Future Motorcyclist
Hello I am Charlie Brown (no joke) and I'm planning to get a motorcycle in the near future as I think it will be a fun and cost effective solution for transportation. I've been reading around on this website and am planning to find a used vintage or european styled motorcycle and wanted to get some recommendations from you folks. Also if you're interested you can check out some of the music I play as well. charliebrownandthegreatgospel.com
What do you classify as
What do you classify as vintage European style? I think covers a wide range of bikes from old Italians to old BMW's to old Triumph's. I know you can buy brand new Triumphs that have the old style but modern components. That might be your best place to start. Not so sure about vintage style German or Italian bikes other than some sweet looking Ducati's (but I think they have 1000cc engines and a price to match).
Also, have a look at the Suzuki TU250. Has the same style (to my eyes) and would be a great first bike.
euro vintage style
Check out Moto Guzzi and Royal Enfield, you can't get much more euro-retro than that and yet still buy it new.
BMW Airheads...I love 'em.
BMW Airheads...I love 'em. If you can work on a lawn mower, you can keep one of these things running. Not much cooler IMO...parts are cheap and available too. Not likely to pull up next to another one usually...
Allen Dye
MSF Rider Coach
Track Day Instructor
Ironbutt Rally Finisher '03-'05
older looking bikes
Only the newest Royal Enfield model is very reliable and it has a good transmission- I would stay away from the older ones. For a bigger and more expensive used bike, the Moto Guzzi and BMW shaft drive bikes, or a Ducati V-twin are classics. These two used bikes below have an older look, and are reasonably priced with good reliability and good handling for a beginner, although a 250cc engine or smaller is lighter and safer for a beginner, then switching to a bigger bike after a year or two:
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/roadtests/retro_bike_comparison/index....
classic bikes
I guess I like the classic style bikes the most. The ones I've noticed on the website are the Kawasaki Vulcan, Yamaha Virago, and Honda Rebel. All of the other recommendation are great too. The Moto Guzzi bikes look really cool. One concern that I have with living in Colorado Springs and having lots of mountain passes, dirt roads, and going camping etc. is that I would want a bike that could stand up to some of the terrain here. Any thoughts on that?
Ahhh, you like classic cruisers
IMHO: Add Intruders and older Shadows to the mix of Viragos and Vulcans and you have a rogues gallery of great handling, often under-ridden and under-valued bikes out there. Personally, I think the Intruder were some of the greatest looking and most honest cruisers ever built -- and they handle great. Same goes for the Viragos, but the styling either works for you or it really doesn't.
As for your riding area, you hae two things to consider. The first is altitude. Some folks are going to tell you that for high altitude, you need a fuel injected bike (vs. carb). While EFI is better at seemlessly handling altitude changes, the good news for you is that you are aleady at high altitude. A carb adjusted for your local pressure should be able to tackle Vail or Manitou without issue. Where carbs "can" get really messed up is coming from sea level and then hitting those elevations.
As for offroad - there's an old saying that you can take ANY motorcycle off road once. Whether it survives to do it again is something entirely different. Your listed bikes have a few benefits when it comes to limited dirt roads (I'm talking campground dirt roads) and that includes a lack of fragile plastics and a relatively neutral riding position that allows maneuverability that isn't quite as natural with extreme foot-forward cruisers.
On the other hand, if your goal is to really ride some cool trails, you may want to set aside the styling and look into a dual-sport. There are some great models out there that might be perfect for you.
Shadow spirit
Look at shadow spirit 750s. Its a good looking bike and not that expensive