10 Powerful Touring Bikes Short Riders Can Enjoy

The ultimate products in two-wheeled exploration are widely considered to be adventure motorcycles. But their high seats and even higher curb weights are a deterrent to all but the tallest, fittest motorcycle riders. Sure, there are motorcycles like the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 that negate this somewhat by utilizing its air damping to lower the motorcycle at a stop. Yet there remains an element of nervousness if you need to dab a foot while turning.

If you choose to stick to paved roads, however, there is a lot more choice. The tourer that has developed from the cruiser is an obvious style of motorcycle if you want a low seat height, but as with street bikes, sport-touring motorcycles have also been working to become accessible to more riders. In this age of globalization, you ignore markets like SE Asia, where the average height is less than Europe or America, at your peril. We’ve come up with ten touring motorcycles that allow you the comfort of the low seat height, and yet don’t skimp on power – for maximum fun!

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10 Heaviest American Touring Bikes In 2024

There is one “heavy” touring motorcycle on this list that gets “sporty” bits like adjustable Showa suspension and carbon fiber

1

Harley-Davidson Street Glide

Seat Height: 26.1 inches

One of Harley’s most popular models is also the one with the lowest seat height. The Street Glide is a top touring model, designed to be more comfortable in city use with the ‘Batwing’ fairing that is front fork-mounted. The brand has been around for a long time, and it keeps up its legacy of being one of the best large tourers by offering the ultimate comfort and luxury on two wheels. This is now complete with a full electronics suite in addition to one of the largest displacement V-twin engines on the market. The only upgrade from this would be one of the CVO models.

2

Indian Challenger Elite

Seat Height: 26.5 inches

Indian’s Elite variants are the exclusive ones, and this Challenger is no different. Unlike the staples of Indian’s touring lineup that run the air-cooled Thunderstroke engines, the Challenger Elite has a modern liquid-cooled PowerPlus powerplant, and it thus makes a Harley CVO-challenging 122 horsepower. This short-stroke engine has a by-wire throttle and ride modes, rear cylinder deactivation, and is backed up by top-spec cycle parts like inverted front forks, Brembo front brakes with radially mounted calipers. All the while, the rear suspension has an electronically adjustable preload. Electronics consist of cornering ABS and traction control, a tire pressure monitoring system, and keyless ignition.

3

Indian Chieftain

Seat Height: 26.5 inches

The Chieftain is Indian’s answer to the Street Glide and offers a similar experience but with a slightly different recipe. The Thunderstroke 111 engine might be air-cooled, but it offers a thoroughly modern riding experience with ride modes from a by-wire throttle, an electronics suite that includes ABS, and thoughtful touches like an audio system. Rear cylinder deactivation kicks in when the bike is at rest, too.

The instrument cluster is a great mix of analog and digital, with the central color screen displaying all the information you need in terms of navigation, while old-school analog dials give you all the traditional information like speed, revs, fuel level, and warning lamps. If it’s more performance you want, the Thunderstroke 116 is also available in some Chieftain variants like the Chieftain Dark Horse, but the asking price also increases proportionally.

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4

Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST

Seat Height: 26.7 inches

The Road Glide is the highway-focused twin of the Street Glide, with its chassis-mounted rigid fairing that helps it counter wind blasts more effectively. The CVO models are the premium, kitchen-sink-included versions of the standard models. The ‘ST’ further raises the level, being a performance version of the CVO. Put it all together, and you have the fastest tourer Harley has ever made with the CVO Road Glide ST. There is relevance elsewhere as well since this is the model on which Harley’s King Of The Baggers participant is based. Unique to the ST is a Milwaukee Eight 121 High Output engine which puts out 127 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque.

5

Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited

Seat Height: 27.5 inches

If you don’t want to splurge on a full-blown Harley CVO model, the Ultra Limited is the next best thing. It gets all the goodies of the Street Glide with a Milwaukee Eight 114 Twin-Cooled engine that generates 93 horsepower. As you might expect from a top-shelf tourer, you get all the bells and whistles, including a full electronics suite. Features like cornering ABS and traction control are standard, as are cruise control, LED lighting, and an impressive audio system. That low seat height comes at the expense of suspension travel, but the Showa suspension is more than up to the task of giving this 917-pound behemoth a cushy ride.

6

Honda Gold Wing Tour

Seat height: 29.3 inches

You won’t see the Gold Wing in the King Of The Baggers racing series, but it certainly can lay claim to the crown in the real world. This badge has endured for a half-century now, and it is the sole surviving large Japanese tourer that can take the fight to the American tourers. You get a flat-six engine paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, ride modes, hill hold assist, dual combined brakes, electrically adjustable suspension damping, and a double-wishbone front suspension that helps it deal with its bulk better.

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7

BMW K 1600 GTL

Seat height: 29.5 inches

The world’s only inline six-cylinder motorcycle is now a range that includes a bagger, tourer, and two-up tourer. It recently got a refresh, and the 2024 changes focused more on aesthetics since a major overhaul was done in 2022. On the standard equipment list are ride modes, adaptive headlamps, traction control, tire pressure monitoring, electronic suspension that automatically levels with change in load, engine brake control, hill hold assist, and reverse assist. The cockpit, meanwhile, comprises a large 10.25-inch color display with navigational functions. BMW doesn’t quote a top speed for its touring models but says that it will cross 120 MPH easily. With 160 horsepower, we don’t doubt that at all!

8

BMW R 1250 RT

Seat height: 29.9 inches onward

The R 1250 RT is, on the surface, an oddball choice of tourer. It sits somewhere between the cruiser-based tourers and the sport tourers in intent, and that is reflected in its seat height. BMW offers a range of seats for it, with the lowest being just under 30 inches. The R 1250 RT is a tech fest, with its boxer engine sporting liquid cooling and variable valve timing on the intake valves. A massive 10.25-inch color display that offers navigation sits in the cockpit, complete with wireless charging for your phone, active cruise control, and LED adaptive headlamps. The options list has practical additions like keyless operation, heated seats, auxiliary lights, and a taller windscreen, among other things.

9

Yamaha FJR1300ES

Seat Height: 31.7 inches

The FJR1300ES is one of our absolute favorite sport-touring motorcycles, and we’re sad that Yamaha has recently axed it from its lineup. Still, there must be a few examples remaining at dealers, and we’re sure the ES model will become one of the coveted used purchases in the near future simply because of how reliable it is. Besides the electronic suspension, you also get two ride modes, ABS with linked brakes, traction control, an assist and slipper clutch, cruise control, a single key for all locks on the motorcycle, adjustable heating for the heated grips, and cornering LED lamps.

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10

Suzuki GSX-S1000GT

Seat Height: 31.9 in

The GSX-S1000GT is the sportiest tourer here, and evidence of that is there in its specs. It has the second-highest horsepower here from the least displacement with a superbike-style inline-four engine configuration, and peak power arrives at a stratospheric 11,000 RPM. The seat height is understandably the highest here – you’re going to need the clearance when you’re bombing away through the curves on your trip. Just because it is superbike-based doesn’t mean it lacks creature comforts, though. You get electronic cruise control, five-step traction control, a two-way quickshifter, ABS, fully adjustable suspension, Bluetooth connectivity, and a smartphone app that helps you maximize the features of your smartphone while riding.