Is there a bike out with a mix of cruiser and sport bike?

[gsus]

I started off on an 83 Honda Shadow 750 in 2007, in May of 2008 I moved up to a 96 Honda Magna only to loose it in an accident a week later. After I got back on my feet a few months later I decided to try a different style bike, so I picked up a really low mileage 88 Honda Hawk GT NT650 (at a really low price) only to realize a month later that it didn't suit me or my family jewels very well! So I sold the NT650 and picked up a 97 Honda VFR750.

The VFR is much roomier and considerably more comfortable than the NT650... I still feel that I'm too leaned over. I've tried gripping the tank with my knees, using my back to support my upper body but for some reason it doesn't do much for me. Maybe my back muscles need some working out or maybe sport bikes aren't really made for me. I would love to go back to the Magna but there were several things that sort of made me not get another Magna after my accident.

During the time that I've owned these bikes I've realized a few things that I would like and not like on my future bike:
I like the upright positioning of the cruisers better
I prefer to have my feet below me rather than in front of me
I like disc brakes front and back (my cruisers had drum brakes in back!)
I like the extra distance that I get with 5.5gal tank in the VFR
I like the down low torque of the V-twins (but also the rush of HP in the VFR and Magna)
I don't like the vibration from the V-twins (the V4's win here for me)
I don't necessarily like or dislike fairings, so I'm indifferent here
I'd prefer to do away with carbs, but I can go either way.

Is there maybe a better bike that you guys can think of that would suit me a bit better? I'm 5'10" (30" inseam) and about 275lbs.

[NewGuy]

Sounds like you're looking for a standard like the Suzuki SV650.

Disc brakes. Upright seating. Pegs underneath you instead of out front like a cruiser. EFI.

Maybe the new Triumph Bonneville, also a standard. Disc brakes. Upright seating. Pegs underneath you. EFI. Not a V-twin, it's a parallel twin.

Maybe the Yamaha V-max, or the H-D XR1200.

Again, disc brakes, upright seating, pegs beneath you, and EFI.

None have the 5.5 gal tank you're looking for, and the H-D has the smallest tank of them all, but you can't have everything can you?

[RhadamYgg]

B-King kind of fits your specification as well. Having just dropped mine twice I can say this for sure... It is a heavy bike.

RhadamYgg

[RhadamYgg]

Also - Honda 919 would probably work well too.

RhadamYgg

[JC Viper]

The Kawasaki Vulcan 500 has a detuned Ninja 500 engine and it is cruiser. A little upgrading will get it into Ninja territory in terms of power but the chassis will hold it back big time unless you're like me and still drags a knee while on a cruiser...

[ofblong]

Ducati MS1100

Fuel tank capacity 20 L (of which 6.5 l reserve) / 5.3 US gal (of which 1.7 US gal reserve)

[Grey Thumper]

Do you still want to keep the classic look of a cruiser? The are a few "retro standards" out there; Triumph Bonneville, Ducati 1000GT, Moto Guzzi V7. Some Harley Sportsters have a standard riding position. Plus you might be able to find a used Kawasaki W650 or the older Triumph Thunderbord. None of these are inline-4s though.

If you just want your feet directly below you, there are lots of standards that you can choose from. My favorite one at the moment is the Triumph Street Triple R.

[MZ33]

There is the Suzuki V Strom, and the Kawasaki Versys. The 'Strom is very tall, and though it is a V-twin, I'm told it has a balancer in it so that vibration isn't an issue.

The Kawi Versys can be lowered more with a custom seat and/or aftermarket lowering kit, and has a parallel twin engine. It has a 5 gallon tank, and supposedly gets 50 mpg. Guy I'm buying mine from said it actually did better than 50 mpg. There are also footpeg-lowering blocks if you want your leg longer, but it is still underneath you. He's a Thruxton Cup Racer, and says the Versys is the most fun all-purpose bike he's ever ridden. The engine is tuned so that there is more lower-end torque, which, coming from a cruiser, I like. He was going to replace the sprockets to see if that would change the torque, except that his salesperson sold it to me instead.

Either of these bikes should be good both in town and longer distances.

[paul246]

Also - Honda 919 would probably work well too.

RhadamYgg

+1

[storysunfolding]

MZEE is still suffering from newbikitis, the V-strom is way better.

Anyway- why not just add bar raisers or helibars to the VFR? It'll get you less in a sportbike position but keep you on a sweet bike.


Other than the lean it seems like it's your ideal bike so fix the bars and keep on riding.