If You're a Road Rider Over 40, Read This Before Buying Another Sports Tourer
Many experienced road riders eventually reach a point where another sports tourer no longer matches the way they want to ride. If you're over 40 and looking for greater comfort, flexibility and the freedom to explore beyond sealed roads, an adventure bike may be a better choice. This article explains why many riders are making the switch and what to consider before buying your next motorcycle.
If You're a Road Rider Over 40, Read This Before Buying Another Sports Tourer There comes a point in every rider's life when the motorcycle that once seemed perfect no longer matches the adventures they want to have. I discovered that long before I bought my next bike. --- For most of my riding life, I assumed I already knew what my next motorcycle would be. A Yamaha FJR1300. It wasn't a difficult decision. I'd owned road bikes for years, enjoyed long-distance touring and appreciated everything a good sports tourer offered. The FJR had always been one of those motorcycles I admired from afar. Comfortable enough to cross the country in a day, powerful enough to make every overtaking manoeuvre effortless, and with a reputation for reliability that few bikes could match, it seemed like the obvious next step. So when I decided it was time to buy another motorcycle, I wasn't really researching what to buy. I was researching which FJR1300 to buy. Or so I thought. Looking back now, I realise I was making a common mistake. I was choosing my next motorcycle based on the riding I'd always done, rather than the riding I wanted to do over the next decade. At the time, I didn't recognise the difference. I simply assumed that because I'd always enjoyed sports tourers, another sports tourer was the logical choice. That assumption lasted until a conversation with a mate changed everything. One Question That Changed My Thinking We were talking about motorcycles, as riders inevitably do, and I found myself describing the kinds of trips I wanted to take over the next few years. Weekend escapes into national parks. Camping beside rivers. Quiet country roads I'd never explored. The occasional gravel road leading somewhere interesting. Places where the destination mattered less than the journey itself. After listening for a few minutes he asked a simple question. "If those are the adventures you want to have, why are you buying another sports tourer?" At first I dismissed it. Sports tourers were what I knew. They were comfortable, fast and built for covering serious kilometres. Adventure bikes, on the other hand, had always seemed like a compromise. I assumed they were slower, less enjoyable on sealed roads and really intended for riders tackling difficult off-road terrain. That wasn't me. But the question stayed with me. I Started Researching Adventure Bikes... ...mostly to prove…