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I keep getting conflicting advice from experienced riders about the size of motorcycle that I should get. I am a beginner, I will be taking the MSF course in June. I am a big/tall guy 6' 3" and around 300lbs 38years old if that matters. I am looking for a bike to ride to work. I live in the country and work is 30 miles away which if I take the same route I drive now, will be mostly Interstate. Interstate speed limit is 70mph. After reading the information on this forum, and other places, I have been looking at the 800cc cruisers.

Here is where the conflicting information comes in. I have been told by a couple of people that when riding on the interstate that being passed by trucks especially can cause major "sucking" towards the truck and that the bigger bikes help with this because of the extra weight. The other thing I keep hearing is that I won't have the power to accelerate out of the way of other vehicles that cut into my lane, etc.

I have been told that to ride the interstate with anything less than an 1100cc cruiser is a mistake. I just want to know if I am on the right track, or if what I am hearing has some merit. It seems to me that most of the posts on here are assuming a bunch of in-town riding.

Just so you know, a 600cc + cruiser is plenty big to ride the highway on. I've got a friend who does it on an 82 yamaha maxim 400. He keeps up with us fine... to a point. The point being the legal limit, so it's all good.

Most 600-800 cc cruisers are essentially the same, find the one you are most comfortable on. Take a MSF course, get proper gear, and get out there.

i started out on a marauder 800, i put a Lot of freeway miles on it and shot between many many trucks on it. the sucking effect isnt anything to worry about, at least i had no problems with it, its not like you get next to a semi and suddenly its like a tractor beam pulling you in. just gas it up and split between them. my marauder cruising at 70ish i had easy roll on power to blow past them no problem.

people that make claims like anything less than an 1100 wont handle a freeway just say that to justify why they had to go out and buy that massive bike, because they arent actually using the power anyways. a 600-800 cruiser would be fine i think. just sit on them and see what feels right for you. remember theres a world of bolt on parts to change the ride position if your feet feel to close you can get pegs that extend forward. new handle bars also. it will cost you a little money for that kinda thing, but if you find you really like a certain bike but it doesnt fit just right, theres always a way to change that.

Thanks for the feedback. I think I will keep looking for a used Suzuki 800 Intruder or Volusa. Ultimately I will feel more comfortable with this size bike and if it proves to be too small for me later, well there is no law that says I cannot sell it and buy something larger. And I will have more experience to go along with the larger displacement. I take the MSF class in June.

Difference in power between an 800 and an 1100 is actually very little once you factor the added weight of a larger bike into the equation. I found these comparisons very helpful: http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadte ... index.html
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/800s04/

I love that site btw, I have read almost all of their articles, and find them to be very helpful.

jdrestore wrote:Thanks for the feedback. I think I will keep looking for a used Suzuki 800 Intruder or Volusa. Ultimately I will feel more comfortable with this size bike and if it proves to be too small for me later, well there is no law that says I cannot sell it and buy something larger. And I will have more experience to go along with the larger displacement. I take the MSF class in June.

Go to a dealership right away and sit on both of them. Even new they will give you a good idea of what you're setting yourself up for. Those are two very different bikes, each forces you to sit a different way. At least this way you'll know what you're really looking for.

While you're out there also check out a yamaha v-star 650, honda shadow 650 or 750, suzuki marauder.

Sit on EVERYTHING you can find, you'll find the most comfortable bike for you, and ultimately that is what it should come down to, comfort. Not what some guy tells you that you are going to need. No one can possibly understand how you will feel on the bike but you. Always remember that.

I've sat on both the C50 (Volusa) and the S50 (Intruder) and I was frankly surprised at the width of the C50! There was a huge difference between them. While I liked the way the C50 looked, I felt more at ease on the S because it didn't feel as big to me. This weekend I want to go to the local Honda/Yamaha dealer see what I think of them.

just remember the bigger the bike(wider heavier longer ect) the harder it is to do slow speed manuevers with. and when learning thats what youl be doing the most with. bikes like the marauder have a fairly wide front tire which is great on the freeway but makes slow speed turns a lil more tricky.

and it sounds like your looking to get a new bike. imagine dropping a 600+ pound brand new cruiser in the parking lot while trying to do a turn. then imagine the money it will cost to fix the brand new bike if and when you can get it picked back up off the ground. go used and cheap, and also go with a bike you can learn to ride on not struggle to handle just for the sake of going bigger and "better".

I was considering a new bike before finding this site and reading the posts I am currently looking for a used one. I sat on the new ones because that is what the dealer had.

Just bought a 2001 Honda VLX Shadow. At only 5'4" and 160 lbs, it's plenty of power for me....at least for now.