Sorry about the long read but there's a lot of info to discuss :
I've owned a 2016 Kawasaki Concours 1400 abs for the last 3.5yrs. I love this bike and have ridden the wheels off it since new to the tune of 28k miles. The Concours is the first large touring bike I've owned since buying my beloved 2011 Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX and riding it for 38k miles. I sold the Ninja last year because #1 it was too small for my wife and I, and #2 I stopped riding it because I was almost exclusively riding the Concours. The Concours does everything, tour, sport, doesn't matter. She handles like a sport bike carving up the Colorado canyons so well that I can run down riders on 1ks with ease. I've flashed it and piped it. Now here is the delima. I've complained about her weight over the years, especially at low speed. And it finally happened. Last year I dropped her in the driveway. 😭 I don't drop bikes. I was so distraught with myself I stopped riding for 2 weeks. Later I went back to trying to ride the Ninja but after riding the Concours it's really hard to go back to that cramped tiny bike. So I started looking for an alternative to the Concours. I found a 25' Suzuki GSX S1000GT this past November. This new bike is good but not perfect. It needed the crap stock tires changed, heated grips, more comfortable seats, the bars raised at least 2.5 inches, the pegs dropped and a larger taller windscreen just to make it close to the comfort of the Concours. After being able to ride the GT for longer than a few miles with spring leading into summer. I decided to take my wife along for a 120 mile round trip ride. And after that ride I'm not sure if I made the right choice? The GT definitely handles crisply. It feels mildly compact with me on it but not too cramped. But with the both of us on it, it feels very cramped and very tight. I'm afraid to see how much tighter it will get with the saddle bags installed? I'm 6.1ft & 218, wife is 5.7 & 170. So my question is what does the community think? I've looked at the YouTube videos on the BMW S 1000 XR, the Suzuki GSX S1000GX, and the upcoming Honda GT 1000. I'm a Sport bike rider at heart and I'm not interested in a Gold Wing or giant BMW. I want something lighter than the 620lb Concours. And I want it to be sporty yet able to tour.