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Which Cruiser

Ch@ppers

Ch@ppers

Registered User
I've got to that point where as much as i love the bird my body doesn't. Aching hips and knees are now starting to limit the pleasure i get from riding, anything over an hour and i'm struggling, already have bar risers, peg loweres and gel seat. So i'm toying with the idea of a cruiser, feet more forward harley style, but i know nothing about them. What should i be looking at with a 5k budget, it will be kept garaged and summer ish use only, and whats to be avoided like the plague.

cheers guys
 
C

CBRDEAN0

Registered User
Ch@ppers said:
I've got to that point where as much as i love the bird my body doesn't. Aching hips and knees are now starting to limit the pleasure i get from riding, anything over an hour and i'm struggling, already have bar risers, peg loweres and gel seat. So i'm toying with the idea of a cruiser, feet more forward harley style, but i know nothing about them. What should i be looking at with a 5k budget, it will be kept garaged and summer ish use only, and whats to be avoided like the plague.

cheers guys
Click to expand...

An alternative suggestion - one of my mates has bought a CBF1000 and loves it for all day long riding.
He too could only do a couple of hours at most on a BB but really has taken to his CBF1000.
 
slim63

slim63

Never surrender
Club Sponsor
I would suggest riding a few before deciding, the feet forward position isn't always as comfy as you may expect as they tend to put pressure on the lower back, ok for some folk but not for others

Those with hardtail looks such as the yam dragstar etc tend to have really poor rear suspension which makes the above even worse, dragstar's are known for destroying the rear shock a real bitch of a job to change as everything is seized after a couple of years, they are also known for split castings around the rear hub bearings, poor electrics too but one of the best engines

The only other one I can comment on is a kwack vn1500 that's been all over Europe imultiple times n the last 3 years without problems apart from minor ones caused by the owners "customising"

I say find the one you like test ride one & then find the best stock one in your price range but avoid any that have been messed with

Hope it helps :-0)
 
Ch@ppers

Ch@ppers

Registered User
Thanks guys, if i'm gonna change i think it will be a cruiser rather than a sport tourer, quite liked the look of the vn900 and it gets good reviews. Are Harleys worth considering or are they still thought of as unreliable.
 
slim63

slim63

Never surrender
Club Sponsor
I wondered if Harley might get a mention :whi5tl:

Here is my view on them after riding a few working on one or two & having a mrs that owned a couple for years ......

Expensive to buy & dealer service but hold their price well, later injected ones go well for that's sort of bike & seem reliable, whether you can get a good one for 5k is debateable, stock brakes are still poor considering the weight they are trying to stop, rubber engine mount models wont rattle your teeth out but solid mount ones may well, the bigger engines are heavy on fuel & the 883's are pretty gutless, the last I rode was an 04 plate 883, I'm 6' tall & found it uncomfortable & cramped as stock

V-rods ... I kind of like them as they are different, Harley purists hate them which is a bonus :-0) they suffer ground clearance & handling problems if pushed I know where there is one for under 6k if those take your fancy

Hope it helps :-0)
 
Ch@ppers

Ch@ppers

Registered User
slim63 said:
I wondered if Harley might get a mention :whi5tl:

Here is my view on them after riding a few working on one or two & having a mrs that owned a couple for years ......

Expensive to buy & dealer service but hold their price well, later injected ones go well for that's sort of bike & seem reliable, whether you can get a good one for 5k is debateable, stock brakes are still poor considering the weight they are trying to stop, rubber engine mount models wont rattle your teeth out but solid mount ones may well, the bigger engines are heavy on fuel & the 883's are pretty gutless, the last I rode was an 04 plate 883, I'm 6' tall & found it uncomfortable & cramped as stock

V-rods ... I kind of like them as they are different, Harley purists hate them which is a bonus :-0) they suffer ground clearance & handling problems if pushed I know where there is one for under 6k if those take your fancy

Hope it helps :-0)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice, i like the look of the 1200 XL, medium sized but would have to try one, summat like this
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201605194110957?search-target=usedbikes&make=harley-davidson&cc-from=1200cc&cc-to=1200cc&radius=1500&searchcontext=default&sort=locasc&postcode=ba128ta&page=1&logcode=p&adPos=9
 
noobie

noobie

Clueless in most things
Have you thought about Triumphs? America, Thunderbird, Legend and Speedmaster ?
 
slim63

slim63

Never surrender
Club Sponsor
Today I picked up & rode a vz800 around 40 miles home for a mate, its not my normal sort of thing being covered in chrome but in that short test ride I was quite impressed overall

its quite a punchy engine that will sit happily at 70mph, suspension & brakes seem good for this sort of bike but the stock bars were to narrow for my liking & the seat was a bit hard for my skinny arse, as mentioned previously the forward controls are not for me but you may feel differently

This particular bike is a 99 model & absolutely mint condition with 21K on the clock all for much less than half your budget, imo well worth a look if you can find one in that condition :-0)
 
Ch@ppers

Ch@ppers

Registered User
slim63 said:
Today I picked up & rode a vz800 around 40 miles home for a mate, its not my normal sort of thing being covered in chrome but in that short test ride I was quite impressed overall

its quite a punchy engine that will sit happily at 70mph, suspension & brakes seem good for this sort of bike but the stock bars were to narrow for my liking & the seat was a bit hard for my skinny arse, as mentioned previously the forward controls are not for me but you may feel differently

This particular bike is a 99 model & absolutely mint condition with 21K on the clock all for much less than half your budget, imo well worth a look if you can find one in that condition :-0)
Click to expand...

Sat on a couple of harleys today including a 1200 sporster but didnt like the feet positions one bit. Place had a 2006 Honda VT1100 with 700 miles on for 5k, mint condition. will have a look at the suzuki.@tu*
 
Ch@ppers

Ch@ppers

Registered User
stormer said:
Take out a Street Triple....you will be pleasantly surprised....@tu*
Click to expand...

I had a sit on one and liked it but think they will be a bit out of my price range but will keep a look out.

edit, it was a speedmaster i sat on.
 
Centaur

Centaur

Site Pedant
Club Sponsor
Enough of this rubbish.

You remind of a bunch of old ladies discussing their rose gardens!

"I get penguin lime all the way from the Falklands and my rose garden is the best in the village".

"I get bat guano scraped off the floor of a cave in the Phillipines and my roses have won prizes in all the local shows".

"I get well seasoned horse droppings from a wonderfully talented man called Derek in the Gardens of Wakefield. He has refused a knighthood because he doesn't want to prostitute his art. I don't know what he feeds his horses on but my roses look magnificent and the bouquet is indescribable".

If your body is telling you that you are too old to ride a proper bike then sell your gear Ch@ppers and use the money to get a fly fishing rod. At least you can eat what you catch. :violin:

Only joking. 8rfl@ Hope you find a cruiser that fits. @tu*
 
Centaur

Centaur

Site Pedant
Club Sponsor
You're right there, Pugs.

Pugwash said:
So funny it sounds like you've been there and done that?
Click to expand...

Not my body but the consequences of coming off in my 70s made me sell up and start fly fishing after a nearly 60 year gap. I have gone swimming twice in my waders so even fishing has it's threats. :eek: I like the fishing but I dreadfully miss my bikes. :cry:
 
noobie

noobie

Clueless in most things
I've been known to have a trout in my pants from time to time :-0)
 
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