Suggest a bike for me. Lightweight, cruiser

[accurate]

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and a 1st time poster.

I need advice.

I want a bike that will carry me to work and back. One way is 18 miles on a four lane and there are some moderate/long hills. I'm 6 foot and weigh 210lbs....mostly muscle and I take an extra large shirt size.

I'd like the bike to be able to do the following:
1) Take me to and from work reliable
2) Be able to keep up with highway traffic 70-80mph
3) Be a cruiser
4) It has to be lightweight. Keep it close to 300 pounds if you can
5) Be friendly around town.
6) Fit me
7) Be cheap cost wise.

Can you guys suggest an unbias opinon. I'm very open to used bikes if they have a reputation for reliability.

I had a Vulcan 750 a few years back that fell apart. I think I got screwed in the deal b/c I believe the bike was under water at one point in time.

My 99 1/2 truck is getting 18mpg and it is killing me in the pocket.

Thanks

[nightingale]

there are so many crusiers out there. kawasaki vulcan, honda shadow, suzuki blvd, etc... the best thing to do is to go to your local shop and sit on them and find out what feels right. as far as looking for somthing about 300 lbs, good luck. even a 600cc sportbike is around 400.

[Craig7220]

I'm about the same size as you and bought a Suzuki C50 boulevarde. I have about 10 miles to work and the bike works great. I agree though, check out some shops and sit on a few bikes to see what fits you .

[cb360]

Yep. It's gonna end up being comfort. Anything except the smallest bikes will 'fit' you it just depends on the riding position you prefer and how you like the handlebar/seat setup. You won't find a 300.lb cruiser. I think a Rebel weighs more than that and I think you'll be happier with at least 500ccs.

[accurate]

The Honda Rebel is out then?

[accurate]

Alright,

Lets go up to 500cc and 400 to 500 pounds of weight.

What do you guys suggest. Keep in mind that I'm open to used bikes as well.

[gsJack]

One way is 18 miles on a four lane and there are some moderate/long hills. I'm 6 foot and weigh 210lbs....mostly muscle and I take an extra large shirt size.

I'd like the bike to be able to do the following:
1) Take me to and from work reliable
2) Be able to keep up with highway traffic 70-80mph
3) Be a cruiser
4) It has to be lightweight. Keep it close to 300 pounds if you can
5) Be friendly around town.
6) Fit me
7) Be cheap cost wise.

The older Suzuki Intruder 800 will run circles around their newer C50 and M50 models that have the same engine but are 80# heavier and much larger. Now called a S50 model, the Intruder 800 dates back to the mid 80's so there should be some older ones available at lower prices. It has the best performance of the mid size cruisers and a better roll on performance than most all cruisers regardless of size. Ideal for doing battle with rush hour freeway traffic if you must have a cruiser.

You'll need to go 400# or so dry weight to safely do battle with the commuters if your freeways are anything like ours. Might get by with a 300#, 250cc bike, but would be very marginal in performance at those speeds.

Also think you could do nicely with something like a Vulcan 500 if you want to keep a 6 speed cooking in the right gears to accelerate nicely at higher speeds and climb the hills with ease. I'm kinda partial to 500cc twins. Both the Intruder 800 and the Vulcan 500 are about 440# dry weight.

[cb360]

The Honda Rebel is out then?

The Rebel's dry weight is about 305 - you certainly won't find a cruiser at substantially less than that. And it will do the speeds you want and get the best mileage of almost any bike - 65'ish on the highway. And it's about the least expensive cruiser on the market at ~3k new. Sounds like the perfect bike for your specs. But at 6' I think the bike will feel small to you. I weigh the same as you and I can get my wife's up to 80 and above on the interstate, but it's a bit sluggish the higher you go. It's a good bike, but mostly smaller people ride them and it doesn't feel as substantial as most people like on the interstate at speed. Hell, a lot of people will tell you you need 1500 ccs for the highway - I think 500-750 will be plenty for the rides you describe.

[accurate]

Thanks Jack.

I'll start looking for a used Suzuki Intruder 800. It is only about 40 pounds more than the vulcan 500 and has a lot more power from the research that I've done on it.

I'll settle for the vulcan if I can't find an Intruder.

Thanks again.

[Brent]

How bout a Savage S-40? STILL SMALLER I AGREE BUT AT LEAST IT IS NOT A REBEL. IS 650 CC AND WEIGHS 352#