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STREET BIKE VS CRUISER? NEW RIDER WITH LOTS OF QUESTIONS
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May 5, 2008 at 12:49 am #1332utefan86Participant
Hey everyone. My name is Steve and I’m a first time rider. My buddy and I are both going to take the MSF riding course next week (so I don’t kill myself) then we plan to buy our first bikes. I have a few questions for you veterans who are nice enough to help me out. First of all…I will be using the bike mainly to go to and from work and school, both are only about 10 miles from here, however I plan do a lot of canyon riding and highway riding, so I don’t want something like a scooter or Vespa.
My biggest question is what are the pro’s/con’s of a street bike vs a cruiser? I love the looks of the street bikes more, however I hear cruisers are more comfortable. My buddy is leaning towards a cruiser, and I’m leaning towards a street bike. I’ve looked at the Ninja 500, but haven’t sat on it yet. I sat on the Suzuki SV650 and I didn’t like how bent over I was to reach the handle bars. (I’m only 5’7, 145 lbs.). However I sat on the Suzuki GS500F and it was MUCH better, not so bent over. The other bike I absolutely fell in love with was the Boulevard S50. Mainly because it’s the only cruiser that doesn’t really intimidate me by its size! It’s small, has a low seat, and looks pretty cool. Now honestly guys…am I going to kill myself on an 800cc bike? The sales guy (of course) said I would be fine, and I really do like the idea of getting something I can grow into. As far as cruisers go though, the S50 is the only one that I really like so far, but I’m open for options.
The other big question is used or new? I’ve been reading in tons of forums and articles and most people say to buy used because most likely you’re going to lay down your first bike at least one time. But I’m the type that worries that I’ll get taken buying a bike that’s been abused and is going to break on me. If I do buy a used bike, how many miles should I look for, and should I buy used from a dealer, or used from the classifieds? I’m looking to spend anywhere from $3000-5000. I’d love to get an S50 used somewhere, but don’t really know where to look. But I still love the looks of those street bikes!
Any help you all are willing to give would be MUCH appreciated!
Thanks fellas.Steve
May 5, 2008 at 2:06 pm #5997BenParticipantI wouldn’t recommend the s50 for you, maybe the s40 though. The s50 is nearly 100lbs heavier than the s40 which is quite a lot when you are just learning how to ride, plus the added power can get a new rider into trouble quicker. Even the s40 is a pretty dang big bike compared to the vstar 250 or the rebel 250.
When it comes to sportbikes vs cruisers the seating position varies quite a bit. Almost all sportbikes are going to have you bent over more than a cruiser would, but some bikes (like the gs500 you mentioned) have a much more upright seating position. I personally started on a gs500 and it was a great bike. Haha, honestly it was probably too big for me to start out on, but I really loved it so I got it anyway.
I would look for used bikes off craigslist, and if you can try and find someone who knows something about motorcycles to go with you when you check it out. I met a guy off a forum who helped me pick up my first bike, and he even test rode it for me too! Where do you live at?
Have you checked out the vulcan 500? That is a great looking bike as well if you are swinging more towards the cruiser side of things. Hope that helped, let us know if you have some more questions.
Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles AdminMay 6, 2008 at 6:53 am #6040utefan86ParticipantThanks that helps a lot actually. I’m really considering a used SV650. It’s sort of half cruiser, half sport bike. I know 650 is a lot for a beginner…but it’s something I can grow into. The SV650 I’m looking at is a 2003 with 4800 miles. It looks brand new, has no scratches, never been laid down, no accidents, and always stored indoors for the winter. (I live in Utah so that’s a good thing). The seller is selling it for $3925. What do you think?
May 12, 2008 at 5:52 pm #6234shagglesParticipantThere are loads of smaller cruisers than the S50. If you’re taking the MSF course chances are you are/will be riding a 250cc cruiser. I wouldn’t worry too much about getting a bike you can grow in to. You can pick up a used Rebel or Virago 250 for $2K or less and you will probably get most or all of that back when you sell it to move up to a bigger bike.
As far as who to buy from I would check to see if the msf course provider has any training bike for sale. That’s where I got mine. The mileage was really low, it had been well maintained (they gave me all the service records) and although it had been dropped a few times it had never been ridden on the street and probably never over 25 mph. It’s like buying a bike from the proverbial little old lady from Pasedena.
May 12, 2008 at 7:31 pm #6236MattParticipantIf you see an SV650 up close, you’ll quickly see that it is not half cruiser. It is full on street bike.
The seat is moderately high, and the handlebars are fairly low, it puts you into a forward lean.
The idea that it is half cruiser probably stems from the fact that it has a V twin engine. But these days, that engine design is being used in a lot of bikes that want lots of low down torque. Honda’s RC51 race bike is a V-twin. Ducati’s 1098S super bike is a V-twin. There is nothing “cruiser” about any of those bikes.
Depending on your definition, there are two types of bike athat are “half cruiser half sport bike”. On one hand you have sport touring bikes (Honda VFR800) that are sport bikes first and foremost, but have made concessions to long distance comfort (slightly more upright seating position, less painful seat).
Or then there are power cruisers (V-max) which are cruisers that have really powerful engines and suspension meant for highspeed cornering.Power cruisers are a huge no no for anyone but experienced riders. They have huge power, huge weight, and a riding position that is not ideal for bike control.
Sport tourers are also pretty poor starting bikes because they tend to be heavy (one of the lightest, the Katana 600, is 475 pounds, 150 pounds more than a Ninja 250).
If you want all day comfort, without plenty of power, look into upright street bikes like the GS500 and Ninja 250/500.
stepping up to the 650s (which are usually twin engines, making htem easier to ride than the 600cc 4 cylinder bikes) the Versys is also a good bike, but heavier than the others.Pros of a cruiser:
Comfortable for longer periods of time, stylishCons of a cruiser:
Heavier than a street (usually)
Less cornering ability (great on the highways, not as good in the twisty back roads)
People think you wanted to buy a harley but could only afford an XPros of an Street bike (not a supersport):
Good body position for bike control, comfortable for relatively long periods of time
Good cornering ability
Stylish
ligher wieght (usually)Cons of a streetbike:
Not as comfortable on the highways
people think you are irresponsible, riding a crotch rocketThe question of cruiser or street bike should be, what do you want to do with it?
If your goal is travelling all over, a cruiser is probably a better choice
If your goal is to hit the back roads and enjoy the Gs, a street bike is probably a better choice
Does that mean some street and sport riders don’t ride long distances? No, they do.
Does that mean some cruiser riders don’t attack the corners with a wild smile? No, they do.As always, go with the bike that makes you smile – just don’t buy a big bike thinking a small one won’t be good enough. I just put 200 miles on my ZZR-250 this past weekend. I attacked the twisties, I got lost in the back roads of no where, and I cruised along the freeways and the highways. Bikes are a lot more versitile than the salesmen will lead you to believe.
May 12, 2008 at 8:28 pm #6241megaspazParticipantFor what it’s worth, there’s differences between the SV650 and the SV650S. Main difference is that the SV650S has the handlebars lower which puts you even more into a front lean position on the seat and the foot rests are higher as well.
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