- This topic has 5 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 8 months ago by mbmmca.
System Overload….
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August 21, 2010 at 5:16 pm #4194mbmmcaParticipant
Posted part of this in the intro….hubby came home with a Yamaha Road Star 1600. We’ve been out a few times. I crashed 20+ years ago and his bike has been the first I’ve been on since. I didn’t scream or pee my pants so thats a bonus. He’s working on me to get one too. While I like riding 2 up, I prefer solo. Problem is, he has one thing in mind, I have something else. I’m looking at older bikes, mostly because they sit taller. I’m 5’10, and in the 165-170lb range. So far preferences are Honda Nighthawk 750, Harley Sportster 883/1200, Yamaha Maxim, or possible a Triumph adventurer…A V-Max came on the radar but a friend of mine (trust him with my life) said it may have too much punch for now. Any opinions? Any other suggestions? The only requirements I have are under 1300cc and able to ride 2 up. (daughter wants to go too.)
August 21, 2010 at 6:06 pm #28218Jon D.ParticipantLike yourself, I was off a bike for awhile. I would suggest that you begin with a milder ride. Any 50’s series boulevards ( Suzuki ). The 600cc sized standards, i.e. Yamaha fz6, Suzuki SV 650, or any of the other manufacturers offerings. Craigslist offers a large number of the older bikes, but shop carefully. I would also suggest Bobz Bikz in Kingman, Ks. He has sold many rides nation wide and takes pride in offering quality used motorcycles. Three members of my family have purchased our bikes from him including myself. If nothing else it will help you in negotiating prices where you live. Good luck and I hope this helps.
August 22, 2010 at 2:07 pm #28232MunchParticipantThe Honda would be a good break in for you. Also I would recommend:
Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic or Custom.. Custom is intended solo but with a seat change can carry 2 and thats easy enough to do and find.
Honda’s 750 or the 950
The boulevards…. would tell you which ones but I never liked the styling for some reason so I never learned them
The Sporties I would not recommend. They are big on torque and power and very low on comfort especially on a 2 up adventure. Think of them as the Miata of the bike industry. Sitting beside them on my V900 they look like ten speed bicycles.
Most Soft tails…upwards to the Glide family are all HD standard 1600 cc’c (their 96 ci engine) and on down, but not lower then 1500 cc’s last I looked. The reason the Vmax is not good….. that’s the “Vette” bike. Much like I wouldn’t recommend a Warrior either.Do go out and sit on them get a feel for them. If your lucky you may live in an area that will even grant you a test ride on one or two.
side bar: The higher CC bikes suggested are only in the assumption that you have had prior riding experience and have taken the MSF or equivalent course… if not I would recommend down stepping to 750 cc’s and lower.
August 22, 2010 at 3:28 pm #28233WeaponZeroParticipantAs far as style goes it seems like your preference is leaning toward the traditional “standard” motorcycle, which is essentially the middle ground between a sportbike and a cruiser (compared to today’s “standards” which are more just naked/unfaired sportbikes). Not a bad choice.
You say you have experience under your belt but haven’t ridden in 20 or so years, which I would say puts you in a slightly better position than a new rider as far as the displacement you can go up to.
If you can get past the modern, sporty styling, I think you will find that the Kawasaki Versys and Suzuki DL650 V-Strom, at least as far as how they ride go, have exactly what you’re looking for. Under the skin they’re everything a traditional standard should be. If the styling, however, is a must, then really the only bikes I can recommend to you are the current Triumph lineup of retro-styled bikes (which are all powered by what I THINK is a 900cc parallel twin) or the Harley Sportster 883, and you’ll probably end up feeling cramped on the Harley because its rider triangle seems more suited to those of the more “vertically challenged” variety. You can also look for a ’90s Honda 750 Nighthawk as well which should do you well.
As far as buying older bikes go, I think that when you get into the 20+ years old year range, you start to venture into a realm of uncertainty because there could potentially be problems with a bike that old that a technician won’t pick up on when giving it a once-over. You just don’t know what you’re getting into really, and although taking it to a technician for an inspection eliminates many variables, it doesn’t eliminate all of them. I can only advocate buying a bike from the ’80s or older if you are looking for a project and/or are able to do your own repairs. Yes there are many who will say that people who own motorcycles should work on their own bikes, but let’s be real here. Wrenching away isn’t for everyone and aside from knowing how to do your basic pre-ride inspection and air up your tires, you should have the option of leaving everything else up to a licensed technician if you choose. Also, because motorcycles in northern states are often garaged for the winter and allowed to sit for months at a time every year, they typically don’t age as well as cars unless they’re stored properly and there’s no way to guarantee that it has been stored properly every year for the past 20+ years.
The absolute bottom line is that you should stay away from a bike that old unless you are a competent mechanic or are looking to become one and are willing to invest a fair bit of time and patience into the bike. Unfortunately this limits your choices for potential bikes as the style of bike you seem to favor is a vintage style that has sort of died out, and is only carried on by higher-end brands such as Harley and Triumph. However, if you can get past the looks, I think you will find that while the body is dead, the spirit lives on in the form of do-it-all standards such as the aforementioned V-Strom and Versys.
Hope I helped.
August 25, 2010 at 2:06 pm #28290TrialsRiderParticipantYour wish list is largely massive motorcycles and I have to wonder, what bike did you learn on and what bike did you take your crash on ?
I assume you have a reason for wanting so much horsepower, such as you only travel tremendous distances with loads of luggage or you pull a trailer or something. V-Max should not even be on your list, unless you need a motorcycle that is only used to accelerate like a jet fighter in straight lines, the first time I saw one it went by me like a missile with the front wheel only occasionally touching the ground, V-Max is overkill not overload. For that matter none of the bikes listed would have a reputation for superior handling and under the circumstance, I think a great handling bike would instill far more confidence in your goal to return to motorcycle riding.
If your big concern is keeping up with hubby on the highway, you should consider a BMW or something that is reputed to be an excellent highway handler, then you can sprint ahead and wait for him to catch up. If you plan to just tool around town with it and learn to ride again from scratch, you are looking at way too large of a motorcycle. …20+ years ago a 750cc standard motorcycle was considered large and modern bikes have more power yet.
August 26, 2010 at 7:37 am #28313mbmmcaParticipantLots here to consider…thank you. Bikes from 20+ years ago included Yamaha 360 enduro, and a Kaw dirt bike (don’t remember much more about it). The enduro was mine and I rode it daily. Long story short, I was test riding following some repairs. The person I was riding with suddenly took off, and without looking behind me, I followed. I hit gravel, went sideways, and the bike and I bounced off a parking curb. The bike died, I didn’t. The look of my dad’s face when he saw me in the ambulance was enough to do me in. Hadn’t been on a bike since.
Looks like 750-900cc is plenty big enough for me….thanks for the input. Keep it coming. Am I a competent mechanic? Um…muscle cars? Sure! Building one….A bike? Not a chance any more!
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