I used to have a CBR1000F but I sold it because of lack of money, mainly because it needed a new exhaust system and I could not raise the money. Now I am determined to get up and running again but this time with a touring motorcycle.
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| A typical sports/tourer. Kawaski ZZR600 |
The CBR1000F I had was what is called a "sports/tourer". This as the name suggests combines the best of both worlds, a bike you can comfortably tour on yet possesses the looks and some of the characteristics of a sports bike. This was one of the things that really appealed to me at the time and I was quite happy with the set up.
Now however my age is having an impact and my eye is beginning to drift toward the dedicated tourer. There are several reasons for this; the first being the riding position. Though the CBR presented a reasonably upright riding posture, it was nevertheless a compromise and because I was leaning forward to a greater extent, I would at times get aching wrists.
The next thing I found was that when trying to look over my shoulder during overtaking manoeuvres or looking left and right at junctions for instance, I would find it more difficult to turn my head to an adequate amount. When I rode a touring bike with a bolt upright seating position, it was so much easier and safer.
Control comes into the equation too. When I rode a Honda PC (Pacific Coast), I found that the wider handlebars and low centre of gravity combined with the upright riding position gave me a lot more control, especially in traffic.
Although the seat was actually very good on the CBR, the seat on the PC was extraordinary especially for the pillion. Though I never toured on the PC, I could tell that this bike would be a supreme candidate for this exercise.
Fairings. The difference a fairing makes on a bike is quite amazing though some people like the raw experience of the naked motorcycle. It all depends what you want. I have done many long journeys on naked motorcycles. I used to do a trip from Preston to Porstmouth, a distance of 257 miles each way on a regular basis on a naked motorcycle and this was only a Honda CB175! At the time I did not notice much stress or wind noise; but when you are young... Later I got a Honda CB750K7 (now something of a classic) with a large touring fairing. The difference was astonishing.
The aerodynamics of my more recent Honda CBR1000F with its specially designed fairing was impressive and kept most of the wind off, including my hands. The only thing was the wind noise on my helmet was still loud due to the diminutive screen. Aftermarket screens were available of course but I never got around to trying one out.
Unfortunately, wind noise on my helmet whilst traveling on my PC was just as bad and it also suffered from a little buffeting. I did experiment with a "lip" on the screen of the PC but it would only work up to a certain speed. It may not have been set up correctly but I will never know since I was forced to sell this wonderful bike due to financial pressures but yet again the fairing generally was amazing. Incidentally, I always wear earplugs when riding a motorcycle.
So once again I am looking to get back into motorcycling but this time I know what I want and I know what I am looking for. It's got to be a touring motorcycle but it's not going to be too big like the much revered Honda Goldwing because I will not have the time to use it for touring very often. It will need to be a bit more weekend friendly.
Though I enjoyed the raw power of the CBR I never actually used it to its full potential and was more interested in the way the bike would appear to do everything in an effortless way. This got me thinking that the bike was wasted on me and what I really wanted was torque which is what you can usually get on a tourer. I am one of those motorcyclist's that likes A roads and motorways and strangely, not so much the twisties. Don't get me wrong, I like all aspects of motorcycling but it's just a preference. They do say that older riders often like torque rather than high revving engines and I suppose in my case it's become a truism.
I'm now saving and looking at ways of making some more money so I can afford to buy a second hand bike but I am more patient these days and besides, my mate who has a Kawasaki ZZR600 sports/tourer, is having an operation and will be out of commission for 11 weeks. This gives me a bit of time to get sorted. At least it gives me something to look forward to.
Whatever bike you own, ride carefully and have a load of fun this year.
