What is a sport touring motorcycle? This type of bike is the ultimate compromise between absolute comfort and exhilaration. Think about it this way; on what other type of motorcycle can you easily and comfortably ride for an entire day over a long distance and then detach the saddlebags to take advantage of that big engine and firm suspension? With the sport tourer, you can take the corners almost as well as if you were riding a full blown sport bike.
Sport touring motorcycles are more aggressive than their full touring counterparts. They're more forward leaning and while you can certainly ride on a long trip comfortably, you can also take it to the track to test out its speed and cornering. Some of the most popular manufacturers of these bikes are Yamaha, Honda, BMW, Ducati, Triumph, Suzuki, Aprilia and Kawasaki. And believe it or not, some models come supercharged. Now that's awesome.
So, what are some of the differences between sport touring motorcycles and regular sport bikes? Well, sport touring motorcycles offer more effective wind protection, larger fairings and an adjustable wind screen. While these improvements are readily noticeable to the novice, the pro rider will certainly take note of lower gearing for more low end torque, a drive shaft as opposed to a much more common drive chain and much more ample storage. And almost invisible to the undiscerning rider will be the beefed up alternator, heated hand grips, adjustable headlights, a higher capacity fuel tank and seating that caters to comfort as opposed to pure performance.
When it comes to the differences between the sport tourer and the full tourer motorcycle, basically, the sport tourer will offer higher ground clearance for that sought after performance and cornering ability, less storage, less weight overall, a slightly more sporty seat position and generally higher performance overall.