Great review. I had two FJRs and, after listening to all the Concours 1400 hype, bought a new 1400 in 2011. Everything said here is true. That bike felt big and was a chore to throw thru the turns. Traded it for a new 2014 FJR. Would never go back. Took the FJR across the USA coast to coast and back. 8500 miles in 23 days. FJRs are amazing machines.

They failed to mention about the reliability of the BMW. I owned one and I do believe the reliability is way below all the others and when you add in the price tag it definitely makes the FJR my next bike. I never really considered the triumph trophy but maybe I should. BMW was a fantastic bike but I don't think I'll do that again.

Thanks guys. Always some of the best shoot-outs and reviews. I envy and appreciate your work!

I totally agree with all the other Connie 14 people on here. This is a great motorcycle. The one smart comment that the one guy made about going to a 190/55/17 truly does make a huge difference in how it turns in. I have a new set of Michelin PR4's on my 2011 and they are awsome.

After owning two fully loaded ('01 and '08), trouble free and entertaining Triumph Sprint STs ('08 has a useless main beam) I would go with the Trophy. I'm just a Triumph guy.... Took delivery of a Trophy SE at the end of July - very pleased. Has every option except heated seats. Performed long overdue air filter change and the dealer updated the ECM tune complimentary on the Sprint - glad I hung onto it. Looking at the Quick Shifter add on for the Sprint.

I'd have the Yamaha FJR. Great combination of sporting performance and touring practicality. And in my opinion it's the best looking of the group by far.

Thank´s from Germany for your good work!

Bought the Trophy because of the touring focus that they criticized. Well and the price was great for all you get.

My Dad had a Concours and I really liked it. I bought an FJR 1300 though and absolutely loved it! Best bike I’ve ever owned and one of the best I’ve ever ridden. I wish I’d never sold it.

awesome detailed review guys!

I just watched an 11 minute shootout, that wasn't a shootout? The whole thing is a commercial for your website? hats.

Good review. I still have my 2011 K1600GT. I ride all over Europe and it has never let me down. My wife loves it too. She agreed to ride with me for the first time last year to France, we had a great time.

Very nice guys. Great to see some "off script" give-and-take conversation. Most of these vids are pretty stale and stick to features, engine size, etc. Refreshing to hear how you FEEL when riding each bike. That's what it's all about, right??

Love my 2016 Concours. Bought it new with two miles on it. Has almost 20000 miles on it over the last year.

Informative and useful information. Good vid.

Thank You Very Nice Review ...

I really love to watch your video's,especially now that I want to switch from my Busa to something a bit more relaxed for long distance two up riding. The review's are fantastic and very informative,BUT (lol),one thing missing for me,which is important,is no review's of life from the pillion seat. I'd like to hear from a passenger as to how comfortable (or not) the bike's are after a good few miles out on the road? If you do any further review's,take a pillion along!!! Brett

Your videos have become very well done. Well done indeed.

I have never had a problem stearin or flicking my Concours! Every time I hear that statement I want to laugh!!!

Who needs am fm radio and stupid things like that ? it's way too complex and expensive. They should keep selling bikes,not cars without roof.

Nice review!

that was the best info i have gotten so far. My local dealer is selling the Triumph Trophy SE for 12.999 out the door period. I ride a crusier {yamaha stratoliner 1900} but i am seriously looking at sport tourer

Cool bikes. I'm getting my 2023 FJR1300ES soon.

I love my 1983 Honda V65 magna. I purchased it for $500 not running. Bought some good carbs got it running. The 1100cc V4 engine has plenty of power for me & it's a good looking bike.

One thing I would like you to add to these is cost of ownership over time. I think the $26K for the Beemer is just the start of an expensive journey.

Why don't they ever talk about all the problems people have with the K1600? If you look at the forums you see many, many instances where people have multiple water pump, transmission, motor, rear drive and handlebar switch problems that BMW never solves. For a $30,000 motorcycle you would think it would work correctly without spending half it's time in the shop.

The BMW looks like an angry owl.

Oh how I wish Mother Honda would have continued what she started with the ST1300

good review

Nice wheelie by the Connie at 9:30 mark....!!

Very nice. I wonder if there is a shootout with the 2015 kawasaki.

The BMW is simply the most perfect bike known to mankind. I have never in my life experienced a motorcycle like this. It's the largest smallest bike, I have ever had the privilege to ride. Congratulations to the engineers at BMW for their commitment to perfection.

I own the Kawasaki and noticed that having the correct tire pressure is VERY important. I previously owned the FJR and it put my right hand to sleep in 20 minutes.

i love how he says each model and a price then the bmw they talk about the motor and features then the price. building that one up. lol

I own the Yamaha FJR1300 its literally rocket fast, with bags.And all the bells and whiskles

I've owned a current model Concours and had my own particular set off issues with it but it did manage to get under my skin just not as much as my current bike (ZX14), if it'd had a slightly less pinched bend to the bars and a better seat I might still own it and going to a 55 series rear tyre makes decent improvement to the way it corners with no real drawbacks. I will end up back on a sport tourer in the future and I'll be looking at the Yamaha very hard and the Concours too. The BMW is nice but the price is beyond rediculous and has a lot of superfluous stuff you just don't need in a country like mine.

I own a 2013 Concours. I love the bike. I considered the Yahama but i got this one for 11500 new.. I agree it really should have cruise and adjustable suspension, also braking is good and will stop great but it really does engage way to abruptly. Also scary fast. I didn't even consider the BMW's cause waaaay too pricey. Love your reviews and they are spot on!!

I've had 2 Goldwings and now have a BMW 1600 GTL. The GTL is great on corners and feels super light and no dip in braking like the wing. But the stereo on the GW was better and the BMW is faster. The comfort of the rides are similar. Fixing to take the BMW for long ride so will for sure tell if there is a difference. I do know the 7 gal tank on the BMW is great compared to the wing and I can pass some gas stations up. Getting 47 mpg on the BMW to 42 on the wing.

Top box, heated seats, and heated grips are all extra cost options on the Trophy SE, unless Triumph was including them as part of a sales promotion as they commonly do. Great bike, but I might still choose the FJR.

Im 6"1 390 im new to riding motorcycle what would be the best touring bike to start with I seen the honda vfr800

I own a 2014 concours. Ive been running it for 2 years. The brake issue is true, they did fix it and I've learned to ride around it. This review is unfairly hard on it though. I really think if you put these on the track, the c14 would still dominate. They are a very good motorcycle. As an owner, there are many more things to praise about the concours. Buy a 2016 or later if you can find them. The fact they did not hold it in high praise for that zx14 variant motor with VVT, is beyond me. 130mph dead stable, 70+ mph corners, cuts like a knife. Gusty wind? No problem. 150hp, 100lb ft and a 6 speed, cmon...

I noticed that you guys are riding in Angeles Crest Hwy often. I ride there every weekend. I have 06 FJR and love the road. I'm no serious sport rider and never was able to drag foot peg on my FJR yet. I let those sport bike riders pass me. My question is can any of these touring bikes keep up with sport bikes with good skills in twisties?

You guys that keep on saying where's the Goldwing: This is a Sport Touring albeit (heavy weight) ST shoot out. The Goldwing is a full fledge Touring bike not a true sport tourer. Some call it a cruiser but that is not it's true class. Sport tourers are a mixture sportbike and touring bikes.

Awesome review for some incredible bikes. Good time to be a ST rider with $$$$

Exciting to hear your comments on these bikes. I really fancy taking such a bike on a tour. I want the BMW, but it's too expensive. The Triumph is really good, but I don't like the looks. I like the looks of the Kawasaki but not that it is difficult to stear in sharp turns. The Yamaha seems like a good compromise, or?

Well hell just change the tires on the Concourse. I have a feeling that with just a minimal $ input and you'd get the best bike. Bad linked breaking? Hmm

Blasting a K1600 from a redlight is like injecting pure adrenalin into your veins.

Pretty good vid. I ride a Gen II YamaMama FJR. Awesome machine i got for 5k a year ago. Only complaint is the stock windshield puts the turbulence on my helmet, thinking of adding a lip, and the clutch is a bit heavy.

Dear MCN, Get these mics.

I tested all of those bikes, plus the R1200RT, and decided on the Triumph Trophy SE. It has been a fantastic bike. The main reason I choose it was ergonomics. I am 6'3" and have long legs and the other bikes felt cramped to me. I have owned the Trophy for over two years now and have had zero problems. The only negative I can think of is that 2017 was the last year for the bike. You can get great deals on them however.

Still loving my 2000 Honda ST1100aY .. ;-)

All superb motorcycles. However, about having to use an extra step to manually lock or unlock the bags? *"Oh Wah!"*

Does anyone have a comment about the speed wobble on the ST which is common for ST1300

I'm sticking to the Concours 14. ! 👍 🇺🇸

They need to review these bikes with out their badges.

The BMW excludes itself from the rest because of its price. It would make more sense to substitute the Honda ST1300 for it.

Regardless of make or model WHY DONT WE GET A BETTER COLOUR CHOICE FROM THE MANUFACTURERS

Kawasaki is awesome, I feel the need to tighten the Kawi to slow the steering, the brakes are no big deal

I have had the Kawasaki concours 2015 and i just purchased a BMW K 1600 GTL. What a significant difference in handling and options I would spend a little more and get the BMW

I've watched this many times due to myself owning a C14, perfect bike for me. Funny part, each time watching, I get mad at their dissing my bike!

You should of added the honda goldwing

What happened to the Honda ST 1100?

Miss my 2005 triumph sprint st 1050 triple. 36k miles never had a problem

I was looking forward to the new Trophy coming to market and was so disappointed by the looks. It looks like a giant scooter from the front! Bulbous! And you forgot to mention how dam fast the Connie is. I own a Stratoliner and considered the FJ but it looked like the same bike of 15 years ago until the most recent update in 2014. And even that isn't to much of a change. If you test the BMW RT do so against the 2014 Guzzi Norge, which should be included in the shoot out.

I like the concourse and fjr the best. BMW doesn’t look to shabby either. I almost bought a used one for 1000$ bc it needed something minor and owner didn’t know that. But I’m not that type of guy to do that

Love my 2012 Connie 14. Yes, it may be a little less refined than the others but it's still a great value. Paid $16,200 out the door in 2013 with a 7 year extended warranty. I'll ride it until the warranty is up or it's paid off and look at what's available at that time. The R 1200 RT is a dream to ride as well. Only 3 tenths of a second slower in the quarter mile than the K1600 GT, but too pricey as well.

I have 30k on the Concours. Bought it new. Stock tires are garbage. Put on Pilot road fives and the guys on 600cc super sports better know what they’re doing if they are going to keep up in the twisties!

2024 and I think my Trophy SE is just about perfect for everything it does.

All are great bikes, im on my 2nd Concours, they are durable and comfortable, i ran my first one hard, put 70,000 on it & still ran good...not too awful expensive either, obviously they still dont have factory cruise control on them, but in all honesty, i very seldom ever felt the need to use cruise, but each to their own i suppose, they are still worth having, very fun bikes...

$26k may be a large sum to pay for the GT. But I just lucked up on a 2014 K1600 GT with 8,400 miles on it for $13,999. It’s like new and almost $10k less. Look around and find a slightly pre owned one.

BMW engine sounds awesome

I had an FJR. I road my cousins concours for a couple days. I just sold my FJR and now shopping for a Connie! The Kawi's an easy almost electric bike to be on. I don't trust a triumph and spent big money on the Harley I have so I don't wanna get a BMW

The complaint about the Kawasaki's handling has been addressed in previous reviews of earlier models. It's a simple tire swap out to Pirelli Angel GT tires and the bike's front end turns in like a true sports bike. So the complaint about the Kaw's handling is a moot point. Plus, they can actually be had for $13,000 if you're a savvy buyer.

The fjr is an awesome bike

Great shoot-out. I'd like to see motorcycle.com do more sport-touring features and less about all the damned sportbikes and cruisers already. Instead of going to those bikes because they're the most popular, how about educating people that sport-tourers can be like sportbikes without the pain? (esp. for the majority of us who can't/won't ride that hard on public streets and who don't do track days or racing)

The Beamer K1600🏁

I only wish you all would do a shootout on the 2014 Honda CTX 1300. Are you afraid of doing a shootout with the 2014 Honda CTX 1300, Motorcycle.com?

I have ridden the Bmw 1600 Gt and GTL, and Yamaha 1300 a + es models and the Kawasaki Concours extensively. First the BMW 1600 has a fantastic engine that is very smooth, but there throttle response takes getting used to and the radio and wind protection I would have rate as low. Neither give great satisfaction and leave you wanting more. If the name does something for you then go with BMW. Ok now the Yamaha, which has a really linear and strong acceleration which feels more like gearing than horsepower. The older models (ie. 2013) have really bad seats, no really bad seats, you add in cramped knees for anyone taller than 5' 9" and find yourself fatigued much more than any of the others. Newer Yamaha ES model has a nice electronic ride adjustment on the fly but it feels really vague at best and the seat is better, however the body molding feels cheap and pasted on. Kawasaki feels a bit heavier so you can not flick this bike back and forth as fast as the Yamaha but it does feel more stable than the others. Bmw will dip into the corner faster but it feels like it will fall over unless you right the bike at the end of a corner. The yamaha feels jittery on bumps or any curve that is not perfectly smooth. I would say if long range riding is your thing then Yamaha is the last pick. If cornering is your thing then Kawasaki is the last pick unless you change the back tire (skinny 55 series) which many do, then it becomes a tie for 1st. Kawasaki is about $2000 to $12000 cheaper than the other bikes, which leaves you enough money left over to buy one of the best suspensions system on the market, that will allow you to smoke all the other bikes. I wish I could say more about the Triumph but I have not spent enough time on this machine, but it feels under-powered to me.

After 2 FJR's I finally went with the K1600GT......Yes, everytime i get on it I get the OMG factor.

Concours $16,200, FJR $16,900, Triumph $19,000, BMW $26,200, the Triumph and BMW are at a different level. They are more touring than sport touring. I have friends with bmw that ever time we talk about the motorcycle they have had to do preventative maintenance. I have 2008 concours and never had to to any maintenance other than oil changes, air filters, shaft drive oil, and a valve check and there was no adjustment needed. The bike has now 65,000km (2021). I just purchase a new 2022 last year of the concours production. vs FJR which would be $5000 more for things that I really don’t need. (Electronic suspension, and cruise control). Nice things to have but for me did not justify the $5000 difference. And now, I have 2x concours. The first gen of the 1400 and the last gen. I love these motorcycles!

Oh look, another BMW commercial!!

i own a 2015 c14. kawi fixed the issue with the linked system and changed some seals in the neck to loosen up the steering. With those issues being fixed the 2015 model is a beast, and oh sooo fast! haven't lost to anything yet! gs750 z1000 fjr1300 zx6r i beat them all! kawi for the win!

Just bought a 2014 Trophy from a Texas dealer for $7950 and only 8,000 miles on it. Did I get a good deal?

Great comparison guys. Very informative. After the review I'd go with the k1600gt

These bikes are all great, the problem is there is no way to really lower them to a under 30 in. seat level for flat foot riders who have short legs. Seat and dog bone lowering won't do it. I'm bummed

Too bad the R1200RT missed out on this test, it still more or less defines the class, and that is why the Trophy is such an obvious, uh, tribute to the RT. Sadly, the Trophy SE is plagued with reliability issues and it's electronics are second class compared to BMW. The Trophy SE is awesome to ride but I don't trust it enough to own one, and I've had two Triumphs and loved them. The FJR1300 gets my vote for withstanding the test of time being proven bombproof, a very capable tourer, and fun to ride. It's the one I'm going to buy.

What these guys don't understand is you can buy a new or practically new Concours 14 between $7,500 and $11,500 USD. Most of the Concour's I've found have less than 5,000 miles on them, so just barely broken in. You really can't say that about the other 3, FJR being the closest but I still find them to be more expensive overall. I demoed the FJR last year I liked the bike but I want to give the Concours a fair test before buying. What I've so far been reading it seems the Concours has a little more character than the FJR. I like more character, I'm not looking to ride 200+ miles in a day but I would like something for the off chance I go a little more distance than I normally do. Exhaust and ecu flash and it seems the Concours really opens up and for my set up it would be under $1,000 for everything and I honestly think thats fair to have a fast two wheeled land yacht. We'll see, I have 2 Kawasaki's in the stable so they already got my vote.

I have a 2010 Yamaha FJR 1300 I bought new in 2011, and I love it. I just wish that it had a sixth gear and electronic cruise control. My previous bike was a Harley Davidson Sportster. (I live in Colorado where there are a lot of canyons to carve, and the Harley was just too boring.)

I own a low mileage '10 Connie and traded in an '11 Busa for it. I did so because I wanted the speed and comfort. The BMW is a great bike, but in terms of value I'd prefer the Connie. That sort of money should only be spent on a car.

Thanks for sharing, but it seemed like a lot of Kawasaki hate was evident.The Concours 14 is an excellent bike! You guys didn't seem to give it a fair shot. But again, those were your opinions. Thanks!

Now I love this channel but come on guys; these behemoths are not "Sports Tourers". Sports Tourers have lower bars and the pegs further back as in VFR800, Z1000SX, K1300S... Or, in my case S1000RR. And the luggage is called panniers, not hard sidebags!

Pretty sure the top case on the Triumph is sold as an accessory, not standard equipment.

Fjr for me, the sportiest of all.

As a second bike I'd get the FJR. Fun bike price is great for what you get. The triumph is still to new for me, and the BMW is way to pricy. Let's not forget consumer reports gave BMW a worse rating than Harley for reliability. The concours just doesn't look good to me. The bags seem like an after thought and don't flow with the bike.

hmmm. geez YT... I search for Honda ST 1300 Paneuropean

I love to have one of these, I love sports touring bikes, but unfortunately I am kind of short man vertically challenged. I wish yamaha, honda, kawasaki, suzuki & bmw, can build "cruiser motorcyle" touring type for more comfort on long rides with low seats like harley's but with sports motor like the motor configurations on these sports touring bikes.

i still bought a KAWASAKI CONCOURS 14 in 2017 and never regret it. best bike i ever bought. so dont just listen to these experts. Ride these bikes on demo ride and decide for yourself. And by the way dont have issue with the breaking system work just fine with me its very flickable on twisty road so yeah test it before you buy it.

If Kawasaki fixed the steering, brakes and added cruise it would be a no brainer. As they sit now, I think the Yamaha would be my choice.

2:40 song pls?

sad to say the triumph seems to be the Harley davidson of the group. cheap jab i know. but i've doen my share of research into this bike and the forums are abound with owners who have had no end of problems with bike. They all swear when it runs, it rides like a dream. but a lot of downtimes sorting out engine issues and fork seal leaks.