Is the classic sport-touring motorcycle doomed to extinction?

the Ferret said:
how silly is that? Cops can have them but we can't.
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Cops can do lots of things we can't.
Years ago, two of my riding students were motor scouts in a nearby southern town, and they wouldn't let me try the MP5's they kept in their saddlebags.
For some of y'all, you'll have to go to Uncle Google. I would love to post the url to that lovely Heckler and Koch tool item, but I don't want to lose my posting privileges here.
 
well I believed they claimed passing US EPA emissions or something was very expensive and the reason they wouldn't be bringing them to the states. Well once they are approved for the police I would think they would also pass for civilians.
 
Sadlsor said:
That NT1100 looks awful! At least the police bike does.
The dumb saddlebags remind me of a Harley.
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The bags could definitely flow better but overall, I don't hate it. If it does become available to civilians, I'd have to at least go sit on one..
 
Thanks @Weaselinsuit for the pic. I went looking for a pic to share while you posted the civilian model.

Here's the pic from the Motorcycle.com article.
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That's a sweet looking bike, IMHO. As for the saddlebags, I suspect they are the same as are used on the other police bikes. While not huge, an LEO officer would know exactly where to find things, plus they are narrow to the bike to allow for riding through tight spaces.

When I bought my XR, this was a bike I found interesting and would've put it on my short list, but it was priced in unobtainium.

Some will diss the chain drive. I've had a chain drive now for over a year. It's not a big deal.

Chris
 
3 1/2 years ago, I would have bought an NT 1100 DCT instead of my NC 750 DCT had Honda chose to bless us with that model. Now, on my next cake day, I'll be 75 and the NC MAY turn out to have been my last bike purchase. Will have to see how life treats me medically to tell for sure. Like most my age, I have a few issues, but nothing keeping me from riding at this point. No male in my family has ever made it past 78 so we will see.

As far as chains go, I'd prefer a shaft, but the first chain on my CB 1100 a 530 chain went 37,000 miles and I now have 39,000 on it's replacement, both with minimal maintenance. The first chain on my NC a lighter weight 520 chain, went 23,000 miles the second 20,000 and I have about 10,000 on the third. I would assume the NT 1100 has a 530 chain.
 
We played a LODD funeral yesterday. The procession was lead by 66 motors and I saw a couple of black ST1300s among them. I thought they would have been all fazed out by this time. The NT1100 looks pretty skimpy on the wind protection for the LEO work but that's just my opinion. I have seen the bat wing fairing on Harley's and they make that work so what do I know.
 
Big_Jim59 said:
The NT1100 looks pretty skimpy on the wind protection for the LEO work but that's just my opinion.
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It's all in the aerodynamics, not in the size of the barndoor (thinking of the bat-wing fairing).

When I test rode a BMW F800GT, I was surprised at how well it managed the wind. The fairing seemed minimal at best, just looking at it. But it cut through the air really nice.
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Behind the fairing, you were in calm air. Move your hand about an inch out, and the wind blast was significant. The F900 XR I replaced it with, is much of the same as the F800GT and the NT1100. They must've spent some significant time in a wind tunnel to get the angles just right. To move the air...just enough, not too much.

LEOs don't spend a lot of time riding at freeway speeds. I'll bet most of their time is spent alongside their bike holding a radar gun to see how fast you're going. ;)

Chris
 
Daboo said:
LEOs don't spend a lot of time riding at freeway speeds. I'll bet most of their time is spent alongside their bike holding a radar gun to see how fast you're going. ;)
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This is not untrue but they do manage the occasional sprint at +100 to catch a guy that breezed through 60 MPH zone at 90 plus.
 
I cant see my better half sitting on that "PASSENGER SEAT' for any trip that would require use of the saddle bags!
 
More likely to see this in Arkansas
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Mike
 
Been seeing more and more Harley RoadGlides out on the road in places and situations you don't normally see Harleys in. Driving south from Wisconsin to Florida this week temps were frigid all the way into Florida. I saw bikes 3 times during the trip all in south GA or north FL so temps were in the 30s. 2 were riding alone and 2 bikes riding together. 3 of the bikes were RoadGlides. Got me thinking? Saw a RoadGlide ST this summer with a modified suspension that was made to corner. Guy was no poser he'd ridden it 20k miles last summer. Said he got tired of dragging hard parts so had the suspension done now he could ride hard and not worry about it. In general I'm running into a lot more guys on RoadGlides these days in the same places and doing the same things I used to see GoldWings and BMWs. Younger guys too, well I mean relatively younger. Met 1 guy had 70k miles on his 18 month old RoadGlide. No record but impressive. Could it be the RoadGlide is filling some of the void left by the bigger sport touring bikes? I've ridden them and don't hate them. They're no heavier than a 'Wing, hardly heavier than a K1600GT or an ST1300? I think the new King of the Bagger series may be doing a lot to generate new interest in the bikes? Just posting observations here and wondering if others have noticed the same?
 
Several years ago, I went to the National rally in Spearfish. I needed new tires, so I stopped in at the local Honda and Harley dealer to get tires. While I was waiting, out of boredom, I sat on one of the Harleys. I wanted to see what the allure was of them.

So I sat on it, but it was leaned over on the side stand. I decided to lift the bike up vertical to get a better feel for what it was like.

My first thoughts were, "Oh My Gosh!!! And you do this how many times a day???!!!"

I've never had even a passing thought of owning any HD since that moment.

Chris
 
In my winter riding, I rarely see other bikes out, but when I do they are usually Harleys (couldn't tell you the model they all look the same to me) ..and the guys are barely wearing gear too. They are wearing knit hats and a scarf tied around their nose mouth, sometimes no gloves, leather coat, jeans. I'm wearing a full face helmet, balaclava, Cortech coat with thermal liner, heated jacket liner, Tourmaster pants with thermal liner, deerskin gloves and running heated grips with handlebar muffs. I feel like such a wuss lol
 
Some men just amaze me, was at the dealership one Sunny Winter day picking up parts, took car. As I came out Saw a mountain of a man getting ready to leave with his New Beautiful White Goldwing , man was in a pair of shorts. I'm like Ferret,need multiple layers between me and outside.
 
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