THE DREAM OF LONG-DISTANCE MOTORCYCLE TRAVEL

The dream of motorcycle touring across America was one of the original inspirations that moved me into the sport of motorbikes as a youngster. I could not have imagined that notion would have developed into the passion that it has, with quite a number of coast-to-coast motorbike trips under my belt and many more to come.

FOUR (4) KINDS OF TOURING-SPECIFIC MOTORCYCLES

The thing is, a rider can go for long-distance rides on most any bike.

Whether that be on cruiser, sport bike, standard bike, dual-sport or any other kind of motorcycle.

However, an actual Touring Motorcycle is designed to increase the comfort of rider and passenger, and offer greater luggage capacity. And here are the four types:

1) Adventure Tourer
2) Cruiser Tourer
3) Sport Tourer
4) Luxury Tourer

1) ADVENTURE TOURING MOTORCYCLES

In recent years, this has become the fastest-growing motorbike category – over ALL motorcycles. Adventure-touring bikes could be described as large dual-sport motorbikes. Dual-purpose machines are for on- and off-road riding, usually with an engine size of 650cc or less (250cc is very popular). Adventure touring bikes are bigger than 650cc, and in fact, some are bigger than 1000cc. The main thing about adventure-touring bikes is that they are bikes that “can” go off-road. But they should “not” be described as big dirt bikes. They work well on pavement and on dirt/gravel roads, but they are not really intended to ride through technically difficult trails. The biggest adventure-touring bikes come with saddlebags and fairing, and other such bikes need them added.

2) CRUISER TOURING MOTORCYCLE

Big Harley Davidson motorcycles with full fairing and saddlebags are the iconic cruiser tourer, although other manufacturers make them, too. Cruisers are famous for their classic look and for their easy ergonomics with the rider usually leaning back a little bit and with feet positioned forward.

3) SPORT TOURING MOTORCYCLE

The name is pretty self-explanatory. These are high-performance bikes with powerful engines that have saddlebags and fairings to provide greater comfort and storage for the rider. “Purpose Built” sport-touring bikes typically have shaft drives, instead of chain drives, so that a long-distance rider does not have to deal with chain maintenance, such as adjusting or lubricating the chain.

4) LUXURY TOURING MOTORCYCLE

And of course, there are the big luxury touring bikes, such as the Honda Gold Wing and BMW LT, that some describe as two-wheeled recreational vehicles. They are certainly of a different breed than any of the other categories mentioned. If comfort and luxury capacity are your need, those bikes aim to please. These two machines are the plushest motorbikes you can buy – and they are BIG!

MOTORCYCLE TOURING ACCESSORIES

There is no shortage of Motorcycle Touring Accessories available for the touring public (particularly if you don’t have a luxury tourer). In addition to luggage carrying accessories, there are windshields, custom seats, bigger fuel tanks, upgraded suspension components, and MANY more opportunities to improve your bike’s role as a touring machine.

Here are a few items to consider:

♦ MOTORCYCLE SADDLE BAGS		♦ MOTORCYCLE HYDRATION PACKS
♦ MOTORCYCLE TANK BAGS		♦ LUGGAGE RACKS
♦ MOTORCYCLE TAIL BAGS		♦ TOURING JACKETS
♦ SISSY BAR LUGGAGE BAGS		♦ TOURING BOOTS
♦ RAIN GEAR		♦ HEATED GRIPS, GLOVES, VESTS, JACKETS, ETC.

In fact, one could argue that an advantage of NOT buying a touring machine loaded with every accessory know to man, is the opportunity to pick and select your own accessories, to really customize your bike to your own preferences. But just as these words fly off the keyboard, I’m simultaneously cognizant of the unimaginable quantity of accessories that are available for the big touring bikes, from the manufacturers themselves, and through aftermarket manufacturers, too.

In the 21st century, regardless of what motorcycle you own, or whichever one you buy next, if you are interested in touring, you will never run out of Motorcycle Touring Accessories that you can buy for your own bike or as gifts for other riders.

Finally, you may want to consider reviewing some of these motorcycle touring books….

REVIEW AND COMPARE MOTORCYCLE TOURING BOOKS:

Click for TOURING BOOKS

SUPERMOTO BOOKS FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE GOOD TIMES

Supermoto (or supermotard) motorcycles are an alternative to performance bikes, with a significant difference in rider position: Instead of the forward-leaning posture of a sport bike, riders of supermotards are seated upright, which is more comfortable.

All by itself, that makes any supermotard motorbike a practical urban performance machine, since much city driving entails stop and go riding, and the upright position provides greater traffic visibility.

Further, given the condition of many modern urban roads, supermotards have an additional advantage, since they also handle poor road conditions better than sportbikes.

Additionally, the light and nimble frame and handling characteristics of supermotos works just as well in tight, twisty, mountain and canyon roads, as they do in dense urban traffic.

SORT OF A CROSS BETWEEN STREET AND DIRT

If you consider the resemblance of supermotards to be a cross between a street and dirt bike, you’d be tapping into the basic supermoto lineage, which traces back to the 1970’s when the supermoto category was featured as part of ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

Supermoto lost its higher-profile status when that show went away in the mid 80’s.

Motorbikes customized for supermoto racing have traditionally been unique creations combining both off-road and on-road features from other bikes, including rims and tires, because a supermoto track roughly includes 70% tarmac with about 30% dirt, including small jumps, although the dirt section is not an actual requirement.

In recent years more manufacturers have begun to offer bikes targeted specifically at this supermoto niche, and the category is growing!

If you already own one, or have had the chance to ride one, you’ll very likely agree that supermoto motorbikes are a FUN motorcycle!

REVIEW AND COMPARE SUPERMOTO BOOKS

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CRUISERS – THE ICONIC MOTORCYCLE

Ask any non-biker to picture a motorcycle in their mind, and the chances are the category of motorbike they will imagine is a “Cruiser.”

However, once a rider becomes initiated into the world of motorbikes and is aware of the differences, when you ask that person to imagine a motorcycle, they would envision the style that most satisfies their personal vision of what a motorcycle should do or be. 

Hence, such a rider may or may not picture a cruiser.

WHY CRUISERS?

So why would non-riders picture a cruiser?

Cruisers have often been epitomized in movies as the iconic standard of motorcycle, and as well, by the media as the machine of choice for outlaw bikers.

However, the vast majority of cruiser riders are hard-working men and women from every socio-economic background. Whether they be carpenters, painters, factory workers, lawyers, attorneys, hair designers, housewives, moms, dads, sons and daughters – they’re just regular folks riding a motorcycle.

WHAT IS A CRUISER?

In simple terms, a cruiser represents a broad variety of motorcycles, mostly from mid to large in size. Although some are very large and a few are quite small. The point is that it’s not the size of the motorcycle’s engine that characterizes a cruiser.

Cruisers are designed for comfort and looks. Many are noticeable because of their chrome parts (most other motorcycles avoid chrome because it’s heavy and expensive and its contrary to standards of motorbike performance).

Cruisers offer a relaxed seating position for the rider, which is often reclined a little backwards (as opposed to performance motorcycles where the rider is leaning forward).

HARLEY DAVIDSON

And if the bike says “HARLEY DAVIDSON” on it, or looks like a Harley, you are looking at a cruiser (with rare exceptions).

The style of cruisers as a motorbike goes back into the early 20th century so there is a lot of historical precedent for them to become ingrained in the minds of non-riders. It wasn’t until later in the same century that the big four Japanese manufacturers (HONDA, KAWASAKI, SUZUKI, & YAMAHA) started building cruisers to compete with Harley.

(Of course the big four also build all the “other” types of motorcycles, too).

In fact, in marketing circles, Harley serves as a perfect model for how a brand can define itself above and beyond its inherent value and quality.

In other words, Harley riders do not own their machine because it represents the best value or quality for a motorbike, or more specifically, for a cruiser.   Such riders make their choice because it IS a HARLEY. And some Harley riders can be quite passionate about their choice. Even to the point of dissing non-Harley riders. Of course, there are also non-Harley riders who feel passionate about whatever THEIR brand is, and hence, there are factions of riders that don’t look fondly upon the “other” camp.

If you are a rider reading this you know what I mean. If you are a non-rider reading this, you’re probably thinking, “Wow, that’s pretty juvenile.”  (And you’d be right!)

The good news is that MOST riders don’t give a hoot about what other riders choose as their motorbike of choice. They recognize and respect the brotherhood of like-minded individuals, the world over, who simply enjoy riding motorcycles.  So much so, you’ll see riders of all different bikes waving as they pass each other on the road, as a friendly gesture of shared camaraderie

SO, WHO RIDES CRUISERS?

In simple terms: Any one who might ride motorcycles.

Just as any kind of rider may be riding other types of motorbikes.

And you also have folks like me, who ride as many different types of bikes as possible, just for the sheer diversity and enjoyment of it.

REVIEW AND COMPARE MOTORCYCLE CRUISER BOOKS:

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PRESIDENTIAL MOTORCYCLES

If we step way back in time to 2008, which motorcycle would best represent each US President and Vice President?  Well, bear in mind that the candidates of that year would have to ride something that their Publicity Consultants would have advised, regardless of their personal preference.

That means they each would need to ride an American bike.

But WHICH ONE!?

Let’s list those past Presidential candidates in alphabetical order and also include their running mates.

John McCain “The Maverick” would ride a maverick motorcycle.  Of course he needs a HARLEY DAVIDSON for that All-American positioning.  Which HD is the ultimate maverick machine?  That would be the XR 1200, which is an anomaly amongst all the big motor company’s offerings.  It’s a Harley through and through, but it’s a performance-oriented bike:  definitely not a cruiser, which, of course, is the class of bike that has made HD world-famous.  And he would have needed to focus on performance to get this country out of its economic mess. However, you would also need to be prepared to listen to even more PR spin as a result of the backlash created when the media highlights that the XR 1200, although made in America, was only available in Europe that year!  The good news is that by 2009, Harley did offer that in the US of A, too. But even so, back then he could have used the publicity for a new election slogan: John McCain for President means XR 1200s for America!

Rugged, outdoorswoman, Sarah Palin, would ride a KAWASAKI KLR 650, with its large gas tank, for on and off road riding through that big, wild, Alaskan state.  Now wait a minute!  A Presidential candidate, not even a Vice Presidential candidate, would dare ride an Asian motorcycle in an election year!  Well, hold on there partner, because this ain’t no ordinary KLR.  This particular version is highly modified by an American company (Hayes Diversified Technologies) and has been under development since 1998.  It is designed to operate reliably and efficiently on Kerosene based fuels.  American manufacturer HDT is under contract with the U.S. Marine Corps to delivery over 440 of these babies, called the M1030M1.   So, Sarah Palin and crew can go ripping up the Alaskan Highway and every 400 miles or so, tap into that Alaskan pipeline to burn that, or practically any kind of fossil fuel encountered along the way.  Stay tuned to hear Mrs. Palin campaigning to get every American riding an  M1030M1, which would substantially lower the country’s dependence on foreign oil!

As a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, Barack Obama needs to make an American statement:  Mr. Obama would ride a Confederate Hellcat Combat F131.  Founded in 1991, by another lawyer, the Confederate Motor Company came to exist as an “initiative” seeking “enlightened design through true American inspiration.”  I’m sure Mr. Obama helped craft that very statement.  Owners of Confederate Motorcycles include Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Ryan Reynolds, Bruce Springsteen, and at least one crown prince.  Hence, Mr. Obama will be in good company to carry his campaign of change across the land while conveying an image of power and military competence to the rest of the global community.  Watch out world: a man that can tame a hellcat can readily tame the badness and madness of our 21st century world. (On the other hand, his socialist and pro-banker policies that started in 2009 would lend new meaning to the word “confederate” in terms of international politics).

At the same time Barack Obama was speaking to Joe the Plumber in Holland, Ohio, as part of that 2008 campaign season, Joe Biden was only 100 miles away in Marysville, Ohio, where HONDA manufactures the gold standard for big touring bikes: the GOLDWING.  Honda has been making its top-of-the-line motorcycle there since 1979.  But wait!  Mr. Biden found out that time is running out to buy an American made Honda motorcycle.  Honda announced early in 2008 that they would be moving the production of Gold Wings back home to Japan, in the spring of 2009.  (And all that with no layoffs.  All the motorcycle employees will be relocated to car manufacturing).  Well, Mr. Biden certainly could not have been accused of riding an un-American bike back in 2008.  In fact, he could have rode proudly and comfortably while carrying a lot of campaign promises with all that luggage space!

COMPARE MOTORCYCLE GEAR AND ACCESSORIES:

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LONG-DISTANCE, PERFORMANCE MOTORCYCLES

Ahhhh, sport-touring motorbikes.  This is the kind of bike that delivers good motorcycle performance to the rider while taking him/her through great scenery near and far from home.

And depending upon how one defines what a sport-touring bike actually is, it “could” include a huge variety of motorcycles.  Or, conversely, it might only be a handful of “purpose-built” sport-touring bikes.

If you enjoy riding longer distances, check out the following link for a review and comparison of sport-touring motorcycles.

REVIEW OF SPORT-TOURING MOTORCYCLES:

Click for Sport-Tourer.com