.
Everything You Need To “Escape The Ordinary”
We couldn’t quite resist the temptation to borrow Triumph’s already borrowed line. But the Tour model really does have everything you might need for a long trip. The luggage is a welcome addition to this platform, and even though it pushes the wet weight figure over the 500-pound mark, it is well worth the added weight in our opinion. Some might be disappointed with the small dash, but we love it, and like the fact that Triumph has resisted the temptation to throw a big TFT at a bike that doesn’t really need it.
Every other modern feature is present and accounted for, from cornering ABS to a quickshifter. The Tour spec also gives you the luggage, hand guards, heated grips, and a center stand. It really is a complete touring package, everything you would expect from a bigger tourer, just packed into a more affordable middleweight package.