benskins26 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 So, The weather is nice, and I've got the itch. I have my motorcycle license, and for 2 years in college, owned a very nice GSXR-600. I no longer wish to go 170 MPH or anything close, Ever. But I do miss the freedom of the ride. Anyway, I'm ready to move up to a cruiser. Doesn't have to be a Harley, but I'm looking for something mid sized. I hate sporsters or anything in that class. Ultras and Road kings are too large. My only experience riding is with a 450 pound sport bike, so I'm afraid of anything too heavy. But I do want to be able to fit my wife on the back, and maybe even take the occasional 2 hour trip to the beach. I was looking at soft tails, but they might be too large as well, not sure yet- will probably rent one for a weekend. Dynas seem pretty sweet too. Also, my budget is around 10k, but obviously the less the better (will make convincing the wife a little easier). Any advice (besides get life insurance), pictures, etc. would be much appreciated for this cruiser noob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 V star maybe,or a Shadow Triumph America Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benskins26 Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 I like the V Star, looks to be what I might be looking for. What do you know about them? Plus, bonus, they seem to be a lot cheaper than Harleys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 V star maybe,or a Shadow this....they aren't Harleys but they're about half the price for what you get, they look good, ride well, and their reliability is excellent. I'm not a V-Star fan so I'd go with the Shadow. Harleys are all about the name plate, for me I'd never pay twice as much just for a badge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I like the V Star, looks to be what I might be looking for. What do you know about them? Plus, bonus, they seem to be a lot cheaper than Harleys. dependable and well built,slightly underpowered unless ya move to 1100 up...a good value if riding,not status is the goal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 a good value if riding,not status is the goal and let's just be honest here for a second...with a Harley it is all about status. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsmarydu Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 My first ride was a motorcycle, I dig it tooo.....until I crashed. Be careful. I'm a Dukie, so I've been in your area, and you've got really nice back roads to ride on there. Most motorists don't even think about cyclists, so once again, be careful, no matter what you buy. (Sorry, am a grandma too, therefore the extra caution notes!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MintHillSkinsFan Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 If you go Harley, soft tails, fat boys and dynas are all nice. They have a low center of gravity and aren't as heavy as they used to be so you don't need to be too afraid of the weight. You can find some nice Harleys on CL for less than 10K if look around. For me, nothing beats the look and sound of a Harley. The Hondas(Shadow), Kawasakis(Vulcan) and Yamahas(V Star) are all nice rides though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABQCOWBOY Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I don't ride anymore but if I did, it would be a BMW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 and let's just be honest here for a second...with a Harley it is all about status. I'd say it's all about the feeling, power, weight and the status is annoying. If I got a bike, I'd probably want one of the new BMW crossover bikes, but let's be honest, there's nothing like a Harley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I'd say it's all about the feeling, power, weight and the status is annoying. For the 1% of Harley owners...sure....for the other 99% buying their Harleys at the mall....nah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 For the 1% of Harley owners...sure....for the other 99% buying their Harleys at the mall....nah. I guess. I've spent a lot of time with bikers and wrenched on 80 year old harleys. I know their gift shops are popular, but there is a reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumbo Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 There are all kinds of Harley owners, but 8 out of 10 are still basically insecure attention whore idiots (including the serious hardcore clubs---just like Sons of Idiots on FX :pfft:) or are just amazingly bad about making smart purchases and apparently deaf. And 8 times out of 10 it's an idiot's choice in almost every meaningful category of comparison, and is almost exclusively chosen for idiot reasons. There are rare exceptions to all this, but why buck the odds when it's so unnecessary? Don't be an idiot. :cool: Don't be on one the mindless throng of little "dress-up" noise-making "me too" idiots no matter which little sub-genre of Harley riders you'd join. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I guess. I've spent a lot of time with bikers and wrenched on 80 year old harleys. I know their gift shops are popular, but there is a reason. A 32 Ford coupe is still popular too I got no issue with Harleys aside from the expense to both buy and service...they help pay the bills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 A 32 Ford coupe is still popular too I got no issue with Harleys aside from the expense to both buy and service...they help pay the bills Little duece coupe is cool, because it's just ****ing cool. When I saw the title, my first thought for advise was get a tool bag with it. I love old Triumphs, but they should come with pizza boxes to put under them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bostic Hog Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Buy the Kawasaki Vacquiero. This thing is sweet. I have a Kawi Mean Streak and have considered "upgrading" to the Vacquiero. It's a little more than 10k, but not too much more. It is freaking SWEET -- 1700cc, the bags are built into the bike and are a great addition to the Kawi cruisers. OK, so it's $17k -- but so worth it!!! Check it out: http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/Product-Specifications.aspx?scid=7&id=576 Just found a leftover brand new 2011 Vacquero on Ebay for $14k. You can do this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosher Ham Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Buy the Kawasaki Vacquiero. This thing is sweet. I have a Kawi Mean Streak and have considered "upgrading" to the Vacquiero. It's a little more than 10k, but not too much more. It is freaking SWEET -- 1700cc, the bags are built into the bike and are a great addition to the Kawi cruisers. OK, so it's $17k -- but so worth it!!! Check it out: You want him to jump from 10k or less to 14-17k and from 600cc to 1700 !!! You really want his wife to kill him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bostic Hog Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 My Mean Streak only weighs like 600lbs, but you'd never know it -- it is so balanced that the weight means NADA!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinz4Life12 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 wow thats ironic there is a harley thread started today. i've been having the itch as well. i think i'm gonna go for a v rod (night rod) before too long. these thing is one tough looking bike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bostic Hog Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 wow thats ironic there is a harley thread started today. i've been having the itch as well. i think i'm gonna go for a v rod (night rod) before too long. these thing is one tough looking bike I love the V-Rod -- it is quite the machine. But as a Harley, the cost of ownership is craziness -- that's why I chose my Mean Streak over the V-Rod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC_RedskinsFan Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 This is mine, I prefer the Sportster to the big bulky cruisers. I also as you can tell like everything pretty much black on them. This is an 08 that I bought a year ago at the time with 4000 miles on it for $5,500. I went searching on craiglist and found it. It is easy to get a good price when you say you are coming with only a certain amount of cash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bostic Hog Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 This is mine, I prefer the Sportster to the big bulky cruisers. I also as you can tell like everything pretty much black on them. This is an 08 that I bought a year ago at the time with 4000 miles on it for $5,500. I went searching on craiglist and found it. It is easy to get a good price when you say you are coming with only a certain amount of cash. Just be careful you don't get your skirt caught in that lil' bugger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC_RedskinsFan Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Just be careful you don't get your skirt caught in that lil' bugger. To each their own! I don't like the "big" bikes. If i want to sit on a lazy boy I'll stay in my living room Not to mention such a light bike with a 1200 on it has a huge amount of power! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamB Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Like has already been mentioned - V-Star's are good bikes, low maintance and so forth. My first bike was a V-Star 650 (was a bit cramped) and my wife's family are all Yammy riders. You can get the 950 for under $10K, or if you like the more custom look, the Stryker (1300cc) is like $11K. The VTX 1300 is not a bad bike...I do not like mine, but I think I got "That Bike" since most owners have no issues with theirs. The Shadow is also nice, just, like the V-Star 650, a bit cramped for me which is weird since I am only 5'7. I have no real experience with Kawas or Suzuki, but have never heard anything bad about them other than some growing pains the M109 had. Triumphs are beautiful bikes, and I still have a thing for the Rocket III. I am not big on Harley's, so I think I just follow the whole "if you do not have anything nice to say..." mantra. I will say that I never did get the whole "power" thing with *most* Harleys since I always found them a bit anemic compared to their rivals. One option if you go the Harley route is to take a look at some of the retired police cruisers. They are a bit bigger than you were looking for, but you can usually find them for under $10K with reasonable amount of mileage. I am currently drooling over the Diavel (Ducati's new cruiser), but even with my wife saying go for it, I just cannot justify buying a $19K bike atm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinz4Life12 Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 if i were to choose a Harley that's not a v-rod, i would look at something like a fat bob or street bob. check out both of those models Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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