So, auntie em and I are thinking of getting a motorcycle this summer. One of us, moi, is already signed up for a riding class (through which I’ll get my state motorcycle license endorsement, and according to my insurance agent, a discount on my coverage), and the other will do so later. After the class, I’ll be on the hunt for a new ride; and, right now, I’m looking at an '07 Honda Shadow Aero. It’s within an acceptable price range, Honda has what seems to be a good reputation for bikes, and it’s the cruiser style I want.
But, I still want to look around to see what’s out there–preferably in the same price range (and new). Other than Harleys, what do you all suggest? What bike(s) do you own, and what are your impressions about the individual models and the manufacturers? Any other comments or suggestions?
Get something that is a little underpowered so you don’t kill yourself in the first year you try to learn how to ride. A 750CC seems to be a bit fast for a new rider. I’d go for a 250CC or 500 which can be more forgiving as you learn.
My husband used to ride, and he really regretted the underpowered bike he bought. He was much happier with the bigger one - the Royal Star - although they’re not made any longer and I don’t know what its follow-on was. (Since his 2 spinal surgeries, he’s sold the bike, so I don’t hear much about them any more.)
Dare I assume that you’ll have different bikes to ride during your training? Seems to me, that’s one way to pick what you’re most comfortable with. And always wear your safety gear. And always assume that you’re invisible. And always assume that other drivers will do something stupid because of your invisibility… yeah, I’m kinda glad he sold his bike, even tho he loved to ride. Just be safe.
I love the look of the Spirit Aero. If I take the plunge, that’s one I’d be strongly inclined to try out. Great retro-cruiser look, with the big fenders. I’m a big guy, so I’d look for a bike big enough that I didn’t feel like I was on a toy, but not so big for my first bike. 745cc seems like the right compromise. It’s not too pricey, and Honda has a good reputation.
I’d get a used one, just the same. Cheaper, and if I drop the bike I won’t feel as bad. And I’d never get a Harley, I don’t think. It’d be cool to own one, but I feel that you pay way too much of a premium for the name.
They should cover this in the class, but: If you plan to get one bike for the two of you, spend a lot of time getting some experience before you put someone one the back. It makes a big difference in stopping distance and a bit of a difference in the feel of the bike when you lean.
Try to talk Auntie Em into taking the class with you. It’s a great way for her to see if she’ll like having her own bike. Also, a good passenger needs to know a lot of that stuff anyway to be a safe passenger.
cherry - I thought about a more underpowered bike to start with, but since auntie em and I will eventually ride it together (occasionally), I wanted something that could accomodate us for short rides. Other newbies on the various bike forums seem to think that the Aero was a good starting point for them, so hopefully I’ll have a similar experience. But yeah, I’ll keep that in mind when I test it out at the dealership. If it’s too much to handle, I’ll move to a less powerful engine.
Quartz - Joke, sarcasm or serious suggestion… I’ve got one. It’s good to have in case of an accident, car or motorcycle.
FairyChatMom - You know, I’m not sure about the different bikes. That’s a good question. They’re all loaner bikes provided by the trainers, so even if we already have one, we’re not allowed to use it class. And, yeah, the invisibility thing is what worries me the most; after all, I see the stupid things people do when they’re surrounded by big honkin’ cars–soon there will be me, the road and little to protect me from a hug with asphalt.
Stratocaster - My first notion was to get a used bike. But, I also knew that, despite good intentions on my part, working on my own bike probably wasn’t going to happen; so, I want one with a warranty and a history that I know first-hand. Should auntie em express interest in getting a second bike just for her, we might feel comfortable enough later on that we can look in the used market.
Tully Mars - Good advice, thanks. Yeah, we’ll definitely be practicing a lot before we hit the streets with two of us; and even then that won’t happen until auntie em takes the course. For all I know, my arms might drop off the first time we go out together, so she’ll need to know how to get us home (after, of course, she straps me down 'cause I now have no arms).
I’m riding a 2005 version of this Yamaha V Star 1100 Classic I picked it up last year as a brand new machine. I’ve had 650 and 900 cc Hondas previously, but it was about 15 years in between the last one and the current bike.
What do you plan to do with your bike? Do you intend to do any highway riding or is it urban transportation only? My concern about a 750 cruise style bike is that it might be a little small for highway speeds. Cruisers are lots of low end torque and not so much about speed. With 1100 CCs, my bike has a comfortable amount of power reserve at 65mph but its maxed out by 75mph. Especially on a bike, I prefer to know that I have a little something there if I find myself in a tight situation. I fear that a 750 cruiser might be a little small for that.
Of course, as you’ll learn in your course you should avoid getting into tight situations, but the real world sometimes throws surprises at you.
As to handling, if it is similar to mine, I think you’ll find that the bike is really rider friendly. The really low saddle means an extremely stable platform. After 100 miles on your bike, you’ll be well acquainted with it. I might add too that my bike has floorboards with a heel-toe shifter. They are so extremely comfortable that I don’t think I’ll ever go back to pegs. And windscreens are your friend.
Agreed that you want to get some experience before attempting to take a passenger.
While my bike is a pleasure to own, I’ve been bitten by the Harley bug. Despite the fact that I’ve invested a couple of thousand dollars in extras in the past year, I’m preparing to sell it because I’m picking up one of these (not that exact one, but same year and model) next week.
Really? This blows me away. I started off with a Suzuki 250cc, and it maxed at around 65; 55 if going up hill, and this was at full throttle. But I’m amazed that a bike with an engine 3 times the size can barely go 20mph faster. Is this the case for all 750s?
If that’s what was happening then you had something wrong with the bike. I had a Shadow VLX 600 with a top speed of around 90. I had zero problems taking it all over the eastern part of the US with a passenger.
I think a 750 is a good sized bike, especially for a beginner. I kept my Shadow until just last year and never had a real problem with it. As I said I took it to almost every state this side of the Mississippi and never thought I was too slow. I don’t think that you would want to get something that’s above an 800 or so until you’ve had some riding experience.
You might want to look at a used bike for a first bike. The reason is because you’ll more then likely drop it. I don’t mean have an accident, but in the parking lot you’ll do something dumb like forget to put down the sidestand all the way, or something like that. You can probably find a nice used bike for a lot cheaper then you’ll not get as mad when you drop it.
As for the passenger, you should first get some time on the road by yourself. I wish I would have done that, but I didn’t. They say you need a few months, but I would get at least a couple of hundred miles just so that you get what it’s like to be on the bike, how it handles, things like that.
You should also pick up a couple of books, I like that David Hough books. You can also try the Idiots Guide to Motorcycles which has a list of bikes and what’s good for beginners.
My brother has a 750 Honda cruiser. He is very uncomfortable at expressway speeds. He says it is too busy and straining. He stays on the surface streets and state highways. He rides solo and is about half my size.
The expressways in your area do not play nice with slow motorcycles. Don’t go there for a while or until you have some saddle time.
Honda’s are pretty much bullet proof and hold value good.
What the others have said.
Be safe.
When you get serious about riding, go back and learn all over in the dirt. Should start there in the first place but … I know, I know …
Ride by your self until you know what you can do. Then ride with friends if you want but do. not. ever. let. a. stupid. rider. lead. you. into. trouble.
It is so very tempting to go with the flow and the group and it is exciting and it is deadly.
What is it about cruisers? Most of the bikes I see are cruisers. Some of them, notably Harley Davidsons, are so heavily customised that they seem impractical. I mean, come on. Ape hangers?
I started out on minibikes, then graduated to dirt bikes. When I finally got a driver’s license I found that dirt bikes were not all that great on the street. (I had a Yamaha 250 Enduro at the time, and it had a two-stroke engine. Not very fast, only got about 35 mpg, rough ride on skinny knobby tires, lots of buzz in the handlebars.) Eventually I got a mini-tourer (the Honda CX500 I got for a dollar). Good bike for long rides, but heavy. The Seca II is a standard. With currently 80,000 miles on it, it’s been a good bike. For a while I thought it was the perfect bike for L.A. traffic. Comfortable up to 75 or 80 mph, skinny enough to easily trhead between lanes, comfortable, and it gets about 55 mph. Not as comfortable as a touring bike, but I’ve ridden hundreds of miles on it in a day. But it doesn’t have the power I want, and it doesn’t handle as well as the R1. (It’s easier to maneuver in a parking lot though.) My R1 is the best bike I’ve had. (Well, okay. It would have been totally useless when I was an adolescent and riding in the dirt.) It has gobs of power, will go faster than I’m willing to ride (too many cops up here!), and turns in a respectable 40+ mpg. It’s shortfall is comfort. With my injured knees it becomes torturous after 100 miles. Or less, in traffic. But it’s fast, maneuverable, and a total blast to ride.
SO I can understand why people ride dual-sports on the road. If you have only one bike and like to go in the dirt but also need to use the streets, they make some sense. I understand standards. They’re economical and comfortable. I understand tourers. Some people like comfortable mileage disposal units. And sportbikes are just plain fun.
But cruisers? I’ve never ridden one, so I don’t have any empirical evidence to make a personal judgement. They seem as if they’d be a little uncomfortable since the rider sits back, often without back support; unlike a standard where the rider sits comfortably upright or a sportbike where the rider sits in a comfrotable crouch. They seem to have little ground clearance, which would limit their ability to lean into turns. (A few weeks ago I heard about a guy on a Harley who dragged metal in a curve and crashed.) Their length and geometry appears to me to make them unmaneuverable. Many of them are entirely too noisy. A V-twin seems as if there would be a lot of vibration. (And yet no one seems to comment on excess vibration on the Suzuki SV650 or Ducati.)
So why the popularity of cruisers? Are they all about looking cool and being seen? Or do they have practical advantages over other classes that I’m not seeing?
This is a sample of one (as it’s the only one I’ve ridden), but my Virago 1100 is pretty comfortable and handles quite nimbly. The seat is wide and comfortable. The CG is low on it. The foot controls could be a few inches further forward to accomodate my long longs. With my knees, I would probably have a hard time riding your R1 more than 15 minutes. The Virago allows me to sit upright. When I get ready to replace it, I would insist on the same seating posture.
Now if your talking about customs or heavily accessoried cruisers, I hear you. I don’t understand ape hangers. I don’t understand fat rear tires. I don’t understand the far forward foot controls. I don’t understand drag bars. All of these features look like that would wear on my lower back and would make it more difficult to control the bike. But, they look cool.
SkipMagic, I will add this, at 1100 cc I would hesitate to take a passenger on a long ride. Around town, it’s enough power. But, out on the open road, I would want a little more reserve power. I have to factor in (and if anyone says I said this, I’ll deny it), my wife is not a petite woman.
