Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: Choosing the right Harley, kawasaki concours 14, honda st1300

Question
Hello!
I'm trying to decide which Harley is right for me.  I've had my Fat Boy for 8 years and I've customized it into a performance minded bike with drag bars, eliminating the floor boards for forward controls, and a custom seat that sits me down in the bike.  I love riding it except when I'm going back and forth on my 75 mile commute every day.  Can I get the low, crisp, carving up the corner response of my current bike, but have a more comfy highway bike as well?

I took a Kawasaki Concours 14 for a spin and that bike was great fun to ride, and the only thing stopping me from getting that was that I missed the sound and rumble of my Harley.
What's your recommendation for a "sport touring" type of Harley that's a high performance machine that I can take on a longer haul with as well?  I ride solo 98% of the time, and I’m 6ft, 250 lbs.
Thank you!
Jim

Answer
Let me start my answer by saying I'm not currently a Harley rider. I am a sport touring rider. One thing you have in your favor is your height. At 6 feet you shouldn't have trouble many have with flat-footing a sport tourer. I personally prefer a sport tourer for the reasons you mentioned. It is a nice mix for carving and touring.

Some other bikes that have the v-twin and will tour and carver are the KTM 990 Adventure. I was able to demo ride one at Americade last year and came away very impressed. I have also ridden the Buell Ulysses and was not really impressed. The heat coming off the engine was so bad I couldn't really evaluate the rest of the bike.

The Concours 14 and the Yamaha FJR are both inline 4s and the Honda ST1300 has the opposed 4 cylinder. If you like the Connie I's suggest trying the others to compare. The FJR is usually viewed as a bit sportier while the Honda ST1300 is directed a little more toward touring.

BMW, Ducati, Aprilia, and Triumph also makes a variety of bikes that may be worth looking at for you. The Ducati and Aprilia are V-twins and the BMW has the opposed twin with a loyal following. Victory Motorcycles have an impressive motor and smooth suspension.

You didn't mention whether you intend to keep your Fat Boy. If you are then in my opinion you are wide open to choices since you'll have a bike for both of your passions.

Every rider is different. I always suggest to classes of new riders at the end of a MSF BRC class to try everything. It is usually in your best interest to visit dealerships in the middle of the week if your schedule allows that. The sales people will have more time to spend with you.

Also, if you are able to attend one of the big events such as Americade where most of the manufacturers will have demo bikes available you will be able to try several, one after the other to narrow down your search.

I don't think there are any bad bikes out there these days. Its a matter of trying as many as you can and finding the one that suits you.

I'm sorry I can't pick one bike but I hope these suggestions give you some ideas for expanding then narrowing your search. If you end up choosing something I'd be interested in hearing what you decided on and what determined it for you.  

Good luck.
Tom