Button-down baggers
Where did all the sport touring bikes go? What was once the go-to category for two-wheeled rapid transit has effectively disappeared, somewhere between boulevard baggers and adventure bikes. Which is a shame, because the STs offered much of the performance of a sportbike with a more relaxed riding position, often with matching factory luggage. Both big adventure bikes and baggers look more comfortable, but flout the first rule of motorcycle ergonomics: body weight distributed among feet, butt, and hands. Sure, the Barcalounger chair on your winne-biko will be well padded and comfy; but only masochists can endure today’s fashionable riding stance of hands up in the air and feet forward. In more than 100,000 miles of riding, including numerous test bikes, Sport-Touring or standard motorcycles are always my preferred option. After 45 minutes on a V-Rod, I was ready to trade it for a bed of nails. Fashion can be a cruel taskmaster!
Are sport tourers just superannuated sportbikes, then? It’s certainly true that some STs were re-purposed from sportbikes when they were no longer competitive in that role. For example, once the fastest production motorcycle on the planet, Laverda’s awe-inspiring Jota of 1976 was given copious bodywork and luggage to emerge as 1983’s RGS Executive. Honda’s VFR800 acquired factory side bags in 2002, the CBX bags and a half-fairing in 1981, to suit their changing role. Others, though, were purposely designed, such as BMW’s 1993 R1100RS, Triumph’s 1999 Sprint ST, and Aprilia’s 2001 RST1000 Futura.
The sport tourer concept wasn’t new, but it never really caught on until the late 1900s. Philip Vincent tried to update his model range with the fully-faired 1954/1955 Series D Black Knight and Black Prince, and Ariel launched the 250cc Leader in 1958, but that was lost in the scooter boom. And while BMW’s R100RS introduced the enclosure style that defined a ST, it was a little light on power. Enter…
1993-2001 BMW R1100RS
With few parts carried over from the “airhead” R series Beemers, the R1100RS was a truly new motorcycle. Although the basic layout stayed the same, the new “oilhead” (with air/oil cooling) was a clean break from the air-cooled boxer, which could trace its roots to the /5 introduced more than 20 years before.
The R1100RS replaced the R100RS in the model lineup and introduced the next level of technology, with a target of an extra 20hp over the Airhead. This was achieved with increased bore and stroke for 1085cc. For efficiency and a broad powerband, four valves were proposed, but the challenge was how to actuate them. The result was a hybrid system with the single overhead camshaft in each head operating short rockers. Two roller chains drove the camshafts from a jackshaft located below the forged, two-main-bearing crankshaft. In line with previous practice, cylinders were Nikasil plated light alloy, while two 50mm diameter air intakes were fed by Bosch Motronic fuel injection.
The single-plate clutch and five-speed gearbox were familiar, with the single-sided Paralever rear suspension controlled by a single Showa shock. But at the front was the new Telelever system designed to separate suspension duties from steering, eliminating fork dive. Instead of the traditional triple tree, a cast aluminum yoke connected the fork tubes directly to the frame, with a single shock controlling the yoke. It worked. (See Saxon Triumph story)
Over its lifetime, relatively few upgrades were made, principally including improved gearbox seals and an adjustable Showa front shock. ABS was fitted with a later option of a second-level anti-lock system. Ride height adjustment was added, as was a catalytic converter. But as alluded to earlier, the increased popularity of adventure bikes meant the sister-ship R1100GS soon became more popular.
Ian Falloon wrote in his book BMW Boxer Twins, “It may not have been particularly light or classically beautiful, but the R1100RS was undoubtedly the most functionally superior sport-touring motorcycle available.” The model’s 26,000-odd buyers would probably agree. Values for good to low mileage excellent examples range from $4,800-$7,000.
1999-2003 Triumph 995cc Sprint ST
When John Bloor relaunched Triumph Motorcycles in 1990, he knew the new bikes had to be right the first time. Trading on nostalgia would only go so far: Bloor deliberately eliminated any carryover from the old Triumphs, and he even subtly tweaked the Triumph logo. There could be no jokes about tooth-loosening vibration, oil leaks, flaky lighting, or dodgy instruments; and the bikes had to be substantially overbuilt for durability. Commonality was important to control costs, so the first ten models were all based on a simple, sturdy spine frame carrying a completely new twelve-valve DOHC engine with a 120-degree crank and counterbalance shafts. Some of the technology was borrowed from Kawasaki, and production lines used the latest methodology. Few gave Bloor a chance — 35 years later, the outcome is self-evident.
The Sprint ST was one of the first second-generation bikes after the Daytona 955i was added to the range in 1997. Like the Daytona, the ST was built using a fuel-injected 955cc liquid-cooled, 12-valve triple with dual overhead camshafts and tuned for grunt. It was suspended from a cast alloy twin spar frame. Primary drive was by straight-cut gears, giving the Triumph its characteristic whine. The six-speed transmission drove the rear wheel by chain, controlled by a single-sided swingarm. The engine was smooth and powerful, as was the braking, with a flat torque curve for stress-free riding. It was fully equipped with optional factory luggage, 12 volt outlet, four-way flashers, clock, and (for the time) full instrumentation.
And while the handling was not as sharp, for example, as the Honda VFR, it was comfortable, relaxed, and secure — though the Sprint deserved better than the Kayaba preload-adjustable-only front fork. The rear KYB shock added rebound and compression adjustment. That said, the Sprint was right in the sweet spot for sport-touring with a torquey, durable drivetrain, close-to-perfect ergonomics, adequate handling, and effective brakes borrowed from the Daytona.
I owned a Sprint ST for 23 years, putting on 80,000 miles (including the Iron Butt Association’s Saddlesore 1000) with no mechanical or electrical attention needed besides routine maintenance. However, Triumphs from that era do suffer broken quick-detach fuel fittings, which, apart from very early examples in brass, were plastic moldings. Valve service is required at 12,000-mile intervals. Values for good to low mileage excellent examples range from $3,300-$5,500.
2001-2005 Aprilia RST 1000 Futura
I first became acquainted with the Futura on a solo ride from Melbourne to Sydney, Australia, on the Princes Highway (think: California Highway One with koalas). The styling of the Futura was a bit too future-istic for me and could quickly look dated — like square headlights from the 1980s. (I was reminded of Georgetto Giugiaro’s angular makeover of the Ducati bevel twin, producing the unlovely 860GT.)
Aesthetics aside, and like the Sprint, the Futura was powered by one of motorcycling’s finest engines: the 1,000cc 60-degree V-twin, counterbalanced eight-valve DOHC six-speed unit from Rotax in Austria — the same engine that powered Troy Corser to the WSBK podium in 2001. Like the Sprint, the engine was suspended from a twin-spar alloy frame, but used a two-sided swingarm to control the rear wheel. Both front and rear suspension were adjustable for preload and rebound, courtesy of a Sachs rear shock and Showa upside-down fork.
I remember a motorcycle that was sharper-handling than its Triumph competitor with a similar riding position and a classic vee-twin rumble. And while questionably styled, the bodywork added to rider comfort, as did the broad, cushy seat — maybe the best stock seat ever. With similar power and weight to the Triumph Sprint ST, performance was comparable.
The problem with the future is that it eventually becomes the present, and the Futura’s styling never really fit in any era. Add suspicion about the quality, finish, and durability of Italian motorcycles at the time, and the Futura couldn’t win. It was dropped in the U.S. after two years. Values for good to low mileage excellent examples range from $2,500-$4,000.
1997- 2004 Ducati ST2 and ST4
The ST2 was built around a 944cc liquid-cooled L-twin with desmodromic valve operation by belt drive — essentially a pumped-up version of the 907i.e. The engine drove a gear primary, dry multiplate clutch, and six speed gearbox, but the steel-tube trellis frame owed more to the Monster than the 907. The ST2 ran on three-spoke alloy wheels with Brembo triple disc brakes, dual-sided rear swingarm with Sachs or Showa shock, and 43mm Showa front fork.
Touring concessions included factory option saddlebags, centerstand, generous fairing with distinctive oval headlight and full instrumentation. And while the ST2 was lithe and nimble, it could have used more grunt, especially two-up. That arrived in 1999 with the ST4, essentially the ST2 fitted with the Desmoquattro engine from the 916. A further boost came in 2001 with the ST4s now fitted with the 996cc four-valve desmo. Extra features on the s-model were adjustable handlebars and aluminum swingarm with remotely-adjustable Ohlins shock. The Showa front fork legs were titanium nitride coated.
In 2001, I rode the newly-released ST4s from Denver to Las Vegas and was impressed by the sharp handling, powerful brakes, silky suspension, and raw power. The rawness came through the abrupt power delivery and lower revolution power-pulses, more noticeable with the 996 unit. A softer tune would have better fit the purpose. But it was fast with top speed a shade under 160mph. The ideal compromise arrived in 2004 with the three-valve ST3 engine. Values for good to low mileage excellent examples sell for, $3200-$5400 / $5500-$7500.
Honda VFR750 and 800
But all of these sport-touring motorcycles had to bear comparison with Honda’s VFR 750 and 800 — the sport touring gold standard — even though buyers had to wait until 2002 to get factory luggage. Not the most powerful or quickest of the bunch, but probably the most sophisticated. And following the chain-drive camshaft debacle in the early 1980s, the gear-drive VFR is probably the most durable too, though chain driven cams were also reintroduced in 2002.
Honda’s VTEC system as fitted to the VFR800s used variable valve actuation to improve lower end torque and increase high rpm power — though early VFR800s drew criticism for the VTEC’s abrupt power transition. Some say VTEC valve adjustment was complicated.
And while Honda has continued to build the sport touring VFRs, that once vigorous market niche for touring sportbikes has effectively disappeared. Values for good to low mileage excellent examples range from $4000-$6000. MC
