The Best Motorcycles For Road Trips [2024 Edition]

Why We Picked It:

Right off the bat, let's just outright state it: The Gold Wing, in any form, is the ultimate road trip motorcycle. Honda and BMW both quite literally started the modern touring bike class in the mid-1980s, and both haven't really looked back since.

The Honda does edge out ahead, however, by its full suite of features that come as standard, not options like on many BMWs. These include: A walking mode for its DCT transmission that helps you back it out of a parking space; Double wishbone suspension to help the front fork smooth out any and all bumps; Keyless start and automatic shutoff if the key gets too far away; The comfiest saddle for both rider and pillion in the business; Reliability that is second to none; and Honda's extensive customer support network that means if you do break down somewhere, you're always within a couple of hours of an authorized service center.

Another thing that keeps the Gold Wing on top is the constant evolution and development the bike goes through. It was one of the first Honda models with a DCT, it was the first Honda with a built in airbag, it always keeps the connectivity options via USB or Bluetooth to the latest standards... if we listed everything, this entry would take up three pages, so we'll just say that if you plan on any kind of multi-day or long-distance touring, Honda's Gold Wing, in any of its trims, deserves your attention.

Why We Picked It:

As mentioned before, it was both Honda and BMW that started the modern touring motorcycle class, that of a big bike, with a big engine, with big comfort and capable of big mileage. BMW's range of K 1600 bikes is their primary distance touring lineup, but among all the excellent options, it's the K 1600 Grand America that's the shining star.

The reason for that is that the Grand America is just the right amount of bike, without falling into the idea of excess. It is supremely comfortable, has enough grunt to reverse the rotation of the earth, and it comes with enough storage space to be able to move a small apartment in one trip.

One of the best features about the 2023 edition of the K 1600 Grand America is its 10.25 inch TFT dash, which can be configured in about as many ways as you can think of. Full screen tachometer and speedometer, split screen information with sat nav, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay controls, on-the-fly adjustments to suspension and ride modes... the list is nearly endless.

If you are serious about a long-distance road trip or three every year, your real options for the best touring motorcycles come down to either Honda or BMW, and to be honest, both do the job exceptionally well.

Why We Picked It:

It's big. It's heavy. It's expensive. But when you buy a Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited, you get one of the best touring cruisers in the world, no ifs, ands, or buts. Built around the massive Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-twin, it is not the most expensive or most feature loaded Harley you can get, but it has just the right things in just the right amounts.

While it may look like your average bagger with an additional top case, it really is what is underneath that makes it so great. On many other bikes, heated grips are options, but standard on the Ultra. Linked Brembo ABS brakes that will use both front and rear brakes if needed on just a foot pedal push or brake lever pull, so you can focus on avoiding what caused you to brake.

It also has all the connectivity you need, including rider/passenger comms relay on top of Bluetooth smartphone linking so you can use voice commands as well. It has a full infotainment system as well, with speakers by Boom! Box GTS.

In fact, the only optional items on the Ultra Limited are cornering ABS, anti-skid control, and vehicle hold control when doing a hill start. Apart from that, everything and a small kitchen sink is included and it's just enough, without going overboard, to make it a supremely capable and comfortable American tourer.

Why We Picked It:

The Indian Roadmaster is perhaps the single best American tourer out there. Yes, we said it, and yes, Harley enthusiasts, we will explain why.

Built around the massive Thunderstroke 116 V-twin, the Roadmaster includes all the features you need, and a kitchen sink as well. That sink comes in the form of heated grips, seats, and floorboards as standard, with separate seat controls for rider and pillion, keyless ingnition, Indian's new and excellent RIDE Command infotainment/connectivity system, a full 7 inch touchscreen for navigation, infotainment, and the like, and did we mention it also has 36 gallons of storage space?

Add to that an electronically adjustable windshield to tailor just how much air you get in your face (or not), air adjustable rear suspension, and a 2 year/unlimited miles warranty. As well, it has rear cylinder deactivation once you're up to speed on a highway or interstate, so it can also go exceptionally far on its masssive 5.5 US gallon tank.

It may not be quite as powerful as a Harley, but only by a few percentage points, which it makes up for in standard equipment that many others have as options. It is, quite literally, a master of the road, a long-distance American tourer that does exactly what it says on the label.

Why We Picked It:

The reason that the Suzuki V-Strom 650XT Adventure gets a place on this list instead of the newer V-Strom 800DE is because of its engine. The 645cc V-twin has achieved near-mythical status for its reliability, low down torque, and rev-happy nature, all things you want when going on a road trip.

The reason that the 650XT Adventure is the model to buy is that it takes almost all of the options you can add to the lower spec trims of the model, puts them in as standard, and then knocks a couple of thousand off the resulting price. As well, despite the V-Strom qualifying as a full ADV bike, it is by its very nature more at home on the road than off it.

This isn't to say it's a slouch off-road, far from it. The V-Strom is a highly respected machine that has conquered deserts, mountains, very steep hills, and flat grasslands, all without a paved surface in sight. However, when you're going on a road trip, you want an ADV that is great on the road, and that is where the V-Strom shines.

It also helps that the 2023 and onward V-Strom's have gained Suzuki's Advanced Traction Control System as standard, and has one of the best ABS systems in the business in case you need to toss out the anchor in a hurry. All of this, all of these standard features, rider aids, and capabilities, for less than $11,000? Bargain of the century, if you ask us

Why We Picked It:

The simple fact of the matter is that many people, when they think Yamaha, think of supersports, a supertwin, a couple of superbikes, some of the best dedicated dirt and trail bikes, and some pretty capable dual-sports. What they often forget is that Yamaha has one of the single best sport touring motorcycles out there, the Tracer 9 GT.

After a long period of continuous production, the Tracer 9 GT took a small sabbatical for the first half of 2023, and has come back from its journey as an upgraded bike that was released at the start of the summer of 2023, the Tracer 9 GT+. Now sporting electronically controlled, semi-adjustable front and rear suspension, a completely reworked electronics suite, the third generation of Yamaha's very slick quickshifter, the latest edition of the YCC-T throttle-by-wire, and is the first Yamaha to carry radar/lidar controlled adaptive cruise control.

Other standard equipment includes the 10-position adjustable windscreen, heated grips, adjustable ergonomics at the hands and feet, and of most interest to us is the absolutely newest rider aids including anti-wheelie, traction control, radar-linked dual-zone ABS, and a MotoGP-derived Slide Control System (SCS) that doesn't allow the rear tire to step out at all, in any weather or road condition.

To use a metaphor, it's as if Yamaha sent the original Tracer 9 GT to university expecting a bachelor's degree, and it came back with a Ph.D. in Grand Touring. It is quite simply the new benchmark for sport tourers, and it has set a mighty high bar to reach.

Why We Picked It:

"Wait, not the Multistrada V4 S?" we hear the Ducatista asking immediately. Yes, the V2 S is a better option for moderate to long distance touring, with one huge reason and a bunch of smaller ones.

To tackle that huge reason first: It's price. You get all the electronic features, standard features, and optional accessories that you get with the V4 S, with the only difference being the V-twin instead of the V4 engine, for damned near $10,000 less than the V4 S. That is before any accessories or options, and that is a massive chunk of change that can then be turned around and spent on those very same accessories to kit your V2 S out with.

To tackle the smaller reasons, the first is that with the V2 S already at 113 HP and 71 lbs-ft of torque, it can already handle practically any situation you might encounter on your road trip. Being realistic, do you really need 170 HP when the fastest you might end up going is 70 MPH (at least if you're not riding like a moron)? Do you really need a race-derived powerplant when you don't need to launch from your starting box on the grid at a track? The answer to both of those is a very easy no.

The Multistrada V2 S even shares the same geometry as the V4 S, just reduced by about 5% because of the smaller engine. It will still conquer everything from a cobblestone road in Rome to the twisty, switchback roads draped across the Italian Alps. It really is a jack of all trades and master of many, and we can't believe these words are coming from us, but it's also at a very reasonable price for a Ducati!

Why We Picked It:

The Suzuki GSX-S1000 GT is one of those bikes that sounds like a wacky, if interesting, idea on paper, but many would simply scoff at. Superbike levels of power and performance, using a superbike frame, but change the geometry to make it a sport tourer? Puh-lease.

Yet, here we are, with Suzuki's newest bike a massive sledgehammer blow in the sport touring market. The whole thing is simply packed with features, with everything from the rider aid control system known as SIRS (Suzuki Intelligent Ride System) that handles all the rider aid settings at the press of a button, to the foot pegs and handlebars being on vibration damping mounts that prevent any buzz from the engine wearing your legs and arms out.

Since Suzuki realizes that not all your road trips are sunny and bright all the time, they've even researched and developed an entirely new type of fabric for the saddle that is water-repellent and extra-grippy when wet, but still allows you to slide your butt side to side for cornering! There is a GSX-S1000 GT+ option, which is mostly the same as the base bike, except with the inclusion of two hard-case saddlebags and some special paint colors.

So, what looked wacky on paper actually works amazingly well in the real world. 150 HP and 79.6 lbs-ft of torque from the 999cc inline four lifted and modified from the GSX-R1000, motivating a sport touring motorcycle that will simply devour the world? From puh-lease to yes, please!

Why We Picked It:

This one, we admit, is a bit of an odd pick, but we picked it for a reason. That reason is that almost every bike we've listed so far is a powerful, capable touring motorcycle, but none of them are overly beginner friendly. Yes, there are many options that exist out there of new-rider-friendly machinery, but would you really want to put a new rider on a Gold Wing and wish them good luck?

That would be like a first time skydiver with no training being tossed out the door and having to figure out where the ripcord is as they plummet out of the sky. Seeing that there was a void in the touring area for beginner riders, Honda took their already excellent Rebel 1100 and turned it into a bagger, with a touring fairing up front, and equipped it with the DCT transmission to make it a comfortable, easy tourer.

It still has all the charm and guile of the Rebel series, hallmarks including being very lightweight, having just enough power to sustain a comfortable cruise, a parallel twin that has an uneven firing order to get the rider use to the feel of what a V-twin would do, and did we mention it's one of the least expensive bikes on this list at just $11,299?

There are also no worries about reliability, as the 1100T's engine is the same that is fitted to the rough-and-tumble, ultra-reliable Africa Twin ADV bike, so you can go on a long road trip comfortably and with peace of mind that you have one hell of a bike under you.

Why We Picked It:

All this time on this list, we've been conservative about just how much power you really need to go touring, and for this pick, we have simply thrown that conservatism out the window. Near as makes no difference 200 HP, provided by a 998cc supercharged inline four, that makes this pretty much the fastest accelerating and highest top speed sport tourer on the planet.

Yet, being Kawasaki, you can bet your house on the fact that it comes crammed with every single last rider aid that they have in their repertoire. You have stability control, dual-zone ABS, traction control, anti-wheelie, up/down quickshifter, heated grips, cruise control... the list of features is nearly endless.

You can add on hard-case saddlebags, or get them included with the SX SE+ variant, but even the base bike is more than capable of long distance touring without much effort. The way that the H2 SX SE cruises at 70 MPH is pretty ridiculous, as it simply sips gas as it destroys the miles, and if you need power, just twist the wrist, that supercharger spins up, and suddenly you're at the horizon.

Kawasaki's sport tourers are also renowned for being super comfortable, and the H2 SX SE is no different. Easily rideable for a full day as you cross state lines, it is a completely bonkers motorcycle, but that is, quite honestly, why we love it so much!