Is a bike right for me?

[Ian522]

I'm less aware of the cruiser department -- something like a Shadow? What sort of smaller cruisers are OK for major highways/300-mile touring?

Probably the best small cruiser for the highway would be the Kawasaki vulcan 500. It has a 6-speed transmission and an engine that is basically a re-tuned version of the ninja 500 sport motor.

And maybe to a lesser extent, the Yamaha v-star 650.

The honda shadow vlx 600 is only a 4 speed transmission so it probably wouldnt be the best choice. The larger shadows like the 750's would do well on the highway...but then you are getting into that "grey area" of whether or not its too heavy a bike for a beginner.

You can rule out the 250cc cruisers, most of them are wound out at 70-80mph and you would be really fighting the wind on the highway on such a light bike.

And realize that regardless of what bike you choose, most people feel the urge to stop every 100 miles or so to stretch out for a few minutes. Unless you are one of the hardcore iron butt types.

[TorontoBoy]

I agree that small cruisers are an option. The Kawi Vulcan 500 looks like a nice bike and not too heavy at around 400lb. If you can find them the Honda VT500C Shadow ('82-'86) is also around 400lb. Both will do 100mph, 50hp.

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/buyersgu ... -EN500.htm

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/buyersgu ... Shadow.htm

[blair]

Insurance for something like a V-Strom is about $330/year for the basics through Progressive. If I add comprehensive & collision (probably a good idea to have theft insurance) then it goes up to about $1300/year.

I own an older beater-quality bike that costs me $80/year to insure in a state with notoriously high insurance rates for all vehicles.

If I lived in a big city and had to park on the street or in a lot or garage, even, I'd for sure never get an expensive or thief-attracting set of wheels.

[Septimus]

From the research I've done so far, I am partial to the sport/adventure touring bikes since I don't have a daily or weekly commute so much as I want to be able to go for longer distances when the idea strikes me. I keep coming back to the V-Strom for that reason -- and I don't find it particularly unattractive (which seems to be the biggest consistent complaint I've read about it).

As for whether or not it's wise to keep something like that on the street in my neighborhood -- it is reassuring that the same two bikes (nice ones, and one with a cover on it most of the time) have been parked outside on my street for as long as I can remember. It's certainly a chore to insure something like that, but I don't know that I'd buy a completely different bike just because of insurance. Anything like this is a huge ordeal in NYC and I guess I feel like, if I'm going to go to the trouble to insure & park & secure a bike as best I can ... I might as well be insuring and parking and securing the bike I want rather than an older clunker just on the expectation that it's going to be stolen.

The more compelling reason why I'm considering something smaller and/or older for the first year is just because it's my first bike and I'm certain to drop it, but even then, it's tough to weigh paying a couple hundred bucks (or more) to repair or replace a damaged fairing against getting a cheaper bike that's going to be a pain for longer distance travel.

Seems to me that (like just about everything in this town) there's going to be some give and take in some area. I think I'm going to sign up for a few hours' of private lessons before I take the MSF in a few weeks and get a feel for my aptitude as well as talk to some other NYC-ers who deal with these same issues. If I can barely handle a 250cc training bike, then I'll definitely wait on getting anything that's at all expensive and just make shorter trips on something like a Vulcan 500 until I have my act together.

It's a lot to consider, though...the irony is that, if I didn't live in NYC, this would be so much easier, but if I didn't live in NYC, I don't know that I'd ever have had the idea to learn anything about bikes!

[-Holiday]

Is something like the Burgman 650 really going to hold up on the NJ turnpike at speeds of 70-80 mph?

absolutely.

[jstark47]

i wouldnt take a scooter on the NJ Turnpike personally, it may be my ignorance about them but i dont think they will handle well. a friend has a large scooter and she complains often about trucks whizzing by her and causing her to swoon in the wind.

Maxi-scooters (Burgman, et al) have a different high-speed handling "feel," due to smaller diameter wheels and the large amount of bodywork for crosswinds to catch. An experienced rider can adjust to scooter handling and ride a scooter safely at high speed.

I think the only freeway issue with scooters is just straight up horsepower. A Honda Reflex (250cc, 18hp) can make 70mph, but then has very little in reserve. I've seen quotes of around 50hp at the crank for a Burgman 650 - I've never ridden one, can't say how that translates into performance. On New Jersey freeways you want to be able to cruise at 85mph, with some extra in reserve for emergency maneuvers.

Burgmans, Majestys, Silverwings, and some of the bigger Kymco or Piaggio scoots might fit the bill.

[Septimus]

An experienced rider can adjust to scooter handling

Since I'm brand new (MSF in a few weeks!) I think I'm going to go the way of the newbie and buy a used GS500 or Ninja 500 to drop a few times before I decide on a longer-term purchase..

Just bought my first helmet and gloves today, and got my NYS permit -- something you'd think wouldn't take long since nobody drives in Manhattan, but noooooooo....three hours. Plus 2/3 of the "motorcycle test" questions were about alcohol! Then the last 3 questions were along the lines of ... "oh yeah, this is a motorcycle test...guess we should use the word "motorcycle" at least once."

[Tower18CHI]

Do they make you take a road test in NY? Where do you go to take it if so? I know I have to go way the eff out in the city (the equivalent of like your Canarsie or Forest Hills or something) to go take my road test, because most of the locations in the city don't offer them. Kind of annoying...

[Septimus]

There is a place in the Bronx and a place in Queens for road tests, but if you take the MSF then they give you a "road test wavier" that lets you skip that part entirely.

The only drawback is that, at least at the one nearby school (in the Bronx) where they offer the MSF BRC, they don't give you the wavier after taking the course -- you get it in the mail 3-6 weeks later. A long time to wait for your license!

The other irritating thing about the road test in NYC (in the city, anyway) is that you have to bring a car AND a motorcycle to the DMV (the car gets you and the instructor to the test site), and since nobody here has cars, that means you either rent a car and bring a buddy with you to your road test or else pay someone to do it (the schools offer this service for about $75 to $100).

The weird positive side effect of this is that most everyone would rather pay $300 for the BRC than pay $100 to go to the DMV!

[blair]

I think I'm going to sign up for a few hours' of private lessons before I take the MSF in a few weeks and get a feel for my aptitude as well as talk to some other NYC-ers who deal with these same issues. If I can barely handle a 250cc training bike, then I'll definitely wait on getting anything that's at all expensive and just make shorter trips on something like a Vulcan 500 until I have my act together.

Unless you're terribly itchy to get on a bike right now, private lessons would be redundant. The MSF classes start out right at the beginning, getting you used to just sitting on the machine, then starting it, then turning it off, then starting it, then finding the friction zone and rocking it, and so on until a day or two later you're riding in slow circles and practicing quick stops and swerves. And they're probably a lot more thorough and proficient than anyone you can get on the side.