A question for the Bikers here....

[johnastovall]

I'm thinking about a bike. I'm looking at shaft drive medium touring bikes. I've got a short list down to the Honda Sprite 750 and the Yamaha V-Star 650 Classic. Used and model year of 2007 are also factors.

Thoughts on these and other suggestions. I'm looking for something to run into Stephenville and go around on county roads looking for landscapes.

[MHampton]

Not to get personal, but how big are ya? I would be partial to the Honda ST. I have a friend who loved his Honda Valkrie and I ride a Gold Wing because the wife sits on the back. My current bike is the only one I've ever bought new. It's nice buying used because the previous owner has usually already added a lot of the do-dads, and those things add up quick

[groovyone]

You may also want to look into the older Kawasaki Concours. They have been pretty darn reliable for years. I personaly would opt for the new Concours14, but I am a bit of a speed freak.

If you really want some good landscapes you can look at the KTM Adventure.

[hotnanas]

my best advice is to ride them all. hopefully you have friends that trust you enough to test them out.

good luck.

personally, i've been a fan and have put plenty of miles on a BMW 1150rt with an ear to ear grin.

[johnastovall]

6'4'' 325..

[groovyone]

Yeah, you may want to go bigger than a 650. I am 6'3" and just the size of some gives me a little trouble. Best bet is just like cameras though, go try sitting on them if you can find them. Each bike tends to have its quirks, like fairings that may rub your knees when you are our height.

[Kalrog]

Shaft drive touring bike screams BMW to me...

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by groovyone

Yeah, you may want to go bigger than a 650. I am 6'3" and just the size of some gives me a little trouble. Best bet is just like cameras though, go try sitting on them if you can find them. Each bike tends to have its quirks, like fairings that may rub your knees when you are our height.

The Yamaha sat well as no fairing, pegs forward enough for my long legs and upright riding rather than bent over.

[toverman]

Originally Posted by Kalrog

Shaft drive touring bike screams BMW to me...

Oh yes ... still the best. Don't know much about the smaller ones, but the full-size ones are quiet and smooth-riding just like they've always been.

[XoZe]

A lot of it will depend on how experienced of a rider you are. You might want to go for a bigger bike based on your size/weight, just don't get in over your head. Check out twtex.com or motorcycle-journal.com. I'm on both forums under the same username, so feel free to ask any other questions.

BTW, I have a Suzuki Boulevard M50 (800) and it is a decent size for me and has plenty of power. I've done a few trips down to Austin without any trouble at all. Check out their M90 or C90 for touring, both have the shaft drive you are looking for and are pretty decent bikes.

XoZe added 1 Minutes and 46 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

Originally Posted by Kalrog

Shaft drive touring bike screams BMW to me...

Nice, but overpriced IMHO. I'd go with the more affordable Wee.

[texxter]

I had a Honda ST for several years, it was ultra reliable, comfortable and powerful. I loved that bike. I now have a Suzuki V-Strom 650, which is nimble and a joy to ride, but it's not as refined as the Honda. I'd recommend looking at a pre-owned Honda ST before you look at BMWs. Another good bike is the Yamaha FJ1300 or the Bandit 1200. Shaft drive will limit your choices, but it's great to have.

[cooltouch]

XoZe's given you a good suggestion that I'll add a +1 to: go visit Two-Wheeled Texans (twtex.com), register and hang out for a while. That site reminds me a lot of this site. Good folks, knowledgeable, and friendly.

Given your size and weight, I would recommend a bike with quite a bit more displacement than either of the two you suggested. Even though you're new to riding, a "big" bike shouldn't be difficult for you to handle. Well-designed motorcycles, regardless of displacement, are also well-balanced machines and should be responsive to your inputs.

I recommend more displacement because when you're cruising along at freeway speeds and you need to get out of the way of another motorist quickly, nothing accomplishes this better than having power on tap, and that is most easily achieved with larger displacement. If you reach for a handful of throttle on a 650 or 750, especially at your weight, the bike is just gonna go BWAAAH and slowly accelerate.

I have a couple of BMW "Airheads" -- the older style boxer-engined bikes. One's a '76 R90 (900cc) and the other is an '88 R100 (1000cc). Even though they're old, they are excellent road machines, and will last just about forever if well-maintained. Almost all BMWs are shaft drive. All the R bikes are, and all but some of the most recent K bikes are.

That old R90 doesn't have a lot of horsepower by modern standards (about 60), but it has torque like a tractor, so when I reach for a handful of throttle, it moves out (and I weigh in the high-200s). The R100 has more horsepower but less torque and accelerates faster, but doesn't have the off-the-line grunt that the R90 has.

Other good choices are the Kawasaki Concours, as was earlier mentioned, of course the Honda Gold Wing, the Honda ST (I've read that the 1300 is a better choice than the 1100 -- something about overheating problems with the former), some Moto-Guzzi models, the Yamaha RoadStar (a bike that out-Harley's a Harley Big Twin in many respects, and is a heck of a lot cheaper), and some of the Yamaha FJ and FZ models. I'm sure I've left out other worthy candidates.

Bottom line, though -- if you want a shaft drive bike, and if your budget will allow, I'd recommend you look at a late model BMW R-bike, like an R1150RT or R1200RT. They are fantastic road machines.

-M

[groovyone]

Originally Posted by johnastovall

The Yamaha sat well as no fairing, pegs forward enough for my long legs and upright riding rather than bent over.

Unless you are really sold on shaft drive, look at several 'standards' as well. Bikes like the Kawasaki ZR7 are great all around bikes, and the chain drive may be less maintenance than some older shaft drives. They also have an upright seating position, which will be like the touring bikes.

Currently I have a 2000 ZR7 and a 2003 Kawasaki Z1000, which may be more sporty than you are looking, but still is a more upright position. Also check out the Suzuki Bandits and Yamaha FZ1s. The Bandits have been good all around bikes for many many years and can be picked up for little money.

I am also on twtex.com but don't post all that often. I tend to spend most of my time here.

[iCe]

The bigger Beemers are nice. I don't think even the Honda 1100 Shadow will work for you John. At 6'4" your going to want to stretch your legs and you'll want room to store some camera gear. I rode a Honda VTX 1800R. You and I have met so that should give you an idea for what I would choose. I like the bigger BMW tourers. I haven't paid much attention to the Suzuki / Kawi line lately but they were coming out with some nice bikes not that long ago. You won't like the Sport Tourers IMHO. Too small...

Harley's have a cult following but their prices are coming down. Their ok... but it gets hot in TX and an air cooled bike doesn't make sense to me. Not for any amount of traveling. JMHO

Take a riders safety course. They definitely help to kick start you on motorcycle safety. Doesn't matter if you are Johnny motocross... The road is full of blind people in cars... So get one that fits... not one that goes bwaaaah when you hammer on the throttle

And lastly- Cooltouch hit on some good points. Beemer riders, in general, actually ride. They don't use trailers to get to the city limits signs and ride in. My Honda VTX buddies and I rode all over the place. TX - Colorado in a two days. TX - California in two days. Don't discount the idea that the road grows on you when you ride a motorcycle. People in cars ride through the Rocky Mountains. People on bikes ride in the Rocky Mountains... ditto for where ever the road takes you.

[groovyone]

Originally Posted by iCe

Take a riders safety course. They definitely help to kick start you on motorcycle safety. Doesn't matter if you are Johnny motocross... The road is full of blind people in cars... So get one that fits... not one that goes bwaaaah when you hammer on the throttle

Very true. I knew someone teaching at Stubbs Cycle. I am not sure if he still does but they offer a Harley version of the MSF class. Still a great class.

Originally Posted by iCe

And lastly- Cooltouch hit on some good points. Beemer riders, in general, actually ride. They don't use trailers to get to the city limits signs and ride in. My Honda VTX buddies and I rode all over the place. TX - Colorado in a two days. TX - California in two days. Don't discount the idea that the road grows on you when you ride a motorcycle. People in cars ride through the Rocky Mountains. People on bikes ride in the Rocky Mountains... ditto for where ever the road takes you.

Too true. I have been the daycare drop off lately, so my bike does not get out nearly as much as it used to.