About Travis Burleson

The 2018 Honda CB1000R originally debuted in November at EICMA. It immediately jumped to the top of my list of new bikes to see in person at this year’s Chicago Progressive International Motorcycle Show (IMS). I think a big part of my attraction to this bike, aside from its obvious aesthetic beauty, is that it really harkens back to its predecessor.

Regulars to this site will know that I used to own a 1994 Honda CB1000 “Big One”. This newest version of the CB1000 reignites that classic Honda naked bike styling that was dropped after the 919 Hornet in the late 2000s. Honda calls the styling “Neo Sports Cafe” and that really sums it up.

It has retro queues but a distinctly modern look. I think it’s better looking than the last iteration of the CB1000R, which had a more contemporary “Transformers” styling. By that, I mean it came complete with a headlight that resembled a gas mask (though I thought that CB was more handsome than some of its “spike” styled rivals).

“Bigger is better!” This is the American way right? It certainly seems so when it comes to sport touring. The bikes in the segment seem to get bigger every few years. The Honda ST1100 is now the ST1300. The BMW R and K bikes went from 750 to 1000 to 1100 to 1150 to 1200 in the last 20 years. Now the K1600 is the standard-bearer for the series. The same can be said for Yamaha with the FJR and Kawasaki with the Concourse. The bikes seem to have become more tourer than sport. They’re great if you want to spend hours on the slab munching miles two-up for weeks on end. But what about the weekend getaway through the twisties? Or even a longer journey where you want to take the scenic and curvaceous pavement and maybe even bring some gear to camp?

Even though the industry may have mostly forgotten about the middle weight sport touring segment there’s still some options, especially if you’re willing to supply the bags and touring comforts yourself. Let’s start with what you can get out of the box. I’m talking about the BMW F800GT, Kawasaki Versys 650LT and Honda Interceptor. All of these bikes can come with full set of panniers and plenty of power and comfort to put the miles down.

The F800GT offers comfort and sporting with belt drive simplicity and German reliability. In true BMW fashion if you want bags you’ll have to get them as an accessory. If you skip out on some of the electronic mcguiffins like ESA you can get yourself a brand new F800GT with luggage for around $14K MSRP. Pricy for sure but you get a BMW and the usual standard features like ABS, heated grips and a center stand. If that seems a little steep for you remember you can get the earlier iteration the F800ST for under $10K on the used market. You’ll have to spring for aftermarket luggage and maybe a taller windshield though you may be able to find one with the add-ons if you don’t mind that the ST has slightly higher pegs and lower bars.

At the 2016 Progressive IMS in Chicago, I ended up spending a good amount of time at a booth I normally ignore, namely that of Victory Motorcycles. Being a self-described moto-nerd, I’ve been interested in electric motorcycles since they first hit the scene a few years ago. From the first Zeros that were little more than hopped up electric bicycles to Harley Davidson’s Project Livewire, it’s always been a field of progressive startups and tentative water testing by big companies.

Brammo was one of the more successful startups. They focused less on the practical commuter bikes Zero was making and going for the full sportbike experience, complete with a six-speed gearbox. When news broke that Brammo was picked up by Victory last year, I wondered what the outcome would be. With a Victory branded TT on display at the IMS I had my chance to find out.

At first glance I really like the bike. It looks cool and “electric” but not too strange. It looks like a nice, sporty mid-size. Unfortunately you can’t ride the bikes at the show but you can sit on them and give them a good once over. I was surprised that, despite the Victory badge, it still looked and felt like a small production machine.

I’ve always been a fan of bikes that are a little bit different. When I was ready to move up from my 250cc starter, I was looking for a good mid-sized all-arounder. The Kawasaki Versys 650 appealed to me. I liked the quirky styling. I liked that it was basically a Ninja on stilts … but not a Ninja. I liked that it was practical and comfortable but could still be fun.

I ended up purchasing a BMW F650CS, which I love and which shares similar characteristics but the Versys remains the one that got away. Now, after a recent trip across the country, I’m looking for the next step: a larger displacement bike that will cover the distance when the 650cc is just too short legged. Just in time for me to start drooling on it, Kawasaki has brought the Versys 1000 over from Europe.

For 2015, Kawasaki has totally redone the styling on both Versys models. They ditched the stacked cycloptic lamps for a set that’s split and Ninja-esque. I was a fan of the original look but it was a love or hate sort of characteristic. Now it has a much broader appeal and offers better wind protection and aerodynamic function as a bonus.