Gallery: Sports tourer shootout

There’s a myriad of choice when it comes to choosing a bike that will whisk you away on a long adventure. Historically, touring bikes were big and expensive, but is this always best? We took three scales of tourer  on a road trip north of the border to find out.

The king of the high end sports touring class is undoubtedly the BMW R1200RT, which in the SE trim as seen here comes with every gadget under the sun and has won countless awards. It also costs an eye-watering £17,500.

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At the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Yamaha’s new Tracer 700, priced at £7503 as seen here. Using the same 689cc parallel-twin as used in the award-winning MT-07, the Tracer variant adds practicality and comfort, and with a touring makeover from Yamaha’s accessory catalogue is ready to tackle a long trip.

In the middle, representing the ever popular adventure bike category is Kawasaki’s often overlooked Versys 1000 Grand Tourer (£11,349). It’s one of the comfiest bikes around and with the 120bhp inline four engine is incredibly smooth.

To read the full test, pick up a copy of the September 28 issue of MCN.

Looking for the perfect two-wheeled companion? Visit MCN Bikes For Sale website or use MCN’s Bikes For Sale App.