Tall-rounders are rapidly becoming viewed as the best do-it-alls you can buy. Armed with 17in wheels to ensure their handling is sporty and secure, they boast comfortable upright riding positions, compliant suspension and plenty of rider-friendly features.
This week we have uncovered five great used middleweights. From daily commuting to a touring trip away, these tall-rounders can turn their hand to almost any task while guaranteeing grins thanks to their easy-going approach to life.
A class act with a cheeky three-cylinder engine
Effectively a Trident 660 turned into a crossover bike, the Tiger Sport 660 nails the brief and is a brilliant bike with bags of appeal. Able to be restricted to A2-legal if required, the triple has a lovely spread of power and with integrated pannier mounts plus a 17.2L tank, it is effortlessly practical. Taller riders may feel the adjustable screen is a touch short but otherwise it is a fantastic machine with a roomy and comfortable riding position and is a true jack-of-all-trades.
Triumph specifically designed the Tiger Sport 660 to be cheap to run, in fact at its launch they claimed that during a three-year ownership period, it should require just eight hours of workshop time. How was this achieved? As well as 10,000-mile service intervals, the Tiger Sport’s 660cc engine runs a single throttle body where Triumph’s other triple variants run three. This single unit reduces servicing time as it doesn’t require as much balancing. Expect to pay roughly £250 for a minor and £650 for a major service.
The Tiger Sport has ABS, switchable traction control and two power modes (Road and Rain) standard fitment. The dash can have connectivity fitted as an optional extra and Triumph’s quickshifter, heated grips and tyre pressure monitors are also ‘plug-and-play’ accessory items. Slightly frustratingly, cruise control is not an option and the safety assists aren’t angle-responsive on this generation of Tiger Sport 660.
The 2022-onwards Versys 650 has a sharper look and features two rider modes as well as connectivity, ABS and traction control (KTRC), making it worth paying a bit extra for over an older generation. A fun and frugal machine with a 21L fuel tank, the Versys is better at covering straightline miles than cornering due to quite soft suspension but it is still more than happy to take on a B-road.
VFR-based crossover bike is well worth a look
The Crossrunner was updated in 2015, transforming it from a quirky option to one that is well worth considering. Now armed with three-stage traction control as well as ABS and heated grips, not to mention a far more contemporary look, it is a great all-rounder with a welcome bit of spirit thanks to its VTEC V4. Build quality is superb, making it a safe used buy, and lots of used bikes have luggage fitted.
The GT adds 20L panniers as well as a tall screen and comfort seat to the stock model’s base, making it the more practical option of the two. Fairly basic in its tech (you only get ABS), the Tracer is nonetheless a fun machine to ride and incredibly easygoing thanks to its CP2 parallel-twin powerplant. The suspension is a bit low-quality but that’s fairly easy to sort if it bothers you.
Proudly at the sporty end of sports-touring
The Hyperstrada is Ducati’s sporty take on a crossover bike. Based around the Hypermotard, the Hyperstrada comes with the same V-twin and trellis chassis but adds soft panniers, a touring screen, touring seat, extended mudguards and a remote preload adjuster. Stumpy and a bit cramped to ride, it’s ok for short hops but not great when you want to rack up the miles.
MCN contributor, original 916 & R1-owner, human Labrador, thoroughly nice bloke. Working for over 20 years in the motorcycle industry, Jon not only has an encyclopaedic knowledge of bikes, but has also interviewed many key players in the motorcycle industry, including designers, factory bosses and legendary racers. Still a passionate motorcyclist with child-like enthusiasm for two-wheels, Jon has a collection of both modern and classic bikes that he maintains himself and he writes a weekly column in MCN (newspaper) about used bikes and the state of the motorcycle market.