Any Motorcycle Riders? Questions!

[Spec A!]

Not for me, but I am helping my wife's Cousin's Wife research a cruiser for her husband for xmas. Bikes are one thing I really don't know a whole lot about- what brands are good, what type of engine, seat height, drivetrain, basically what makes one a good one? My wife's cousin is a bigger dude- think over 6 foot and 250ish. I don't think even he really knows what kind of bike to get so I have little to go on other than typical Harley-esque cruiser style and in the neighborhood of $7K.

Kawasaki's Vulcan 900 Custom seems sweet, all around perfect especially for $7400. There's a nice looking Harley Sportster in the $8K range, but what about Honda's, Yamaha's, Suzuki's, Triumphs, Victory's, ect? Are any of those good? Will the Japanese bikes sound anemic (engine and exhaust) or will they compete with a Harley? Any other brands to look at? Is this the sort of thing that personal enough that he should be in on the decision? I'm having a hard time finding a good resource online that seems trust worthy so any help anyone can provide would rock.

Thanks!

[Tom]

The Japanese bike have worked hard to sound louder, but it is a different sound than the Harleys.

I have a Harley Sportster and a Triumph Bonneville. I love both of them. I'm 5'11 and 170lbs, so I couldn't tell you what they would feel like as a bigger guy. What I can tell you is that both my bikes have soul.

Surprises are great, but I think it is more important to get a bike that fits him well and that he likes and enjoys.

[Breezy]

I agree.
When I bought dhs bike I took him in and he picked it out. I just paid for it lol. Would have been nice to surprise him but our tastes are different and I had no clue what all to look for etc...
Good luck

[Spec A!]

Thanks you two- I was thinking it's the kind of thing you can't fully surprise someone with. It's an emotional purchase for sure!

[iCe]

Compete with a Harley? You mean sound? You must mean sound...

The Honda VTX 1800C or R is a nice cruiser. The engine is water cooled. It's got a shaft drive which is nice and smooth. It's got gobs of torque right out of the crate. It's very road trip friendly. I've done one TX - CA- AZ - TX ride and two TX - CO - TX rides. Rides... not trailer trips.

My sister is selling her 883 Sportster but unless he's looking for a short trip bike I don't know that I could suggest it. It's clean and low miles though. It's also a blast to ride. It's small and nimble compared to what I was used to.

I've heard good things about the Suzuki Boulevard. It's a beast and it looks really good.

I just read the "rider specs" and I didn't see experience level. A bike isn't a car. A novice can hop in a turbo Carrera and probably not kill himself. If a novice hops on an 1800cc bike that might not be the case. He's a big dude. A 900cc bike isn't going to fit him. I know some folks that size and they loved their VTX's. I know some little guys (and gals) and they loved their VTX's. Picking a bike is almost as important as picking your wife. It's a personal choice thing. He needs to sit on whatever he is serious about buying. He needs to know that she's the one.

[Spec A!]

Thanks Michael. :)

[ramblinray]

If he is 250, the 900 will be too small. Most cruiser bikes have decent torque, but are twin cyl. engines and cannot make the same horse power as the sport bikes with a similar displacement. A HDs engine can be beefed up easier than most Japanese bikes. However, the price premium for an HD is way high. That all said, he just has to look at and sit on as many as he can until he finds the one he wants. Instead of having the bike under the tree, how a voucher for a bike. Then he gets what he wants and not her imaginings of his desires. Wives seldom get us exactly what we want for some reason. No offense meant ladies, we are just wired differently. Best of luck on getting the right one, after all, it's all about the ride.
BTW, I love my Honda VTX.

[L Stegall]

One of my old college pals has two Harley dealerships (Corpus Christi and San Antonio). If you are shopping for a Harley, I'm sure they could fix you up.

[iCe]

Originally Posted by ramblinray

If he is 250, the 900 will be too small. Most cruiser bikes have decent torque, but are twin cyl. engines and cannot make the same horse power as the sport bikes with a similar displacement. A HDs engine can be beefed up easier than most Japanese bikes. However, the price premium for an HD is way high. That all said, he just has to look at and sit on as many as he can until he finds the one he wants. Instead of having the bike under the tree, how a voucher for a bike. Then he gets what he wants and not her imaginings of his desires. Wives seldom get us exactly what we want for some reason. No offense meant ladies, we are just wired differently. Best of luck on getting the right one, after all, it's all about the ride.
BTW, I love my Honda VTX.

I think I'm following what you mean but just for clarity- Harley aftermarket is amazing. They have every imaginable part and we "Jap bike" owners have always had a little parts envy thing going on. BUT... for under $1k you can take a VTX 1800 from 84 RWHP to 100 RWHP without compromising reliability (especially in the summer). Pipes and fuel management are all you need. My brother-in-law is a died in the wool Harley owner. Has been for almost 30 years. He spent more on his Stage III kit than I did for my entire bike and he still couldn't stay with me Of course none of that matters if you don't care about performance. I liked the performance aspect of owning a VTX. He liked the performance aspect of owning a Harley with a Stage III kit in it. So we played...

[srwatters]

I had one of the first VTX-1800 bikes delivered in California. It would walk on any but the most wildly modified Harley and still be able to grind the pegs without any chassis flex. I used to give sport bike riders fits in the California coast range... But then again I used to ride sport bikes at Laguna Seca several times a year... I did exactly what Michael has suggested with a fuel nanny + V&H Big Shots. My bike dyno'd at 101 RWHP. It didn't sound like a HD, but it went faster than one, so I didn't care

At 6' and 250# myself, I think the smaller cruisers will disappoint a bigger guy. Take a serious look at the VTX and the Kawasaki. Personally I'd never own a Suzuki. I'm on the fence with regard to Yamaha.

Fresh pipes, suspension, and saddle:



Lovin' life in California!

[Tapper]

Bike is a personal expression for most people. What he'll be happy with, depends on what he wants out of it.

Harley has a traditional name. People associate them with words like "biker" and "american made". Harleys aren't made in america anymore, but most hard-core bikers do still ride them. Of course, 99% of the people riding them are middle class white guys with good jobs, families, and a desire to pretend to be "bad-ass" for a little while, so they can forget they are middle class white guys with good jobs and lots of responsibilities. Harleys are generally very well fitted, stay pretty "true to form", and tend to be a little anemic engine-wise, don't handle all that well, and cost an arm and two legs. But they do have the image thing cornered.

The metric cruisers, vary. Typical rider is either someone concerned with maximum performance in the class, or someone that wishes they could afford a Harley (the I-want-to-make-old-ladies-think-I'm-a-badass crowd.). There are a number of really good cruisers in this class - the VTX is my favorite, but the Suzuki M109 is very cool, with a motor that lends itself to modification. The Yamaha warrior's are also pretty nice, as are several other cruisers from Yammy whose names escape me. Some are pretty blatant harley clones.

The great thing about metric cruisers, is that they didn't start from the premise that their motor must adhere to a 1930's design. They tend to be water cooled, fuel injected, and use dual pin cranks, and modern valve trains. They normally are solidly reliable, and put out a lot of power.

Long story short, I wouldn't buy a bike for someone without letting them pick it out.

[iCe]

Nice C Scott!! Vance and Hines... I had those on my R. Nice sound and good HP from them.

How would you know (inside joke for Tapper.)

It's pretty amazing how one mfg's bike can tie so many people together

Not the patch that the Texas VTX Riders agreed on but a patch none-the-less (I know Tap... but it never caused any problems...)



My buddies in CA hooked me up with a few patches. You don't want to get the middle patch. Actually... I guess that's not exactly true. It's an I crashed and survived patch so I suppose it's better than the last patch. Tapper- I don't know if you remember or not but Ron was the rider from AZ that hit an elk. I'm not going into details but it was a bad deal...

[Buddha]

I've been riding since 1970 and I am going to echo those who say that the person doing the riding should make the choice. My guess is that the giftee doesn't ride now or you could just ask him discretely what he wants.
You can live with the various engines 'cuz cruisers don't usually have alot of power anyway.
More important is the how the rider fits on the bike. He should be able to reach and manipulate the hand or foot controls with no conscious effort. The seat isn't adjustable on a bike. Just think how you might fit in a car if the seats weren't adjustable. It's important that this be right and only the rider can say for sure by trying it out.
Seat height might be important, as might styling.
Bikes have personalities that appeal to one rider over another. It's like friends and girlfriends. Only the person involved can say what works.
Three things that you didn't ask about. The bike should have a back seat bigger than a pill box or your cousin will stay home while the boy goes out cruising. Bummer!
Be sure he takes a basic rider training course as soon as possible.
Give Progressive a call about insurance.

[srwatters]

Originally Posted by Buddha

You can live with the various engines 'cuz cruisers don't usually have alot of power anyway.

Perhaps you can. But riding an underpowered bike can be just as dangerous as one that has too much.

Originally Posted by Buddha

More important is the how the rider fits on the bike. He should be able to reach and manipulate the hand or foot controls with no conscious effort. The seat isn't adjustable on a bike. Just think how you might fit in a car if the seats weren't adjustable. It's important that this be right and only the rider can say for sure by trying it out.
Seat height might be important, as might styling.

I won't disagree on the function, but there are many different ways to make minor adjustments to the riding position and have been for years. Custom saddles, handlebars & risers, foot control kits, etc.

Originally Posted by Buddha

Bikes have personalities that appeal to one rider over another. It's like friends and girlfriends. Only the person involved can say what works.
Three things that you didn't ask about. The bike should have a back seat bigger than a pill box or your cousin will stay home while the boy goes out cruising. Bummer!
Be sure he takes a basic rider training course as soon as possible.
Give Progressive a call about insurance.

I'll agree with your statement about letting the buyer choose, but there is also plenty of room for suggestions from all other riders with experience, including yours.

[ramblinray]

Hey Mike, were do you get an angel X patch. I crashed and burned on my 1300S two years ago about this time of year. Crashing at 70mph bites a big one. Wearing gear saved my hide literally. Haven't been on the Texas X Riders site in mooooonths. I really need to get some patches for my vest.

I still say it doesn't matter what you ride so long as you like what you ride and don't use it as a garage ornament. Ride it like your daddy's going to wup ya if he catches ya.