Question for you all
02-16-2009, 11:02 AM
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Question for you all
my current bike is Kawasaki Vulcan 500.
i am thinking what to buy as my next bike and torn between a cruiser or somethings along the lines of sport touring(would buy both if budget allowed), I know its a person choice, but would like some pro's/con's to each and just general advice about it.
what i am looking to do is longer rides and maybe once or twice a year weekend getaway. i am looking for it to be fuel injected and either belt or shaft.
i am thinking what to buy as my next bike and torn between a cruiser or somethings along the lines of sport touring(would buy both if budget allowed), I know its a person choice, but would like some pro's/con's to each and just general advice about it.
what i am looking to do is longer rides and maybe once or twice a year weekend getaway. i am looking for it to be fuel injected and either belt or shaft.
02-17-2009, 10:48 AM
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There are so many choices...
...but first I'll give you a couple pros and cons; cruisers are usually heavier and therefore more difficult to manuever, that also makes them a bit more stable at highway speeds/high wind, etc. Sport-tourers are generally lighter than cruisers and handle better as a result, but they lose a small amount of stability as a trade-off. Both can handle saddlebags, hardbags, tankbags, etc., so luggage for longer trips is no problem.
If you're at all interested in going fast around corners then the cruiser is not for you. You'll be dragging hard parts on the pavement long before a sport-tourer will touch down. If you're more interested in shiny chrome and a big rumbling exhaust, then the sport-tourer is out. Top speed and acceleration will usually be won by the sport-tourer as well...although there are a few big cruisers (such as Suzuki's M109R or C109RT, Yamaha's Roadliner and Warrior, etc.) that have VERY decent power. Also, most cruisers are still carburated while the sport-tourers are mostly fuel-injected.
Another thing to consider is riding position. Most cruisers have a laid-back position, with some having you place your hands parallel to, or even above, your shoulders which will eventually put your hands to sleep. Sport-tourers have a more upright sitting position that is much more natural and gives you good leverage on the handlebars.
I'll be honest with you...I'm not a cruiser fan. I feel they're just big, heavy, straight-line machines. I enjoy going fast...especially around curves. Lots of chrome, and a bike that sounds like a late '60s muscle car when it's idling, isn't my taste. That being said, a larger cruiser (above 1300cc) will tour around with no problems at all.
If it were me, I'd buy a sport-tourer. There are many extremely good models to choose from. Yamaha's FJR has ABS and a thumb-operated shifter (semi-automatic) available. Kawi's new Concours is pretty impressive as well. And you can't go wrong with Honda's ST1300. All of these models sport paint-matched hardbags and windshields and will take you across the country without batting an eyelash. They'll also carve curves with no problem at all, if you feel inclined to do so.
Oh, and a honorable mention goes to Honda's VFR800, which also is available with ABS and paint-matched hardbags. It's a gorgeous bike with a single-sided swingarm, which is quite unique in the world of Japanese motorcycles. It's also got V-TEC, yo!! Lol...
Also, I personally would avoid BMWs. They're good machines, but are prone to maintenance issues and are more expensive to fix and maintain than their Japanese counterparts. Parts are also much easier to come by for Japanese bikes as well.
If you're at all interested in going fast around corners then the cruiser is not for you. You'll be dragging hard parts on the pavement long before a sport-tourer will touch down. If you're more interested in shiny chrome and a big rumbling exhaust, then the sport-tourer is out. Top speed and acceleration will usually be won by the sport-tourer as well...although there are a few big cruisers (such as Suzuki's M109R or C109RT, Yamaha's Roadliner and Warrior, etc.) that have VERY decent power. Also, most cruisers are still carburated while the sport-tourers are mostly fuel-injected.
Another thing to consider is riding position. Most cruisers have a laid-back position, with some having you place your hands parallel to, or even above, your shoulders which will eventually put your hands to sleep. Sport-tourers have a more upright sitting position that is much more natural and gives you good leverage on the handlebars.
I'll be honest with you...I'm not a cruiser fan. I feel they're just big, heavy, straight-line machines. I enjoy going fast...especially around curves. Lots of chrome, and a bike that sounds like a late '60s muscle car when it's idling, isn't my taste. That being said, a larger cruiser (above 1300cc) will tour around with no problems at all.
If it were me, I'd buy a sport-tourer. There are many extremely good models to choose from. Yamaha's FJR has ABS and a thumb-operated shifter (semi-automatic) available. Kawi's new Concours is pretty impressive as well. And you can't go wrong with Honda's ST1300. All of these models sport paint-matched hardbags and windshields and will take you across the country without batting an eyelash. They'll also carve curves with no problem at all, if you feel inclined to do so.
Oh, and a honorable mention goes to Honda's VFR800, which also is available with ABS and paint-matched hardbags. It's a gorgeous bike with a single-sided swingarm, which is quite unique in the world of Japanese motorcycles. It's also got V-TEC, yo!! Lol...
Also, I personally would avoid BMWs. They're good machines, but are prone to maintenance issues and are more expensive to fix and maintain than their Japanese counterparts. Parts are also much easier to come by for Japanese bikes as well.
02-17-2009, 12:41 PM
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Thank you...............
not interested in going too fast around the corners, but also don't care for a lot of chrome my main concern is being able to do a day worth of riding and not feel like i spend a day lifting boxes and my back is killing me.
02-17-2009, 04:42 PM
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the best thing to do is go and at least sit on as many bikes as you can
each have their little quirks and such, and as long as you pick a bike with a decent following, some aftermarket company probably has almost anything you'll need to make the bike suit your needs.
My experiences include 6th gen VFRs (2002-present) and BMW K1200RSs
i have about 20k miles on VFRs in about 1.5 years. I'd say pretty much everything your read about them is true, they are great bikes, mine always ran great, they look great, have great fit and finish, the V4 smoothness and sound are unmatched, but are definently on the sport end of the sport touring spectrum. I didn't enjoy riding mine on straight highway sections for long distances, backroads are really where it's at. My issues included: Thermostat stuck open, hesitation at cruising speed and constant throttle and what i'd consider mediocre to poor gas mileage (38-40mpg usually), all of which are known issues.
I haven't had the K1200RS very long, it is pretty much a bigger, good bit heavier VFR with better brakes, better seating position, better fueling, lots more power and torque and even better fit and finish.
If corners and speed aren't concerns and you have long enough legs, i'd recommend the Honda ST1300, BMW R1200RT/R1150RT, Suzuki VStrom 650, you can even get older Kawi Concourse 1200s for cheap now and they are supposed to be dead reliable.
My experiences include 6th gen VFRs (2002-present) and BMW K1200RSs
i have about 20k miles on VFRs in about 1.5 years. I'd say pretty much everything your read about them is true, they are great bikes, mine always ran great, they look great, have great fit and finish, the V4 smoothness and sound are unmatched, but are definently on the sport end of the sport touring spectrum. I didn't enjoy riding mine on straight highway sections for long distances, backroads are really where it's at. My issues included: Thermostat stuck open, hesitation at cruising speed and constant throttle and what i'd consider mediocre to poor gas mileage (38-40mpg usually), all of which are known issues.
I haven't had the K1200RS very long, it is pretty much a bigger, good bit heavier VFR with better brakes, better seating position, better fueling, lots more power and torque and even better fit and finish.
If corners and speed aren't concerns and you have long enough legs, i'd recommend the Honda ST1300, BMW R1200RT/R1150RT, Suzuki VStrom 650, you can even get older Kawi Concourse 1200s for cheap now and they are supposed to be dead reliable.
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02-18-2009, 04:29 AM
#8
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yes long legs are a problem thats why cruisers are consideration only 5'8 with 30 inseam...
some bikes that i like or listed here have seat height of 31 or higher
