Total Motorcycle Community Forums

gsJack wrote:The 454 LTD is the original Vulcan 500. Came out with the same bore and stroke as the mid 80's Ninja 908 and had a lot of common parts and 2 cyls instead of 4. Same engine came out a year later in the EX500 which became the Ninja 500 in 94. The 454 Ltd became the Vulcan 500 after a major redesign.

Yea I am aware of this, the vulcan seemed to fit me well enough I just wonder how big of a difference dimension-wise there is between the two.

thanks again for your help everyone

chillbeast wrote:So I've got my MSF course this weekend, really looking forward to it.

So - how'd you do?

First off let me say, I am 6'4"(almost 6'5", depends on how much i slouch that day) and about 260-270 lbs.

Same here.

I have a V shaped body I guess, big chest and 36" waist.

Me too! But my V goes in the other direction.

So I guess my question is, anyone else my size when they got into riding? what did you start out on?

My first bike, a little over 3 years ago, was a 1300cc, 900lbs cruiser.

Any suggestions on older used bikes to look out for that would be a good fit for me(big enough to be somewhat comfy, but somewhat smaller displacement)?

You don't mention where you live but are there places near you where you could rent a variety of bikes? That's how I found out what style bike I wanted.

I assume it's got enough power to get me on the highway, which I've been told by just about everyone who has seen my size that a 2500 is not gonna cut it for.

Even a Honda 750 may have issues at highway speeds and I speak from experience on that.

I'm close in weight. I started on a 200cc dirtbike. All 17 hp. FWIW, a 500 or 650 twin will be more than enough to haul you around.

I'm 6'5" 300 and I ride a CB360T. Its not a ball of fire, but its fun to ride around town.

I'm 6'5". I just bought my first bike, Yamaha V star Classic 650. The size is right but I wish I had forward controls. I plan on using this to get some experience and then buy a bigger bike with forward controls. My instructor in the class recommended this approach to me.

Gentle Giant wrote:I am 6'6" and 280 lbs. My ride is a 2001 Honda Shadow ACE and I fit pretty comfortable on it. My first bike was a 79 honda 450. I fit pretty well on that too. You should be able to find a pretty nice 750 on the used market to get you started. Then, you can upgrade to the bigger bike if you want to go new.

my first bike was an 03 Honda 750 ACE and i was around that weight although much shorter

it definitely was big and powerful enough for the highway (although the engine was loud over 70)

my buddy rides 2 up (he goes about 250 and his wife....um, she looks about the same) on his Suzuki C50 on the highway with NO issues.

i would look for a used Volusia (same as C50) or a 750 ACE or Aero.

THE GREATEST LEARNER BIKE EVER!!!!!!



I'm 6' 3" and weighted 200 lbs (wish I still did today...sigh) when I started riding. My first bike was a used Honda CM400, which in my most humble and biased opinion is THE GREATEST LEARNER BIKE EVER!!!!!!

It big enough to comfortable for us plus sized guys, just enough power to ride on the highways and out accelerate most cages, yet very mild mannered and forgiving. Its also fairly nimble and flickable, not sport bike nimbleness or fickable, but nimble enough for a wee bit of newbie fun in the twisties. And as an added bonus, it has those classic lines of the universal Japanese bike of the 70's and early 80's.

If you are just starting out, it would probably be best to look for a good used bike for your first ride, and I would recommend any of the older Honda 400 series.