As the saying goes, any motorcycle is an adventure motorcycle. And truth be told, you can pretty much "tour" on any bike. If you dig deep enough, you'll find cases of people taking their Honda Trail125 on the Trans American Trail! Take THAT, BMW.
To each their own, of course, but we have a sworn duty to provide our readers with the best possible options. In this case, we'll forgo the typical cruiser and bagger offerings. We'll also ignore the smaller, beginner-friendly options. We're going right for the sweet spot. Something that will bite off the miles in great big chunks, keep you comfortable, give you plenty of features and let you skip the backpack for some roomy luggage options. Because as we see it, these are you top touring options on the market today.
10 Triumph Tiger 850 Sport
For those of us looking to hit some curvy roads for a few days, there may not be anything better than Triumph's middleweight Tiger. Its triple engine, outputting 84 hp, is of full zip and character. It'll keep you occupied as you chop through the corners on the way to your favorite burger joint, way over there, 500 miles away.
With Triumph's accessory catalog, not to mention a sizable aftermarket, brimming with luggage options, you won't have to pick and choose which vacation clothes you bring with you. Triumph has a big lineup of Tigers, one for any possible need. But the Sport 850 is where it's at, when it comes to touring with a bit of pep to your step.
9 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+
There is a reason why the GSX-S1000GT+ is one of the best bikes to come out in 2022. Suzuki is putting on a masterclass on how to build a touring motorcycle with the S1000GT+. It's built on a familiar chassis, with sport blood pumping through its veins. It has all the mentality of a Suzuki sport bike, with the premium features and ergonomics befitting the very best grand tourer.
If that doesn't entice you, maybe the superbly designed, integrated side cases will. It is next-level comfortable, has all the stopping power you will need with its Brembo brakes, and will go like a bat out of hell with its 999cc, GSX-R-derived monster of an engine. A comfortable, reasonably priced sport bike to tour on? Sounds like a winning proposition to us.
8 Ducati Multistrada
No list of motorcycles would ever be complete without including something from the Italian manufacturer's stable. They seem to do no wrong when it comes to developing motorcycles for any sector. And so we come to the gorgeous, feature-full Ducati Multistrada. What can't this bike do? Its limits may not have been found yet, but we do know that its V4, 170 hp engine will knock a frown right off your face.
It's packed full of fancy technology, features and creature comforts. Its integrated navigation system, ludicrously long maintenance schedule and gorgeous looks will cost you dearly, however. The starting price is north of $27,000. That's nose-bleed territory, though you may find that it's totally worth the pain in your wallet.
7 Honda NC 750X DCT
Alright, we'll admit that the NC750X isn't known for being the most exciting choice. But you know what it is? A safe one. Not every rider is looking to get their face blown off on the highway. Some riders are looking for a more relaxed and reliable ride, where they can enjoy their surroundings for days on end. The NC750X will provide you with just that. Add to that Honda's semi-automatic DCT transmission, and you have a bike that will allow you to focus your attention on whatever it is that's important to you on your trip.
It is a perfect motorcycle for those that are new riders, perhaps intimidated by manual transmissions. It's also perfect for seasoned riders who are looking to relieve the burden on their hands and feet from constantly shifting and pulling on the clutch. It's comfortable, cheap (at less than $10,000) and easy to ride. The perfect tool waiting for a rider to use it just right.
6 KTM 890 Adventure
Let's be clear about something. This may not be the safest choice for a touring bike. But it's definitely the most exciting. KTM has a reputation for building some of the best motorcycles to experience the world with, be it dirt or pavement. But you may also find yourself experiencing lots of downtime, as they're not the most reliable machines. But for us, the shear pleasure of riding a KTM 890 Adventure outweighs any potential negatives.
It's just pure fun in its rawest form. It has all the rider aids you'll ever need like riding modes, ABS and traction control. And if your trip should take you off-road, the 890 is purpose built to deliver maximum thrills there as well. And if that wasn't enough, the thing just looks straight-up bananas, in a way that only KTM can design it. There's nothing else like it on the road in looks or performance.
5 Yamaha FJR 1300 ES
Yamaha perhaps built the best supersport bike for touring with a passenger. The FJR 1300 ES just looks comfortable. It has a massive gas tank, at 6.6 gallons. It weighs 642 lbs, which is a bit on the heavy side, but with all the equipment and a 1298cc engine it is to be expected. Other than that you'll have the premium electronically adjustable suspension, low seat height, and perhaps most importantly, cruise control. It's not the most important motorcycle in Yamaha's lineup, but it certainly has its own fan club. And it just may well be a sleeper hit of the touring world.
4 BMW R 1250 RT
Time and time again, we as riders find out that BMW definitely knows what it's doing. It's not surprising really. BMW has been making motorcycles for a long time. They even arguably invented the modern adventure motorcycle category with their GS line of bikes. But they didn't want to forget about their buyers that like to tour, but don't really care for the adventure aspect of it. That's where the R 1250 RT comes in.
It has that famous boxer engine at the core, but everything else is tailored for the street. 136 hp, 105 lbs-ft of torque is plenty for making your way through the countryside. And with 124 mph top speed, you won't need to worry about overtaking any car or truck in front of you. Overall, it's similar to the above-mentioned FJR 1300, but if you're not into Yamaha's looks, and want a bit of European flare, the R 1250 RT is the way to go.
3 Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT
Versys is a name that seems to provoke a lot of shade for being boring. But conspicuously, all the Versys variants sure do appear on a lot of "best of" lists. We don't happen to think the Versys 1000 LT is boring at all, and feel it belongs firmly on our top 10 list of touring motorcycles. It's not cheap, at roughly $19,000, but Kawasaki packed a ton of features into its chassis.
There is the electronically adjustable Showa suspension. A quickshifter to make things easier for you to shift. You have traction control with cornering management function. ABS is standard, of course. And you can connect your smartphone to the large TFT display. But Kawasaki saved the best for last by including integrated side cases, cruise control and heated grips.
2 Honda Gold Wing
Honda's flagship tourer is the gold standard in the industry. Often imitated, never duplicated. It's in the name, after all. The Gold Wing has been an undefeated champion for a long time. Honda has been tinkering with it, on and off since the 1980s. And what we have now has become the perfect touring vehicle. Yes, it costs $25,600. It's not for the faint of heart. But with what it has to offer, you'll soon forget how much cash you had to fork over.
Honestly, we don't even know where to begin. The engine is a 1833cc behemoth. There is Honda's HomeLink that lets you integrate the bike with home devices. It has a hill start assist, for those tricky red light stops. The trunk and cargo space is market-leading. The windshield is electronically adjustable. And the accessory aftermarket is primed to be taken advantage of. This bike is truly the SUV of motorcycles. And we mean that in a good way. It's so comfortable and feature-rich, you won't even realize it when you've finally reached your destination.
1 Triumph Bonneville T100
Long before there were features like traction control, ABS, TFT displays, adjustable suspensions and rider modes, there were folks all over the world taking their bone stock Triumph Bonnevilles and having a go of it on longer trips. And perhaps this is why this is our favorite touring motorcycle. There's nothing like hoping on a beautiful standard bike, with a bag on your back and heading out into the world. It's romantic, sure, but Triumph has also made the Bonneville so reliable and comfortable that it's not an unreasonable idea.
Although it may look vintage, it is a modern machine through and through. The engine is bulletproof and no longer prone to any of the faulty engineering issues of the 60s and 70s. You may not get any of the fancy stuff like you get on a Ducati, BMW or Kawasaki, but maybe we are better for it. After all, it is the experience of the ride itself that matters. Not the premium features you used along the way. And that's what makes the Triumph Bonneville T100, a deceptively simple touring machine, the best motorcycle for any trip.