Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I´m a fairly new female rider and looking to buy my first bike. I want a cruiser that is reliable with fairly low maintenance but most of all FUN! I am looking for something I can keep for a while (not something too small or underpowered that I´ll get bored with after a few months). Height is not an issue, I´m 5´10" with long legs for my height. So far, I´m looking at the Suzuki Boulevard C50 (Volusia) or the Triumph America. I know the Triumph has a chain drive and have heard that you should stay away from this, especially for a first bike (don´t wanna have to mess too much with maintaining the chain). What goes into maintaining the chain? I haven't read a bad review of the C50 or Volusia and all user reviews rave about the bike, but I've been having a little more trouble finding info about the Triumph America. I really like both bikes and was wondering if anyone has any advice to give, personal recommendations or other links/forums I should check out? PLEASE HELP, I´m very torn!

chains are pretty easy to maintain...i dont see what the huge deal is...i mean unless where your ride is really dusty or sandy it shouldn't really make too much a difference...as long as you keep it well lubed.

Aggroton wrote:chains are pretty easy to maintain...i dont see what the huge deal is...i mean unless where your ride is really dusty or sandy it shouldn't really make too much a difference...as long as you keep it well lubed.

Chains may not be all that hard to maintain. But they're about 2,345% more difficult to maintain than shaft drives, since shaft drives are pretty darn close to maintenance free. Just change the differential lube at the specified intervals.

I don't know anything at all about the Triumph America, but I can give one more thumbs up to the C50.

no i understand little maintence to no maintence...but i dont think it should be a deciding factor in ride selection...

I second the C50, and also recommend the M50.

I wouldn't make any selection based on chain or no chain. The maintenance is so easy and quick (unless you are riding in horrible conditions frequently) that I wouldn't even consider it until you reached a point between two bikes that you loved equally and needed a tiebreaker. Spraying some lube $2 lube now and again just isn't a very big deal.

I like the Triumph but I honestly don't know a lot about the specs. Go sit on all the one you like.

You're putting the cart before the horse... Deciding which type of motorcycle to buy before you really know what TYPE of riding you're looking to do.

If you plan on taking long day rides or trips, that will require a slightly different focus than if you want a bike to commute to work on and ride around town or nearby roads on.

One 'feature' of a cruiser is that the ergonomics of the bike make it inclined to go in a straight line with little effort. The offset of that is that it takes a good deal of muscle input to get it to turn, so it will be hard on you if you plan to stick around town to ride.

Have heard from more than a few women who switched FROM cruisers to standards or sport-tourers because their arms and shoulders ached from controlling them. With your long legs, you may find the cruiser stance uncomfortable on longer rides.

P

Lion_Lady wrote:With your long legs, you may find the cruiser stance uncomfortable on longer rides.

So she should switch to the relaxed, easy-chair ergos of a standard or sport-tourer? If anything, cruisers are made to be comfortable...especially on longer rides. And the C50 is a pretty easy bike to manipulate, or she can opt for the M50 which I suggested. Either one will be fine around town or on long trips.

Not to argue, but comfort is a REALLY personal thing. I can sit longer on my Hornet then I could the Savage. My Aunt has problems with her back on her V-star 1100 during long trips. While she can handle my Uncles goldwing fine for a full day trip.

A cruiser sticks your arms and legs out in front of you, which will force your spine into a stacked postion, every vertibrae is directly above the next. So it'll compact over the course of the ride. Switching to something that requires a slight lean forward solves this problem.

Ideally, she would be buying something that she has had the chance to test drive, for a long time. Like borrow a friends bike for the day or something similar, but that usually isn't an option.

So, I would say, do not limit yourself to a pair of bikes, go to the dealership and sit on everything they have. Find the one that is most comfortable for you. Remember, the bigger the bike, the tougher it can be to keep it upright at a stop. This is also true if the bikes center of gravity is up high.

PS Take the MSF course!

Sevulturus wrote:Not to argue, but comfort is a REALLY personal thing.

Indeed.

Sevulturus wrote: I can sit longer on my Hornet then I could the Savage.

Yeah, but the Savage is frickin' tiny! And you're just a young pup, and the 599 fits you better for now.

Sevulturus wrote: My Aunt has problems with her back on her V-star 1100 during long trips. While she can handle my Uncles goldwing fine for a full day trip.

The V-Star 1100's stock seat umm...well...SUCKS! It's sloped forward and puts pressure on your tailbone. But you can't throw the baby out with the bath water so, she just needs a new seat.

Sevulturus wrote: A cruiser sticks your arms and legs out in front of you, which will force your spine into a stacked postion, every vertibrae is directly above the next. So it'll compact over the course of the ride. Switching to something that requires a slight lean forward solves this problem.

Not all cruisers are created equal either, Sev. My buddy's Sportster 883 is set up like a recliner. Mine, on the other hand, sound smore like what you're describing. But I have a removable backrest that fixes that on long trips.

Sevulturus wrote: Ideally, she would be buying something that she has had the chance to test drive, for a long time. Like borrow a friends bike for the day or something similar, but that usually isn't an option.

Bike test drives are virtually non-existant. We have all rolled off the showroom floor with our fingers crossed.

Sevulturus wrote: So, I would say, do not limit yourself to a pair of bikes, go to the dealership and sit on everything they have. Find the one that is most comfortable for you. Remember, the bigger the bike, the tougher it can be to keep it upright at a stop. This is also true if the bikes center of gravity is up high.

If she's narrowed it down to two bikes, I would assume she's already visited and sat as you suggest. Let's work with what she's given us.

Sevulturus wrote:PS Take the MSF course!

Or don't....I don't think it matters all that much.