So there's a huge sticky on here about why a new rider should not get a 600 cc SS. But what about cruisers? From what I understand cruisers are configured differently from sport bikes so a 600 cc cruiser does not behave the same way as a 600 cc sport bike. What is a good upper limit for cruisers for a brand new rider?
First cruiser bike advice
- Thread starter danarchy
- Start date
Ok, now here's a total noob question: I've never heard of demo days, how do I find out where and when they happen?
Houghtonator
Well-known member
First bike I rode was my cousins 1100 Vstar. Scared the SH*T out me. But yes they do handle differently. Try them out you will find what feels right. As they say different strokes for different Folks.
sportbiker_kev
Well-known member
This thread: http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforum/showthread.php?155050-2012-Demo-Days
I've had some friends get a big, 1100cc cruiser and are very uneasy manouvering it around at low speeds. I'd recommend starting on something smaller, like a 600 or 750 cruiser, and moving up after a couple years.
+ 1. With cruisers you can generally go higher in cc and still manage the power vs a supersport. The torque might snap your head back a bit at first, but ultimately won't launch you into an unwanted wheelie like an SS can. But the bigger cruisers (+1000cc) tend to be heavy and can make slow speed manouvering difficult. As a noob you want something more nimble and responsive, and don't want to feel like you're vaguely steering a land yacht.
I think 600 to 750 is a good place to start looking. The one exception are HD Sportsters, which go up to 1200cc and are still relatively nimble and light for a cruiser. Another good one is the Kawasaki Vulcan 500, which is a smaller cruiser that shares the same engine as the Ninja 500.
Johnny5
Well-known member
Upper limit for a noob rider on a cruiser i would say should be 750cc. Not just for the size, but also because it's where the insurance takes a leap (after that). I had no riding experience prior to taking the course and getting my m2 and my first bike was an 84 Honda Magna 750 which was known to be a very fast and powerful bike at the time (still is) yet i've had no problems at all with it. Depends on your physical size a bit too i would imagine. If you are over 5'10 and over 200lbs a 600cc probably will feel sluggish a bit on highways. That was my reason for going straight to 750cc as i'm close to 250lbs.
i do ride a Virago 535 XV at the moment so far so good, i got this bike cause my co worker sold it to me. Good for newbie and good for insurance. Take a look at Suzuki Intruder 800 cc, i wish i have that bike right now, still below 1000 cc and good with insurance. easy to handle. If you're near by Cycle World, drop by and take a look. Don't have to buy from them but at least you can compare the diff. bikes that they have.
ifiddles
Well-known member
+1 on the vulcan...i have an '09 and absolutely love it!!!...i got my license may 2011 (m2) and rode a cbr125 for 3 months but found it was too unstable at high speeds (100 km +)...the vulcan is nicely tuned and has lots of pep...there is a great forum for them ( http://www.vulcanforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=50 ) with tons of information on them...they are hard to come by but i've seen a few listed on kijiji...
if i hadn't bought the vulcan, i would've gone for the honda shadow 750...
but as others have said, go sit on a few and try to test ride them...
Got it, no more than 750. I wasn't really thinking of going any further than that. When I was at the auto show in December I sat on a whole bunch of bikes and what amazed me was how light the Honda Shadow 750 felt compared to other 750 bikes. Of course, sitting is not the same as riding but that one felt really natural to me, not just in weight but as overall "fit". Otherwise I've been looking at smaller ones and the Vulcan 500 and Virago 535 did spark my interest while browsing AutoTrader.
The demo days thing has me wondering: can I not just go to a dealership and test ride bikes like you can with cars? Do they not allow that because of the increased risk of testers crashing their stuff? I looked through that thread about demo days and it seems that most hosts won't allow anyone with an M2 to try their bikes.
The demo days thing has me wondering: can I not just go to a dealership and test ride bikes like you can with cars? Do they not allow that because of the increased risk of testers crashing their stuff? I looked through that thread about demo days and it seems that most hosts won't allow anyone with an M2 to try their bikes.
cknowles
Well-known member
Cruisers are very different from sport bikes. I bought a Yamaha Virago 1100 after comparing the offerings available in my price range.
When looking at the Virago's I learned that the 750 and 1100 were identical in every way as far as dimensions weight etc with the 1100 having the edge on torque and HP even then we're talking 62 HP and 65 lb/ft torque vs the 750 with 40 hp and 55 lb/ft torque. They both weigh 480 lbs dry.
For me at my age insurance difference between the 2 was only $50/year so I went with the larger displacement.
You're right about demo days, they want you to have sufficient experience before you take a new machine for a spin.
You Can spend tons of time trying out different bikes just by sitting on them. I know it's not the same as riding, but you get to concentrate on which bike has the sitting position you prefer. You can get a feel for the centre of gravity, the Shadow 750 is really low which makes it much easy to maneuver at slow speeds.
When looking at the Virago's I learned that the 750 and 1100 were identical in every way as far as dimensions weight etc with the 1100 having the edge on torque and HP even then we're talking 62 HP and 65 lb/ft torque vs the 750 with 40 hp and 55 lb/ft torque. They both weigh 480 lbs dry.
For me at my age insurance difference between the 2 was only $50/year so I went with the larger displacement.
You're right about demo days, they want you to have sufficient experience before you take a new machine for a spin.
You Can spend tons of time trying out different bikes just by sitting on them. I know it's not the same as riding, but you get to concentrate on which bike has the sitting position you prefer. You can get a feel for the centre of gravity, the Shadow 750 is really low which makes it much easy to maneuver at slow speeds.
Have a close look at the Suzuki M50.
It's 800cc but is very light and nimble, also handles amazingly well for a power cruiser with its inverted forks.
Cheap to purchase and insure, and lots of fun to ride.
M50 is a great bike, if I was to get a cruiser now it would rank very high on my lists. Look for used ones as well, loads out there at very good prices.
Houghtonator
Well-known member
I'm drooling over an M50...have to wait....:''''''(
MadPoet
Well-known member
Whatever you decide get one that has all the customization you wish to have, everything is simply expensive to add on later. $100+ for every little thing.
I bought a 650 vstar as a first bike and I wish
1) that it had a 6th gear. I believe if you buy a little bigger engine size then it will work out better (correct me folks if I am not accurate)
2) that it had a passenger back rest with a cargo rack for my back bag
3) that it had saddle bags or at least the brackets
4) windshield
I bought a $90 spitfire windshield for now. I feel that I should have got the Honda shadow instead but at the time I felt it was too big.
The bottom line is whatever you feel, you will eventually get used to it.
I bought a 650 vstar as a first bike and I wish
1) that it had a 6th gear. I believe if you buy a little bigger engine size then it will work out better (correct me folks if I am not accurate)
2) that it had a passenger back rest with a cargo rack for my back bag
3) that it had saddle bags or at least the brackets
4) windshield
I bought a $90 spitfire windshield for now. I feel that I should have got the Honda shadow instead but at the time I felt it was too big.
The bottom line is whatever you feel, you will eventually get used to it.
Zag
Well-known member
As what Madpoet said, just go whatever you feel comfortable with + with your pocket. That's it. Small or medium or big... you will be the rider. Size doesn't matter if you know how to control the beast. I ride vstar 1100, slow or high speed manoeuvring has never been an issue. I was all set after a an hour on its back.
