advise for changing bikes

[agraebner]

I have recently acquired a nighthawk 750 I have pics posted if your interested. This bike has changed my thinking a lot even with the years Ive been riding and the different bikes I have. I love a cruiser. I really fell in love with the nighthawk as my go to bike. I love taking the sport bikes out for a spin or even a crazy long trip just to say I did it. All this has me really thinking about what I have and what would serve me better maybe even consolidate a little. I helped take my VLX out of the crate and prep it for ME to take home. It was my first real bike and I have an attachment to it. I do, between family members and the fact that whatever woman I may or may not be with, ride two up a lot more than I ever anticipated. The crazy amount of time money and work in the FZR600 I just got finished says I must keep it for a while. My nephew is starting riding and wants to buy the VLX from me. I have Used the CBR1000F for a fun spin or for touring since It was the most comfortable till the nighthawk. I am hoping for some advice here. I am not worried so much about whatever I buy being NEW or LIKE new. I am over that phase of my life. I am more interested in the purpose served and reliability and being able to work on it without a ton of special tools. Since I have the FZR600 as my sporty squeeze( Its nowhere near the torque of the CBR but It never fails to make me smile) I am thinking of letting the Shadow go to my nephew and sell the CBR as well and find a nice cruiser add a seat and a nice saddle bags and use it for the touring the CBR1000F has done . The VLX has been all over the country as well and I have never had any complaints about it other than the seat. Riding two up In the mountains works although not as comfortably as the other bikes for the added power. I have test drove a 750 shadow and didn't feel it was any more powerful with just me. I am sure It has more torque for two up riding though. My VLX gets a hair under 70 mpg with just me and about 60 with a passenger. MY CBR get 54 mpg riding to FL last year and that was tearing down the road. If i rare and tare on the CBR It can go WAY down to the mid 30s. The previous owner of the Nighthawk modded the carb to stage 2 and added k&n filter. Its getting about 50 mpg average. Im thinking its getting less mileage because of the mods. Is it worth returning it to stock?? Help me out here by filing in the blanks for me. A cruiser that (A) I can get a nice comfy seat for (B) that would get 50 mpg+ ( riding gently) and have enough power that I am in control of my surrounding with a a passenger ???? WHAT BIKE AM I???? I am partial to Honda or Yamaha but I am open to suggestions as long as it doesn't run the price over what I have to work with. I have seen a few 1100's and 1300's around for a really good price on a low mileage non running carb issue bike I can fix myself. I will assume that I will just put tires on it as the age and sitting the bikes I'm looking at have done. ( dry rot) I have not driven any 1100 or 1300 or So i have no knowledge of them. No one I know has one and there aren't any around at the dealers. Buy the specs I think either of these should fit my needs fairly well.

[agraebner]

After spending most of a rainy day looking at bikes specs Im pretty much where I was when I bought the shadow I am not seeing much of a power increase for the larger bikes. I dont think the 1100 or 1300 Cruiser class from Honda Yamaha or Kawasaki will do much for what I'm trying to do here. Are the larger bikes suspension and size that much better suited for what I am trying to do???

[mogster]

Have you considered a Triumph?

Rocket III would give you power/carrying capacity/torque/comfort but NOT fuel economy!

Have a look at it's new little brother the Thunderbird.

[agraebner]

The Rocket Is the weight and power and ability of what Im looking for. I think its going to be out of my price range though although some of the older models are close. When I bough t my VLX I spent a long time trying to figure out what was the best bike to get and the shadow was clearly ahead of everything else by the specs. I was thrilled when i found one ready to test drive at a dealer, and It felt perfect. After all the reading I have done the past couple days most reviews are calling the two bikes I was hoping for the most big and lazy. I have started looking at the Honda magna, it seems to be about the spec im looking for but its gets a little further from the cruiser than I was hoping for. That Rocket looks like a sweet bike I will certainly keep an eye out for one of those I cant go over $3500 though and that would make that bike tough to find.

[totalmotorcycle]

How about a Harley-Davidson V-Rod? They are reasonably priced used, provide the power you are looking for, are comfortable (if you fit on them) and handle well. MPG is 34/42 mpg so less than then 50 you are looking for, but I would say almost any cruiser over 1100cc is going to be less than 50mpg. There are also a lot of the available used out there too. For comfort look at the normal V-Rod (now disc) http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2 ... VRSCAW.htm or the Street Rod (standard pegs)

You could compromise and look at the Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Custom (or tourer) http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2 ... Custom.htm

If you forget about the MPG and have the cash to splash, the CVO Fat Bob was amazing: http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2 ... XDFSE2.htm

and a few other suggestions to complicate things for ya:

The new Triumph Thunderbird was comfortable when I sat on it (the Storm version no)
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2 ... erbird.htm although I'd most likely look at the Speedmaster as well: http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2 ... master.htm both new for 2011.

and if you are looking for something unique, the new 2011 Moto Guzzi California: http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2 ... kEagle.htm

[Grey Thumper]

Mmmmm, gotta love em Guzzis. The California been around a while. They must be as rare as hen's teeth but at least there's the possibility of finding a used one.

[agraebner]

I guess the wishes for some sort of fuel economy are out the window now. I am most interested in the Triumph Thunderbird at this point as it is the closest to the specs I'm looking for, although I preferred a twin. Any one here have first hand experience with them? Are there any Issues with them? The Roadstar looks like a very nice bike although if I wanted that much weight Id just get a WING lol. It seems funny to me that Ive been touring on a CBR1000f with a good bit of performance work done to it and its in mid 50s for mpg and what I though would be a better replacement doesn't seem to be. I did finally come to the conclusion that the hp number doesn't have to be quite as high with a larger displacement as I will have more torque which will help when loaded. Still the reviews I have read on put the class of bike I was looking at as being a little slower in the 1/4 miles than what Im doing now with the Shadow (This isn't going to be a race machine I am just using this as a reference point) I do have to stick with the amount of $3500 I can do all the work in the world beyond that as long as parts aren't a fortune or unavailable. I certainly can paint a bike or do some body work. Any opinions on a magna I have heard both good and bad about the same bike and don't know which to believe. I need to be getting the ball rolling here on whether something REAL can be found cause I'm going to be letting half me herd go to fund this and I have a buyer for the CBR. I wont let I go till I am more resolved on a solid looking model as a replacement. I have a lot of time and parts in the CBR and even though my nephew wants it the shadow would last me the rest of my riding days. So bottom line I want to know there is something that fits more purposes then these. I will still have the nighthawk to ride till I find the ACTUAL bike I will purchase. That will give me time to do any work without feeling rushed too. I live in the Part of MD that The former gov called " The @#$% house of MD" There is nothing but crotch rockets and older Harley's. That's all anyone I know has and for the most part dealers only have whats popular also. I do not know one other person that would even ride more than the two hour trip to Ocean city Md. So finding any intelligent discourse on the topic around here isn't happening. I am getting to the point of taking a day and Riding to some dealers just to try and sit on anything they might have but within 75 miles its the same old thing.

[Wrider]

Umm Thunderbird = twin, not a V-twin, but it is still a twin...
Here ya go

[Superfly3176]

Vrod isn't really a cruiser. Lots of people complain about the comfort of the vrod. Plus they aren't real harleys.

If you're looking at the cruiser market to not look at Harley Davidson is a mistake. They aren't for everyone but there's a reason they're the #1 cruiser in america. Styling, aftermarket, reliability, etc.

[HYPERR]

Vrod isn't really a cruiser. Lots of people complain about the comfort of the vrod. Plus they aren't real harleys.

Why isn't it a real Harley?