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Big college student searching for perfect bike
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:53 am
by trailworthyxj
Im new to this board and i am strongly considering a bike to ride around to conserve gas this summer and you just cant beat the feeling you get when riding a bike. My only problem is i am a full-time student in the fall and a struggling broke employee at the SCDOT in the summers. I make decent money and i could afford a loan. I am looking for a bike that is pretty good size (considering the fact i am 6'4", 270 lbs) and still pretty beginner friendly. Does such a bike exist for around 6k? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Im tired of filling up my 10 mpg truck twice a week.
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:10 am
by DivideOverflow
Kawasaki KLR 650 if you dont mind a dual sport. It would fit a 6'4 person very well with its nice tall seat height.
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:30 am
by trailworthyxj
Yeah i was actually considering a dual sport. Ive seen a few of them around campus and they look pretty good size. I was also thinking about a Buell M2 cyclone. They are 1200 cc so they have to be a pretty big bike and i know where i can get a decent one for a decent price. But once again i am clueless when it comes to this stuff, so any advice is really needed. Thanks.
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:37 am
by VermilionX
people here are gonna suggest to keep it under 50hp for your 1st bike, or sometimes, they're fine up to 70hp.
http://www.motorbikes.be/en/Buell/2002/M2%20Cyclone/
that cyclone has 90hp accdg to that website. so they'll say to choose a diff one.
i think you should go w/ suzuki katana 600, it should be big enough for you.
http://www.motorbikes.be/en/Suzuki/2005 ... 0(Katana)/
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:24 am
by Chris8187
Well, keeping it under 50hp is a good general rule for sportbikes. Not to mention the smaller bikes are cheaper. I would get a bike you won't mind dropping or crashing so much and sort of beat it up, and than later on you can get that nice bike that you can baby.
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:37 am
by Ninja Geoff
might be comfortable on an Suzuki SV650 or a VStrom 650. Also, Honda XR650L.
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:45 am
by kabob983
VStrom is a pretty tall bike, I'd look into that. Also the BMW R 650 GS is a pretty tall bike as well. You could find a used one cheapish I'd think.
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 6:56 am
by trailworthyxj
Yeah i know the smaller bikes are easier on the rider and on the wallet, but im such a big guy that i just wouldnt look right on a small bike. My buddy is the same size as me, bought a shadow 600, good starter bike, but he looked like a monkey riding a tennis ball. I will look into the size of the Katana 600 and see what it can offer, but i have never seen a 600cc sport bike that is big enough for me. Thanks for the advice though, please keep some more ideas coming.
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 6:59 am
by Skier
You might want to reconsider a choice of bike from how you would look on it. It's better to look goofy on a small bike you can handle proficiently than looking sharp on a bike that's beat up from multiple drops/crashes. Just my $0.02.
Also, Katanas are top-heavy pigs. Poor starter bikes.
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:39 am
by roscowgo
Speaking as a fat guy with a kat..sit on one. for quite awhile. mines easy to flat foot, but my left knee and upper back start to just plain ache after awhile on it.