Chosing a bike

[BigVito]

Originally Posted by vstrommark

yeah right. Let me tell you about the vaunted BMW warranty as it applies to the R1100RT. Been there, done that, bought a new engine.

I'm a Suzuki DL650 Vstrom fan now for many, many reasons.

because it has the same name as you?

[floydpink]

Originally Posted by Dino1450

I gotta agree with this.

I gotta agree as well, but am partial as I own a Fatboy.

It breaks down to this;

The average Harley sportster is traded in within 18 months for a bigger bike.

With the exception of sport bikes, which fit a certain market, there are two type of cruiser riders. Those with a Harley, and those who wish they had one, but can't afford it and go around making statements about how much Harleys break down and how old and over the hill the riders of them are. (Except when they are face to face with a harley rider!!)

[vstrommark]

Maybe this is a possible alternative? Use it with a sport bike and save yourself really long freeway drones?

http://www.motorcyclepilot.com/

[GrtndpwrflOZ]

[QUOTE=Darrell;1833511]I'd get a Harley, but not a Sportster. A Road King or Fat Boy. [/QUOT

"But not a Sportster".........You must not ride the twisties.

Get a Harley AND a Gixxer
I really want a GSXR1000 or 1300 (Hyabusa) but really cannot justify it....not that THAT ever stopped me before.

....."but not a Sportster" sheezzz, some people

[Blind_Io]

Originally Posted by floydpink

I gotta agree as well, but am partial as I own a Fatboy.

It breaks down to this;

The average Harley sportster is traded in within 18 months for a bigger bike.

With the exception of sport bikes, which fit a certain market, there are two type of cruiser riders. Those with a Harley, and those who wish they had one, but can't afford it and go around making statements about how much Harleys break down and how old and over the hill the riders of them are. (Except when they are face to face with a harley rider!!)

I'm going to have to disagree with you on that. I own a Honda Magna and I have no desire to buy a Harley, especially after going on a day-long Poker Run with a large group of them. My little Magna was destroying the Harleys in the corners, the suspension did a better job on the goaty roads and I had no problems sticking with the Harlys when they opened it up on the straights. My bike is about half the displacement of most of the Harleys on the ride (there were alot of big bikes) and some of the owners had put over $5,000 into their motors alone. My bike is eight years old, bone stock, with a smaller engine and it weighs about the same as some of the mid- to smaller Harleys.

In all my time of owning Hondas the only thing I have done is change the oil, replace one chain and sprocket (because the previous owner never lubricated it), and run some carb cleaner through my old 1982 Magna. None of them have ever given me any trouble.

I have no illusions about the age of Harley owners, hell I ride with some owners (and former owners) who are in their 30s. I just don't see myself forking over that kind of money for such a big heavy bike made with old technology. About the most advanced one in the line right now is the VROD which looks pretty good but has a very uncomfortable seating position and is so low you can't lean it much in the corners before you drag hard parts.

I have nothing against Harleys, they just aren't for me. For the most part I have found Harley riders to be very friendly and welcoming, only once have I ever gotten the "get a real bike" comment from one.

I really don't understand the animosity between the owners of some bikes and the rest of the motorcycling community. We have more in common with each other than any cager.

[onlyonerm]

Originally Posted by Ski1215

The point of my thread was basically cruiser versus a streetbike, and forgive me, but impressing you did not cross my mind. I chose those two because I like the styling of each and in the two categories. They are also plentiful on CL, as well as dealer pre-owned in my area. I can't afford a BMW, or a Fat Boy with a radio and airbags or whatever Harley offers. If by your instructor definition a GSX is a psuedo sport bike, sue me. I am not taking my bike to the track and carving corners. I don't care if a Harley is a cheap cruiser. I like the style.

Agree, As long as your safe get what you like. I got my first bike this year and while I was tempted to go with a big bike seeing that I am 6' 3" around 320 lbs. I settled on a Kawasaki Vulcan 900 (cruiser). I really like the bike, just enough power to feel comfortable on the HWY but not to much power where I feel like I can't control it. When I have a few years of riding under my belt I will definitely upgrade to bigger bike then. Again be safe and enjoy whatever your choice is.

[JCK]

Originally Posted by Ski1215

I am not taking my bike to the track and carving corners.

What you said here is key to me.... Let me tell you a little about my experience because it's similar to the two choices you've made. When I decided to get back into riding 10 years ago, my choice was a 1200 Sportster. I love that bike. It's a great bike to ride around town and to the coast. It's got that 2.2G Peanut tank, so you're forced to take a break every 80 miles or so to fill up.

I'd taken it up in the mountains around Suches a couple of times and had a blast. My good times kept on rolling until I thought hmmm.. I see all these guys on sportbikes up in the mountains carving corners, so I figured I'd have the best of both worlds and ended up getting a used ZX-6R that was a few years old. I loved that bike in the mountains and liked the Harley around town.

More and more I noticed that the performance of the Harley wasn't quite the same as the sportbikes so I tended to ride my sportbike more and less time on the Harley.

I've since traded the ZX-6R for a Triumph Daytona and then traded that in on a ZX-10R when the model year was introduced. I still have the Harley but it's not tagged or insured, because I simply don't ride it. I prefer the braking and handling characteristics of the sportbikes and do tend to a track from time to time......... but with all that said, if you're not concerned about heavy cornering or incredible brakes, get the cruiser.

I've done trips on both the ZX6R and the Sportster to the coast. Both were fine. I actually enjoy any superslab time on the sportbikes more than the Harley. 75-85 mph on a Sportster for a prolonged time will rattle you alot more than on a Sportbike. The ergos of a Sportbike don't really start to get to me until I've done 350+ miles in a day.

In the future... I wouldn't mind a sport-tourer of some sort. I have alot of friends that are migrating to Adventurer touring, but I'm not sure that's for me.

SV650s are a great choice, not as aggressive as the GSXR.
Nothing wrong with the Sportster in my opinion, but I'd go for a 1200 if you can find one.

That's my 2 cents.

Ji

[wilblake]

I'd also look into SV-650's. They are great starter and all around bikes, evidenced by the hundreds of folks who race & track them.

I had two, and preferred them over an FZR and GSXR 600 due to power band. I've always been a fan of the v-twin, and never really got the hang of peaky I4's.

[hoax]

The nice thing about SV's is that you can get them with ABS.

I've spent a fair amount of butt time on SV's and I used to own it's bigger brother the TLS. Great bikes, reliable, easy to work on, and lot's of aftermarket parts.

[duhman]

I have ridden a lot of different bikes and gotten into a lot of different trouble.
In 1990 I was looking to buy a new motorcycle and thought I wanted a Honda RC-3. I looks like the Tron Lightcycle. Then I thought of my problem with testing the envelope and decided to get something with a more limited envelope. I was going to get a Shadow or Magna but a friend had a HD big twin and I started looking at them. That year HD introduced the Fat Boy and I ended up with that. I still have it and have no regrets. I had it all customized but now it is returned almost all to stock. It is worth more than I paid for it 18 years ago. I wish I still had my RD400 two stroke, which would be worth way more than I paid for it.
I have lived in the twisty mountains for 30 years now and have seen a lot of crashes on all kinds of bikes. The faster you can go, the faster you can crash. Be very careful.

[GrtndpwrflOZ]

Buy BOTH
then go out and get another one in a year or two.

81

[weak_link]

Throw both of those bikes in the garbage can

Get a MV Brutal or Benelli TNT!

[hoax]

There is also Super Motards to consider. Basically dirtbikes with street suspension, wheels, and gearing. The Suzuki DRZ-400SM is a good starting point.

And most importantly cheap to insure and cheap to fix after crashing. Dirt bike parts are comically cheap.

[screwbag]

I'm not a big fan of harleys by any means....too expensive, and too little bang for the buck...with that said...

long trips are much better on a cruiser. I did see the entire lower 48, parts of canada, mexico and alaska on my ninja, but it would have been more comfortable on a cruiser. I love sport bikes especially for daily commuter use.

I would personally look at the yamaha and kawasaki cruisers. the newer vulcan from kawasaki has lots more power than the bigger harley. it's cheaper and more easily customized (price wise) and the road star cruisers from yamaha are big and really stable on the open road.

Insurance is much cheaper on an asian curiser as well. but sportbike insurance can be murder (depending on age, and driving record)

that's my 2 cents anyway

[weak_link]

Originally Posted by hoax

There is also Super Motards to consider. Basically dirtbikes with street suspension, wheels, and gearing. The Suzuki DRZ-400SM is a good starting point.

And most importantly cheap to insure and cheap to fix after crashing. Dirt bike parts are comically cheap.

I was going to suggest a supermoto but he mentioned wanting to take 300 mile rides on it. If I go more than 150 miles on mine my ass feels like it misbehaved in front of a Catholic nun with a paddle. Awesome for super twisty old wagon trails but not so great for freeway.

They work great on shifter-kart tracks, too.