Hey everyone! Thought this would be the best place to ask this question lol. My father always had a ton of bikes from Vulcan

 

Well I've got long legs and have no issues w/sportbikes. I do have issues w/cruisers and standards. Sportbikes place a lot of weight on your wrists. Once you get used to that I think they're one of the most comfortable bikes out there. Just need to stand up out of the seat every half hour or so to keep the legs fresh.

Cruisers are not necessarily slow, though. There's some pretty big bikes out there that are as fast or faster than all but the most exotic cars...they just need a few minutes lead time before they'll lean into a curve or stop.

My recommendation is to get your dad pump'd up about buying himself a second cruiser....then you buy a sportbike and ride whichever cruiser he has sitting in the garage when you want to be a little more relaxed .

 

I think you have to go with what lights your fire. I had a cruiser once and the seating position (legs out in front) was not comfortable for a long ride. I couldn't move my weight around, move any onto my legs, and it was hard just to lift out of the seat crossing bumpy tracks or what-not. I also didn't like the limited lean clearance.

If I had the money I'd have at least three bikes in the garage (sports, cruiser, and touring).

 

a sportbike is really at home on the track or stunting. if these things are not fun its a cruiser for you. Street riding is so just survival.
-on a sportbike that can do 180 it is a struggle to do the 35-55
-the sportbike is all about the knee down twisties
-you will drop a new sportbike and generally a used bike is the way to go

 

I'm 6' 215 lbs and ride the 05 R-1. I've done some 300-400 mi day trips without a tank bag and was suprised at the comfort level. Granted it's no touring bike but the 1 just seems to fit me better than the other sportbikes I considered. FWIW.

 

I'm 6'0" tall and about 250 Lbs. I owned standards for years then added a Ducati 900 SS/SP, a dualsport, and a Victory V92C cruiser to my stable. I'm down to the just the cruiser now because its the only bike I can ride for long distances and still have fun in the curvies when I want. The sport bike was an exhilorating ride but not comfortable at legal speeds. I found I needed to be doing 80mph to create enough wind pressure to releive the weight from my wrists (heavy torso is a factor here). At 80 and above I never got tired of it.

I never imagined myself being happy with a cruiser (slow, lumbering thing) until I rented one for a weekend in San Diego and rode in the mountains and deserts nearby. The pleasant surprise was that for the first time in my motorcycling life I got satisfaction out of just putting along at 50 mph enjoying the scenery, but, it was good enough to have fun on the curves too. Then I test rode the Victory and I was hooked. Victory braking, cornering and responsiveness is in a whole different class than any other cruiser.

So my opinion is that with the right cruiser you have the most versitile and comfortable machine for paved surfaces. With the wrong one, maybe not. Like most of the other cruiser makers, Victory has gone to a more forward foot position with their recent models, which I don't find comfortable. Buy a '99-'00 V92C with the tranny upgrade, or a '01-'03 V92C or Classic Cruiser though, and you have a comfortable mount that you can enjoy on any road. Pictured is my '00 V92C. Seated, my knees bend at about a 90 degree angle. I can shift my weight around a bit and with some leverage on the bars I can stand on the floorboards, though its more awkward to do that than it would be on a sportbike or a standard. Top speed is 105 and believe it or not, it feels as stable there as it does at normal speeds.

Steve

 

wow you all have pretty nice bikes. I'm loving that victory Steve. All of you make great points and seems it's goingt to come down to my preference and test driving different types of bikes lol (Like I ddin't see that coming lol.). It's funny I got my friends telling me to go sport to ride with them and my dad down in SC telling me crusiers so we can go riding during bike week. Feel free to post more of your experiences with different bikes being 6' and up and above 200 lbs to give me a ballpark and by all means post some more pics of your bikes. Gives me something to drool when I'm at work.

 

As many above have stated, this looking/researching and testing -if possible- of different bikes is great fun and you should enjoy it and not be in any hurry to buy.
Your fancy might change from one month to the next.
One thing you should seriously consider though, are the "jack of all trades" types of motorcycles, like the Honda VTR that is very comfortable for all day riding/cruising and yet sporty and fast enough for the twisties, not to mention sweet sounding, good looking and great handling. You can get an excellnet used one for cheap too.
But once again, you really owe it to yourself to just go and sit on bikes, test ride as many as you can, then make your decision.
Buy and always wear a good helmet, safety gear, and ride safe.
Cheers.

 

Well given that you bought an s2000, i beleive a sportbike will suit you better. I see harley's and cruisers and don't know how guys can ride them. To me, nothing is better than the sound and feel of my 600RR. Very light and nimble. Then again, Im a 5 9 140 lb asian guy. I would look plain retarded on a cruiser.. hehe

 

Depends on what's more your style.

If you like to take longer cruises, then a cruiser, obviously. But, if you want to start doing trackdays (which is a blast), then obviously a sportbike.

I've done a myriad amount of 400+ mile trips in one day on my old F4i and 600RR and it's not comfortable by any means. The seats on these bikes also weren't too agreeable, but long trips won't be any better on other sportbikes.

I say get a sportbike because then you'll have the opportunity to take it to the track and do some real riding. After doing trackdays on my bikes, I never even thought about doing a trackday in my car again.

There are plenty of cruisers out there that will handle well in the twisties as well, but nothing in comparison to a sportbike.