Is the classic sport-touring motorcycle doomed to extinction?

I had the VF 1100S ..it was a tall heavy beast, but had a heck of a motor and shaft drive. I gave my son my GS1100E when I bought the Sabre

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Until my ST 1300 and then FJR...I've always leaned to the lighter side of sport touring (maybe cause I'm a munchkin?) but small shields, tank bags, soft saddlebags and a bag thrown across the back seat if my wife isn't going along. I did load up a KZ 1000 for my wife's and I first trip to Fla in 1977 with a Vetter and hard bags..

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and I had a GT 750 Suzuki with a Vetter and Bates trunk, but for the most part I like riding with my bikes as "unencumbered" as possible while still packing everything I need.

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Its fun looking at all the bike we "used" to ride to get around the country compared to what we " expect" out of a bike these days
 
If you get on one of 'those" bikes today it's a shocker! After riding newer bikes the old stuff is really lacking. I had a '74 CB750 back in the day and it was a great bike back then. Today I'm good with the NC750X and my MT-10SP until Honda wakes up and brings the NT1100 stateside. Out of stubbornness I won't buy an AfricaTwin Sport or any other Honda new until they do. I'll just keep buying used.
 
Al st1100 said:
till your strapped bag has to come off every time you fill up.
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People only say this if they don't own one and are reading old posts from somewhere.

1. Use the 26 liter locking waterproof frunk for your bag of stuff. Who rides around all the time with a bag strapped on the back seat? Oh, you do? Get some Rok Straps. Click, click bag off, Click click bag back on. Remarkably exactly the same effort as a tank bag on top of a traditional gas tank. What kind of security does your bag strapped on the seat all the time give you? None? Get a locking top box or panniers 33 to 114 liters or both and free up the back seat for the lockable waterproof storage offered by luggage.

2. Don't want to add luggage? Modify the back seat with a half circle cut out for a "gas hole." Tie your big old Jed Clampet style pile o bags on the back seat and still have access to the gas fill. Access like this takes away zero seating area from you or the passenger you never carry around all the time. Solo rider and don't carry a passenger often or never? Make or source a cargo or luggage platform or rack with a gas hole and mount it in place of the passenger seat. A sturdy aluminum Dale's Rack is just the thing for the NC. Huge cargo area for your bag, tent, dry bag or what have you still with full access to the gas fill. This is a Dale's Rack on my 2013 NC.

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Al st1100 said:
till your strapped bag has to come off every time you fill up.
Click to expand...
You mean like a strapped tank bag on a regular tank?
TBH, bike had a huge amount of storage with its top box and side cases, along with the "tank cavity". Hard to see a need for a strap on tail bag as well but.....nothing is perfect.
 
Pfft.

3 of those strap bags fit in here and no need to do anything to access gas fill.

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