Starter Cruiser Bike?

S

supernova12034

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Waiting for all my gear to arrive, and starting MSF in april, gonna get a cruiser as my first bike and i was looking at something entry level, probably around 600-900cc. but that was before i stumbled upon the yamaha stryker and it is GORGEOUS!(This is me drooling whilst window shopping) at 1300cc and 650 lbs would this be an acceptable bike for a first time rider?(Maybe im just dreaming??) Im fairly safe/conservative as far as my driving/riding goes on the road...

Might be worth mentioning im 6'2 250lbs+(probably more havent checked in months)

Thoughts from experienced riders?

How about insurance? Would it be a huge jump from a 600-900cc Cruiser to a 1300??

Thanks
 
Not sure if trolling.

There's no one definitive answer to "Is bike 'X' a good starter bike for me, being size 'Y'?" Only you know your own skillset and abilities. Common sense suggests that if you've never ridden a motorcycle before a 650-pound, 1300cc cruiser is likely not a good choice or "starter" bike. But for you, maybe it's okay. See how you do in the safety course.

As for insurance, why ask us? Call your agent and ask them. If you're an M1 rider and you're looking at a Stryker 1300 you might be in for a surprise.
 
supernova12034 said:
How about insurance? Would it be a huge jump from a 600-900cc Cruiser to a 1300??

Thanks
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Yes, quite possibly 4x the price. Call a broker and get prices. You may find that a 250cc bike is a perfect starter bike once insurance is factored in.
 
GreyGhost said:
Yes, quite possibly 4x the price. Call a broker and get prices. You may find that a 250cc bike is a perfect starter bike once insurance is factored in.
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I dont know some people tell me starter cruisers(600-900cc) are cheaper than 300 cc starter bikes(because they are classified as sport bikes, ninja, R3, cbr etc)
 
Kawasaki Vulcan 900
Try the cruiser style as there are 2 styles.
2004 and up, nice bikes.
 
i ride a shadow 600 vlx

my friend who is 6'3 290lbs has ridden it no problem with ease on highway maintaining 105-115km/h
 
Upon returning to riding last fall (long story, 4 years previous experience 20 years ago, but starting over again for all intents and purposes so far as insurance is concerned, anyways) I'm only paying $700/year for a 1300CC cruiser...so they're not inherently expensive compared to sport bikes. However, I'm 42 years old with a clean record. Age makes a difference, your record matters most (if it's not clean, be prepared for some shocking numbers as a new rider) and I also had verifiable experience, albeit that didn't count for much as the lapse in riding and insurance coverage matters most in my scenario.

All that said, would I recommend a 1000+CC 700+ pound cruiser as a first bike? Absolutely not. Buy something smaller in the 600CC cruiser category and spend a year gaining experience on that instead. A lot lighter, a lot more nimble, easier to handle, and less likely to cause you grief in your first year. Yes, you'll probably want to upgrade after your first season, but factor that into the learning curve.
 
Lots of people buy a big heavy Harley as a first bike because they always wanted one. Most of them survive.
 
Hardwrkr13 said:
Most of them survive.
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And lots of beginners buy RR/SS bikes as their first bikes, too. Most of them survive as well, but often them, or their bike, don't go unscathed. Dropping a 600-1000# cruiser generally ends badly. ;)
 
supernova12034 said:
I dont know some people tell me starter cruisers(600-900cc) are cheaper than 300 cc starter bikes(because they are classified as sport bikes, ninja, R3, cbr etc)
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They often can be, but youre talking about a 1300. But only way to know is to get some quotes. They are definitely not classified as sport bikes though. Good insurance companies recognize what these bikes are, for the most part, and insurance is usually 1/4 or less of what a real sport bike would be

But hey, if you feel good after the course and your insurance is affordable I say go for it. Its not like youre buying an r1 or hayabusa as a first bike (like many people do). Could be worse. I personally had a ton of fun learning on my ninja 250r though and I'm glad I started with a starter bike. Its easier to enjoy, and then you can build confidence and ability.

Id recommend a vstar or vulcan or similiar in the 600-900 range if you want a cruiser as a first bike.
 
catzo said:
They often can be, but youre talking about a 1300. But only way to know is to get some quotes. They are definitely not classified as sport bikes though. Good insurance companies recognize what these bikes are, for the most part, and insurance is usually 1/4 or less of what a real sport bike would be

But hey, if you feel good after the course and your insurance is affordable I say go for it. Its not like youre buying an r1 or hayabusa as a first bike (like many people do). Could be worse. I personally had a ton of fun learning on my ninja 250r though and I'm glad I started with a starter bike. Its easier to enjoy, and then you can build confidence and ability.

Id recommend a vstar or vulcan or similiar in the 600-900 range if you want a cruiser as a first bike.
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Yeah thats the plan anyway, i was just entertaining the thought of fantasy of getting a 1300cc that looks beautiful. But what your saying is that generally cruiser entry level bikes are in the 600-900 range yes?
 
supernova12034 said:
Waiting for all my gear to arrive, and starting MSF in april, gonna get a cruiser as my first bike and i was looking at something entry level, probably around 600-900cc. but that was before i stumbled upon the yamaha stryker and it is GORGEOUS!(This is me drooling whilst window shopping) at 1300cc and 650 lbs would this be an acceptable bike for a first time rider?(Maybe im just dreaming??) Im fairly safe/conservative as far as my driving/riding goes on the road...

Might be worth mentioning im 6'2 250lbs+(probably more havent checked in months)

Thoughts from experienced riders?

How about insurance? Would it be a huge jump from a 600-900cc Cruiser to a 1300??

Thanks
Click to expand...

Go for it. WTH, if you lay 'er down and you survive, it's a Yamaha - just throw it away and get something else.
 
supernova12034 said:
Yeah thats the plan anyway, i was just entertaining the thought of fantasy of getting a 1300cc that looks beautiful. But what your saying is that generally cruiser entry level bikes are in the 600-900 range yes?
Click to expand...

Lots of people do it as Hardwrkr above mentioned, but they're usually pretty easy to pick out during the initial steep learning curve involved in starting on a huge heavy cruiser - they're the ones struggling on their bikes, wobbling around at traffic lights, slipping the clutch for 150 feet while launching, nearly dropping the bike in parking lots while maneuvering at low speeds, and often having trouble in anything short of straight line cruising at speed.

If you're talking a reasonably inexpensive (or even cheap) metric cruiser like I have, where if you drop or crash it you're out a few K and you either rebuild or buy another one if it's too banged up, that's one thing...but if you're looking to go drop $20-30K on a Harley bagger or something, those "oops" moments can be a much different experience. That, and insurance will be a killer compared to a metric cruiser.
 
If you have the money you can do whatever you want. I'm completely serious about that. At this point if you're a new rider and are already considering something 600cc+ then you're already talking about big power. It won't make a difference.
 
If you live out in my neck of the woods PM me and you're welcome to pop by and sit on mine for a bit and get a feel for the realities of a big heavy cruiser. I'll even take you for a ride if you don't mind riding *****. ;)

(Dang filter... so yeah, you'd be a passenger on the back. ;) )

icebike.jpg
 
lol, yeah im just looking for an entry level cruiser (im assuming those 600-900 cc cruisers qualify? Vulcan S, Honda Phantom, Vulcan 900 and the like?)


And whoa there is that lake?
 
Stryker is 646lbs wet.

Vulcan 900 is 620lbs wet (spec on the Classic version, no bags or extra chrome, etc, so basically one of the lightest versions)

Basically the same weight. I'm all for suggesting small light bikes for first time riders but it's your money and your decision. The Stryker is gorgeous and its super low making it pretty darn easy to ride. Just go into it knowing it's a bigger cheque to write if you drop it and get whatever your heart falls for.
 
Like I say to every new rider..."It's your first bike not your last.". Get something smaller and cheaper. Chances are you will drop or do some damage, so get a cheap mechanically sound bike to learn on. Don't worry about shiny paint or scratches. If you don't do more damage, you'll be able to sell it for the same or close to what you paid. The newbs that didn't go that route, tell me afterwards, they should have listened. For a cruiser I'd recommend 600cc or a bit under, for your size.
 
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