Although any motorcycle can be so equipped and used to tour with, manufacturers have brought specific models designed to address the particular needs of long-distance touring and heavy commuting riders to market. Common to the touring market is usually large displacement fairings and windshields (to offer a high degree of weather and wind protection), large capacity fuel tanks (for long ranges between fill-ups) and a more relaxed, more upright seating position than sport-bikes. These motorcycles can be further subdivided into multiple sub-categories, which are commonly used terms within the motorcycle industry.

Full-dress tourers

BMW K1200LT at Glacier National Park

Full-Dress touring motorcycles are generally characterized by extremely large fairings and bodywork compared to other forms of tourers, the integration of hard luggage into the design of the motorcycle (often including both saddlebags and a top-mounted box), very large displacement, torque-rich engines, and a very upright, comfortable riding position. Additionally, standard and optional amenities on full-dress tourers often encompasses equipment not normally offered on other motorcycles, such as complete stereos (AM/FM plus CD or cassette is standard, and now satellite radio is becoming more common), heated seats and hand-grips, GPS navigation systems, selective venting, power windshields, electrically controllable windshield, and for certain models in certain model-years, such oddities as integrated air compressors, air conditioning and air bags. Full-dress tourers are designed specifically for riding on pavement, although they may be taken onto hard, compacted dirt roads; they are specifically not designed for off-road duties. Debatably, the title of the original Full-dress production tourer was the BMW R100RT, introduced in 1978. Image File history File linksMetadata K1200lt. ... Image File history File linksMetadata K1200lt. ... BMW AG (an initialism for Bayerische Motoren-Werke Aktiengesellschaft, or in English, Bavarian Motor Works; ISIN: DE0005190003), is an independent German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. ... BMW began as an aeroplane engine manufacturer. ...

Common current examples of full-dress tourers include the Honda Goldwing, the BMW K1200LT and the Harley-Davidson Electra Glide, all of which have become increasingly popular. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Honda Goldwing motorcycle debuted in 1975, and became one of the most popular motorcycles in history. ... BMW AG (an initialism for Bayerische Motoren-Werke Aktiengesellschaft, or in English, Bavarian Motor Works; ISIN: DE0005190003), is an independent German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. ... Logo on a 2003 Harley Davidson The Harley-Davidson Motor Company (NYSE: HDI) is a manufacturer of motorcycles based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ... Customized Shovelhead Electra Glide with Twin-Cam Electra Glide in background FL is a model designation used on Harley-Davidson motorcycles from 1941 to the present. ...

Standard tourers

BMW R1200RT Touring Motorcycle

Standard tourers normally offer fewer amenties and less weight than full dress tourers, but still are designed with the primary task of laying back miles over pavement in comfort. Notable current examples include the Honda ST1300, the BMW R1200RT, and the Yamaha FJR1300. These three motorcycles all offer hard luggage, electrically adjustable windshields, and anti-lock brakes. Image File history File links Left-front-w2. ... Image File history File links Left-front-w2. ... -1... BMW R1200RT The BMW R1200RT was introduced in 2005 by BMW Motorrad as a touring motorcycle designed to replace BMWs successful R1100RT and R1150RT models. ... Yamaha Motor Company Limited (ヤマハ発動機株式会社) TYO: 7272 , a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company (whose HQ is at 2500 Shingai, Iwata, Shizuoka), is part of the Yamaha Corporation. ... The FJR1300 is Yamahas Sport Touring motorcycle. ... An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a system on motor vehicles which prevents the wheels from locking while braking. ...

Global on+off-road (gelände strasse) tourers

This category encompasses motorcycles designed specifically to provide global touring capabilities on both pavement and off-road with the intent of making virtually any destination reachable. Motorcycles in this category share a unique combination of traits that provide them very high ground clearance (for off-road purposes), particularly large fuel reserves, large displacement understressed engines for high reliability and heavy torque output, large size and good high-speed highway behavior & handling. This combination of traits (and their weight) is also what separates them from traditional off-road, enduro and MX class motorcycles. It is common for a large selection of purpose-driven options to be available for global tourers, including skid plates (to protect the engine and transmission during off-road use), larger and additional fuel tanks than stock, metal-formed hard luggage for extreme condition use, hardened GPS naviation systems designed to handle off-road abuse, etc. These bikes do not necessarily ship with hard luggage, but usually offer them as optional extras either from the manufacturer or via third-party suppliers. These motorcycles are often used as the basis for competitions in extreme rally events, including the grueling Paris-Dakar Rally. A support truck during the 2004 Dakar The Dakar Rally (or simply The Dakar; formerly known as The Paris Dakar Rally and now as The Lisbon Dakar Rally) is an annual off-road race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. ...

BMW R1200GS dual-purpose motorcycle

The global GS tourer was pioneered by the introduction in 1980 of the BMW Motorcycles R80 G/S, the first full mass-production motorcycle specifically designed for the task. G/S is an abbreviation of the German Gelände/Straβe, meaning "off-road/street"; the G/S name was later simplified to remove the slash and the S changed to mean "Sport". In the intervening years, BMW has upgraded their R80G/S through a number of models, and competitors have also delivered motorcycles designed to breach the same market niche with mixed success. Image File history File linksMetadata Gs-600. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Gs-600. ... BMW AG (an initialism for Bayerische Motoren-Werke Aktiengesellschaft, or in English, Bavarian Motor Works; ISIN: DE0005190003), is an independent German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. ... BMW began as an aeroplane engine manufacturer. ... Gelände/Strasse means Land/Street and refers to a series of off-road/on-road BMW motorcycles produced from 1980 to the present day. ... BMW began as an aeroplane engine manufacturer. ... Gelände/Strasse means Land/Street and refers to a series of off-road/on-road BMW motorcycles produced from 1980 to the present day. ...

Noteworthy current examples include the BMW BMW F650GS, R1200GS, the KTM 950 & 990 Adventure series. This article needs cleanup. ... Kronreif, Trunkenpolz, Mattighofen (KTM) is an Austrian motorcycle manufacturer // The company was founded in 1934 by engineer Hans Trunkenpolz in Mattighofen. ...

Sport-tourers

Main article: Sport touring

Sport tourers are a hybrid form between sport bikes and tourers, allowing long-distance riding at higher speeds and with more emphasis on sport-like performance (in both handling and speed) than standard tourers; these bikes offer a mid-ground between both segments. The paradigm arguably originated with the 1976 BMW R100 RS, which combined BMW's traditional strengths for touring with a full-coverage racing fairing that entailed clip on-like handlebars and a semi-crouched riding position. The sport touring category includes such motorcycles as the Honda VFR (Interceptor) and ST series, the Yamaha FJR 1300, the Triumph Sprint & Sprint ST, Ducati Motor Holding Multistrada and ST series, (debatably) the Suzuki Katana (GSXF series), several subsequent BMW models and (debatably) the Buell Ulysses. These bikes do not necessarily ship with hard luggage, but usually offer them as optional extras either from the manufacturer or via third-party suppliers. Sport touring refers to a style of motorcycle design, or a philosophy of riding. ... The VF and VFR series motorcycle was a breakthrough engine design from Honda resulting in what has come to be generally accepted by magazine reviews, year after year, to be the best all-round street bike built to-date. ... The Honda ST (for Sport Touring) series fills the gap between touring-oriented sport motorcycles such as the CBR1000F and full-dress tourers such as the Gold Wing. ... Triumph Motorcycles is an English motorcycle manufacturer, originally based in Coventry. ... Ducati Motor Holding is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. ... The Multistrada is a model introduced by Ducati in the mid 2000s with a 1000cc engine. ... The mastermodel of the Katana motorcycle The original Suzuki Katana was a sports motorcycle produced in the early 1980s at the instigation of Suzuki Deutschland specifically for their market needs, and designed at the instigation of Suzuki Deutschland by an outside design team which the project was farmed out to. ... Buell is a motorcycle manufacturer located in the United States. ...