I’ve been looking for a sport touring bike that has 25 to 26 inch seat height, with 1000cc or more engine size. All touring rigs I see are tall 29 inches and up. The only ones with low seat height are vtwins cruiser type. Ami I missing something?
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I’ve been looking for a sport touring bike that has 25 to 26 inch seat height, with 1000cc or more engine size. All touring rigs I see are tall 29 inches and up. The only ones with low seat height are vtwins cruiser type. Ami I missing something?
I think all sport touring & sport bikes have a 29"-32.5" seat height. 25-26" that would be a cruiser, there's several that aren't V twins. Most of todays V Twins are fairly hot as they have to "lean them out" to meet EPA specs. That rear cylinder can get hot.
About the only thing I can think of that meets your seat height requirement and has decent power is the Indian Scout. The seat is 25.8" from the tarmac. Yes, it's a V-twin cruiser but there are some factory mods that might make it suitable. There is an available "reduced reach" foot control kit, a "reduced reach" handlebar set up, and a "reduced reach" seat. With those mods available and a sport(short)windscreen, maybe you could kinda build a pseudo sport tourer. The Scout has right at 100HP with plenty of torque and doesn't weigh a lot.
Recently in the American Motorcyclist mag there was a trip report where a guy rode a Scout from Washington State to Virginia for a wedding and then rode it back to Washington. He said he couldn't think of another bike he would prefer for the trip.
As far as having a v-twin or no v-twin, I don't get the thinking on this. If I like the way a bike rides and looks, I couldn't care less about the engine configuration or if it has 1 or 22 cylinders, as long as it will take me to my destination.
I agree with six2go l00%...The Indian Scout or Indian Bobber is a great bike with a low seat, light weight , plenty of power, and has several options available to make it faster and more rider comfortable...I almost bought one a couple months ago, but as I am nearing 80 years old and my riding days are numbered, I decided to keep my 2013 F6B a while longer as it is a great bike.....Good luck and take a long hard look at the Indian before making any choices.....Regards and ride safe
I can't think of one off the top of my head. Sport tourers like some travel and height in the suspension for cornering clearance. There are a few companies that make lowering links that might help your search, but those will also make the ride rougher considering the reduction in travel. I'd add the Kawasaki Vulcan S to the Indian Scout for a look. It has the engine from the Ninja 650 in it, can take some nice bags, has a relatively low seat height and also has an entirely adjustable rider triangle, which is something I think almost all bikes should adopt, considering how important a comfortable triangle is to safe and enjoyable riding.
Jason
Thanks everyone for your feedback. Somehow I narrowed my search to Indian scout too. I might go test ride it. But man I love that 4 or 6 cylinder bikes. They really have something going on there. I loved my f6 before it was totaled. I might also go ride new goldwing dct with reverse mode. But I heard it’s taller than f6b I had. I wonder how much I could lower newer goldwing ?
I dont remember the exact height but the older 1000 Kawasaki Concours were a lot shorter than the 1400. Last ones were made in 2006. They are nice riding bikes.
Good thought Jason. I had forgotten about the Vulcan S, and yes, the head wrench at my dealership said with that Ninja engine it will motor down the pike quite nicely. With the adjustable triangle, it should fit almost anyone and I believe there are lots of accessories for it too. Also, you would save a lot of $$ over the Scout and have a better dealer network. Could have Russell build a seat too and you should be good to go for many miles.
Well, this thread just kinda died. I thought maybe the OP would check out the suggestions that were offered and get back to the board with his thoughts.