If you’re a die-hard Honda fan, you’re in luck because Honda makes some of the best vehicles with regard to touring activities.

2 Top Honda Motorcycles for Touring

1. Honda Gold Wing Tour series 

It’s hard to do research on touring motorcycles and not have the Gold Wing series turn up. The series was awarded Cycleworld’s Best Touring Bike in 2018. According to Cycleworld, Gold Wing has occupied that role 21 times since the first awards were issued in 1976, and the “very notion of high-tech luxury touring exists because of the Gold Wing.”

Gold Wings come loaded with features such as heated grips and seats, Bluetooth audio, ABS brakes, cruise control, and more. Motorcycle aficionados refer to the Gold Wing’s high comfort levels for both the rider and the passenger, as well as the adjustable suspension, as notable compared to other options.

2. CB500X

While the CB500X was originally designed for off-roading adventures, not touring, it has proven to be a viable choice for these types of activities as well. The CB500X is certainly much more entry-point as compared to the Gold Wing. It doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles, and while it does have a respectable amount of creature comfort, it’s not as luxuriously comfortable as the Gold Wing’s reputation suggests.

That said, for an entry-level biker, the CB500X does a good job of being an entry-level bike to match. It’s capable of logging good miles, for sure: Research suggests an average of 55 miles per gallon over a 4.6 gallon tank. However, it does so without the ample storage space, passenger comfort, or quite as much engine power of higher-tier options.

How to Choose the Best Touring Bikes

Ultimately, any prospective motorcycle purchaser should consider the following when evaluating a possible purchase:

• Price point. Obviously, how much you are willing to spend determines how much bike and how many features you’re looking to buy.

• Passenger count. If you’re looking for just yourself, that will change your target criteria significantly compared to if you’re going to have a passenger along as well. Passengers influence not just seating but also storage space and power requirements to be able to haul multiple bodies.

• Accommodations when touring. Some bikers opt for hotels or motels when touring, but others will elect to carry camping equipment. Look and plan ahead for considerations such as these.

• Types of roads traveled. This will be somewhat influenced by the type of area you live in. Somewhere with long, flat, straight highways will lend itself naturally to a different type of bike and different options than somewhere with winding mountain roads.

It should be noted that virtually any bike can be used for virtually any type of biking activity. However, there are certainly advantages to matching specialty to activity: Touring bikes are much better at and more comfortable for touring than they are for racing, say. The best advice to be given at the end of the day is to make sure you do your research and be honest about what you’re looking to use your new motorcycle for.