Best Cruiser motorcycle on a budget?

You should check out the Yamaha Viragos. I've had two of them (535 & 750) along with a Harley and a number of dual sports. The Virago's were great bikes and definitely in your budget.
 
Shuswap BC said:
I've owned 1000 cc crotch rockets, and many other styles, nowadays I prefer dual sports for about 3/4 of my riding. I did like the demo ride on the new KTM 1290 though, but not cheap, or for newbies like the OP wants. It felt really damn fast, and would snap into a wheelie basically at will.
I'm trying not to become an organ donor too early.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I really liked that KTM. Had I the coin I might spring for one. They do break though, and they aren't easily repaired either. As much as I liked my Supersport I sold it. Hurt too damn much to ride the thing. Modern Supersports aren't that much better in that regard, though I think they're finally a bit faster. Weren't for the longest time.
 
steingar said:
The only reason you might find one boring is you never rode my death machine. There is nothing at all boring about that kind of responsiveness and speed. Riding upright in a straight line all day because you’ll bottom out the pegs in a turn is boring.
Click to expand...

Oh please :rolleyes2:. I owned for several years a BMW S1000RR, 193hp at the crank, and it would leave your "death machine" for dead. Stock these bikes are breaking into the 9's in the quarter with trap speeds in the mid to upper 150's. It's the fastest thing I've ever ridden, and makes my previous fastest bike (Honda CBR 1100XX Blackbird) look like a moped. The S1000RR was great fun to ride at full tilt, but at anything less it was a buzzy annoying ride. I ended up selling it because it.....wait for it.......was boring. Yup, boring. Like Ted, I find inline 4s to be very boring. I've owned just about every engine type on a bike, singles, twins, triples, in-line 4s, V-4s, and flat sixes. By far my favorite are twins, both V-twins and flat twins. They have different feels, but I find each equally satisfying. Twins have a certain vibe, cadence, and I love how they put the power to the ground. They have character. V-4s are a close second, followed by the flat six as a distant third.

I owned a '98 GW Apencade 1500 that I had great fond memories of owning. I replaced the stock rear air shocks with Works Performance coil overs 1" longer than stock, Race-Tech'd the forks, and replaced the brake lines and pads with Galfer components. I used to hunt and slay squids at Deals Gap with that bike, it was great fun stuffing squids on sportbikes with that thing. As such, I'll probably own a Wing again, and I'll absolutely ride the ever loving crap out of it, just like I did that '98.

Oh well, this got long and off the rails. Sorry.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ted
Bill Jennings said:
Oh please :rolleyes2:. I owned for several years a BMW S1000RR, 193hp at the crank, and it would leave your "death machine" for dead. Stock these bikes are breaking into the 9's in the quarter with trap speeds in the mid to upper 150's. It's the fastest thing I've ever ridden, and makes my previous fastest bike (Honda CBR 1100XX Blackbird) look like a moped.
Click to expand...
The Blackbird was a fine bike, but it was a sport cruiser, not a race bike. I smoked a couple of those BMers, honked off their riders pretty good too. For what they spent on those things they should have been honked off. BMW overbuilt the bikes, they were powerful but heavy. It's only been very recently that the power to weight has gotten to the point where new bikes can outrun my old one.

I had a an old GL1100, liked it when it wasn't broken, which wasn't often. Still, Honda makes a fine machine in the Goldwing. I'd own another if I did that kind of riding. I don't, for long rides I take the airplane. Truth, I did the trip to 6Y9 on the Goldwing and in the aircraft. The costs were about the same, since I had meals and lodging on the motorcycle in addition to the gas. Of course, had I thrown in all the fixed costs for the airplane it would have been way more expensive. But why would I want to do that?
 
steingar said:
The Blackbird was a fine bike, but it was a sport cruiser, not a race bike. I smoked a couple of those BMers, honked off their riders pretty good too. For what they spent on those things they should have been honked off. BMW overbuilt the bikes, they were powerful but heavy. It's only been very recently that the power to weight has gotten to the point where new bikes can outrun my old one.
Click to expand...

Now you're either just baiting or incredibly misinformed, as there is no way your Honda is out running an S1000RR.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Now you're either just baiting or incredibly misinformed, as there is no way your Honda is out running an S1000RR.
Click to expand...
Baloney. Did it more than once though it was a previous generation. They were powerful but heavy. Left them behind.
 
I had an older Kawasaki Vulcan 1800 and LOVED it. It was stupid fast, sounded almost identical to a Harley, rode better than a Harley, and was more reliable. I will admit they aren't the sexiest bikes out though.
 
I’ve let plenty of slower bikes pass me up as I don’t believe in “stupid speeds” on the street. They go away saying, “I just beat a SUZUKI Bandit 1200S in a drag race on my Ninja 400!” Enjoy your dream.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ted
Back on-topic, one of the best beginner-bikes, IMO is the SV650. Hands-down. It's not the only one, but it's close to perfect. Does nothing bad. Does everything rather well.

Beginning on a cruiser is a good way to never really learn cornering very well.
Beginning on a Goldwing? OMG, are you serious? Those take a lot of skill due to their weight. If you're a proficient motorcyclist, this is easy to have escape your attention.
250-300cc are all fun, but people tire of them faster than they should.
600cc superbikes? Ummmm. Please, no.

WhotheheckamI to say any of this?

I've owned 70 Goldwings.
I've owned several Triumphs.
I'm a former MSF instructor.
I'd rather ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow.
I've got over 500k miles of riding experience.
I've done 60k miles of California lanesharing. (yeah, that's a good estimate of simply my lanesharing miles)
I've gotten a "speed warning" at Laguna Seca on an S1000RR and a K1300S
 
I ride a worked ZX-14R. If you buy a Harley and need some extra HP I'll lend you 50. I won't miss it.
 
Rgbeard said:
The day a Blackbird outruns an S1000RR, it's a bad rider at the helm of the RR.

"It's not the arrow. It's the Indian."
Click to expand...

He doesn't have a Blackbird, he has a standard based on the older 954 fireblade motor.
 
Used Honda Shadow 750. Pick your flavor (Aero or Spirit). They are fast enough to do interstate speeds, handle decent for cruisers, are lightweight (for cruisers), can haul a passenger, are cheap to buy, get 40-50 mpg, and are cheap to insure.
 
LoLPilot said:
Used Honda Shadow 750. Pick your flavor (Aero or Spirit). They are fast enough to do interstate speeds, handle decent for cruisers, are lightweight (for cruisers), can haul a passenger, are cheap to buy, get 40-50 mpg, and are cheap to insure.
Click to expand...

Lol...that's pretty much what I said in post #2, except you elaborated. Perfect choice.
 
Brad Smith said:
I’ve let plenty of slower bikes pass me up as I don’t believe in “stupid speeds” on the street. They go away saying, “I just beat a SUZUKI Bandit 1200S in a drag race on my Ninja 400!” Enjoy your dream.
Click to expand...

Back in the day we called that the "ricer flyby." Some guy in a Civic would fly past you because you literally weren't accelerating at all, or close to it, and then went off and bragged to his friends how he smoked [some faster car that he could never have actually beaten].
 
Honda ST1300 with optional ABS brakes is about the best motorcycle I've ever owned. Second was a V65 Honda Magna.
 
I had a 2008 VTX 1800, with stage 3 trim, and kept it for almost exactly 10 years. Lots of torque...like TONS. I’ve only ridden one Harley, a 3year old (at that time) Roadster. I understand that ride is a subjective matter, but I honestly preferred my VTX over his Roadster, by a wide margin. I complimented him on his bike, but I would not have swapped him even for my VTX. And again, I don’t want to knock another fellas bike, that’s just the way I felt about it.
 
kgruber said:
Yamaha Roadliner/Stratoliner is belt drive. I've seen thousands of posts on motorcycle forums and NEVER seen any that complained about not being stable. Just the opposite!! They complain about a small gas tank and only a 5 speed transmission. But with 1900CC there is plenty of "grunt" and doesn't need another speed.

12.jpg
Click to expand...

Having owned this bike, I loved and hated for the exact reasons stated above. The tank is too small (127 miles to the tank) and the 5th gear. It needed a 6th. The 1900 would high pitch vibrate crazy at 72 mph and about 3000 rpm. It was a rough riding bike after about 62 mph.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I vote for a few year old Honda or Yamaha, plenty around, lower miles.

If you have to, take the emblem off & stick a Harley sticker on, open up the pipes a bit.

I get by with a CB-1100 Honda. It’s not really a ‘cruiser’, but low maintenance & reliable.
 
I own 5 Harley's and 2 Honda's. The rune, and a vtx 1300 s. The vtx is a fantastic and reliable ride with a great look, and comfortable on long runs. I actually ride it more than the Harley's.
 
Bill Jennings said:
He doesn't have a Blackbird, he has a standard based on the older 954 fireblade motor.
Click to expand...
The CB1000r is a bit north of “standard” but it’s no super sport. I don’t outrun much of anything anymore. It actually carries a later generation motor but doesn’t product much more than 120 hp at the real wheel. Engine was reworked to get a bit more uuumph at lower rpm. Means you don’t get as much with higher rpm. Had I not ridden a truly firebreathing super sport I’d regard it as a fast bike. There is a reason you don’t see a lot of older guys on super sports.

Mike canon said:
I own 5 Harley's and 2 Honda's. The rune, and a vtx 1300 s. The vtx is a fantastic and reliable ride with a great look, and comfortable on long runs. I actually ride it more than the Harley's.
Click to expand...
Wow, I didn’t think anyone owned a Rune. Neat looking bikes. I’ve not seen one in person.
 
Wow, I didn’t think anyone owned a Rune. Neat looking bikes. I’ve not seen one in person.[/QUOTE]
I bought it at an auction. Really cool bike. Rides awesome, just rare to find anymore so I don't take it out much. Most people don't even know what it is. Lol!
 
kgruber said:
The problem with a Harley is all the money you have to spend on the costume.
Click to expand...

They definitely have the business model figured out well. That said, I’ve found the accessories to be high quality. I’m not the only one - a friend of mine who owns something around 15-20 motorcycles (as in, actively owns them not has owned in the past) included an old Tour Glide as his highway cruiser. He had Harley gear and often wore the Harley gear on the Jap bikes because it was comfortable and durable.

We have a blend of Harley branded gear and other brands, but the Harley stuff does seem to have handled the years the best while also being comfortable.
 
Eh, you can buy the costume, I'll just ride the bikes.
 
Seems that the costume that the wannabe racer boys wear costs as much or more the the leather jacket and chaps worn by the cruiser crowd. It a good thing the racer boys wear that suit because they tend to slide along the pavement more often. Road rash can be very painful and even fatal if infection sets in.

Anyone care to guess where the term "Squid" comes from when referring to Ninja, Hurricane and Gixxer riders?
 
Last edited:
I obtained my MC license endorsement in 2016. I looked at various motorcycles, test rode a friends Harley then, without hesitation, bought a new Vespa GTV 300 ABS scooter, and I've had zero regrets. It cruises easily at 65 mph and does 75 WOT, plus I can haul lots of groceries n' stuff on local errands. I get a kick out of the sideways glances and double-takes I sometimes get from motorcyclists and drivers who don't expect a "mo-ped" to be going that fast. It fulfills perfectly my main mission, which is local use, but it can go places whenever I get the urge to get out on the highway. I've put 6,000 miles on it, which is 6,000 miles I didn't put on my pickup, not to mention the fuel savings.

The only downside to this scooter is the relatively small gas tank capacity (about 120 miles between fill-ups) and lack of top-end speed when you need it on the highway. The next step is to have a Malossi performance kit installed that'll boost top speed to 90+mph.
 
Lachlan said:
If you want to ride something that sounds like a Harley, I'd suggest a Harley. Sportsters are great bikes, easy to work on, build, and very affordable. Anyone who recommends a Japanese motorcycle is probably flying a Cirrus and doesn't have their tailwheel endorsement, and definitely a low-wing flyer following the magenta line to their nearest FBO for bottled water and a paved runway.
Click to expand...
I notice that you didn't put 'well built and reliable' as adjectives for the Harley.
As a trained Japanese motorcycle line mechanic at the beginning of my checkered career, I'd say buy a Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, or Kawasaki, in that order of preference.
 
The one time I rode a Bandit, it seemed fine but there was something "soulless" about the engine - just my opinion.

When I think of cruisers, I naturally think of twins, and mostly V-twins. Someone mentioned Virago's, and back in the 80's I owned an XV920R, admittedly more sport touring or standard than cruiser:

49199032351_5de61f7411_n.jpg


Hard to believe that little girl is turning 40 next year.

Anyway, different strokes. I'm starting to lean towards more basic bikes - one of these may grace my garage one day:

37287769854_367b16e455_z.jpg
 
Brad Smith said:
Seems that the costume that the wannabe racer boys wear costs as much or more the the leather jacket and chaps worn by the cruiser crowd. It a good thing the racer boys wear that suit because they tend to slide along the pavement more often. Road rash can be very painful and even fatal if infection sets in.

Anyone car to guess where the term "Squid" comes from when referring to Ninja, Hurricane and Gixxer riders?
Click to expand...
It’s really rare that I rear anything this stupid on the internet. We sportbike riders do wear gear, but it’s all protective. My leather jacket has armor and vents, so I keep wearing it when the weather gets warm. My helmet is one of the best full face helmets made by anyone. Even my gloves have armor. While gear can be stylish, the stuff worn by sport bikers is highly protective. Best is a full race suit, which has leggings as well. Dress for the crash, not the ride.

Squids are sportbike riders who don’t wear gear. Can’t recall the etymology.
 
Squid <—————— Squirrely kid
 
There are at least three things that can be the mark of a foolish person, 1. Riding a cycle without a helmet. 2. Having your kids in the car and not in car seats and/or seatbelts. 3. Smoking or chewing tobacco.
I would add racing without a ski helmet but real ski racing requires them.
My Son wears a helmet when he skis, but more so he wears full protective leathers and a big helmet on the motorcycles. His roommate in college described Charles first helmet as having a "divot" out of the side of it, from one of his crashes. He has won a lot of races, but has also been to emergency room a number of times. Without all the protective gear he would not be normal now, or at least some version of normal. Can you really hit hard enough to crack one of the best helmets? Dam right.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top