From Sport bike to Cruiser - bike recommendations? | GTAMotorcycle.com

From Sport bike to Cruiser - bike recommendations?

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Phoenixfire99

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Hey Y’all,

I’m looking for some recommendations on a cruiser style bike.

I’ve ridden sports bike forever but now I’m looking to change things up.

I like to do long tours but also do a lot of city riding. I plan on keeping one of my sport bikes for the track and adding a cruiser to the garage. I’d like to get something in the range of 800-1200cc.

This forum steered me right when I asked for a sport tourer reco and I’ve loved my VFR ever since. Hoping for some similar insights into getting a street / cruiser bike. What would you recommend?


UPDATE-

I’m looking for used
Budget $5-10k
I’d like something that’d be good for 2-up riding
I hear y’all on the city vs tour riding and think I want to focus on tour


Liking the suggestions so far!
 
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I was going to say Diavel but you are keeping a fast bike.

2023-ducati-diavel-v4-review-price-spec-30.ashx


How much city riding vs tours? The bikes that work well for each of those tasks are almost opposites. City you want smaller and cool, when touring, it's hard to beat a boat. City something like a sportster could be fun but it would be a miserable tourer. A bagger would be great on tour but a bear in city traffic.

Keep in mind the vast majority of cruisers are way way down in hp/cc compared to sport bikes (or a vfr). There are very few 800cc cruisers that I would be happy with.
 
Test-ride if at all possible, to hopefully avoid disappointments. You may find that a lot of bikes in that segment do not function in a manner that is acceptable to you. I know someone who bought a small-displacement cruiser about a year ago, could not deal with its faults (riding position, suspension, underpowered relative to its weight), and has now sold it.

I'm with Lightcycle's recommendations.
 
I’ve gone from my CB500F to a Rebel 500 and while I didn’t hate it completely, it was uncomfortable, slow (even though same motor), and didn’t handle like I was used to.

I’d recommend riding anything you can get your hands first (I say this as I’m looking for a new replacement).
 
Is a Diavel a cruiser simply because it identifies as one? what does its DNA say?

I looked at a bunch before making the change. Know that the range of ergos varies far more compared to other bikes. If you can rent or demo a few then I would do that. I rented a road king and it killed my back but street bob, road glide and others have been fine simply because the bars were farther.

To enjoy your test ride:
-Remember to use more rear brakes then you are used to. I hardly used the rear brakes at all my ER6-n and hardly use my front brakes on my Street bob.
-resist the urge to ride sitting completely straight if ergos allow it. You need some bend at the waist to help absorb bumps.

Also, most Harley models have more options to customize your ergos (and everything else) then you could possibly imagine. Generally there is more in the OEM parts bible then other brands would have including aftermarket and "universal"
 
You didn't say you ruled out adv. Yamaha Tenere 1200 is a very functional and comfortable machine.
 
Cruisers that tour well suck in town and smaller cruisers that’ll work in town suck to tour on.
A power cruiser that has bags as an option would be the best bet (I believe the Diavol still has this option, it did when I rode one anyways).
Stick with the VFR imo or shop an ADV bike.
 
A Suzuki Boulevard? Lots on the used market and they're cheap.

The c50 is 800cc but it only has 56hp. The C90 and M90 would be better options, they're cheap too. Then there's the M109 but I heard those handle like crap.
 
A good option is a used Harley FXR twin shock. Definitely a cruiser, but with touring capabilities.

It really depends on what kind of roads you like to ride on. In my view cruisers tend to have very short, and sometimes crappy suspension suited to smooth, well maintained roads and sedate speeds. I quite like the V-Rod muscle for some reason but it's simply unsuitable for the roads I like and the usual distance I enjoy.

I had an FXR for a while, and while it too wasn't the right bike for my preferred riding I think it was a great looking bike, with an excellent engine that would be perfect in a more urban/suburban setting.
 
I have to agree with the others, I went from many sport bikes to a Diavel. A lot more comfortable to ride while still maintaining a lot of horsepower. I don't think you can go wrong with that decision. Good luck with whatever you choose.
 
Klaatu said:
I have to agree with the others, I went from many sport bikes to a Diavel. A lot more comfortable to ride while still maintaining a lot of horsepower. I don't think you can go wrong with that decision. Good luck with whatever you choose.
Click to expand...
They even make it in a more 'cruiser' version.
 
A few of the bike discussed are available here used. Never dealt with this dealer, just a link not an endorsement...

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