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Top 5 hypertourer heavyweights

Published: 07 May 2009 Updated: 19 November 2014
  • Yamaha FJR1300
    Yamaha FJR1300
  • BMW K1300GT
    BMW K1300GT
  • Kawasaki GTR1400
    Kawasaki GTR1400
  • Honda Blackbird
    Honda Blackbird
  • Suzuki Hayabusa
    Suzuki Hayabusa
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If you munch serious miles and like your bike trips to be more sports than touring, then you need a hypertourer. Here’s 5 of the best.

A good Hypertourer needs to offer supreme levels of comfort, waves of torque (fun and practical!) and good luggage space. 

Despite the fact that it has every gadget and therefore weighs a ton, it also needs to be pretty good in the handling stakes – what would be the point of riding hundreds of miles to some gorgeous ribbon of exotic tarmac if your bike can’t cut it when you get there?

Here’s 5 bikes designed for crushing continents: 

 

Kawasaki GTR1400

Kawasaki GTR1400 (2007-current)
“The GTR1400 is Kawasaki’s flagship sports tourer based on the powerhouse ZZ-R1400. The GTR1400 is a classy, smooth and potent bit of kit, delivering a magic carpet ride across continents better than virtually anything else/ It may lack the proven reputation and long options list of BMW but in virtually every other respect it’s the new king.”

 

Yamaha FJR1300

Yamaha FJR1300 (2001-current)
“The Yamaha FJR1300 is the first from-the-ground-up touring bike the Japanese firm has built. With shaft drive, comprehensive fairing, bespoke hard luggage, massive tank capacity etc, this motorcycle ticks plenty of boxes. From 2006 on it has an automatic gearbox option (AS model) available too, as well as a restyled fairing, adjustable handlebar and seat. The FJR1300 is about traveling in style.”

 

Suzuki Hayabusa

Suzuki Hayabusa (2007-current)
“Suzuki have played around with the GSX1300R Hayabusa’s styling without losing the original’s looks and character, as a result the new Suzuki Hayabusa looks really sleek. Engine capacity had increased and so has power and torque. Handling hasn’t been significantly improved, more a gentle step forward however the brakes are a miles better, and about time.”

 

BMW K1300GT

BMW K1300GT (2009-current)
“The BMW K1300GT manages to combine massive performance with supreme practicality and comfort. There’s no getting away from the sheer size of the BMW K1300GT – But get it moving and that bulk just evaporates and it becomes a truly wieldy bike. Add in heated grips and seat as well as massive panniers and an electrically-adjustable screen and hundreds of miles in a day are easy meat.”

 

Honda Blackbird

Honda Blackbird (1993-current)
“The Honda Blackbird is a useable, comfortable, tidy handling sports tourer but also a ballistic power-house that used to hold the record as the fastest production motorcycle. The Blackbird is sensible and utterly insane in one nicely presented Honda package. One of the best all-round motorcycles out there.”

 

If you’re thinking of buying one of the above models from MCN Bikes For Sale, get insurance quotes from a number of motorcycle insurance providers in one place with MCN Compare. 

James Keen

By James Keen