Calling All Motorcycle Owners!

[Jayhem]

Honda Shadows are great if you are looking for a cruiser. The high torque and low center of gravity makes riding easy. I've got a 600, but it would be a bit small for you. A 750 would be a good fit and has plenty of power.

Keep in mind that engine displacement isn't the only thing to consider as to whether a bike has enough power or not. My 600 cc sport bike is faster than my 1635 cc cruiser! If you are going with an inline 4 cylinder bike a 600 is plenty even for a 230 lb fellow. With V-twins you really need at least 750cc's to have enough power for your size, 1000CC or bigger would be better.

 

[Zuljin]

I have a Victory Kingpin....Victory destroys harley in performance, engine build quality and longevity. My uncle has a 1999 Victory V92C with 106,000 miles on it...the engine has NEVER needed anything but oil and filters! That does not happen with Harley.


You need to determine if you would rather have a cruiser, a standard motorcycle or a crotch rocket.

Cruisers are great for all around riding and awesome for long distance riding but pretty poor choice if you like curvy mountain roads. Standard motorcycles come in a variaty of sizes and packages but generally are versatile and do everything well. Take the Yamaha FZ6/FZ1/FZ8 for example...streetfighter looks, sport bike performance, enough comfort for a 1,000 mile road trip without putting you in a doctors office. A crotch rocker (Super Sport bike) is about one thing; PERFORMANCE. This is a great weekend ride, track bike or canyon/mountain carver but a poor choice for commute or long distance touring.

Then there is the sport touring bike. Examples Yamaha FJR1300. These bikes are sporty yet comfortable for the long haul.

It also comes down to price range and insurance costs. I also have a Yamaha FZ6S because it was a great bang for the buck and insurance was about 70% less than it would have been on a crotch rocket. Definitely get insurance quotes before you buy!

Nice to hear. Victory is on my wish list.

The staged interaction is kind of annoying and I could do without the constant beat down of another brand, but the videos look like good stuff to know about Victory and the mechanics of motorcycles in general.

 

[Zuljin]

Geico was pricing standard and sport bike insurance as if they were the same type of bike when I was shopping. YMMV.

 

[mcspanner]

I have a Victory Kingpin....Victory destroys harley in performance, engine build quality and longevity. My uncle has a 1999 Victory V92C with 106,000 miles on it...the engine has NEVER needed anything but oil and filters! That does not happen with Harley.

I've heard that about Victory blocks, not many of them sold here in the UK although the cruiser market here is much smaller than other styles.

A crotch rocker (Super Sport bike) is about one thing; PERFORMANCE. This is a great weekend ride, track bike or canyon/mountain carver but a poor choice for commute or long distance touring.

That explains the odd looks I got when I did a 4k mile tour on a fireblade with throw-overs and a tank bag. I will admit that the 400 mile dash from Freiburg to Rotterdam for the ferry nearly crippled me for about a week after I got back home.

 

[Jayhem]

Geico was pricing standard and sport bike insurance as if they were the same type of bike when I was shopping. YMMV.

It depends on location. Sometimes you get lucky and they only look at displacement and not the type of bike...even though a 600CC 140 hp crotch rocket is about 10 times more likely to be involved in a high speed accident as a 1500cc 75 hp Harley.

 

[BoomerHarley]

Keep in mind that dirt and street riding are not the same. There are very different riding techniques used.

Yes and no. Dirt bike riding will apply to street riding much more than in reverse. In other words, if you grew up riding dirt, you will do fine. If all you have done is street, you will have a hard time learning dirt.

That said, based on your size and background, I'd go with an adventure bike or a supermoto. KLR650 is a good one, Kawasaki Versys or Suzuki V-strom are great too. You can go with the KTM or BMW's but they will cost a lot.

I have one of these. I couldn't imagine riding anything else:

 

[Nagorg]

I was looking for a 750cc cruiser for my first bike. A friend of mine said "Dude, someone your size should get at least 1000cc's. Trust me, you wont regret it." And I didn't!

 

[Beer_is_good_for_you]

For a first bike i'd recommend an 80's Japanese bike. Dirt cheap, if you lay it down you aren't out anything, and learn to ride that way. Then in a year if you enjoy riding and get the feel of it you can step up into something bigger/nicer.

This is what I did. I found a 82 Nighthawk 450 for $300 not running. A new key, oil, gas and plugs and I was on the road. I rode that for about 6 months, then sold it for $400. Parts are everywhere too.

 

[Whattawort]

Yet.

Shaddup you. I've already said if either of us have to get a minivan, she has to drive it. I'll keep my peppy little Mazda!

That said, I entered a raffle to win an '02 Shadow 1100 with less than 20k mi. God I want to win this thing.

 

[mbobhat]

1982 Honda CX 500 project bike I got off CL for 400 bucks (with title, I wouldn't suggest trying to pay to get titled). I am novice, took the MSF course last year, and was looking for dirt cheap and shaft drive appealed to me as well. After a $200 updated ignition module, she is running fine. Plus I get to spend more time in the garage tweaking her, and hopefully plenty more time riding her next year.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Shaddup you. I've already said if either of us have to get a minivan, she has to drive it. I'll keep my peppy little Mazda!

That said, I entered a raffle to win an '02 Shadow 1100 with less than 20k mi. God I want to win this thing.

Expect to pay out the arse for aftermarket. Honda's 750 is their workhorse motor and after market stuff is cheaper due to volume sales. The 1100, not so much. It'll still run forever.

 

[Whattawort]

Expect to pay out the arse for aftermarket. Honda's 750 is their workhorse motor and after market stuff is cheaper due to volume sales. The 1100, not so much. It'll still run forever.

In all actual reality, I'll probably just flip it. I can probably get $2200 for it pretty easily. It's clean and only has a few after market parts that are still under warranty. As much as I would like to ride again, I don't think SWMBO would be too pleased about it.

 

[static]

Shaddup you. I've already said if either of us have to get a minivan, she has to drive it. I'll keep my peppy little Mazda!

That said, I entered a raffle to win an '02 Shadow 1100 with less than 20k mi. God I want to win this thing.

Sorry. It was just to easy. Good luck with the Shadow.

 

[Mumbly]

There's a big difference between starting on a 800cc cruiser and a similar size sport bike. That said, you've got some MX experience so it's not like you're totally new to it. I've got a Honda Hawk GT (650 V-twin) and it's a blast around town, but could use a little more on the freeway and is on the small side for me size wise at 6'4"/195.

When I look for helmets, I try to find one that meets ECE 22.05, it's a stricter standard than Snell.

Truer words haven't been said, I started on a 900 Ducati, I wouldn't recommend it for anyone, but I wouldn't change it for anything either.