A good beginner cruiser-style bike?

[Vagabond142]

Okay... I will take that under advisement I'm just looking through sales sites and everything, and it seems that bikes will start getting affordable for me from 2002 and earlier, or mid-90s and earlier for the bigger displacement stuff. Keep in mind, I'm looking for my first bike at between $3000-$4000

[510-Trevor]

My first bike was a 250 Rebel. It was a great bike to learn on but would only hit 120kph wide open (I weighed about 160 back then).
Over the first summer I did out grow the bike, but I learned a lot about how to ride in traffic. Its such an easy bike to reach the limits of that you have more time to concentrate on riding (getting used to the controls, lane position, shoulder checking while staying straight ...)
They also hold their value very well, so you you likely won't pay much if anything for your season of use.
A 450 Rebel would probably be better if you can find one, but I wouldn't discount spending the first year on a 250, just realize that you will want to go bigger once you have built up your confidence.

[Vagabond142]

Well, there is the downside that i weigh (depending on the day) between 225-230 and I'm 6 foot dead on tall :P So, as one person so nicely PM'd me, I'd probably "squish the 250 with my asscheeks alone" However, that is exactly the kind of thing I want, something slow enough and easy enough to handle to get used to the whole aspect of riding and to build up proper and safe techniques on a bike that most likely won't bite :P

[Graham_A_M]

Originally posted by old&slow
That drive shaft soaks up a good ten HP and your left with about 67 hp to the wheel on a 700lb Meanstreak.

I hope it has mind-blowing torque to make up for that. I know V oriented engines typically lack HP in place of Torque, but 67hp from a 1600cc engine?

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehi...AdIdZ167439937
^Honda's from the 70's to the early 90's have always had exhaust rusting problems. Dont know why it took them so long to change their alloy choice
Aftermarket pipes are quite easy to find for Shadows.
On my old '85 Shadow 500 the pipes were rusted to shit as well. Even though it had 11k kms on it.

[ramminghard]

Originally posted by Vagabond142
Well, there is the downside that i weigh (depending on the day) between 225-230 and I'm 6 foot dead on tall :P So, as one person so nicely PM'd me, I'd probably "squish the 250 with my asscheeks alone" However, that is exactly the kind of thing I want, something slow enough and easy enough to handle to get used to the whole aspect of riding and to build up proper and safe techniques on a bike that most likely won't bite :P

I weighed the same and am an inch taller than you and rode a rebel 250 for a while. I had a blast on that bike and it was extremely reliable. It had been dropped 4-5 times with minimal repairs needed each time. They are not the fastest bikes on the road but fun to rip around on in the city. I would pick one up if I found a used one for a reasonable price.

[Vagabond142]

Wow... Graham, thanks for that link, I didn't think bikes would be that low priced for something like a cruiser o_O Well, certainly adjusts my budget a little XD

[old&slow]

^that's not a bad find!

[Graham_A_M]

You just need to know where and how to look.

Kind of funny I mentioned that '85 Shadow I had. I bought it off a co-worker for $1100, in MINT condition nothing wrong with it asides from the rusted pipes.
I sold it a week and 1 day later for $2700 funny part is: he thought he was getting the best deal on earth. I had the ad running before I even picked it up from him. So its just knowing a diamond in the rough when you see it.

I can help find you a decent bike if you want, no need to spend any more then $2-3k for a decent enough cruiser. I've found countless bikes for friends. Even a '90 Suzuki GS500 for $200, rode it home that same day.

But that Shadow 750 I quickly found would be a great bike for you. Definitely enough power, and as reliable as they come.
New (aftermarket) pipes seriously would not be hard to find, with that for $2k you'd have a excellent bike that you wouldn't outgrow.

[Masked Bandit]

Three letters that solve all your problems....


U J M


Google it, live it, love it.

It's what every new biker needs to go through.

As for the engine size, don't bother with anything less than a 750 cc on a UJM. 750 on a UJM is about half of a 750 on a sport bike.

[rony_espana]

Well my advice would be to start with a 750cc, I was in your exact same situation about 3 years ago, took the motorcycle training with Calgary Safety Council for like $395 and got my class 6. After I passed I went to blackfoot and bought a brand new Honda Shadow Aero 750 and have loved it ever since. I am planning on upgrading soon, but I really haven't grown out of it yet, you really don't want less power than a 750 because it could get dangerous pulling into deerfoot lets say. Also I have yet to drop it or crash. This bike is super light and is really nice for getting around town, I use it for cheap commute.

[ercchry]

i kinda want to build one of these to boot around the city with

[Fivewayradio]

My first bike was a 82 Honda CM400T. Ugliest piece of shit on the planet. I made nearly every noob mistake imaginable. I over-revved it, under-revved it, over-steered, under-steered, popped the clutch at 7000 rpm, jammed on the front brake on gravel, locked up the back brake on asphalt, I rode in thunderstorms and when I was so cold I probably had hypothermia. I survived without a scratch, which is more than I can say for the bike.

I paid $250 for it, put a load of wrench time into it and maybe another few hundred in parts. When I was done with the bike I pretty much threw it in the trash and never thought about it again.

Totally worthwhile investment in my mind. I'm really glad I got all my stupid noob bullshit figured out on an underpowered, totally forgiving, uncool, beat-up used piece of crap. It prepared me for riding anything I set my mind to.

That 400cc bike put out 43hp, weighed 406lbs with a top speed of 156kph. The Honda CM400 had a power to weight ratio of 0.23 Hp/Kg. A Honda Shadow 750 has a power to weight ratio of 0.1859 HP/kg. The 400 actually had a 'better' power to weigh ratio than the 750. The more hps you have per kg, the faster you go.

More knowledgeable people than me will argue that there are a bunch of other factors in there and they'd be right. But the point that a 750 or even an 1100 cruiser may not be as intimidating as it seems based on displacement alone is still valid.

For comparison my new bike, a Triumph Thruxton 900 puts out 69hp, weighs 451lbs, tops out around 200 kph. That's a power to weight ratio of 0.3336 HP/kg. I'll be the first to admit it's not a fast bike.

Sorry for the essay, but I just wanted to give you some more food for thought.

[Graham_A_M]

^Congrats on the Triumph! Wonderful machines aren't they?

Originally posted by ercchry
i kinda want to build one of these to boot around the city with

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/23...pper_GS52.html

You could import one from China for about $1100 new, plus shipping.
They come in 100cc, 150 and 200.

[Vagabond142]

I actually like Triumph bikes I'm kinda eyeing a Bonneville for a city fun bike a few years down the road, possibly. I do want to learn on a Honda though... call me a fanboy, call me a newb, I just know that there is so much information on Honda bikes out there that it's almost mindboggling.

Plus, apparently, they are super cheap to repair and maintain, as long as you get down and do the oily bits yourself (which is something I do want to learn)

[SJW]

Old hondas are fun.

I wouldn't ride that chinese bike. With the lead paint, shit welds and other short cuts.

[ercchry]

yeah the one i posted is made in cali... only a little bit more too (fully loaded is $2500)

[Fivewayradio]

Yeah, I love the Triumphs. I probably spent 6 months shopping and researching. I looked at pretty much every bike out there. I wasn't going to rule anything out. It wasn't all that tough of a decision in the end. My Dad rode Triumphs and the brand has always resonated with me. I could have bought a better handling, faster, more feature-laden bike for less, but there was something romantic about the Truxton that suckered me in.

Start on an old Honda, Vagabond! Put in a year or two on a cheap old bike, maintain and repair it yourself and I'll bet you never regret it.

[SJW]

I love the thruxton.

[Graham_A_M]

The newer Truimphs are the way to go, the old pre-2000's really killed my interest. There are a couple good models but their Daytona 650 and TT600 had quite a few problems and quirks to them. Doing research on the Daytona 675 (when it first came out) sure caught my interest. It obliterated all the Jap 600's & 750's out there with incredible reliability & style. All that with an growly exhaust note & engine whine that I couldn't resist.

20k kms later and nothing but praise & respect!. The first 14k from June '07 to August '07

Originally posted by ercchry
yeah the one i posted is made in cali... only a little bit more too (fully loaded is $2500)

Are you SURE its made there? California (being a costal/port state) imports a LOT from other countries. That and there are about half a dozen different companies in China that build that exact bike, with the Honda Knock-off CY6 200cc engine, the exact one in your vid.
That engine is used in countless other makes & models too for its incredible reliability and wide aftermarket parts availability.

[94SSEi]

Go with a 79-81 Honda CX500. They look a bit odd...but they grow on you. They are a "bigger" bike size wise, so your height/weight would be fine. I'm 6'2" and 190 and it fits me great. It's shaft drive, about 50 hp, and extremely forgiving of newb mistakes (I've made em).

They are also easy as hell to work on (engine as stressed member= easy access/removal) and tonnes of parts on ebay for cheap. I rescued mine from a junkyard (was being pushed around by a bulldozer) and have put 13000 kms on it over the last 2 seasons, including a couple 1000-1300 km trips. The physical size of the bike means that it's fine on the highway and doesn't get blown around like some of the smaller 400s or 500s. That said, it's great in the city too.

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