[badboti]

I have been reading through pages on this forum hoping to find what i need but thought I might as well ask and get to the point. I am looking for a cruiser type beginner bike, I know if I had/got a sports bike I would be in go fast mode!! I am 6’4″ and about 230lbs, I have have rode for 2 1/2 years mostly Honda Cr250’s. I will be looking for a $3000 or under used bike also. Thanks for the help and advice in advance. Chris

[Ben]

If you’ve been riding for a few years I would say pretty much any bike is open for you. That being said it looks like the main limiter your budget (i’m in the same boat!). Harleys are probably out of the picture since even used they are really expensive. I would check out the Vulcan 900 or some of the bikes in the Yamaha V-star series. You should be able to find decent prices on them used.

Ben

[Clay Dowling]

The smaller Honda Shadows are gonna be suitable for you without any problem. There tend to be a lot of these on the market. The 500cc bikes are going to be a little bit older and aren’t that widely available, but the 600cc and 750cc bikes are all over the place. They have a solid reputation, and the two people I know who own Shadows really like them.

And if you don’t mind an older bike, sniff around the Honda Magna. It is a fast bike, but without some of the quirks of a sport bike that can catch a new rider out. I’m riding a ’96 and love it. Fast if I need/want it, and stable at high speed, unlike some bikes which will try to vibrate you off the bike. Mostly though a good stable bike for cruising around at sane speeds. First thing I noticed about this bike in fact that speed control was trivially easy. I actually speed less on the Magna than I do in my Accord. The only downside to the Magna is that the tire size is odd, so you wind up paying extra special prices for tires, and usually need a week or two lead time on new tires. Which sucks if something happens to one of your tires.

[drlapo]

if you have been ridding MX bikes you may not be happy with a “cruiser” :more show than go
45 mph may not be enough (Harley parade speed)
get a sport bike and ride it right

[bigguybbr]

I dunno about cruisers being more show than go. They’ll get up and out of their own way in a hurry. The one aspect that might be a little alien to you is the riding posturegoing from MX to a cruiser. The best advice for anyone is throw a leg over as many as you can and see whats comfortable.

[Clay Dowling]

drlapo, I’m assuming that you’re riding a 650 Ninja there, so you can probably keep even with my cruiser, if you push it. If you’re riding a 500, you’ll notice me as that thing that keeps getting smaller in front of you.

Anyway, most modern cruisers have a fair amount of speed, and none of them top out at 45mph. If they do, they probably also have a cloud of blue smoke trailing them, because there’s something seriously wrong with their engines.

[badboti]

I ment to say been riding dirtbikes for 2 1/2 years. my bad.

[SantaCruzRider]

I second the advice that you sit on a lot of bikes and see what feels right.

Coming from MX, you might find sport bikes that have handlebar risers have a more standard/neutral ergo that is closer to the MX stance. Personally, I find this ergo feels the most comfortable and makes me feel the most in control. You’ll usually find similar body positioning with sport tourers, some sport bikes that use handlebars or risers rather than clip-ons, and dual sports.

As for sport bike speed, yes, pound for pound, they are usually faster than cruisers, but I wouldn’t take that as a negative for either. I ride a 1000cc sport tourer with an engine based on a Ninja 900, and I get passed ALL the time by guys on supposedly slower bikes. (This is not a recommendation for buying a 1-liter bike.)

[badboti]

Local bike shop has a 85 magna v65 with 7300 original miles on it. 1100cc though. I feel a little intimidated by the bigger engine size. should I really worry about it though. I mean being 6’5″ it actually fits pretty good, like the dealer said its not really a bike for shorter guys/gals!!! lol just looking for input, going on the second week of having a permit and no bike!!! thanks, chris

[Spool]

The old v65’s were a beast of a bike. Not exactly a good beginner bike. For a few years they were the fastest production bike in existence. And from what I have read they are maintenance nightmares. That being said I’d love to have a V65 Magna in good condition. But I’d really look at something smaller for your first street bike.

[Author]

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