[SantaCruzRider]

My first ride on a street bike (not a moped) was when I went to pick up my new HD Sportster 883 at the dealer.
Dealer rolled it out front, showed me where the clutch and brakes were, showed me how to start it, and away I went. I rode around a couple of blocks in the neighboring industrial area and then, confident with my newfound expertise (LOL), I hopped on the main highway to ride home. This involved 10+ miles on a two-lane strip of asphalt with open lava fields on either side riding at 70+ mph.
Toughest part was when I had to turn off the highway and climb up the hill to my house. I’m surprised now that I didn’t get into trouble.
I remember being nervous, but not scared. Otherwise, I never would have made it home.

[SantaCruzRider]

Dual sports are nice bikes. I like those in the 400-650 range. They are great in town and powerful enough for short jaunts at highway speed (the bigger ones will go ALL day). It’s true that some have small gas tanks, but most can be swapped out pretty cheaply for ones that hold 4+ gallons.
So folks find the seats narrow, but because you’re straddling the bike in a standard position, they usually give you plenty of support and room to move around a bit. In contrast, cruiser seats need to be broader and bigger because they put your feet up and there’s more weight carried on your tail.
BTW: Cruiser ergos are all over the map, from ape hangers bars to standard and almost sport lean upper body with feet forward. Try ’em all and see what feels good.

[SantaCruzRider]

Once a deposit is given and received, you’ve entered into a contract and it’s possible for one party to sue the other to force execution of that contract (ie, going thru with the sale). This typically mainly benefits the seller, because if the buyer goes to court and says he had a deal, he’s going to have to show that he suffered a loss, which means he needs to conclusively show that the bike he was buying for $1,000 was actually worth $2,500, so the seller’s breach resulted in a $1,500 loss.
In practice, when two parties go to court over something like this, they usually both have a different understanding of what the deposit was for (earnest money so I could get the bike inspected vs downpayment while I arrange the financing). A judge would often just say that there then was no clear verbal contract or understanding, and no deal.
Disclaimer: I’m not an attorney, but spent years as a reporter covering courts and saw a mindnumbing number of these types of cases.

[SantaCruzRider]

I looked at these two as well. Both (IMHO) are really nice bikes and awesome values on the used market. I really like the Intruder styling, but it’s also an old school cruiser that can be a turn off for some. The Vulcan is more neutral looking. I think both ride well and it’s a matter of personal preference. From a practical standpoint, here’s how I broke down the advantages:

Wheels: ++Vulcan for cast wheels (Intruder has spokes–look cool, but it’s dirt bike tech)
Range: +Vulcan 166 miles on a tank vs 143 for Intruder. Vulcan’s got the bigger tank and better mileage
Speed: +Intruder-leaves everything in it’s class (exept a Magna) in the dust. Still, the Vulcan is less than a half second behind in the quarter, and if you really want fast, you don’t want a cruiser anyway, so it’s all relative.
Engine: Draw: both liquid cooled with shaft drive. It didn’t (and doesn’t) get much better.

I never bought either, but I think the Intruder has an awesome look (even with the spokers) LOL

Buy either one!

[SantaCruzRider]

I expect him to bring the bike with current reg, clean pink with no liens and his/her name on it as owner, and keys to the bike. Be sure to spend time verifying reg numbers match from the pink to the bike.
I also expect to be able to test ride the bike. Some sellers don’t want to let it happen — and for good reason because they get wanks who drop their bike on a test and walk away.
I’ve been prepared to give them a check to hold while I take a test, if it made them happy, but I’ve never found it necessary. But I’ve also been prepared to walk away.
I figure I’ll kick myself less over a great bike I missed because I couldn’t test it than over a junk bike that looked good in a seller’s driveway, only to become a project in mine.
Also, any weirdness related to non-op reg or lost pinks or ??? — I don’t have time for it. Seller needs to clear that stuff up first.

[SantaCruzRider]

Here’s a link to an MC story that takes a look a high mileage bike options.

http://motorcyclist.automotive.com/93581/122-0810-motorcycle-mpg-comparison/fuel-mileage-data.html

+1 to Jon’s sentiment that you also look for comfort. Sounds like you’re looking at 3 hours a day in the saddle. That’s bliss on the weekend, but at the end of a long work day, you want a degree of comfort when you’re facing 90 minutes in traffic. How much comfort you need is a personal decision. I’m old, creaky and boring at parties, so I’m happiest on a 2-wheeled recliner.

[SantaCruzRider]

A lot of bikes can run 80+ or get over 50 mpg, but finding one that does both will require some discipline on the throttle.
I’d start by looking at v- or parallel twins in the 500-750 cc range, ideally with a 6-speed.
One little reality check, when you factor in the cost of oil changes, tires (which will wear quickly if you’re spending all your time on the highway), insurance, and gear, your annual savings will be a lot less than you think — and certainly no where near enough to cover the depreciation on that F650.
Buy the bike because riding it to work is the best part of your day and it saves you time. But IMHO, the cost savings piece is just a little white lie some of us tell our wives )

[SantaCruzRider]

Not sure which one you’re looking at, hopefully 535 or 750. Either way, they are nice old style cruisers. Styling can be off-putting for some, but they ride really nice and can be dirt cheap. Plus, they made them for something like 115 years, so there are lots of parts out there.
750 Shadow is also a very nice bike. Smooth and well balance, and pretty bullet proof. My friend had an older Shadow and it even had shaft drive — very nice.
And hey, nothing wrong with weekend riding. It’s a great diversion.

[SantaCruzRider]

Kidding, he sounds like he’s doing his best. But IMHO, the reason why people who are taught by a friend or family member are more likely to be in an accident than those who teach themselves is because the well-meaning friend is always so helpful and ready with the next lesson.
You might be best served by spending an hour(s?) practicing finding the friction point on the clutch. Find the point, glide up to 5-8 mph, pull in the clutch and ease to a stop. Then do it again, and again until you reach the end of the lot. Now duckwalk a nice wide turn and start over. Keep doing it until it feels comfortable (and this may be spread over a few days). Then you can start adding things like feeling how the rear brake feels, doing some slow S-turn, etc…
Have fun learning and don’t be in a rush.
Lastly, you sound a bit like me with all the reading and research (my wife gives me crap all the time — “just buy it already” is a frequent comment). The study is cool if you enjoy it , but don’t let it lead to “analysis paralysis.” There’s a time for reading about traffic accident stats, bike ergonomics, etc…, and then there a time to just relax and feel how you feel on the bike and how it responds to your control.

[SantaCruzRider]

Do you find your bike veering towards manhole covers or your suspension bottoming out when you cross railroad tracks?

Actually, it might be a very efective method for keeping nails and screws out of your back tire. LOL

[SantaCruzRider]

Adding a passenger is very distracting and typically makes the bike sluggish — slow to stop, can wallows in turns, feedback is different and once you realize something is wrong, it may be too late.
Plus, your passenger is going to have much more fun when they have complete confidence in you.

[SantaCruzRider]

I owned an 883 and it has plenty of power to move you and your wife around. My wife and I rode plenty on mine and it had no problem with acceleration, 80+mph on highway or taking steep hills — it’s a non issue.
The Sporty isn’t the ideal bike for beginners, and there is plenty of good advice on this site to suggest better places to start. But if you’re stuck on getting a Harley, you don’t have many choices.
On the plus side, the 883 does have a nice low center of gravity (so it will hit the ground with a bit less force the first time you drop it) and the engine is detuned so it delivers speed and power that are more on a par with Japanese 700-750 cc cruisers. But it’s still plenty fast and sounds about as sweet as any bike out there (IMHO).

[SantaCruzRider]

I got a bunch of quotes recently on several bikes I was looking at and it was interesting to see the results. Typical jumps for bikes over 500cc and then again over 750cc (although typically the jump came later for cruisers).
What I thought really interesting was the premium placed on certain brands. A Ducati with a bit less ccs than my Kawasaki 1000 had rated about 30% higher. Both bikes have essentially the same tested hp, acceleration, stopping distances, weight, etc… I wasn’t getting comp, so theft doesn’t factor. Turns out the premium is because the typical Ducati rider is more likely to wreck than the typical Kawi rider — so the Duc costs more to insure.
Go figure.

[SantaCruzRider]

The few times I’ve been stuck, I can usually trigger the light by putting the kickstand down on the wire. Of course what’s REALLY embarrassing is when you miss one light, put the kickstand down to trigger the next and then forget to put the kickstand back up — which on my bike triggers a kill switch when you release the clutch — DOOOHHHH!

[SantaCruzRider]

Get in your practice time and ride the crap out of it. The good stuff is just around the corner now.

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