Still Riding, Still Searching for the Perfect Sport Touring Motorcycle

There is something about getting caught in a light rain on the motorcycle that just feels right. Not a downpour, not lightning, just a cool drizzle that drops the temperature a few degrees and puts a little moisture on the visor. That was exactly where I found myself toward the tail end of my Staycation Day 2 ride, and instead of calling it a day like I originally planned, I just kept going. If you are a rider, you already understand that completely.

One Last Detour: The Padre Pio Museum

Before the rain started picking up, I swung through the parking lot of the Padre Pio Museum, a spot that actually shows up on the Roadside America website as a legit roadside attraction. The reason? Inside that building sits Padre Pio’s bloody glove, a religious artifact connected to the stigmata, the condition where a person reportedly replicates the wounds of Christ. It is a serious religious site that draws bus loads of visitors, and I have lived nearby for years without ever actually going inside to see it.

One of these days I really need to fix that.

A while back, The Blue Bike and Doyle turned me on to the Roadside America website, which is basically a catalog of oddities and weird attractions you can go visit. Think of it like that Boy Meets World episode where Eric goes to see the world’s largest ball of yarn in Pottstown. And yes, I live near Pottstown. No, the world’s largest ball of yarn is not there. I was grossly disappointed when I figured that out.

Riding in the Rain on the Ninja 400

Once the sprinkles kicked in I had a few things working against me. I was on the Ninja 400, which puts me in a more forward lean than my Yamaha MT-09, and my neck was already starting to bark at me from being away from riding for a while. Not used to the helmet weight again. Add in the fact that I had my summer gloves on instead of my wet weather ones, and my GoPro media mod that is absolutely not waterproof, and the situation got a little interesting.

I decided to take the back roads home instead of the highway. Which, as I said out loud to nobody in particular, took me deeper into the cloud cover. Smart thinking, Walter.

One thing worth mentioning if you are newer to riding: when rain first starts falling, the road is actually at its slickest. Water pulls oil up to the surface before it gets washed away. So those first few minutes deserve a little extra respect, especially in corners. I took it easy and it was fine, but it is something to keep in mind.

Honestly though? I was kind of excited about it. Getting caught in a little rain on the bike felt like being back in the swing of things again.

The Ongoing Search for a Sport Touring Motorcycle

The bigger topic I got into during this stretch of road is something I have been chewing on for a while now: adding a sport touring motorcycle to the garage.

Here is my situation. I love my MT-09 and my Ninja 400 for totally different reasons. The Ninja is an absolute blast on tight back roads. Constantly shifting, constantly engaged, it is just fun. The MT-09 is the do-it-all machine that could eat those same roads in first gear without breaking a sweat. But neither one is great for hauling gear, whether that is riding to work or on group rides where I am carrying extra batteries, cables, a battery bank, and all the recording stuff. It just gets crammed into a backpack and it is a pain.

That is what keeps pointing me toward a sport touring bike with hard bags, and specifically the Yamaha FJR1300.

I actually came close to buying one not that long ago. Martin Moto, my preferred dealership, had a clean early-2000s FJR1300 with around 20,000 miles on it that looked practically brand new from a distance. I was ready to pull the trigger, but there was already a hold sign on it and the deal went through for someone else.

Here is the thing though: it actually worked out in my favor. Not long after that, the transmission went on my Ford Escape and the money I would have spent on the FJR ended up going toward a down payment on a Toyota RAV4. First car payment I had in years, which was a bit of a shock to the system. But that is life. The FJR will come around again.

Why Not Just Put Bags on the Bikes I Already Have?

I know, I know. And I have tried to solve it that way. I actually have a set of SW Motech saddle bags that I pulled off my old Honda CB650F when I traded it in. SW Motech even sold me the mounting brackets to fit them onto the MT-09, which seemed like a great idea. The problem is the comfort seat I run on the MT-09 does not play nice with the way the hardware hooks over the rear of the seat. It looks janky, like it was never meant to be there. It looked great on the CB650F. On the MT-09 it just looks wrong.

And I am not putting the stock seat back on. That thing is like sitting on a board. I cannot put any real miles on it without getting uncomfortable fast.

So the bags sit in the garage unused and the search continues.

What Am I Actually Looking For?

Right now I am keeping an eye on Facebook Marketplace for an older sport touring motorcycle with hard bags that gives me a completely different feel from what I already own. The FJR1300 is still at the top of the list. I looked at the FJR900 too but honestly I think the 1300 is the one I would never outgrow. The 900 is probably fine, but why not just go with the one I know will always have more than enough.

The Kawasaki Concours pops up on Marketplace pretty regularly and in a wide range of conditions and prices, so that is not off the table either. The Gold Wing? I rode my father-in-law’s anniversary edition a while back and it felt like steering a boat. Smooth as anything, but just too big and heavy for what I want. I have heard the newer models are a bit smaller, but I still think it is more bike than I need.

A few people have suggested the Yamaha Tracer 9, which is basically the MT-09 with touring kit built in. I get the logic, but I do not want two bikes that are essentially the same machine. Half the fun of having multiple motorcycles is the completely different experience each one gives you. Hopping from the Ninja 400 to the MT-09 feels like riding two totally different bikes, and that is exactly the point. A Tracer 9 would just be my MT-09 with luggage. That does not really scratch the itch.

So the search is ongoing. Ideally something with hard bags, a different character from what is already in my garage, and priced at a point where I am not eating a big loss on the Ninja 400 to make it happen.

Wrapping It Up

I made it home ahead of the worst of the rain, a couple of drops still on the visor but otherwise no worse for wear. The neck was sore, the media mod survived, and I got a decent video out of a ride I almost cut short at lunch.

That is kind of the thing with riding, right? The best ones are usually the ones you almost talked yourself out of.