Sport Touring Renaissance??

mikesim

mikesim

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Union, MO
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NT700, Red, #989,
With the intro of a new Triumph sport touring bike, Motorcycle.com is suggesting the resurgence of sport touring bikes.

www.motorcycle.com

2025 Triumph Tiger Sport 800 Review – First Ride

Triumph is banking on a resurgence of the traditional sport-touring class with its road-going Tiger Sport 800 and this might be one of the bikes pushing to the front of the line.
www.motorcycle.com www.motorcycle.com

I would love to see that, but it will be saddening for me to not be able to partake of the tasty new sport touring offerings. Age prevents me from participating in the new bike arena. I will continue to enjoy Traveller and the Wee Strom. It is ironic that now that i am unable to sample the new offerings the manufacturers will begin offering a two-wheel smorgasbord.

Mike
 
mikesim said:
With the intro of a new Triumph sport touring bike, Motorcycle.com is suggesting the resurgence of sport touring bikes.

www.motorcycle.com

2025 Triumph Tiger Sport 800 Review – First Ride

Triumph is banking on a resurgence of the traditional sport-touring class with its road-going Tiger Sport 800 and this might be one of the bikes pushing to the front of the line.
www.motorcycle.com www.motorcycle.com

I would love to see that, but it will be saddening for me to not be able to partake of the tasty new sport touring offerings. Age prevents me from participating in the new bike arena. I will continue to enjoy Traveller and the Wee Strom. It is ironic that now that i am unable to sample the new offerings the manufacturers will begin offering a two-wheel smorgasbord.

Mike
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I am feeling the same way....age has many physical and emotional tolls it takes. I was talking about this with my good friends Lora and Larry who still fly their plane down to central idaho and sleep under the wing...but they are now 87 and 89 and every thing becomes harder to complete and deal with. Just like me. Enthusiasm wains while the stress of countless doctor apts...some with life altering consequences...is very hard to deal with. At least they are healthy. For now, I hope to do some touring...especially the ralley...before smoke envelops the west again. But at 76, I am in no hurry to go out and buy and outfit another bike....I have three working ones I enjoy and when one breaks or ?, I will still have two. I hope there is an uptake in touring....but right now, I have my doubts.....
 
mikesim said:
With the intro of a new Triumph sport touring bike, Motorcycle.com is suggesting the resurgence of sport touring bikes.

I would love to see that, but it will be saddening for me to not be able to partake of the tasty new sport touring offerings. Age prevents me from participating in the new bike arena. I will continue to enjoy Traveller and the Wee Strom. It is ironic that now that i am unable to sample the new offerings the manufacturers will begin offering a two-wheel smorgasbord.

Mike
Click to expand...
Yeh. That is what I said two or three bikes ago. LOL. I still really like the Triumph 900 GT LHR. I have a good local dealer. They took my NT in trade and then later traded it for Phil's. See if you can find a factory low suspension and give it a ride. Great torque!
 
That Tiger 800 is pretty sweet... I'm done for a few years .. my very happy with my 2 bikes and if I just had one the RT would be it... as age approaches I'm sure I'll likely look for lighter so good more options will be available.
 
Come on you guys. At 80 years old now I’m on my 6th “last bike”. I don’t think there’s a (numerical) limit but mother nature provides us with a limit eventually. Since the NT1100 isn’t available here this Tiger is appealing. But I already have a Tiger 800. It has been good to me it’s already set up just like way i want it, except it’s dirty. I want a new clean one. Jim Moore and I seem to show up with the dirtiest bikes at Spearfish every year.

On the other hand my riding has become less enjoyable due to the terrible traffic and drivers. I willing to take my chances with the roads and usual hazards but the risks which I can’t control are increasingly concerning. I can’t seem to relax and enjoy riding until I get west of the Missouri River. I live in a very rural area (not a single traffic light or 4-lane road in my county). So my urban riding skills aren’t polished. So my attitude towards riding is more limiting than my health (so far). And that little reality turns off my lust for the new Tiger.
 
Jim, you are correct about traffic. In FL on interstates and toll roads, if you leave a car length someone will try to stuff their car in there. Often without the benefit of turn signals. It seems that is common now all over. I am happy to ride where there is little traffic. When we ride to Spearfish, there are only a couple of urban areas with traffic. Occasionally the mountain passes on 90 will slow down due the the semis passing yet slower semis. Through the Big Horns Chris and I see very few vehicles.
I would not ride a two wheeled anything in Central FL.
PS Who doesn't like a new clean bike?
 
With my wife's (PSP) Progressive Supranuclear Palsy issues and many appointments and PT sessions my riding has taken a nose dive. She is in a wheel chair now and needs assistance transferring from the wheel chair to any other chair, if you understand. I have three bikes and am contemplating putting the big Versys 1000 up for sale this Spring. We will see how I feel with the FJR later in the year. But I am going to keep the V-Strom for that elusive opportunity to go for a short ride. And I am also getting up in the age (75) bracket that sometimes it is more hassle to gear up to take the bike out then jumping in the open jeep with shorts and tee on and go for a drive. Age is not for sissies.
 

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Sport touring is mainly a state of mind. I'll touch pegs down on my 800lb cruiser when I'm having a good ride.
 
Well, I live in Central Florida and have traveled all over the state for years and I have always enjoyed it. The mixture of urban and rural and the Keys was always a blast. I didn't even mind the crazy 4 wheel drivers, but what caused me to sell my bike last year was that I didn't trust myself. Both my accidents did not involve another vehicle - I just got distracted and ran off the road through lack of focus - I did it to myself. I aways prided myself in being a pretty capable rider and had done a good number of Iron Butt rides - including the CCC100 - but I'm now 81 and still in good health (I take no medications) - but my last 100 mile ride I did not enjoy - all I could think of as I rode was where was I going to crash. It was a mental thing. Bottom line: I enjoyed my almost 50 years of riding until I didn't. I have a million miles under my belt driving a big rig and enjoyed it (and I do have some stories to tell) - but I have no desire to get behind the wheel of an 18 wheeler any more. The same with the motorcycle - the Desire is gone. But I still love my. part time job doing boat tours for the tourist - so life goes on and I have a lot to be thankful for.
Wendell
 
Wendell. I understand your decision. It was my pleasure to meet you in Spearfish. Are you working the St Johns River Boat tours? We are booked for the lunch cruise on 14 Feb.
 
wphillips007 said:
Well, I live in Central Florida and have traveled all over the state for years and I have always enjoyed it. The mixture of urban and rural and the Keys was always a blast. I didn't even mind the crazy 4 wheel drivers, but what caused me to sell my bike last year was that I didn't trust myself. Both my accidents did not involve another vehicle - I just got distracted and ran off the road through lack of focus - I did it to myself. I aways prided myself in being a pretty capable rider and had done a good number of Iron Butt rides - including the CCC100 - but I'm now 81 and still in good health (I take no medications) - but my last 100 mile ride I did not enjoy - all I could think of as I rode was where was I going to crash. It was a mental thing. Bottom line: I enjoyed my almost 50 years of riding until I didn't. I have a million miles under my belt driving a big rig and enjoyed it (and I do have some stories to tell) - but I have no desire to get behind the wheel of an 18 wheeler any more. The same with the motorcycle - the Desire is gone. But I still love my. part time job doing boat tours for the tourist - so life goes on and I have a lot to be thankful for.
Wendell
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You are a very wise person. It was a pleasure to meet you in TN at whatever that event was about a dozen years ago where we had that wonderful rib dinner as a group. Dining with you is a memory burned into my brain. Best of luck to you in whatever you do.
Jim
 
Frosty and Jim, thanks for your kind replies - the meetings we had together over the years was always a high light. Frosty, I'm a boat captain at the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour just slightly north of Orlando. Interesting that when my wife died from leukemia 16 years ago, I grieved and everybody grieved with me. When I sold my motorcycle last year, I grieved but nobody grieved with me...........!! I still enjoy getting on this forum and keeping track of what's going on. Wendell
 
I understand the feeling of loss when you give up something that you enjoy doing. At our stage, it is usually forever. In the end we all stop riding. My last time downhill skiing day, everything was beautiful, no problems but at the end of day, I was just cold and tired ... not fun anymore.
Wendell, when Kathy's knee is up to it, we may see about a boat ride. We are a little over an hour away.
 
Frosty, you nailed it - and it's hard to explain, but what you always enjoyed, you stop enjoying even when everything is perfect.........crazy. It will be good to see you and Kathy on our boat tours. I'm lead driver on most Mondays and Saturdays plus I work other days as well. We start at 10am, go every hour on the hour and it's always good to come early as we do sell out.
Wendell
 
Wendell, I perfectly understand your decision. I think I am at that same place. I'll be making my decision later this spring. If I give up riding, which seems most likely, I'll take a financial hit when I sell the very well setup bike I bought from Frosty in '20, but it makes no sense to keep it if its not being ridden. I remember meeting you and enjoying your company in Spearfish...it must have been about 40-50 years ago. :cool:
 
Like I said in my previous post “riding is becoming less enjoyable”. But that is more of a process than an event. While I think about giving up riding I haven’t been able to do it just yet. Yesterday I took my riding suit in to Aerostich for R&R. They can rehabilitate the suit but the rider is old and in disrepair.
 
junglejim said:
Like I said in my previous post “riding is becoming less enjoyable”. But that is more of a process than an event. While I think about giving up riding I haven’t been able to do it just yet. Yesterday I took my riding suit in to Aerostich for R&R. They can rehabilitate the suit but the rider is old and in disrepair.
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You just need to submerge in nix wax Jim, not the suit.
 
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