Does anyone still make a 400cc-500cc cruiser?

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mchance
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Does anyone still make a 400cc-500cc cruiser?

#1 Unread post by mchance »

I've recently started riding, after many years of intending to, and have a Yamaha VStar 250 as a starter bike, which is turning out to be a near perfect fit to get comfortable on, both on city streets and the highway. I plan to trade it in a year or two for something bigger, but still a cruiser, but I don't feed comfortable jumping straight from a 250 to something in the 750-900 range (my ultimate "target" ride is either a Harley 883 Iron or 883 SuperLow). But I'm not having much luck finding a cruiser style bike in the 400cc to 500cc range. Does anyone still make a cruiser in that size?
Michael A. Chance
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JackoftheGreen
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Re: Does anyone still make a 400cc-500cc cruiser?

#2 Unread post by JackoftheGreen »

First, welcome to TMW! We're glad to have you, and let me be the first to say you've come to the right place.

I'm not aware of any manufacturers who are still putting a 500cc mill on a cruiser style bike, though there may be one or two out there and someone more savvy than myself may know which. Kawasaki offered the Vulcan in a 500cc, called the Vulcan LTD, but the last year to get one of those was 2009. I imagine your local private seller listings would yield a selection of these for not a lot of $$$.

That said, I think if two years from now is your genuine target for an upgrade it'll be a moot point. Two years on a 250 should be more than enough preparation for an 883, and I'd urge you to at least test-ride your target size before sinking more cash into a second 'starter' bike. The difference between a 500cc and the 883 would be negligable, and I'll even venture to say you'll be ready to go even bigger by then. That's coming from a guy who started on an 1100 Magna and then downgraded to an 800cc Vulcan. I'm now ready to step back up into the liter class.

That's my two cents. Again, welcome to Total Motorcycle! Take a cruise through the member blogs, add your bike to the 'register your ride' thread, check out The Riding Game and let's see some pics of that VStar!

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BRUMBEAR
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Re: Does anyone still make a 400cc-500cc cruiser?

#3 Unread post by BRUMBEAR »

your current 250 will suffice no problem an 883 might be the easiest motorcycle to ride ever.
there aint nothin like it

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Gummiente
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Re: Does anyone still make a 400cc-500cc cruiser?

#4 Unread post by Gummiente »

mchance wrote:But I'm not having much luck finding a cruiser style bike in the 400cc to 500cc range. Does anyone still make a cruiser in that size?
Royal Enfield does, a 500cc single cylinder with electronic ignition, fuel injection, 5-speed transmission and more. And, speaking as an authourised dealer of the brand, I can say that they are very easy to ride and fun machines.
:canada: Mike :gummiente:
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It's THAT you ride

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Re: Does anyone still make a 400cc-500cc cruiser?

#5 Unread post by jstark47 »

I think the closest thing you'll find to a 400-500cc cruiser in North America is a Suzuki Boulevard S40. 650cc single, torquey at low RPMs, but not a powerhouse that would scare you. Pretty light weight and compact. Essentially Suzuki put the 650 single in a 250 size frame.
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jmillheiser
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Re: Does anyone still make a 400cc-500cc cruiser?

#6 Unread post by jmillheiser »

I believe that the vulcan 500 actually has more power than a H-D 883, it is actually a fast little bike. After some time on the 250 pretty much any cruiser between 650cc and 900cc would be a good upgrade from the 250. V-Star 650, V-Star Bolt, V-Star 950, Vulcan 750, 800, 900, Suzuki S50, C50, M50, H-D 883 would all be good upgrades from a 250, some of these even being good starter bikes on their own (V-Star 650, H-D 883, V-Star Bolt, and maybe the Vulcan 900). Most of these are in the 40-50hp range and most of the metric cruisers in this size range made within the last decade or so are very well balanced bikes and easy to handle.

If you want a point of comparison, I started on a Honda CX500 which was a V-twin standard with about 50hp, at no point did I ever feel overwhelmed by the size or power of this bike (it was fairly heavy but not huge and the engine was great for a 500cc), after a few months on this I test rode a H-D 1200 and felt comfortable with its torque (huge torque but quite controllable, but would probably scare a brand new rider). After 1/2 a season I ended up selling my CX500 and upgraded to a Suzuki Bandit 600 which has about 85hp and made even that H-D I test rode look slow. I found the jump from the 500 to the 600 to be about perfect for me.

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