old new rider!!

[kjonesversa]

hi all good to be here!
I've got the itch back , I got my license back in 81 and rode for about 10 years and haven't ridden since then . And now I'm interested in getting back into riding so I need some help deciding what motorcycle to get . I'm 60 so i need to something pretty comfortable, I've been looking at the new honda nx 500 as well as the transalp
from what I have seen online look right in my ball park. My main concern is that I might be wanting more from the 500 and that's kinda where my budget is , the transalp is about 4k more. I like the weight and size of the 500 , easy to ride basically ill be going on relatively short daytrips and up to the cottage etc. so im basically
looking to hear from cbx 500 owners for input,also any other bike suggestions would be appreciated maybe the vstrom 650? all input is welcome .
Cheers

 

[oioioi]

Welcome to the forum.

About half the members on here have previously owned or currently own a VStrom so you might get some biased opinions. Not that there is anything wrong with a VStrom. Many available on the market and some at great prices if you are patient.

 

[Evoex]

Welcome!

Rented a CB500X in Thailand in January for a 1 week spirited romp in the mountains, seems like a fine bike.

 

[MacDoc]

Owned both CB500x ( 2018 ) and a number of Vstrom 650s. 2010/11

CB borders on boring - no thrill in the throttle but rock solid at speed on the slab and very agile. Very popular bike. Easy to ride and excellent fuel mileage and range. I went cross Canada when I was 71
Here's 1,000 pgs of comments

Honda CB500X

Just read this article: http://life.nationalpost.com/2012/11/12/preview-2013-honda-cb500/ Their saying there is a new Dual Sport version coming in a...

www.advrider.com

Vstrom 650s - more fun, heavier ( top heavy with a full fuel load if you are inseam challenged as I am ( 30" )
Great range tho not quite as good mileage, tons of farkles available - took that cross Canada in 2015 with my son. It likes to be wound out in the twists ..keep it in the 5-6k RPM range and sooo much fun. Good brakes on both.
Only caution on the VStroms was stator issues so make sure it has been changed ( there was a recall )

Both are reliable popular bikes. If your inseam is fine the Vstrom is more fun and there are lots on the market. The last one I bought had 100k km on it bought it for $3k saftied as you see it , ran perfectly for another 20k km and sold it for 3k.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[kjonesversa]

thanks ! looked at a 2021 cbx 500 with 25000 k on it , nice bike .
I got some insurance quotes online from riders plus 94$ a month , 105$ a month for a new nx 500 and 143$ for a new vstrom 650 xt .
Due to my lack of motorcycle insurance in some time there on the high side it ,appears as I changed my profile to even just one year of recent insurance coverge
the rates dropped approximately 20%. So can I expect my rates to drop as the years go by ? If thats the case it may determine what bike i decided to go with. Any other older riders who returned to the sport who could shed some light on this subject would be great, thanks for reading.

 

[kjonesversa]

Owned both CB500x ( 2018 ) and a number of Vstrom 650s. 2010/11
View attachment 66391
CB borders on boring - no thrill in the throttle but rock solid at speed on the slab and very agile. Very popular bike. Easy to ride and excellent fuel mileage and range. I went cross Canada when I was 71
Here's 1,000 pgs of comments

Honda CB500X

Just read this article: http://life.nationalpost.com/2012/11/12/preview-2013-honda-cb500/ Their saying there is a new Dual Sport version coming in a...

www.advrider.com

View attachment 66392
Vstrom 650s - more fun, heavier ( top heavy with a full fuel load if you are inseam challenged as I am ( 30" )
Great range tho not quite as good mileage, tons of farkles available - took that cross Canada in 2015 with my son. It likes to be wound out in the twists ..keep it in the 5-6k RPM range and sooo much fun. Good brakes on both.
Only caution on the VStroms was stator issues so make sure it has been changed ( there was a recall )

Both are reliable popular bikes. If your inseam is fine the Vstrom is more fun and there are lots on the market. The last one I bought had 100k km on it bought it for $3k saftied as you see it , ran perfectly for another 20k km and sold it for 3k.

Welcome to the forum.

thanks for the input ! I wont be putting on big miles, mostly roads with 80 k limits but obviously the 400 series to get out of the city.
so wont be cruising for extended periods at higher speeds But still want it to be capable . I'm 6'2 with 32" inseam and leg comfort is a big priority ive sat on the 500 , vstrom 650 and the transalp.
they all feel good and you can definetly feel the lightness of the 500 but the other 2 not bad. I will be keeping an eye in the classifieds as more bikes keep popping up so no rush also just suffering from some ( analysis paralysis) LOL .

 

[Evoex]

thanks ! looked at a 2021 cbx 500 with 25000 k on it , nice bike .
I got some insurance quotes online from riders plus 94$ a month , 105$ a month for a new nx 500 and 143$ for a new vstrom 650 xt .
Due to my lack of motorcycle insurance in some time there on the high side it ,appears as I changed my profile to even just one year of recent insurance coverge
the rates dropped approximately 20%. So can I expect my rates to drop as the years go by ? If thats the case it may determine what bike i decided to go with. Any other older riders who returned to the sport who could shed some light on this subject would be great, thanks for reading.

you can expect them to increase. lol

 

[guzzirider]

I have ridden a 250 across Canada and into the US.
No problems with speeds of 100 to 110 and up to 600km a day.
The 500 should be ideal for what you want.
Its nice to see young guys like you getting back into the sport.

 

[kjonesversa]

60 years old is a young guy ? wish my body got the memo lol.
thanks for the info im pretty sure the 500 is more the adequate for my needs, one of my main concerns is leg comfort . Ive seen some comments of
people lowering the foot pegs to help with leg room , im 6'2 with a 32" inseam. I'm going to see if I can maybe rent a cb500x for a day to see how the comfort is with a longer ride over a quick test ride .

 

[Kawyman]

I’m 6’2 and owned a 2018 Cb500x. I felt a tad cramped so I added a seat concepts tall seat and motowerx lowering brackets for the pegs to help get a little more room. It helped but wasn’t comfortable for me long term and I traded it in after a year of ownership.

The pegs drop about an inch, and you see the seat concepts seat takes the dip out and flattens out the typical stock seat layout
(Not the best picture but gives you an idea of what it looks like)

 

[Kawyman]

My current bike has kinda the same issue with leg room, but it has highway pegs attached to the engine crash bars to let me stretch out the legs. This could be an option you could add to a cb500 or Vstrom to stretch out.

 

[MacDoc]

Opposite problem to me. You could consider a KLR650 for your use. I miss mine tho not the height....luckily I have plenty of sag

They made the same model for 40 years !!

Kinda nice for $3800 and far more stable off pavement lets you explore the dirt roads with confidence. The Sargent seat on this one is magical....I had one on mine.
Very upright seating position so good for returning rider. 22k km.
Huge fuel tank/range.

2008 klr 650 | Touring | Norfolk County | Kijiji

Klr 22km Lots of upgrades 685 kit Carb kit Ss brake lines Engine guard Sargent seat More Runs great ready for the road

www.kijiji.ca

It's nowhere near the bike the Transalp is but is lighter and way less $$.
Keep us posted.
I'm 76 and still riding...CB300F.....smaller version of the CB500x

You would be a pretzel on it.

 

[Kawyman]

Not to sidetrack the thread, but curious, $3800 for the 08 KLR, do you think that’s a fair/ reasonable price?

Mines a 2011 with more accessories (and milk crate) and I was going to list it for about $4400. Would you think that’s reasonable? I’d hate to end up in a “ stupid over priced motorcycle thread”
It’s the wrong bike for my riding needs, and would like to go back to a cruiser.

 

[guzzirider]

60 years old is a young guy ? wish my body got the memo lol.
thanks for the info im pretty sure the 500 is more the adequate for my needs, one of my main concerns is leg comfort . Ive seen some comments of
people lowering the foot pegs to help with leg room , im 6'2 with a 32" inseam. I'm going to see if I can maybe rent a cb500x for a day to see how the comfort is with a longer ride over a quick test ride .

I would be inclined to take the seat to an auto upholsterer and have them add some foam to the front.
I did that on my 250 and it helped a lot.
A guy doing it out of his garage will probably be cheaper than a store bought seat.
Also loosen up the knee joints by holding the back of a chair and do some squats.
I used to be able to squat 250lb and touch the floor with my ass.
At 72 I am lucky to get my upper legs parallel to the floor.

rental

 

[kjonesversa]

lots of great info , thanks alot Gentelmen ! I'm in no rush and alot if things to consider so more research to do. Nice to hear from an "experienced" rider
I'd be thrilled to still be riding in my seventies ! Anybody have experience with a Tiger sport 660??

 

[Evoex]

@Baggsy has a tiger, a bigger one as i recall tho.

 

[timtune]

+ 1 for Kman and the KLR. I'm 60+ with one fake hip and the other not that far behind. The upright riding position and light weight (for a street bike) make it great for older or rather more mature riders. Being unrestricted by curbs is just a bonus.

 

[PacoT]

Anybody have experience with a Tiger sport 660??

I have one. I'm 5'11 (181cm) and I feel cramped in my legs.

Over the winter I bought some adjustable footpegs trying to gain some room. Haven't installed them yet, so I cannot give a veredict if that have fixed my issue.

 

[Baggsy]

My Tiger 900 GT is great, but I'd probably still have the Vstrom 650 if it had had cruise control. The Wee seems to be slightly better on the knees for bend.

What type of riding are you looking at doing, and where? How far? Pavement/dirt/gravel/trails? How good is your shifting after all these years?

 

[kjonesversa]

It will be 95% street riding , I mainly casual rides up to the cottage short day trips in the country etc the odd gravel/dirt road hear and there , so probably wont be in the saddle for long stretches. as far as shifting skills will see hoe it goes . Although I have a buddy who moved to near Dryden Ont and its a 20 hr drive from Toronto who I wouldn't mind visiting so i still want something that's capable.