Thoughts on a cruiser for a street ride?

So I'm contemplating getting rid of the TL and getting a cruiser. I like the Shadow Spirits, M109 Boulevard, VTX1300, kawi meanstreak...etc....I only do >1000 street miles a year. I want it to commute to places - work, gym, etc. My 'joy rides' have decrease 10 fold in the last few years, and with a baby on the way, I'm sure they will decrease even more. My issue is, I've never ridden a cruiser for a long period of time, so I'm not sure on comfort, fun-a-bility...One thing for sure, the TL can get me into trouble QUICK, even if it's just going to work....worse if I'm on a 'spirited' ride....

For the peeps that have done the trade off....happy? Pros/cons?

Quick backround - I race an SV, so I'd still have my track fix, and the wife has a new gen 250R (which I have a lot of fun on).

(Beet would tell me to do it since we've had the conversation before...miss ya man...)

buy my dads cherry VTX 1800!!!

But if you're racing, I think a cruiser is great for street... I love me some cruiser, but without the racing thing... a cruiser doesn't scratch my itch the same way.

I owned this for a couple years:
http://i819.photobucket.com/albums/z...ipspics072.jpg

Coming off a monster 750, this was a nice mellow alternative. I got bored quickly and was ripping this thing around like it was a monster after a while. What I would recommend, that will satisfy all your mc needs and still handle and stop, is a light adventureish type bike. Versys, strom, fz6, triumph800, or an 800gs if you have the coin. Pure function, some are easier on the eyes than others, and the first 3 can be had relatively cheap. Did I mention comfort? Right, you get the idea...I'm pretty confident I'll never get another cruiser again.

I owned a shadow very similar to this for a few seasons along with my sportbike.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...adowACE750.jpg

It had its uses like going 2 up on short rides, cruising around town, or running errands.

It sucked on the highway, constantly being blasted by wind because it had no windscreen. It also really really sucked on long rides, 100 miles or so per day was about my limit on that bike (on a sportbike 300-400 isn't out of the question for me). I'm a taller guy and the ergonomics were really awkward on the cruiser.

On the other hand, it was nice to have a variety of bikes to just tool around town on or take out into the twisties and get on it.

I agree with Chipper about the upright adventure bike.

Yamaha vmax. I've been drooling over these bikes for a long time.
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/photog...max_v_wide.jpg

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Originally Posted by ChicknStripEatr

It also really really sucked on long rides, 100 miles or so per day was about my limit on that bike (on a sportbike 300-400 isn't out of the question for me). I'm a taller guy and the ergonomics were really awkward on the cruiser.

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Longer range on sportbike than cruiser due to ergos? First time I've heard that!

I've been dreaming about this bike with drag bars for a long time. If I get really lucky my wife will give in one day (keeping a sport bike too though)


http://www.americanclassicmotors.net...bobberrig1.JPG

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Originally Posted by Kitt

Longer range on sportbike than cruiser due to ergos? First time I've heard that!

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Yes, it was bad. In the saddle of the shadow I sat very straight up and down and in that position my lower back took a beating every time there was a bump in the road, etc. To compensate for that I would somewhat slouch. The longest continuous distance I ever rode the shadow was from RI to Weirs Beach, I literally wanted to kick the thing over and set it ablaze when I arrived at my destination.

I'm sure the ergo's on other cruisers are drastically different but that was my experience with that particular one.

I rode to Long Island and back last week on my Vmax and couldn't of been happier. Put mid-sized windshield on it to keep the blast off me on the highway. Plus the thing absolutely RIPS and they are cheap to come by.

Blown around on the highway? Not even close. Kinda hard to blow 620lbs around.

And btw, I don't "trade-off".

I just buy more bikes. Not worth it to me to sell any of them. I do my research first, decide on a bike I intend to keep for a long, long time, then get it. Spend years improving it to my liking. No use selling it any of them.

The Vmax was my addition to the family as a cruiser/two-up/putt-putt bike.

It is not a fantastic two up bike yet due to the seat. It putt-putts fine, but MAN does this thing move, even in bone stock trim. As in, it pulls harder than my ZRX1200.

Suspension in the front kinda sucks, but with a set of Ricor Intiminators waiting on my workbench to be put in, it should be improved quite a bit shortly. Brakes on the '93+ were 4 pot calipers on both sides, so they are actually pretty good if you run decent pads in there. Tires are still Bias ply since the front is an 18" and back is a 15", but Shinko makes a set that sticks like glue in wet and dry and are cheap as hell.

Find a nice clean used UNMOLESTED one for about $3500 and then enjoy for a long time. Stick to the '93+. Hell, I've seen some low mile examples locally in the 2000's for $4k.

When I was shopping for my 'strom I was debating the DL1000 vs the 650. Many of the reviews and a lot of the owners said the 650 was all you really needed in life. When I mentioned to my cruiser riding friends and family I was considering a 650, every one of them scoffed that it was too small and I was going to be horribly disappointed with the power, especially on the highway.

I bought the 650 anyway.

Shortly before I bought it I had the opportunity to sample a nearly brand new Honda Shadow 750. Suddenly I understood what they were talking about. The 750 is fun around town and a blast to wring out when the light turns green. But on the highway it totally blows.

My moral here is that 650 on a street/sport bike is plenty for most of us... but not on a cruiser. Such a totally different universe of motorcycling.

I've recently ridden a Vulcan 900 with a full plexi windscreen. It was okay. In my opinion 900 is about as small as I'd go on a cruiser.
My dad had a late 80's HD FLHS for a long time. I've never ridden a more comfortable motorcycle, ever. And it had decent git-up. Still not for me.

I think my 'wee' strom makes more HP than the Vulcan 900 does. And the Vulcan only out torques it by like 20%.

My 'strom is almost 100% function over form.
That Vulcan is almost 100% form over function.

Whatcho want?


In my opinion the V-Max is nothing like the traditional cruiser. Is it really up to 1700cc now?! Gebus that's big..

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Originally Posted by imkindafkedup

Yamaha vmax. I've been drooling over these bikes for a long time.
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/photog...max_v_wide.jpg

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a gen 1 can be had cheap too! the vmax is a fun bike for sure, despite all its shortcomings

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J3_liDBfbv...otorcycles.jpg

http://www.ashonbikes.com/sites/defa...om-443x640.JPG

Someone show him the Triumph Storm...!

It's hard to find a cruiser that can be good for going on the highway and around town as stated a 650 cruiser doesn't have enough power to really go on the highway. However a 1500+cc cruiser is usually so heavy it doesn't handle easily in small streets and parkinglots. A good standard or adventure bike will be comfortable and powerful.

If you only do 1000miles a year and it's mostly in town errands a small displacement light weight cruiser like a Shadow 750 or the old Vulcan 500 might be a good option. If you want comfort a bigger cruiser with floorboards like a Harley Fatboy or Victory Jackpot will be all day comfortable with an arm chair comfy seating position.

I test drove a Ducati Diavel and I will say that bike is great for all conditions at under 500lbs and up to 160hp, with an urban mode that will cut that to 100hp and an all day riding comfort position it'll do it all. You can get a base Diavel for 16k new, I rode the Carbon at 22k.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C...0/s640/024.JPG
I wouldn't categorize the Diavel or Vmax as cruisers though, I'd call them Muscle bikes and they have more standard controls with an upright seating position and a low seat height like cruisers and tons of power. I've also driven the Harley Vrod and the seating position on that bike is very uncomfortable, you are leaned forward towards the bars, but also are reaching forward for the controls so it's like being folded in half. Haven't driven an M109, but it looks like a similar seating position.

The good thing is that American cruiser dealerships will let you test the bikes unlike Japanese sportbike dealerships. Go test out some Harley's and Victory's to see if you like cruisers and then maybe look at some similar, but cheaper Japanese cruisers.

I love my roadstar warrior. it handles great for a cruiser. plenty of power and all day comfort.Attachment 25897

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Originally Posted by marshdrummer

So I'm contemplating getting rid of the TL and getting a cruiser. I like the Shadow Spirits, M109 Boulevard, VTX1300, kawi meanstreak...etc....I only do >1000 street miles a year. I want it to commute to places - work, gym, etc. My 'joy rides' have decrease 10 fold in the last few years, and with a baby on the way, I'm sure they will decrease even more. My issue is, I've never ridden a cruiser for a long period of time, so I'm not sure on comfort, fun-a-bility...One thing for sure, the TL can get me into trouble QUICK, even if it's just going to work....worse if I'm on a 'spirited' ride....

For the peeps that have done the trade off....happy? Pros/cons?//

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I had an HD Roadster for a few months. Upgraded the suspension, tires, and seat. It ran well, got decent mileage, sounded nice, and didn't vibrate too much at highway speed.
http://dervish.smugmug.com/photos/i-...-hPtcQnR-M.jpg

The thing to understand about cruisers is that they are designed for style first and function second.

I sold it because I had that and my V-Strom parked in front of the house, and when I walked out in the morning, 9 times out of 10 I took the V-Strom. Adventure bikes are a hell of a lot more practical. Cruisers are butt jewelry.

another one for the V-max. Love those things