CRF1000L Touring Model? Maybe Not Quite...

Back in June the first spy shots surfaced of the CRF1000L in what looks like full touring trim. It was thought that Honda could in fact be considering a separate touring model.

What if that's not the case?

It's easy to see why that conclusion was come to. Hard panniers and top box in matching camo and a new high screen. Visordown reports it was spotted in Germany undergoing high speed testing and other late development tests.

Look closely at the images, does the bike not look low from the bash plate down to the ground, the front forks are somewhat compressed and the rear tire has a somewhat noticeable deflection.



What if the CRF1000L we see here isn't a separate touring derivative, but the same CRF1000L undergoing fully loaded stress testing? It certainly looks to be loaded with bricks and the rider looks to be some 6 foot something.

Honda knows the behaviour of their target demo, Honda knows they have a real shot of attracting not just hardcored ADV riders but also touring guys looking for the reliability and dealer network that comes with a Honda purchase. Besides it doesn't make much sense to me or Honda to sell the CRF1000L in touring trim which is really just add ons from the accessory catalogue...