Sport Tourers... First bike...

[Nourdmrolnmt]

Just getting information on recommendations for a nice sport tourer...

I would end up with the bike as an only form of transportation, other than a bike and then access to zipcar...

looking in the 5-6k range, plus the additional money for gear ($1500?)

Love the italians, and can put up with necessary maintenance.

suggestions?

[GTIGUY!]

tiger 1050, vfr

[soldierguy]

You said the magic word...Italians. I'm an Italian bike whore and LOVE a good V-twin engine, which should explain my recommendation.

Take a look at a Moto Guzzi Norge (sport-touring) or Stelvio (adventure-touring). From everything I've read they are darn near bulletproof and are easy to service. Shaft-drive (much less maintenance than a chain and more reliable than BMW's shaft-drive setup), air & oil cooled (no coolant changes), and with the engine sitting north-south, the heads are exposed for easier valve adjustments and spark plug changes. They're heavier than sportbikes, but lighter than most touring bikes, and the weight is down low. Fuel economy doesn't appear to be their strong suit though, and when you add in the small-ish tank, range is limited.

I'm picking up a Stelvio in about 2 months when I return to the states, and I can't wait to throw a leg over it! I was concerned about a sparse dealer network, but pretty much all reports I've read (and all the internet forums I follow) say they're very durable.

[Triumph]

if you're a beginner you still want a good beginner bike, so 1000cc anything is not my recommendation. take a look at a vstrom 650, or the kawasaki 650, or the bmw f800 line.

[Silly_me]

First bike + Italian = Aprillia Pegaso and only the Pegaso, the other ones will cost you an arm and a leg to repair when you drop it. In other words, don't start reading any of these posts till you get to Triumph's

[atomicalex]

First bike + Italian = Aprillia Pegaso and only the Pegaso, the other ones will cost you an arm and a leg to repair when you drop it. In other words, don't start reading any of these posts till you get to Triumph's

Yeah, I would say that if Italian, a Pegaso is ok. But plan on buying parts at the propellor people.

[Nourdmrolnmt]

oh and 6'3 me needs to fit

[Spectaculiciousnes]

Well Ducati only really makes ONE Sport Tourer & it's called of all things, the ST They stopped making them a few years back though so I think around 2007 is the last year. You can easily find a nice ST for the 5-6K range.

[turbinepowered]

oh and 6'3 me needs to fit

I'm 6'2" with long legs and the only bike I haven't "fit" on so far was the Bonnevilles I tried out. And the EX250, but apparently with the right pegs I fit right on it (was looking at buying from another tall guy).

[Spectaculiciousnes]

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/mcy/2941181265.html
Here's a nice ST4S I just saw on Seattle CL. This is the top of the ST line. & this one has full bags & comes in the best Ducati color YELLOW Could probably be had for less than $5K since he's asking $5,200.

[romano258]

VStrom 650 sounds like an excellent fit. Don't think full on sport-tourers make for good first bikes. Too big, too powerful. Get something a bit manageable first. Then get an Aprilia Futura

[dts]

If you're determined to go for an Italian sport-touring bike as your first bike, I would recommend a used Ducati Multistrada 620.



Rare, but can be found. Hard bags are optional, and a great boon for any sport-tourer.

It's a good size for a riding newbie, has the Ducati mystique, and the V-twin sound. But it's lighter, more manageable, and has plenty of poke for a new rider.

If you can be led away from Italians, another good option would be an older BMW K75S:



I had one almost exactly like this one, right down to the color, for my first bike (the tall windscreen on this one is an aftermarket addition) and it's a very good first sport-tourer. They are beginning to get on in years -- they were made 1987-1995 -- but they are amazingly durable bikes and the engines are known for going hundreds of thousands of miles with proper maintenance. An early form of ABS was offered, excellent hard bags can easily be found, gas mileage is excellent (I got in the mid-50s), and the BMW triple is considered one of the smoothest engines ever made. Again, perfectly good power, but not enough to get a new rider into trouble.

[Spinnaker]

Vfr800. Bulletproof, fun and friendly. Not the best first bike but easy to ride and forgiving nontheless.