Page 2 of 5
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 3:08 pm
by jmillheiser
There is also a lot of personal preference in there too. I am about the same size as Zoo ,I sat on a Vulcan 2000 and it felt enormous to me, I felt very streched out.
I also sat on a ZX-10 and it felt too small and cramped. I sat on a vulcan 800 and it felt like a good fit and the 500 was a tad small but still comfy.
For me the 800cc suzuki cruisers are a good fit but the HD sportster standards are way too cramped. I seem to fit best on the standards/naked bikes and found SV650, bandit 600, and honda 599 to all be about right for me.
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 4:34 pm
by niterider
Other things that I like about the 750 vulcan for me is that my feet are forward and not under me when riding. Also my arms are stretched out forward with very little bend at the elbos. It is almost like sitting in front of the comp typing at you all.
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 6:46 pm
by Sev
J.Michael Dlugos wrote:Bigger is better. I got to put that maxim to the test in a virtually back to back long rides on Suzuki "baggers" the C50T and the its larger subling the C90T. I was very excited about this, as I found my time with the C50T so enoyable (see "Fifty-50" sept/oct)--and on the surface the two bikes appear very similar. Same basic lines, same basic layout and amenities, with a few more bells and whistles included on the big C90T.
My first impression of the C90T was very positive. Everyone had commented on the sheer size of the beast, but i found it to be quite malleable in some slow speed manevours-- I didn't think the bike felt all "that" big.
Then came the long ride, once more with my wife riding pillion. We took a 200km trip up Vancouver Island to the wonderful Macmillan Provincial Park (home of the really BIG trees in Cathedral Grove) in one long blast. And during that run I was able to assess the positive and negative aspects of the C90T in relation to the C50T. Unfortunately the C90T did not come out looking so good.
The C90T has gobs of power, with a good yank on the throttle rolling you very quickly up to highway speeds. This power, however, was deliviered with a distinct buzz and vibration that ran up the floorboards directly into the driver. Once more my wife detected no vibrations from the pillion position. This vibration is particularly bad at very high speeds, settling best around 110-120kmh. However it is noticiable at all speeds in fifth gear.
The gearing is very tall, with at least one very unfortunate shift-point between fourth and fifth. The bike wants to shift right around 100kmh, which means during "normal" highway runs the driver is constantly shifting to keep the bike at decent rpms.
The engine is rather unforgiving at low rpms in higher gears-- the bike really wants you to downshift before applying power (for example to pass), and if you don't, it seems quite recalcitrant on deilivering smooth power.
I also experienced some difficult engaging first gear at stops and even had a little trouble finding fifth from time to time.
Ergonomically, the bigger bike seems a little less comfortable then its smaller brother, but my wife complained about the pillions width and stiffness. She is quite petite and found the "splayed" position she was forced into quite uncomfortable after only a short time.
All in all, in my mind, the C90T is no match for its smaller, more nimble brother.
In advance:
1) Yes I know your meanstreak has none of the problems
2) Yes I know that I do not have the testers size or weight on here, it was not listed
3) Yes it holds a straight line better then a smaller bike
4) No the tester is not a newb, he has been working for them for a long time, and I honestly believe that he is well suited to test ride all sorts of bikes
in rebuttle:
I am not you, you are not me, and neither of us are him. Saying that he will be cramped on a smaller bike is like me saying that you will be uncomfortable wearing blue jeans. I cannot know what makes you comfortable.
So I suggest checking out bikes yourself Linz, sit on everything, and know that any cruiser from 600cc and up will be able to handle almost anything you can throw at it. Pick the one that feels best. Not the one we tell you to get.
Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 11:51 am
by linz
Thanks everyone
I am 6'3" and do have riding experiance
I need info on the correct bike frame size
Is an 800cc cruiser smaller then a 1500? in general? What do you recommend (used)?
Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 12:00 pm
by linz
Thanks everyone
I am 6'3" and do have riding experiance
I need info on the correct bike frame size
Is an 800cc cruiser smaller then a 1500? in general? What do you recommend (used)?
Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 12:08 pm
by linz
Thanks everyone
I am 6'3" and do have riding experiance
I need info on the correct bike frame size
Is an 800cc cruiser smaller then a 1500? in general? What do you recommend (used)?
Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 12:11 pm
by linz
Thanks everyone
I am 6'3" and do have riding experiance
I need info on the correct bike frame size
Is an 800cc cruiser smaller then a 1500? in general? What do you recommend (used)?
Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 12:14 pm
by niterider
linz, you have made your point!!!!
Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 12:15 pm
by ZooTech
Sevulturus wrote:I am not you, you are not me, and neither of us are him. Saying that he will be cramped on a smaller bike is like me saying that you will be uncomfortable wearing blue jeans. I cannot know what makes you comfortable.
Those are all valid points you made, Sev, and the article was very informative. I saw similar results when testers put the VTX1300 up against the VTX1800. The 1300's lighter weight and better handling earned it 1st place in that comparison, and likewise I have steered people away from the VTX1800 because of that and many other bad reviews I've read. I still think
linz would be more comfortable on a bigger bike, but perhaps the C90 is not what I had hoped it was. There are still many good 1500cc+ bikes to choose from, however, so he should have no problem.
On a side note, I am by no means saying the C50 is a bad bike. People who know me around here know that I endorse the C50 heavily. However, every bike has limitations and the C50's ergos are not one-size-fits-all. If I, a very average sized man, feel a bit cramped on the thing, surely no one over six foot will feel at home on one for long.
Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 9:58 am
by linz
Thamks people
Any Vulcan owners want to jump in?