Revisited: picking a cruiser

I'm on the cusp of selling my enclosed trailer, which means I'll have cash to finally get a bike. $4000 is the top I can go.

Here is what I want: I want to toss some stuff in the bags, drive 500 miles a day, and not feel like a can of jello when I'm done. I had a Shadow 600 that I loved for jumping puddles, but it was absolute hell for anything more than about 50-100 miles. I had an R6 that was actually a bit better, but my hands went numb at 200 miles. I borrowed a 'wing from a buddy and (although it was nice) it is NOT my style.

Can you guys help me pick? I can pick the style, but I don't know things like "VTXs have wrist pin issues," or "Boulevards always overheat."

Instead of giving you lots of text, I'll give you a few keywords and then some pictures. Reliable. Comfy. Low seat. footboards. Shaft drive preferred but not necessary.

One other thought... I'm not a "bigger is better" kinda guy. I do find however that many of the smaller displacement bikes have a smaller frame and girth which tends to make them less suited to long trips compared to the bigger-engined bikes.

I don't mind a "little" 800cc bike, but it seems like the 1200-up bikes are just more suited to the long-haul. But if you have a suggestion on a 750cc bike that is equally comfy as its 1500cc sibling, I'm all for it.

$3200.

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/mcy/3879717441.html

I really like my BMWs, but if I were in a similar position I would take a hard look at a Kawasaki Concours. It's the same engine that's been around since my '82 GPz-1100. Not as tingly on the fingers as a 600, but a Throttle Rocker can stop that. Easier/cheaper to fix than BMWs and so common you can break down almost anywhere in America.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/KAWASAKI-ZG1000-CONCOURS-/200934707264?pt=US_motorcycles&hash=item2ec8a45040

With the exception of it needing to be a cruiser, my first thought when looking at your requirements was PC800.

The V-Star 950 fits the bill perfectly, but they are hovering around $6500. Perhaps there is a high-mileage example out there somewhere?

An older VTX 1300 would be my second pick. Great bike, tons of aftermarket support, epic motor. The 1800cc put the 1300 in a shadow (pardon the Honda motorcycle pun there) and guys who wanted the biggest bike out there sold off some nice 1300s cheap.

I like the cut-down fender version, but you see the full-fendered version setup for touring more often.

http://fayar.craigslist.org/mcy/3787729637.html

$3250. If Dr.Linda can do 500 miles days on hers, A GIRL, you shouldn't have any problems. Although I will note that you are going to feel 500 miles on any bike in a day.

A Moto Guzzi California would do the job if accessorized appropriately.

The on pictured (check link for review) is a 2003. I believe it's the first year for hydraulic lifters.

If you get a chance to sit on an old CX500, try it. It's a dinosaur machine, but beloved by it's owners for a reason.

You say the Shadow 600 was awful, why? That alone will probably tell quite a bit

914Driver wrote: $3200. http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/mcy/3879717441.html

I know they are great bikes for long trips, but I just refuse. If I'm buying a bike, I deserve the look I want. Fat sexy cruisers only. Period.

foxtrapper wrote: You say the Shadow 600 was awful, why? That alone will probably tell quite a bit

Power was fully acceptable. It could pretty easily do 85 mph. It was a fantastic puddle jumper.

On the highway, it was a barrage of hellacious input. Even with a windscreen, fork deflectors, and other band-aid fixes, there was no way to avoid massive attacks from everything. The wind came right back the tank and ripped your legs apart hard at speeds above 50. I put some forward pegs on it and almost lost control when a gust from a truck pulled my leg off the peg and it hit the pavement. My ankle wasn't broken, but it was swollen for a week.

On a trip that was longer than about 30-40 miles, I literally wrapped bungee cords around my thighs so I wasn't getting leg cramps.

It rode like a buckboard, the seat (even aftermarket) were skinny and uncomfortable. We tried to make a trip from Indiana, PA to Bedford PA (80 miles) and my wife's bum was so bruised she was crying and we had to have a friend drive down and take her home in his car. It was quite possibly the worst road-bike I have ever experienced in my life. I wasted so much money on that bike trying to just make it vaguely acceptable for highway use and all I got was something that I could ride for 200 miles a day MAX.

I fully understand that any bike is tiring because of the high levels of sensory input. Sensory input I can take. Sore butt and cramped muscles I don't think I need to abide.

Maybe get away from cruisers if the ergo's of the Shadow weren't comfortable for you.

Wonder how a winger gl1100 or whatever they are would fit you. I also like the looks of the honda valkrey and I've heard winger and hondas will go miles and miles and miles before they need work.

I like the look of that guzzi, I would love to ride one of those. I always wonder how guzzi gets a pass using ancient design but harley gets besmirched.

Oh, ok. Those weren't the answers I would have expected.

Of the four, Honda has you sitting most upright on a cruiser or cruiser like bike. Yamaha is at the other end, with the strongest foot forward.

With any cruiser, you're going to be swapping the seat. And quite likely the bars. They all have looks first, comfort second. Especially touring comfort. Rear shocks too quite likely, though if the seat is ok, you can get by with the stock shocks.

The gold standard is the Goldwing. I know, not the look you want. But, plunk your butt on one and ride it. Your fanny may dictate a change in what is cool. I'd say start at the 1200 Wing, no older. For that was the first of the serious interstate cruisers, capable of long travels right out of the box.

Otherwise, bulk is bulk. A big bike deflects more air than a little bike, and isn't nearly as flustered by passing trucks and such. While certainly a small bike has enough engine to get down the road, bigger bikes do so in a far more relaxed manner.

I have also occasionally seen old Evolution era Harleys show up for $4k or so. Big touring types. Usually lots of miles and scruffy. Not ratty beaters, just serious old veterans. You might want to even consider looking at the likes of something like one of these.

A comfy seat, sissy bar and a windshield on that Sporty and you would be good to go.

I agree with FT that an Evo big twin in the 4 large range would also do you very well. A FLHT would already have the comfy seat for the misses.

foxtrapper wrote: Of the four, Honda has you sitting most upright on a cruiser or cruiser like bike. Yamaha is at the other end, with the strongest foot forward.

This is the kind of tech I'm seeking. Thanks. Its not like I can go driving around the tri-state area test driving everything.

With any cruiser, you're going to be swapping the seat. And quite likely the bars.

Fortunately most of the ones I'm finding already have a Corbin or Mustang seat.

The gold standard is the Goldwing. I know, not the look you want. But, plunk your butt on one and ride it. Your fanny may dictate a change in what is cool. I'd say start at the 1200 Wing, no older. For that was the first of the serious interstate cruisers, capable of long travels right out of the box.

I agree that it is the standard, but I just hate them. I used to borrow my buddy's 93 wing when I needed a fix and I just couldn't like it. I actually found myself choosing to not ride instead of borrowing his. I also rode my other buddy's 05 wing and even the lighter aluminum frame still made it a chore. Heavy, loose floppy steering, shallow fork rake, impossible balance in low-speed maneuvers, high seat.

Put it this way. I don't want to buy a Lincoln Town Car, I want to buy a 67 GTO with A/C and power windows, nice seats, and style and drive it to work, drive it to Alaska, drive it to the corner store for a soda. Maybe I should have been clearer in that I don't want a single-purpose highway machine since it will also be a 3-day-a-week work commuter as well.

I have also occasionally seen old Evolution era Harleys show up for $4k or so. Big touring types. Usually lots of miles and scruffy. Not ratty beaters, just serious old veterans. You might want to even consider looking at the likes of something like one of these.

I gave a lot of thought to that. I found some Road Kings with 200k-mile evos and torn seats for $4k, but it just seems to me that you are paying for the name. I'm comparing 16k-mile metric EFI cruiser/tourers with 1985 beat-up American bikes for the same price and it just doesn't seem like a good trade-off. If I were really dead-set on having a Harley, it wouldn't be an issue.

pres589 wrote: Maybe get away from cruisers if the ergo's of the Shadow weren't comfortable for you.

It wasn't really the ergos. It was a comfy position, I was just trying to make a touring bike out of a very small-framed entry-level cruiser.

By the way... previous bikes I've owned (in case I didn't mention)

73 Honda Scrambler 350
86 Honda CB750
92 Shadow VLX600
04 Yamaha R6
95 Yamaha WR250 (dirt, but I was known to run it on the street some days :)

Bikes on which I've had enough experience to remember:

93 wing
05 wing
01 V-star 1100 (kinda chopped and stripped)
03 FLDLR
Intruder LC 1500 (forget the year)

And... btw. SOLD THE TRAILER TODAY, so its bike-buying time.

Here are some of the ones I'm considering:

03 VTX 1800 This one is lacking some of the amenities but the price is right as well as the mileage.

05 Boulevard C90 Out of my price range but SO MUCH WANT.

99 Vulcan Nomad Not quite the look I'm after but a pretty nice bike.

06 Boulevard C50T Again, it would need a couple more accessories for long-haul but a nice ride.

00 Vstar 1100 This one sold today so I lost it, but its still an idea for you to look at.

Thoughts on what attributes would make any particular one better suited than another? I can always put bars or risers or floorboards or pillions on, I'm more thinking about the bike itself.

http://cycle-ergo.com/

pres589 wrote: http://cycle-ergo.com/

neat site, however I couldn't tell any real difference between Kaw, Zuki, Honda, or Yama. The Guzzi showed the driver leaning forward quite a bit by comparison.

curtis73 wrote: Here are some of the ones I'm considering: Thoughts on what attributes would make any particular one better suited than another? I can always put bars or risers or floorboards or pillions on, I'm more thinking about the bike itself.

VStars can drive you nuts with the electrics. It's not one of Yamaha's strong points. Very foot forward.

Radiators tend to push more heat at you. The higher and wider the radiator, the worse the sensation tends to be.

Low slung is cool looking, but beware the rear suspension. You tend to get very little travel, so it's harsh over bumps and can be rather unsettled on rough roads, or over bumps in a turn.

Check Mustang and others for accessories. There are many out there that are not supported. Suzuki for example, has almost no aftermarket support.

I was a solid sneerer of Harleys, until I finally took one out for a ride. I've pretty much always been a cruiser type rider, usually of Honda versions. Had no idea something like the Road King was my idea of heaven. Sure, I thought they looked cool, had no idea how well they rode. By no means is it a canyon carver, neither am I. But I can sit on it and ride from sunrise to sunset without any discomfort.

As for accessories, Harley is all but impossible to beat. Four different turn signal switches from the factory for my 10 year old bike? 24 different factory seat options for it as well? 20 different factory trunks and half a dozen different saddlebags? Then there's the aftermarket, oye! I could spend the rest of my life constantly changing this bike to configure it differently every single week.

The nearest thing I found to affordable in a Road King was a $5500 1986 King that was pretty stripped down and had 138k on it. Grrrrr.

I have more or less decided on THIS NOMAD and saving up some pennies for better seats with a driver's backrest and maybe some handle bars or risers if the need arises. Am I making a poor choice?

I've always liked the Nomad myself. Though no saddle time on one.

For the 1500, other than the limited aftermarket support, this is the biggest cautionary thing I came across on the Vulcan board:

The rear suspension is unique to these models. The fender floats with the rear tire. While this allows for the sleek design of the rear fender, it also means saddles, racks,saddlebags etc. have to be specifically designed for these bikes.

Not insurmountable, but an entertaining challenge. http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/

You aren't buying this sight unseen, saddle un sat upon, are you?