Tell me about your touring experience on small bikes and how it compares

[Smaug]

Once in awhile, I see a nostalgic comment about how back in the day, folks used to tour on what we would now consider small bikes and how "luggage" meant tying or bungeeing a duffel to the back.


I'd love to see pictures and hear the stories, with all the gory details about hands being buzzed to sleep and hearing loss from lack of wind/ear protection, how you dealt with these challenges. (other than just being tougher, back then)


I'll start.


Some of you met me last year, when I toured on my little Honda CBR500R. (478cc parallel twin) I fitted it with a quieter wind screen, Givi luggage rack and a cheap top case, then bungeed a dry duffel to the passenger seat. It was a good experience. The CBR500R has a less peaky engine than one would imagine by looking at its sporty bodywork. The bike had good power everywhere above 3k RPM and I could use all the power in all the gears. <-- That's both refreshing and annoying. Refreshing because it's fun to rev and shift. Annoying because it is a LOT of shifting, around town. My thumb joint where my thumb joins my hand hurt. Fuel economy was awesome. Around the suburbs, I got 75 mpg, and high 60s on the highway @ 75 mph.


Back when I started in 2000, my first bike was a naked Suzuki SV650. That had a better engine for touring, (more power everywhere) and I believe it was also lighter. I fitted a medium size windshield on it, which took the wind off my body, but the air to my helmet was more turbulent. Givi rack and V46 topcase, large tank bag and a soft tail bag. I like these kinds of luggage arrangements, as they keep the luggage out of the airflow and keep things efficient and less susceptible to gusts and such.


My dad tells stories of touring on his Honda 305 scrambler and 305 Superhawk, back in the 60s. I rode a late 70s Honda CB360, and it was sure buzzy. (but the old air-cooled engines sure sounded good, I think) Were they all like that, back then? (except maybe BMW?) Had they not discovered balance shafts?


Those of you who follow the MSTA Facebook group know that I just bought a 155cc scooter, and I'm thinking of doing some day-tripping on it. It's got a pretty generous underseat storage compartment, zero felt engine heat on those hot days, and room for a small duffel on back and a small bag on the floorboard between the legs. It's so nice and light, and the lack of shifting puts me in a completely different frame of mind while riding. No, it's not called "boredom." It's allows me to think about other things while not neglecting the riding.


Please tell us your touring story on smaller bikes. What was it like? What do you miss about it? Why do you not still like a small bike?

[RIDEMYST]

My wife toured several seasons on a Yamaha FZ6, a 600cc. We outfitted it with Givi side cases and a top box. She also would add a T-bag on the rear seat for our long trips. She took several 5K+ mile trips on it and had really no complaints. Granted she is a small rider but the bike performed well for our touring needs. -JEP-

[Patmo]

I still do almost all of my touring on an FZ6 today.  I think that for a single rider it works just fine and I don’t want or need anything larger. I did my 1st “tour” when I was in college in Columbus and rode my 125cc Yamaha Enduro from Columbus to Cincinnati, roughly 100 miles.  Rode around Cincy for 2 days and rode back to Columbus the next day.  Right on the south side of Columbus the biked stopped running.  Turns out I burned up a piston while running 50-55 on the state route home. That was the last trip I ever took on that bike.  My next trip of any length was after I got a 750 Nighthawk many years later.  My son did his 1st trip from Cincy to Mid-Ohio (150 miles one way) on his 1st street bike, a 1979 Suzuki 550.  It had about a tank range of eight at 100 miles and a seat range of 50 miles.  Ran great at 55-60 mph, but certainly no wind protection.  Soft luggage for sure.

[doug mcpeek]

I toured on a CB400T with my camping equipment strapped to the seat and a stuffed-full set of soft saddlebags.  It did not impress with power or fuel range, but the little Honda would cross a stream, hustle moderately well down a twisty road and more than hold it's own on the freeway.
...After that I went mid-size with a Yamaha Vision 550 with a fairing, shaft drive and locking luggage.  I still had my camping gear strapped to the seat, still had limited power and fuel range.  Those things didn't keep me from having fun.
...Since then I have done extensive hotel touring on a Hawk GT, SV650 and DR650.  Bigger bikes are nice for getting to the mountains, but lighter bikes are more fun in the mountains.  I am thinking the FJ-09 is a nice compromise between the two.

[NinjaBob]

A pic from my first and last road trip on a 500.

[Smaug]

NinjaBob - Have you noticed that CX500s are now one of the favorite bases upon which to build cafe racers now?


I wonder why Honda gave up on the flying vee twin. Shaft drive on small bikes is dead now.

[Smaug]

...I did my 1st “tour” when I was in college in Columbus and rode my 125cc Yamaha Enduro from Columbus to Cincinnati, roughly 100 miles.  Rode around Cincy for 2 days and rode back to Columbus the next day.  Right on the south side of Columbus the biked stopped running.  Turns out I burned up a piston while running 50-55 on the state route home.

50-55 doesn't seem too fast for a 125, esp. if it was a two-stroke!  Was something wrong with it, or is it just that two-strokes don't like being run at high RPM for too long at a time? I had a 125cc Genuine Buddy 125 scooter that would go 55 no problem. Well, 55 indicated. It was a four stroke single with forced air cooling. Great little bike, except for the headlight.


I had a high school buddy whose first bike was a blue 125 Yamaha enduro two stroke. He was taking shop classes in high school and loved to spend his evenings and weekends wrenching on it. He took me for a ride on it one time, I thought I was going to die. I seem to remember hitting 80, briefly. Together, we probably weighed 250 lbs.

[Smaug]

...Since then I have done extensive hotel touring on a Hawk GT, SV650 and DR650.  Bigger bikes are nice for getting to the mountains, but lighter bikes are more fun in the mountains.

Have you ever ridden one of the newer, liquid-cooled KLRs? (now discontinued) I wonder how a stock DR650 compares. I ask because I had one of the newer KLRs, an '08 or so. It was an oil-burner, but was good otherwise. Remarkably comfortable. That little bikini fairing did a great job, and so did the plush suspension. It would cruise at 70 no problem.

I am thinking the FJ-09 is a nice compromise between the two.

I agree. Everybody seems to love them. I came THIS CLOSE -->||<-- to buying Helene's FJ09. Settled on the big Bandit because it was local, a great deal, and the dealer took my CBR500 in trade.

[doug mcpeek]

I rode one KLR and found it to be longer, heavier (more stable for touring?) and it vibrated more than the DR.  The KLR has the big tank and higher output alternator as well.  I enjoyed riding the DR more.

[NinjaBob]

NinjaBob - Have you noticed that CX500s are now one of the favorite bases upon which to build cafe racers now?


I wonder why Honda gave up on the flying vee twin. Shaft drive on small bikes is dead now.

I was not aware of that. Thought that engine design was obsolete, seemed that way on my trip! Traded for a vf45 Sabre, inspiration for this club. My cx was the cruiser version, there was a standard  version but back then I didn't know any better. My poc was in the dictionary next to "noob". Rode to Rocky Mountain  no from Louisiana,  not even a long sleeve shirt. Spent the whole time in Colorado wearing my rain suit to keep from freezing.

[stevegrab]

My first bike was a Suzuki 600 Bandit and I did a few trips on it. Then moved up to a CBR600 last model before fuel injection. Toured in the club for several years trips from 3-10 days. Nothing but a good size tank bag and soft tail bag. I'll try to dig up some pictures and post them. No other mods for comfort, I was young (mid 30s) and foolish then and thought being a big uncomfortable was part of the experience. Once I got a bike with some hard luggage (a Ninja 650 with a Givi top case) I never went back. Now I have 2 touring bikes that both have full had luggage, the bigger one is 1000cc. 

Not sure I'll ever ride anything much bigger than the VFR and similar sport touring bikes I've owned.

[erniee]

Taking it to the next level.See you at STAR

[Smaug]

Taking it to the next level.See you at STAR

Very nice. Where will you be riding it in from?


I won't make STAR this year either; family conflict. I'd have to blow off my daughter immediately after she returns from a 3 week trip to Europe.

[Smaug]

NinjaBob: https://www.facebook.com/237607847590/posts/10157079127362591/?sfnsn=mo

[NinjaBob]

Thanks for the limk. Pretty Cool!