Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I'm shopping for my first motorcycle and I have some experience, it's very limited and consists entirely of spending some time on my friend's lower power cruisers.

I want a bike that is comfortable to ride, one my wife can comfortably ride on, something I can do a lot of miles on, and has a decent amount of storage space.

Is a low end touring bike too much for a beginner? If so, what do you recommend? If not, which bikes fit the bill?

It'll work, but it'll be tough. It's going to be a heavy bike, tough to handle through the corners at slow speeds.

Everything that goes for large cruisers applies to large touring bikes, they are heavy, tough to turn, and with all the luggage they can be top heavy.

Just something to think about.

Look at the older BMW RT models, either an R80/R100 or a K100 RT. They are affordable if you look around long enough for a deal, they're easy to maintain, comfy, and quite light for a fully faired shaft-driven bike. My R80RT weighs 535lbs wet, which is nothing compared to some of the newer ST or full dressed bikes.

Also, the center of gravity on the R's is very low, making it easy to maneuver at low speeds. I can do the MSF figure 8 and the S-turn easier on my RT than on my roommate's Rebel. That's just one reason they were (still are) the police bike of choice in Europe for a couple of decades...

My MSF instructor had a Triumph Sprint that was used as a touring bike, I think those come in 600cc, but I could be wrong.

Plan on riding for some time before you start hauling the wife around, particularly on something set up for touring. They're unwieldy when empty, and can be a real handful for a beginner fully loaded.

To me the words touring bike and beginner should never be in the same room at the same time. Buy a crusier in the 800cc-1100cc range and master than. Then move up to a 1450/1500cc. You will need to get used to the power AND the weight of a bike that big. I'm believe in working up to that - not jumping into it off the bat. Touring bikes are big and heavy and awkward. Personally, I'm not interested in one and would never ride one, but if you must, work your way up to it.

You can always buy a 650 -800 sized cruiser and add removeable saddle bags and a top bag for touring. That way you can get the practice you need on the smaller bike before moving up to the larger fullsized tourer, and you can still have some fun with the wife after you get some practice in.

They are heavy suckers. I've looked at the BMW models and the HD models and I can't imagine maneuvering them around a parking lot.

If I spend a year or two with a low end cruiser will I be ready for a larger touring bike?

probably.

The folks here are right. A purpose-built touring bike is way too much for a person to handle unless they've invested the time and built up their skills.

A cruiser is very much the way to go. Add a tank bag, saddlebags, and rear bag or pod. You can add on a big plexi windshield too if your'e looking for more comfort.

If you use this approach, you can start out with a fairly "naked" cruiser, and then add things one at a time to give yourself a chance to adjust to the way that each piece of luggage changes the bike's handling.

I'd also suggest that if you wait a while before adding the luggage, you reduce the chances of having to replace it if you lay the bike over...and as I'm sure you've already heard, just about everybody lays thier first bike down at some point. I know I did.