Starter cruiser bikes and dealer vs private | GTAMotorcycle.com

Starter cruiser bikes and dealer vs private

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dualwunderworld

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Hi all,

Getting into riding for the first time at age 37. I've wanted to since I could walk, but life and procrastination took me a while.

I have my M2, and with a family I have no intention of getting over my head without full gear and practice.

To that end, I'm looking around and as I get a better sense of what's comfortable and reasonable I have some questions and would appreciate everyone's advice.

Background
At the very beginning, the new Honda Rebel 300s looked very appealing to me. I then visited Cycleworld in Scarborough and after chatting with Gary I sat on a few bikes and realized the 2017+ Honda Rebels didn't feel so comfortable. From a grip and seating position.

I've zeroed in on the Suzuki GZ250, Yamaha Vstar 250, and as a further third the older gen Honda Rebel 250s.

Questions:
1) Buying from the dealer is pretty convienient. Money isn't an issue, but Cycleworld has a layaway program and it'd be nice to have the free storage and use the time to spread the payments of the bike.

Any experiences buying from Cycleworld?

2) The Yamaha Vstar 250s seem a lot more available. But I really enjoyed the feel of the Suzuki.

Should I be mindful that there are a lot less Suzukis and thus parts and maintenance will be more troublesome?

I know we're right at the end of the riding season, so my plan is to settle on a bike. Ideally have one ready and stored away, and to take a refresher course in the spring.

Appreciate any thoughts and experiences!
 
My primary advice is that if spreading the payments on a 250 is even a consideration then don’t buy any motorcycle.
My secondary advice (because you’re not likely to listen to the primary one) is buy used for your first bike. 250-500cc cruisers are plentiful and are bought/sold over and over again to learn on (and likely drop) with no loss of money.
 
Cycleworld is ok. Gary is an ok guy. I didn't buy a bike there, but been several times as it's the closest shop to me. They have lots of used bikes to choose from. I wouldn't worry too much about Japanese bikes as they are built well.
Also they most likely will be closing for the winter, if you want to buy a bike from them it might have to be soon.
Or just wait until the spring if you are not going to get in much riding as the season winds down, or buy elsewhere.
Also check insurance for quotes before getting the bike, it might be another consideration, use TD's online quote for a quick check, it's fairly accurate.
 
Buy used, buy cheap, buy private. Keep checking kijiji/fb marketplace. As GTAM member Hardwrkr13 stated "250-500cc cruisers are plentiful and are bought/sold over and over again to learn on (and likely drop) with no loss of money"
 
Thanks everyone! For the payments, I can pay in full now. No stress on financials. The layaway option was just a nice feature. I've got quotes for insurance that are within budget.

I was always planning to buy used. For instance, for the Yamaha I've looked at a few from 2006 08 12 etc. The Suzuki was from 2008.

Noted on closing coming up soon.
 
It's good you're looking at a small cruiser, but there's some important considerations for that - how big/tall are you, and what kind of riding are you planning to do?

Starting on a small cruiser bike is great, but it can also be limiting. If you're just looking to bomb around the backroads or in the city, a 250-500cc cruiser will be fine at speeds of 90 and below.

But, if you want to get out on the 401 and or any of the faster secondaries, you may find it becomes limiting really fast, especially if you're not a perfectly svelte guy for lack fo better words lol.

I am a big proponent of starting with a reasonably sized bike for learning on and building skills, don't get me wrong, but for cruisers specifically, a 250 is very little horsepower - the GZ250 for example is only 20HP, and that doesn't go very far when you get onto a 80kph road or above, especially if there's a head wind. Instead of a 250, you could consider a 600-800cc cruiser. A Vstar 650 for example puts out double the horsepower than the GZ250, and 40HP will allow you to get on the 401 safely - yeah, you'll be wound out to the max doing 110-120 on the 401, but you'll be able to do it at least. On secondary roads you'll be quite comfortable.

My wife started on a 250 and rode it for a summer. Took it on some longer rides even, but one trip on the 35/115 made it clear that it was out of it's league, she could barely maintain 90kph climbing the hill from the 401 up to the split.

She graduated to a vstar650 and rode it for about 3 years and loved it before moving onto a Vstar 1100. The 650 went on many big trips including up to Sudbury, to the ADK's in NY, Ottawa, etc.

In the end, the insurance difference is negligible usually for someone in your age range, as long as you have a clean DL record.

Worth considering.

And yeah, save your cash and buy outright, don't finance a bike that really should only be costing you $2000-$2500 this time of year anyways - lots of people still trying to get top dollar, but it's a buyers market this time of year. If you're paying more than that, you need to get away from the dealership thing and look at the used market. A cursory FB Marketplace search shows a Vstar 650 in my neck of the woods for $2000, for example.
 
Any of the big 4 built after 2000 will be as reliable as a rock. ( Personally I'm fine going even further back but that seems to scare some folks here...)
 
Another vote for a used 500-700 cc cruiser. In general, the engines they put in cruisers are lazy so while I have no problem recommending a new rider on a sport bike start on a 300, that 300 can easily have double the power of the 250 cruisers you are considering (and similar power to the 650 cruisers). More weight, less gears and less power quickly loses its appeal. 700cc and down cruiser should be ok on insurance (more than 250 for sure but should be manageable) and is a bike you can keep for years and explore everywhere.
 
timtune said:
Any of the big 4 built after 2000 will be as reliable as a rock. ( Personally I'm fine going even further back but that seems to scare some folks here...)
Click to expand...

I won’t comment on that, having willingly purchased a metric with well known problem engines, however that’s another story lol.
 
PrivatePilot said:
It's good you're looking at a small cruiser, but there's some important considerations for that - how big/tall are you, and what kind of riding are you planning to do?

Starting on a small cruiser bike is great, but it can also be limiting. If you're just looking to bomb around the backroads or in the city, a 250-500cc cruiser will be fine at speeds of 90 and below.

But, if you want to get out on the 401 and or any of the faster secondaries, you may find it becomes limiting really fast, especially if you're not a perfectly svelte guy for lack fo better words lol.

I am a big proponent of starting with a reasonably sized bike for learning on and building skills, don't get me wrong, but for cruisers specifically, a 250 is very little horsepower - the GZ250 for example is only 20HP, and that doesn't go very far when you get onto a 80kph road or above, especially if there's a head wind. Instead of a 250, you could consider a 600-800cc cruiser. A Vstar 650 for example puts out double the horsepower than the GZ250, and 40HP will allow you to get on the 401 safely - yeah, you'll be wound out to the max doing 110-120 on the 401, but you'll be able to do it at least. On secondary roads you'll be quite comfortable.

My wife started on a 250 and rode it for a summer. Took it on some longer rides even, but one trip on the 35/115 made it clear that it was out of it's league, she could barely maintain 90kph climbing the hill from the 401 up to the split.

She graduated to a vstar650 and rode it for about 3 years and loved it before moving onto a Vstar 1100. The 650 went on many big trips including up to Sudbury, to the ADK's in NY, Ottawa, etc.

In the end, the insurance difference is negligible usually for someone in your age range, as long as you have a clean DL record.

Worth considering.

And yeah, save your cash and buy outright, don't finance a bike that really should only be costing you $2000-$2500 this time of year anyways - lots of people still trying to get top dollar, but it's a buyers market this time of year. If you're paying more than that, you need to get away from the dealership thing and look at the used market. A cursory FB Marketplace search shows a Vstar 650 in my neck of the woods for $2000, for example.
Click to expand...
Appreciate the thoughtful reply and advice.

I'm 5.10 and about 165 on a good day. I've sat on the bike too, and it feels comfortable.

Also noted on the speed. I'm planning to ride mostly on the streets and country roads. I will practice on the highway but in off-hours and on easier stretches.

I really am trying to practice and build up my confidence. Perhaps I could within a year want a bigger bike and I do have the financial means to upgrade. But I'm the kind of guy who takes it slow and steady.
 
It sounds like you have a good grasp on things and are being realistic, however before jumping into a 250, at least sit on some of the 600 cc alternatives like the Vstar 650 I mentioned. The weight and size differences are going to be negligible at best - my bet is you could barely feel the difference between a vstar 250 and 650, except for the power when actually riding it.

Keep in mind that every time you change bikes there are associated costs in the form of sales tax, ownership change fees, etc. If you buy this bike now and are ready to move on by next June or July, you get those to look forward to, along with bike shopping for something bigger in pretty much the peak price range of the entire motorcycling year, and trying to sell your 250 at a bad time of year as well - most people looking to start riding and who would be in the market for a bike that size have already bought one back in the spring usually.

In the end if you end up with a 250, all good though, you will certainly learn a lot riding it, no question. 🤙
 
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Choosing a first bike isn't easy. They all look cool, and the excitement to get owning and riding can be overwhelming.

I always ask new riders what excites them about riding, and the type of riding they see themselves doing in 5 years. Then you make a short plan that includes the riding skills you will need to build, that should tell you what kind of bike to start with.

I'm with @PrivatePilot, if a cruiser bikes interest you, skip the 250s and go for a 650-750cc cruiser. They are compatible cost to insure, and have more utility, comfort, and be more capable on the open road. Most 250cc buyers grow tired of their 250s quickly, particularly if they go riding with buddies or in group rides.

If you want to start with something small, don't overlook dual sports (DR 200, XT 225, TW200 ) as learner motorcycles. These bikes are inexpensive, easy to ride, forgiving if you drop them, and can run on varied terrain, you can use them to build a broader range of motorcycle skills.

As for buying at a dealer or private, that's a question of how much maintenance and initial buying support you need. Dealer prices will be higher than the 'Kijiji or Marketplace" private sale price, but you'll get some additional value-added service and the bike should be roadworthy and safetied when you take delivery. Most GTA dealers are reputable.
 
Look for '05 and up (fuel injected) Suzuki Boulevard C50/M50. Very easy to learn on and forgiving bikes, 800 ccm will keep you entertained for longer than 250. Used low kms bikes can be found for around 2-3 grand if you are patient and act fast. Fenders, side covers and most of the chrome parts are all plastic so relatively cheap to replace /fix (knock on wood).


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Totally different bikes but I'm really glad I started on something a bit bigger (SV650) vs some of the 250-400s I was initially considering.

In the same way that starting on a 200hp sport bike would hinder your learning, I think the same can be said for something really low powered. Constantly having to wring the throttle to get anywhere won't teach you the level of throttle control you'll need when you ride something bigger. In my opinion, you want something powerful enough that you need to respect it, but not so powerful that a little bit of throttle mismanagement could get you into a ton of trouble. I'm not familiar with the type of power smaller cruisers put out, but I'd say shoot for something with closer to 40-50hp.

Even if you're telling yourself that you're not doing this for speed, I think you'll be bored of a 250 cruiser really fast. Not to mention the road limitations discussed above. Something that doesn't have enough power to get out of its own way isn't necessarily safe either.
 
cruiserider said:
Look for '05 and up (fuel injected) Suzuki Boulevard C50/M50. Very easy to learn on and forgiving bikes, 800 ccm will keep you entertained for longer than 250. Used low kms bikes can be found for around 2-3 grand if you are patient and act fast. Fenders, side covers and most of the chrome parts are all plastic so relatively cheap to replace /fix (knock on wood).


Sent from my iPhone using GTAMotorcycle.com
Click to expand...
The Suzuki 800s are easy to ride but are way heavier than the 650s. There isn't much difference in performance unless you're loading the bike down or trying to run at 140KMH -- neither advisable for a midweight cruiser!

You'll also find they are considerably more to insure -- 250 and 650 cruisers are about the same to insure, 750cc and up are $800-1000 more for beginners.
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