Best Touring Motorcycle of 2025

The touring category is one that embraces diversity: American V-Twin baggers rub elbows with tech-laden Japanese and European luxe-tourers, while ADV-sport-tourers and classic sport-tourers get into inevitable wheel-measuring contests. Whatever slant this motley crew of motorcycles may display, each machine is engineered with the stuff to rack up mileage over the long haul. Adventure-related models and their offshoots have dominated the conversation in these parts for some time, though an increasing number of manufacturers are refocusing their efforts toward traditional 17-inch-wheeled sport-touring bikes. One such example this year is a middleweight tall-arounder hailing from the British Isles, one that left quite an impression due to its careful balance of sportiness, utility and comfort — the 2025 Triumph Tiger Sport 800.

Clawing out a place in the exceedingly broad sport-touring category is no small feat, what with 200-plus horsepower super sport-tourers like the BMW M 1000 XR that seized the Best Sport-Touring Motorcycle title in 2024 hanging around. Well, folks, a memorable engine goes a long way. So does one that lends a hand to riders graduating through the ranks, returning to the fold, while still managing to satisfy those at the experienced end, too. The Sport 800’s new 798cc Inline-Triple engine scratches quite a few itches, producing a claimed 113 horsepower at 10,750 rpm and 61.9 lb-ft of torque at 8,500 rpm.

Linear power delivery sets the tone, which happens to reward riders at either end of the rpm spectrum. Great off-idle grunt greets you, kicking in early and providing a torque wave that’s useful when scooting around town or executing freeway-speed passes. But twist the grip and the brand’s stalwart 120-degree crank design shines, unleashing some fast-revving ferocity reminiscent of the 765cc Street Triple engine that the torquier Tiger uses as its foundation.

Comfort materializes in a few ways aboard the midsized Tiger, with its cozy 32.9-inch seat height, casual handlebar reach and ample legroom creating quite a pleasurable perch. Those with shorter inseams shouldn’t fret, as the slim midsection makes reaching the deck easy. Between the sleek fairing and manually adjustable windscreen, ample wind protection is offered without creating a bulky bike.

At a claimed 472 pounds, the Triumph does sit on the lighter end of the spectrum within the overall sport-touring category, and that translates well when discussing its impressively nimble cornering capabilities. The Showa suspension hides the asphalt’s worst bumps and bruises from riders, while helping its tubular-steel perimeter frame transmit all the feedback a rider could want when pushing it in the canyons. Armed with 17-inch alloy wheels, it’s a combination that provides sheer confidence while on the edge of the tire — wet or dry. If the mechanical grip ever wanes, it has a full suite of IMU-supported rider aids on hand, too.

There are nitpicks that can be aimed at the Tiger. It has an instrument panel that only a Triumph bean counter could love, touring-centric features such as handguards and heated grips are accessories, and, like many other motorcycles in the class these days, it commits the sin of offering luggage as an accessory. Hold your tomatoes, ladies and gentlemen! Triumph did announce the pannier-and-top-case-equipped Tiger Sport 800 Tour ($14,695), but I digress.

No bike is perfect, but the Tiger Sport 800 is a machine that can add its name to the proverbial “one bike garage” board. Its versatile midsized engine and the bike's overall adaptability welcomes a great many riders, potentially attracting riders with different interests, goals, and skill levels. Beyond that, it’s certifiably capable in all road-going environments and does so in comfort, earning the tall-arounder merit badge handily. It’s a unifier, a do-it-all machine, and this year’s Best Touring Motorcycle.

Honorable Mentions

Of the touring machines that graced the Motorcycle.com homepage this season, two stood out as potential candidates for this prestigious award: the 2025 Honda NT1100 DCT and Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX+.

If practicality is your sole purchasing parameter, then the affable Honda NT1100 DCT has few challengers. Its proven automatic Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) allows it to deftly handle daily riding donkey work while also opening the door to riders who may have physical limitations.

There’s Honda-ized sensibility injected into every aspect of this logical option, down to its Africa Twin-sourced 1,084cc Parallel-Twin engine, producing a user-friendly 100 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 82.6 lb-ft at 6,250 rpm. Its P-Twin mill falls short when measuring visceral excitement, though the bike’s long-haul-ready riding position and touring comfort certainly speak for themselves. The chassis underscores its comfort-driven mission with suspension that does well in most settings, but isn't quite robust enough for tackling sportier riding. Above all, its $11,899 MSRP is a stellar deal when considering you’re getting a liter-class sport-tourer and another reason it’d be in this year’s running. Still, it, too, commits the cardinal touring sin of offering luggage as an optional accessory.

Another wise contender is the Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX+. The Ninja 1100 platform is a well-known figure within the sport-touring space, and this year, its vivacious Inline-Four engine has increased to 1,099cc. The four-pot powerplant is a midrange monster, doling out the kind of slap that lives up to the Ninja namesake. It’s a hoot to ring out and has loads of bottom-end that works well when jetting around town.

Unlike the Honda, the Kawasaki’s chassis is eminently capable when pushed through scenic roadways, especially on long sweepers where its sure-footed nature can be exploited. Though, comparatively, it is representative of its size — a 527-pound heft — and not as inviting to riders across all walks of life. Essentially, the unifying Kumbaya vibes aren’t as strong as the Triumph’s. Its rider triangle is on the sportier side of things, though we’d never shy away from clicking off miles aboard this steed.

What prevented it from snagging the title this year is its increasing price (not necessarily Kawasaki’s fault, per se). At one point, the sport-touring Ninja 1000 was one of the best buys in the industry and per Troy’s Best Value Motorcycle of 2025, it still is, depending on how you look at it. Alas, prices creep ever upward. It comes in at $16,528 with pricing adjusted for the optional color- and key-matched panniers. Again, we can wave a disapproving finger at all bikes mentioned in this year’s running for adding luggage as an accessory. But there’s no doubt the bones of that bike are good — damn good, even. Of all the sport-touring bikes we sampled in 2025, the Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX+ narrowly missed out on the touring title because it is such a capable machine. Simply put, the Triumph Tiger Sport 800 serves a wider audience, whether you’re part of that crowd or not is up to you.