10 Perfect Touring Bikes for Couples Who Love Long Rides

Two-up touring is a different kind of fun. You get to share your love of motorcycling with someone else, and you have company even off the bike. Not to mention that moving or picking up a fully loaded touring motorcycle that has tipped over is always easier with a second pair of hands. Luckily for those who want to go for long rides with a second person, there are quite a few motorcycles that have been developed with the second occupant in mind.

These touring motorcycles are large by necessity. After all, a small pillion seat makes for an unhappy passenger. A large, torquey engine is a necessity because a pillion means a pillion’s luggage will also be along. Not only is this extra weight, but more storage space is a valuable commodity for the same reason.

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10

Honda NT1100 DCT

Price: $11,899

The NT1100 is a recent entrant to the US market, and Honda has put only the DCT automatic variant on sale in a single color. It is a thoughtful mix of high technology and affordable components to give it an approachable price; it costs nearly the same as the Rebel 1100T DCT. The highlight is the driveline: the 6-speed dual-clutch automatic will make touring a breeze on the NT1100. The pillion will be comfy thanks to the space, the hard luggage is spacious enough, and the tail rack will allow a top box to be mounted for extra luggage space.

9

Kawasaki Versys 1100

Price: $19,499

The Versys 1100 SE LT ABS, to give it its full name, has a list of features longer than its name. It has the updated 1,099 cc engine with better low and mid-range torque, a six-axis IMU that allows for the most up-to-date safety measures, a quickshifter that now works from 1,500 RPM onward, and electronic suspension from Showa. The engine also has more horsepower than before, allowing for a 149 MPH top speed. The panniers are the quick-release type, and the paint is self-healing, like the H2 motorcycles.

8

BMW R 1250 RT

Price: $19,995

If sport touring is your jam, then you’re unlikely to find anything that does the job better than the R 1250 RT. It has a great combination of power, fuel economy, and tank range. The boxer engine has a good spread of torque and a great power figure thanks to variable valve timing on the intake valves, and the quickshifter and shaft drive will offer many hassle-free touring miles. Other unique touches include a massive 10.25-inch display, adaptive cruise control, and optional electronic suspension to keep both rider and pillion comfortable. If you do want more, though, it won’t be long until the R 1300 RT goes on sale!

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7

BMW R 1300 GS Triple Black

Price: $20,940

The R 1300 GS is the pinnacle of large adventure touring motorcycles, and if you spec it in the Triple Black for just under $1,000 more, you get conveniences like the comfort seats with the seat heater for the passenger as well. Of course, besides the black-on-black bits that the R 1300 GS Triple Black offers (the clue is in the name, we know), it also has all the goodies of the regular R 1300 GS, like the powerful boxer engine, optional quickshifter, optional electronic suspension, and more add-on packages than you can shake a stick at.

6

BMW R 18 Transcontinental

Price: $24,395

If the R 1250 RT and R 1300 GS aren’t your style, and you prefer a more laid-back style of touring, BMW has an option for you: the R 18 Transcontinental. This is a tourer more in the fashion of Harley-Davidson and Indian, complete with a torque-rich twin-cylinder engine (this one is a boxer, though) and a throne for the passenger. The passenger gets a backrest, armrests, the works. The R 18 Transcontinental also looks unique because of the choice of engine and details like the exposed Cardan shaft drive make it stand out. It also gets active cruise control, a ‘power reserve meter’ that reminds us of Rolls-Royce tachometers, and there is a brilliant 180-Watt Marshall Gold Series stage 2 audio system on the options list.

5

Honda Gold Wing Tour

Price: $28,700

The Gold Wing has been around for 50 continuous years, and it remains one of the best tourers that money can buy. It is unique in a number of ways – the six-cylinder engine and the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox being two of the most unique components. Like the R 18 Transcontinental, it gets a throne for the pillion, which should be even more comfortable with the current generation’s lower weight and better front suspension. The Gold Wing Tour DCT automatic will cost you a little more, at $29,700, and $33,500 is the asking price for the variant with the airbag as well as DCT.

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4

Harley-Davidson Street Glide Ultra

Price: $30,749

The Street Glide Ultra is Harley-Davidson’s newest entrant to the Ultra lineup, and you know what that means – excellent passenger comfort! The standard luggage carrier doubles as the backrest for the pillion and has armrests as well. There is a total of 4.9 cubic feet of storage space, which should be enough for anyone. The engine is one of Harley’s finest: the twin-cooled Milwaukee-Eight 117. Suspension is provided by Showa, and the rear shock preload can be adjusted by hand. Rounding things off are a full electronics suite for safety, a humongous 12.3-inch TFT display, and the ability for the navigation to recognize voice commands.

3

Indian Pursuit Limited

Price: $31,999

The Pursuit is Indian’s original modern full-dress tourer; it has always been powered by the PowerPlus liquid-cooled engines. The others run air-cooled Thunderstroke engines and now have the option of the PowerPlus. The Pursuit, being more of a performance-inclined model, offers things like Brembo brakes with semi-floating rotors, inverted front forks, Fox rear shocks, and a whole raft of safety features thanks to its six-axis Bosch IMU. Standard equipment includes the passenger throne, remote locking saddlebags, an electric windshield, 36 gallons of storage, and a tire pressure monitoring system.

2

Harley-Davidson Road Glide Limited

Price: $32,499

The Road Glide Limited is on its way out, but we’re sad to see it go. It is powered by the uber-flexible Milwaukee-Eight 114 twin-cooled engine. The frame-mounted fairing will help reduce fatigue on long highway runs, and the top box is large enough to hold both the rider and pillion helmets together. There are some touches that feel old, like the instrumentation, but what is unquestionable is the comfort that both occupants will have on the Road Glide Limited. You can still pick up a new example, albeit a 2024 model. So if your bargaining skills are up to spec, this is a great choice for both you and your pillion!

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1

Indian Roadmaster

Price: $32,999

If you prefer your tourer to be more traditional, then the Roadmaster is the one for you, with the fenders and lovely chromed air-cooled engine. The Thunderstroke 116 has gobs of torque at really low revs thanks to its large-capacity, long-stroke layout. Elsewhere, things are more modern, with a 7-inch touchscreen TFT display taking center stage for the instrumentation. The pillion gets a throne but misses out on the armrests on all but the Roadmaster Elite, which is a shame. A full electronics suite is standard across the range, so you shouldn’t be wanting for safety on your Roadmaster.