add another bike to GZ

[Badbob]

I'm slipping up. I should have thought of that link myself. There is lots of good stuff on the Motorcycle Cruiser site.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Dupo

That review site is pretty good. They had a review of all the 250cc cruisers and that review pretty much made up my mind on which bike i wanted to start with. (that, and sitting on a rebel certainly turned me off to them lol).

My wife and I took the safety course which uses the GZ250 and as a result were pretty much sold on them. We also sat on the Rebel and had the same experience.
Cheers!

[Dupo]

Yea those rebels are made for VERY small people. I turned the handlebars and hit my knee. Knew right there, it wasnt for me.

[one]

i am still on my search.... over the weekend, i met a guy with a sportster 1200 for sale. after talking to him for a few minutes, he asked if i wanted to ride the bike, I said yes. i could not believe the power difference between the GZ and the sportster 1200. I emailed the guy and told him that the bike has too much power, i still can't believe that it had so much power. is a 1200 ok or should i keep looking at bikes under the 1000cc range. yes, i know it is all my decision and how i feel but I am looking for another perspective regarding cc's on bikes relative to the rider, etc.

[Dupo]

Honestly, look up the horsepower rating for that bike. I say this because the difference between my Spirit 750 and the Spirit 1100 is only 5 HP. Yes, 5 HP lol. The bigger difference is all in the low end power of the two bikes. The 1100 will get you to 60 faster than the 750. I purposely did NOT get an 1100 because i thought it would be 'too much' for me. Now i am kinda mad not checking into it and seeing there is virtually no HP difference, just low end torque and i think 50 lbs.

Also, dont forget you have been riding a 250cc bike. Going from that 20 hp motor to a 50 hp motor is a HUGE jump. 1st time on anything 750cc or larger will feel like going from a donkey to a racing horse. I had the same feeling riding the Spirit the first time. On the way home the first thing i said out loud was 'holy shit!' LOL. Its gonna feel like a monster but it wears off rather quickly once you give it a few rides. So yea, you really do get used to it. After a week of riding you will feel kinda dumb for being intimidated by it lol. I did

Maybe a 750cc would be a good jump for right now? I dont know, its totally up to how you feel, but taking into consideration the last paragraph i am certain i could have jumped to an 1100 and been just as comfortable on it as i am the 750. So keep that in mind.

The only thing i dont like about sportsters is how skinny they are and top heavy. Not to mention how expensive harley add ons are. I pay ALOT less for aftermarkets than i would owning a harley. If you got the money to dump ... go for it. I am, however, on a budget lol. I know one person who bought a sporty and she complains alot about the prices of aftermarket parts lol... but she dont mind spending the moolah. I have never had the privelage of riding one, so i cant say first hand how they ride or how the power feels on them, so take what i say with a grain of salt.

Like i had said before, if you wanna meet up sometime, maybe in Coopersburg (half way point) you are more than welcome to take mine for a spin. I do have 4" forward controls on, so my pegs arent in stock position, but you could get a feeling for a 750cc. I dont know if we are going to have any more good riding days on a weekend any time soon, but if we do, just give me a holler.

[one]

Dupo:

These are points that I never thought about. Regarding the Harley, I am not set on one nor leading in anyway towards one. The sportster that I road was nice, quick, smooth, nimble, etc. That's not the only ting I look for, I am also looking for eye appeal (my eye), to me that Sportster's front wheel and tire and not me, it's very large and very narrow (both a big negative in my appeal book).

I will absolutely take you up on the coopersburg meet. I road us there once maybe 5 miles south just for a highway run. the 250 was not the best on the road, it really seemed to strugle. However, before I decide and purchase - i would like to try yours. As you know we'll have to wait for the weather to turn, way too cold for me.

-One

[Dupo]

Oh yea, i know what you mean about looks. I tossed a few out the door based soley on the look of the bike. The boulevards are a prime example of that. Nice bikes, look kinda gay to me LOL. So i passed on the entire line. The more expensive they got, the dumber they looked i thought. The 'big' one, to me, looked like a '54 chevy with a genetic problem.

Yea i dont know about the meeting, i think winter has set in. If we happen to get some miraculous warm days i'll be up for it. As of right now i put the bike in my kitchen lol. Couldnt have it outside freezing ya know

[one]

well - i have been taking my time, asking TONS of questions, including at different dealers. basically, i think that the 750 would be a big step, although i was originally told to buy at 750 from the start. now, i am thinking and asking more and more questions which leads me to believe that a 750 would or could be outgrown within a year. now, i am looking at the 1100 series. yamaha has the vstar - classic and custom. at this point, i'm now looking at that line since the weight between the 750 to the 1100 is minor. one big thing about the yamaha is the oil changes are a bear and all forums say to put a kit on to make the changes easier. otherwise, i figure that there is a much longer period of time before i need to move up. besides the above, i would like to take a passenger and was told the 1100 would handle the passenger much better then the 750.

i am just writing my thoughts for now and will keep all posted. if there are any suggestion - pro or con, please let me know.

also, i will want to sell my 250 in the spring - it has about 3500 it's an '01 and rides like a dream if anyone knows someone looking for this bike.... let me know. it's inspected in PA and good until 10/07. i live just north of Philly near montgomerville.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Dupo

Oh yea, i know what you mean about looks. I tossed a few out the door based soley on the look of the bike. The boulevards are a prime example of that. Nice bikes, look kinda gay to me LOL.

Well, I don't know about gay but when I'm riding my Boulevard C50 (805cc) I'm pretty happy.

Looks are subjective and important but you also need to consider what you prefer in the handling and the feel of the ride. For example you will find a difference in the handling and road feel between a thin and a fat front tire. For me the solid ride of the fatter front tire is more comfortable. You may prefer something different. It helps to ride a few different designs to know the differences regardless of the look of the bike.

Last week I rode a couple of Victory motorcycles to see how they handled with the different frame and wheel set up (same power at 1634cc). One had a 130 -70/18 front tire and the other had a 80 - 90/21 front tire. Rear tires were the same. Big difference! Beautiful bikes with lots of power. I ran through the gears to get them up to highway speed (60mph) and when I looked down at the speedometer to check it was already at 85 and fast heading north. Now there is a bike you won't outgrow too soon. Very solid and well built but I still prefer the fit of my 805cc C50 and know that once I make a couple of changes (forward controls and a little lower) it will fit my 6'1" body a little better).

A 750 or 800 cc power plant will suit most folks and cruise at highway/interstate speeds all day just fine. After that you are paying more for a little faster acceleration and gas. A few decades back this class was the big bike and people cruised all over the country with no problems. This class of bike is probably one of the best values today. If someone was to give me a larger displacement bike I wouldn't refuse it but I wouldn't spend the extra money to buy one. Be careful about getting caught up in the idea of outgrowing a bike. If you think you will "outgrow" a 750/800cc bike and need an 1100cc bike how long before you outgrow that for a couple hundred more cc's then a couple more again adinfinitum.

You mentioned that the weight between the 750 and the 1100 is minor. If that is the case then I personally wouldn't spend the extra money on the 1100 for that reason alone. For handling a passenger I would want more than a minor amount of additional weight and I would want it balanced. Again you have to ride.

Time in the saddle on a bike that fits and handles the way YOU like is what will put a smile on your face. If your present bike does this for you then enjoy your ride while you take your time to RIDE other bikes. Talking about a bike won't replace riding the bike.

Cheers!

[Dupo]

Originally Posted by Bill

Well, I don't know about gay but when I'm riding my Boulevard C50 (805cc) I'm pretty happy.

Sorry bill i shoulda been more specific, i meant those futuristic looking new boulevards. I just dont see those as cruisers, rather more of a T3 movie prop.