Best type of bike for long distance commuting/touring? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Best type of bike for long distance commuting/touring?

TorontoMiata

Active member
Hi all
New to the forum, new to motorcycles as well, just got my m2 today. I have a question which I cannot find an "universal" answer from internet. I plan to do commuting(100km one way) and some long distance touring on my bike(not the first year though, oh hell no), and from all the information I found from internet, there is a controversy about cruisers vs standards motorcycles. Some may say cruisers have more comfortable sitting, while others argue a more upright sitting position is more more comfortable, and the way cruiser guys sit is to put more weight on tailbones. What is your opinion/experience? I am really curious and your answer will have an impact on me. I am currently thinking about either getting a cb500f or a vulcan s. Thank you for your time. Derrick
 
The reason you haven't found a "universal" answer is because everyone is built differently. Different physiology, different stamina, different preferences to riding position and style.

Test ride the bikes that *you're* interested in and don't worry so much about the "universal" answer. Focus more on the "personal" answer.
 
Welcome!

Probably best to start with budget and then what kind of luggage capacity you`re looking for. I know you can get bags on bags for standards/sport tourers but unsure what's offered on cruisers besides side bags.
 
Thanks for your reply. I do have to go to the dealer and actually sit on these two bikes to get a feeling. I am not sure if they are gonna kick me out if I sit there too long though. Lol
 
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Welcome!

Probably best to start with budget and then what kind of luggage capacity you`re looking for. I know you can get bags on bags for standards/sport tourers but unsure what's offered on cruisers besides side bags.
I am not worrying too much about luggage, I had back injure before, so sitting comfort on long ride is my main concern.
 
a few more things to touring ability than seating position
passenger? gear to carry? on or off pavement? okay with a chain?
weather protection? enjoy the twisties? the list is endless.......

unlikely to tick all the boxes with your first bike
and until you actually get riding, you probably can't answer some of those questions
 
if a lot of highway youll want the cb500x or even the r as the naked bike won't deflect any wind... which is okay, but just adds to the "tiredness" and bug splatter on your gear,

If you're going to have some city riding i'd go for something nimbler than a cruiser as toronto traffic is crazy if that's where you're going. now there are other options so check em out, but i've been doing 20k each way in commute for past 3-4 seasons and have done some on and off road touring with my bike once in a while and am satisfied of the overall performance
 
CB500x is perfect for your use. Around town or across the continent ...you are looking at the extreme ends....you want something in the middle with upright seating and the ability to add luggage.

There are loads of farkles for it as well.

780 PAGES of posts on this winner since it was introduced.
http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/honda-cb500x.840842/page-780

Was one of the best demo rides I've had. Superb mileage for commuting 70 mpg and able to go distance ( tho two up is a stretch ).ss

And don't be afraid to take some weekend rides to Pennsylvania and discover fantastic riding areas only 4 hours away.

Go out for weeks with just this set up

shad-side-master-3p-system-for-honda-cb-500x.jpg
 
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CB500x is perfect for your use. Around town or across the continent ...you are looking at the extreme ends....you want something in the middle with upright seating and the ability to add luggage.

There are loads of farkles for it as well.

780 PAGES of posts on this winner since it was introduced.
http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/honda-cb500x.840842/page-780

Was one of the best demo rides I've had. Superb mileage for commuting 70 mpg and able to go distance ( tho two up is a stretch ).ss

And don't be afraid to take some weekend rides to Pennsylvania and discover fantastic riding areas only 4 hours away.

Go out for weeks with just this set up

shad-side-master-3p-system-for-honda-cb-500x.jpg

And if you dont wanna go touring as much and just will commute with it, you can change the sprocket gearing to make it a lot zippier, since you wont need to top end as much)

It's almost like having a new bike, and it's a lot of fun (ask me how i know)
 
I look at it this way based on what you mentioned:

Commuting 200km / day and running a few ld tours each year begs for element control AND comfortable ergos. You're building experience, so the big STs are out. I'm guessing your a young male, so the sub 650s are probably too small for the miles you plan to go.

That leaves mid range STs and ADV bikes. These offer the ergos, element protection and durability for high mile riding. I wouldn't recommend the CB500x -- it's cute as an urban commuter, but it's not powered and not setup for highway commuting and long distance touring. Can you commute and tour? Sure, but if you're touring with ADV or ST riders, you'll be relegated to the back anytime the ride gets spritied.

VSTROM 650 comes to mind, dependable, lots of safety features (ABS, TC), comfortable, reasonable element protection. It has 50% more power that the CBR, twice the brakes -- my bet is you won't get tired of a VSTROM after your first riding season.
 
Vstrom is a top heavy bike for a new rider unless he's got a long inseam.

The CB500x is the better town machine ...far more nimble ....and I'd take it across the continent in a heart beat.

Around town, you’d be hard pressed to find two better motorcycles. Once shorn of its panniers, the V-Strom feels nimble, light and well-balanced. Quick steering makes low-speed maneuvering a cinch. The clutch is light enough that it doesn’t punish your left hand in heavy traffic. The seat, while higher than that of a naked or sport bike, doesn’t prohibit a solid footing, even on uneven terrain.

In fact, the V-Strom feels like the perfect city bike, until you try the Honda...

Riding them back-to-back, the CB500X suddenly makes the Suzuki feel sluggish. While not all that light on paper, the Honda feels incredibly light. That combines with relatively narrow bars and slim hips to make squeezing through traffic almost effortless.

Both motorcycles also excel at touring. We expected the larger V-Strom to have a huge advantage of the Honda, but neither is bothered by an 80-85 mph cruise.

The Honda is not for two up touring tho.

Up Angeles Crest Highway or riding down PCH, it’s again the Honda that surprises with a greater turn of speed over the course of real road conditions. Riding it while RideApart staffer Wes Siler was on the V-Strom was one of the only times I’ve ever been faster. It’s simply light, friendly, communicative and confidence-inspiring to a more significant degree than the Suzuki, which already excels at all those traits.
https://rideapart.com/articles/suzuki-v-strom-650-adventure-vs-honda-cb500x-comparison-test

There is very good reason it's a runaway hit for Honda.

And the gas mileage is significantly better on the Honda which adds up when commuting.

This one - around the world
http://www.rtw2up.com/the-bike.html

rps20160229_180852_758.jpg


scaled-2015-12-05-112713.jpeg
 
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Commuting and touring are two different things,but you can do both on a lot of bikes."Long" distance touring is best done with the best tool.The Honda Goldwing 1800.You can't get a better ride for your passenger.There are lots of used 1800's out there now that the 2018 is out.A 500 is a bit to small for long distance touring.
 
It's fine for solo touring ....just because some think they need a rolling barcalounger ....others have no interest and hundreds of riders tour CB500xs.
No where did I see interest in two up from the OP.
 
The best hop-on-bike-and-go-anywhere is the old "standard" bike and its modern "naked" equivalents.

Sport bikes are too uncomfortable. Full touring bikes are too big and heavy. Cruisers have a compromised riding position (feet forward = no good), and frequently the suspension is garbage.

The Honda CB500X is a great choice. I don't care for the CBR500; the sporty appearance promises something that the underwhelming engine doesn't deliver on. But the torquey and user-friendly (but not particularly powerful) engine seems right at home in the CB500X. I'd have no reservations about going cross-country on one.

I've got a trip coming up that involves a rental bike in Europe. My choice ... BMW F800R. I've had the F800ST on a similar trip before, and it was great in that application. (The R is the same bike but without fairings and I think it has chain drive instead of belt.)

The Yamaha FZ07-FZ09-FJ09 etc are also great choices.
 
There’s a KTM 790 Adventure in the works apparently and that would be pretty ideal tourer I would think. Lighter than the big KTM tanks and plenty powerful still.
 
Vstrom is a top heavy bike for a new rider unless he's got a long inseam.

The CB500x is the better town machine ...far more nimble ....and I'd take it across the continent in a heart beat.



The Honda is not for two up touring tho.


https://rideapart.com/articles/suzuki-v-strom-650-adventure-vs-honda-cb500x-comparison-test

There is very good reason it's a runaway hit for Honda.

And the gas mileage is significantly better on the Honda which adds up when commuting.

This one - around the world
http://www.rtw2up.com/the-bike.html
Not sure I buy into the advertorial reviews in motorcycle mags -- check the print version, there's probably a very large Honda ad next to that article.

I've ridden one (CB500), and a lot of others in it's class - this is an urban bike, not a commuter or tourer. I've made a dozen trips of 500KM/day on a Ninja 200 which is a little ST, I have no complaints. Is the trip easier on an FJR? Sure it is. Would I buy a Ninja250 for commuting and touring? No, and for the same reason I wouldn't buy a CB500X, it's and gonna work hard making 200km/day commutes and ld touring. It's a softroad urban bike.

I don't know whether CB500x isn't setting sales records -- I have only seen a few on the road. I did ride from Pickering to Whitney last fall with a fellow on one, he had never toured when he bought the bike, he was disappointed with the bike's performance and had it up for sale.
 
It's fine for solo touring ....just because some think they need a rolling barcalounger ....others have no interest and hundreds of riders tour CB500xs.
No where did I see interest in two up from the OP.
Barcalounger? Lol.I thought the same thing until i spent some time in the saddle and learned otherwise.Maybe you should give one a try before passing judgement? Diversity is a good thing in the mc world but there is really no such thing as one bike to do it all.A 500 will tour comfortably,but a 1000 will do it much easier.The op will gain from the input on this and other threads with everyones thoughts on his subject.
 
... Some may say cruisers have more comfortable sitting, while others argue a more upright sitting position is more more comfortable...
imho The upright seating position (footpegs located under your bodies centre of gravity) is about control more then comfy.
Next time you sit on a cruiser try shifting your body weight to the footpegs.
 
I also ride a CB500X. I commute about 50km each way to work on it. It revs high at highway speeds which always makes me try to shift into 7th and tops out at around 160kmh. Other than that, I can't see how it's not a capable tourer/commuter especially for a beginner.
 

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