[Tonya7354]

I bought my “first” bike in Feb. 2007, I just sold it in Jan. of this year. I bought a 2006 FZ6 and it proved to be too high and too heavy for me. It really bruised my ego…I should have done like told in all the articles online and buy smaller. I listened to many experienced riders and went bigger. Now, I’m looking for another smaller bike. I would like advice from people that own the bikes they are talking about. I need something that will do freeway speeds (70-75 mph), since I would like to drive to work from time to time. Thanks a bunch!

[Munch]

Assuming Sport bike?
Welcome btw, and glad to see your getting back in the saddle!

[SantaCruzRider]

Good for you for being smart and changing bikes gracefully (all to often, folks sell the “wrong” bike after it’s been totalled). Tall sport bikes can be very tough to learn on — especially when they put you on your toes.
Folks here should be able to give you some good first-hand advice.
Do you have preference or biases for seating position (sport or standard or cruiser)?

[Tonya7354]

Well I’m open to just about any bike. My main concern this time around is seat height and something that is realiable. I personally don’t like all the full fairing…I know the price of all that plastic and I’m new so I know my odds of dropping the bike. I’m open for any and all suggestions! Thanks!

[Munch]

If you don’t mind cruisers a smaller 250 or even 500 cc cruiser style bike might would be good for you. Smooth and even power delivery and usually a low seat height. It will give you the ability to get the experience under your belt without an over sensitive fear of gun and run and hoping your brain can catch up to you . Look over some of the other guys posts for the sport bike side of things.
Personally for cruisers I would recommend the Vulcan 500 more to do with my experience. It is a shorter in length motorcycle which will give you sport bike like agility in low speed maneuvers. It also utilizes the same 500 cc motor the Ninja uses. Only a slightly different set up for the cruiser ride. You will have plenty of ooomph to conquer the super slabs and doesn’t get pushed around by traffic cross winds easily. Its top speed is 100 though you will never need it. It easily has get up go for lane changing and passing when you need it. I got around 45 – 51 mpg depending on my mood.
As a first…er …second first bike it would do well for you.

[SantaCruzRider]

Naked bikes in the 250-500 range might work. Fairings are definately expensive and a pain when it comes to maintenance (my bike is fully faired, so I speak from experience). But they add huge comfort when your ride includes long stretches at speed or in the cold or wet.
In terms of seat height, there are lots of cruisers with low seats, but some of that gets eaten up with wide saddles.
What bikes have you ridden that felt comfortable? Did you take the BRC?

[Tonya7354]

Thank you very much! I was leaning toward a Rebel, but I’m afraid it would never make the commute to work! I drive an hour on the freeway, so it has to keep up! I’ll do some research on the Vulcan and I’ll keep reading on here. Thanks!

[Jon D.]

My 2 cents would say the Suzuki boulevard S40 would suit your needs for now. Uncle Bernie has a very nice article on it’s bigger brother the S50 that is great reading. The Vulcan 500 is an upgraded version of the 454 LTD and I will tell you from experience it is a great motorcycle, but I don’t think it will be as forgiving as the S40. Your call, my opinion only. Ride safe and God bless Jon D.

[Tonya7354]

I have every little experience…..just the FZ6 I had and dirt bikes when I was a kid, in that case I was forbidden to be on by my mom!! I have not taken the BRC, I know I need to and have thought about signing up multiple times, my job is hard to workaround for something that takes a weekend…I work those and week days. I’ll look into it again. Thanks for the advice

[Tonya7354]

I want something that is comfortable to ride. I don’t want to lie down nor be stretched out. LOL so I guess standard seating postion would be best!

[SantaCruzRider]

If you liked the FZ6 when it was on the kick-stand, you’re leaning toward standard (IMHO). The Fizzer looks like a hot sport bike, but it has fairly neutral ergos. If you get on a Rebel, you’ll find your feet moving a bit forward, though it’s still pretty neutral. But some cruisers have forward controls that put your feet even further forward.
For most of us, there is no real world benefit for one style over another, but some folks find that one style feels more comfortable.
If you haven’t done it, I’d recommend going to a lot of dealers and sitting on a lot of bikes.

[PhilUp]

I just started riding and chose a 2005 ninja 250. It is lightweight, very maneuverable, and has an upright riding position. I think an overall great bike as a starter. If you have any questions regarding its capabilities, such as how it handles the freeway, you can check the ninja250.org. A lot of good information on the bike. I am 5’11”, 180 lbs, and it hauls me around just fine. The newer ones 2008 and up look pretty hot as well. Welcome!

[Matt]

I’m surprised by all the cruiser suggestions… Going from a FZR to a cruiser?

I’d look at the Ninja 250/500, GS500 and Buell Blast. All four will do the speeds you want all day. All four are upright comfortable positions. All four are fairly low to the ground. Really, chosing between them is simply a matter of personal choice, but they’ll all serve you fine.

Blast has one ace if you have short legs: it has a lowered seat option that brings the seat down to 25″ – which is lower than some cruisers). But the stock seat on the othe three isn’t exactly sky scraping heigh.

+1 on BRC.

[Clay Dowling]

My first bike and current ride is a Honda Magna, one from the 1994-2003 generation of bikes. The 750cc v4 engine doesn’t have a massive amount of low-end torque, so it isn’t prone to launching you into space. It has an upright seating position, closer to a standard than a cruiser. It has the power to cruise along at highway speeds.

Only downsides I’ve found so far is that the range is limited (roughly 120 miles on a tank), and wind buffeting can be a problem. Without a windshield you find yourself very directly in the wind stream, and at highway speeds it can get old. With a cruiser windshield, you get a lot of turbulence knocking you around. The solution I found was a flyscreen from National Cycle. It’s a silly little shield-looking thing:

At around-town speeds it really doesn’t do anything. At 50-60 is makes the ride pretty nice. At 70+ it sends the wind over you almost completely, so you’re riding in smooth air without a lot of pressure against you. I bought mine for something like $60 used, and you can pick them up new for $120.

[Tonya7354]

Thank you so much for the welcome and all the suggestions. I’m taking my time and not rushing into my next bike purchase and it will most def be used!! I’m going to look into each suggestion!

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