Motorcycle question

FormerHangie

FormerHangie

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FormerHangie
I have one of "those" birthdays coming up next week, and I'm taking the day off to do fun things, one of which is to rent a motorcycle. I got my first motorcycle at age 15, had them throughout my 20's, got another one at age 34, and rode it for seven years until some fool turned in front of me, and that was the end of the motorcycle. Two days later we found out that daughter #1 was on the way, and I promised my wife I wouldn't get another one until she was grown. She's not grown quite yet, but I didn't say anything about not renting a motorcycle.

Anyhoo, both of my adult motorcycles were middleweight standards, the first was a Moto Guzzi V50, and the second a Honda Hawk GT. Looking at the local EagleRider location's offerings, I've narrowed my choices to three: a BMW F650 GS, a Suzuki V-Srom 650, or a Triumph Bonneville T100. Since I haven't been on a bike in so long, I'm looking for something easy to handle, so not too heavy and not with a tall seat. Thoughts?
 
Being that you haven't been on a bike in ages, I'd go for something with ABS because your braking skills will not be good, and the only one on the list that may have ABS is the F650 GS. If it does have ABS, you can brake pretty much like a car. Max braking input and let the computers sort it out.

EDIT: Maybe make part of the B-day gift doing a MSF BRC to get back in the swing of things? Just a suggestion.

https://www.msf-usa.org/students.aspx#brc-brc
 
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An F650gs is a dual sport bike, where as the other two are street bikes. I would go with the V-Strom myself, unless you really want semi-unimproved road capability. I'm not a big fan of Triumph mechanical wise.
 
Triumph is not the same as the Triumph that went bust in the 80's (unless the Bonneville your renting is vintage). The T100 is a good bike to bash about town on with a low seat height and and may feel lighter due to the lower cg. The F650 and Strom might be more comfortable if you were going a long distance and doing long touring days. It also depends on your height, the F650 and Strom can sometimes be a little tall for the inseam challenged.
 
As an avid motorcycle rider my choice would be the V-Strom. I've only ridden the 1000cc version but reports are all good on the 650 version. A very easy & predictable motorcycle to ride.
 
You need to be the one to answer that question. We cannot answer it for you, sorry.
You ask for easy to handle so something like a dirt bike. You ask for not-a-tall seat, which points to a cruiser. And non-too-heavy rules the cruiser out.
Those criteria, unfortunately, cannot be easily combined. Go ride all 3 and see which one you like the most and which one you feel the safest and most comfortable on. That's what I'd do.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Being that you haven't been on a bike in ages, I'd go for something with ABS because your braking skills will not be good, and the only one on the list that may have ABS is the F650 GS. If it does have ABS, you can brake pretty much like a car. Max braking input and let the computers sort it out.

EDIT: Maybe make part of the B-day gift doing a MSF BRC to get back in the swing of things? Just a suggestion.

https://www.msf-usa.org/students.aspx#brc-brc
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I will check with them to see if that F650GS has ABS. This will just be a one day rental since I told my wife I wouldn't buy another bike until my daughters are grown, and they're still teens.

denverpilot said:
I suggest making sure the life insurance is paid up. :)
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It is, Mr. Smarty Pants. You did get me doing a quick NPV calculation on whether I'm worth more dead than alive, though. (The answer still is alive, for about the next five years)

Sac Arrow said:
An F650gs is a dual sport bike, where as the other two are street bikes. I would go with the V-Strom myself, unless you really want semi-unimproved road capability. I'm not a big fan of Triumph mechanical wise.
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I want to check to see if the F650GS has ABS, that's a big plus. On the other hand, the temps should be in the upper 50's on that day and the V-Strom's full fairing has some appeal.


Shopshirt said:
Triumph is not the same as the Triumph that went bust in the 80's (unless the Bonneville your renting is vintage). The T100 is a good bike to bash about town on with a low seat height and and may feel lighter due to the lower cg. The F650 and Strom might be more comfortable if you were going a long distance and doing long touring days. It also depends on your height, the F650 and Strom can sometimes be a little tall for the inseam challenged.
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I'm 6' 0" with a 34 inch inseam, I should be OK with the VStrom. It's just a one day rental, I'll be leaving from northwest Atlanta and will probably head up towards northwest Georgia and the Alabama border

BigBadLou said:
You need to be the one to answer that question. We cannot answer it for you, sorry.
You ask for easy to handle so something like a dirt bike. You ask for not-a-tall seat, which points to a cruiser. And non-too-heavy rules the cruiser out.
Those criteria, unfortunately, cannot be easily combined. Go ride all 3 and see which one you like the most and which one you feel the safest and most comfortable on. That's what I'd do.
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All three of them meet my criteria. By not too heavy I meant not a loaded tourer or a Harley dresser, not too tall would be one of the taller dual sport or adventure bikes. I was thinking something not over 450 lbs or so and a seat height under 33 inches.

Skyrys62 said:
I'd say rent all three.
it's the only way to know...
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Provided my wife doesn't freak out after she finds out about this, that may just happen.

JCranford said:
You can buy my Street Glide...
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My wife says otherwise.

ktup-flyer said:
F800GS
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That's a really cool looking bike, but I want something with a lower seat height this time around.
 
saddletramp said:
As an avid motorcycle rider my choice would be the V-Strom. I've only ridden the 1000cc version but reports are all good on the 650 version. A very easy & predictable motorcycle to ride.
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That's what I'm leaning towards now.
 
Rent the Bonnie.

A year from now you'll still be enjoying the memory and re-reading Peter Eagan stories.

(I ride a Triumph Daytona 675 myself.)
 
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Why not another Guzzi?
 
rent the t 100.....a boring bike but low seat and moderate power.....
 
If you’re worried about a tall seat height, I’d stay away from the BMWs....second renting a bike with ABS though.
 
Oh, and let me know when you do this, if it's a weekend day I might ride down and meet your for lunch if that sounds good.
 
You want low seat height, you want the Bonnie. I can flat foot a Bonnie, can't even touch ground on the dual sports. Bonnie all the way. Besides, Bonnies have soul, which no BMW has ever had in the history of the world.
 
flhrci said:
The Horror! Are you leaving the Street Glide Nation for good? I love my SGS. Would not trade her for anything, not even a plane!
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My pal's Sporty is the only motorcycle I've ever ridden that I would rather not ride again.
 
steingar said:
My pal's Sporty is the only motorcycle I've ever ridden that I would rather not ride again.
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I wouldn't either. I had one. Not good for much but riding place to place in town. The touring line though is the best of the Harley's to me.
 
steingar said:
You want low seat height, you want the Bonnie. I can flat foot a Bonnie, can't even touch ground on the dual sports. Bonnie all the way. Besides, Bonnies have soul, which no BMW has ever had in the history of the world.
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Meh, twin cyl motorcycles have soul, inline 4's don't. I've had them all, singles, twins (V, parallel, and flat), triples, fours (inline and V-4), and sixes (flat). Singles, twins, and V-4's have soul, the others are too smooth for my tastes.
 
I suggest in order:

Triumph
VStrom
BMW
 
RalphInCA said:
Thank you thank you thank you! I am sure he’d never thought that riding a motorcycle was dangerous.

You may have saved a life today.

As an avid motorcyclist, and past motorcycle safety foundation instructor I am so so tired of people telling us that these machines are dangerous. We kind a know that.

Did you know that according to some studies small flying small general aviation airplanes is equally as dangerous as riding motorcycles?
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My comment had more to do with the fact that he said he hasn’t been on one in decades, than the machines themselves.

Same deal with airplanes... we even have these things called Flight Reviews...
 
Bill Jennings said:
Meh, twin cyl motorcycles have soul, inline 4's don't. I've had them all, singles, twins (V, parallel, and flat), triples, fours (inline and V-4), and sixes (flat). Singles, twins, and V-4's have soul, the others are too smooth for my tastes.
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Yeah, singles and twins have soul, but so do triples! Triumph triples in particular have lots of soul, and as a bonus they also have a nice even pull all the way to a 10K rpm redline. Not the gonzo hit you'd get from an inline 4, (thinking R1, etc) but they are a great blend of mid range torque and top end pull. Luscious sound too, kinda burbly and poppy, with a shriek at the top. My current triple is a Yamaha FJ09, and while a great motor, doesn't quite have as much "character" as the triple in my old Triumph Sprint ST.
 
Half Fast said:
Rent the Bonnie.

A year from now you'll still be enjoying the memory and re-reading Peter Eagan stories.

(I ride a Triumph Daytona 675 myself.)
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Triumphs definitely have a lot more character.

I bought my wife a Triumph Daytona 675 in 2010 as her birthday present. That was her bike (mine was a Honda RC51) and we had a blast tearing up the twisties in Pennsylvania. She loved the Triumph (so did I, I just didn't ride it much). We ended up selling it a few years ago in Ohio when it became obvious we weren't going to do anymore sportbike riding. Really we hardly do any riding at all these days. Don't think my wife has ridden her motorcycle once, I rode mine nearly 1,000 miles in the first couple warm months and parked it the rest of the season.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Triumphs definitely have a lot more character.

I bought my wife a Triumph Daytona 675 in 2010 as her birthday present. That was her bike (mine was a Honda RC51) and we had a blast tearing up the twisties in Pennsylvania. She loved the Triumph (so did I, I just didn't ride it much). We ended up selling it a few years ago in Ohio when it became obvious we weren't going to do anymore sportbike riding. Really we hardly do any riding at all these days. Don't think my wife has ridden her motorcycle once, I rode mine nearly 1,000 miles in the first couple warm months and parked it the rest of the season.
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Mine's a 2013; first year of the new version.

From what little I've seen of Kansas, I don't think I'd do much sport bike riding there, either. Are there any curves in the state?

My wife used to live in Kismet and we drove through there a few years ago. Tiny place; a strong sneeze would take it off the map. Had lunch in Liberal and visited Dorothy's house, of course.
 
Half Fast said:
Mine's a 2013; first year of the new version.

From what little I've seen of Kansas, I don't think I'd do much sport bike riding there, either. Are there any curves in the state?

My wife used to live in Kismet and we drove through there a few years ago. Tiny place; a strong sneeze would take it off the map. Had lunch in Liberal and visited Dorothy's house, of course.
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Kansas is very flat and no curves. A sportbike here is pretty silly - there are no turns, other than 90 degree turns when you go from a North/South road to an East/West road, or vice versa. In north-central PA (where we lived when I bought it for her), the roads were glorious. Here the Harleys do fine. But, like I said, we just don't ride much anymore. If we were honest with ourselves, we should probably just sell the things and buy new ones in another 10-15 years when the kids get older.
 
Some of this depends on how tall you are, your inseam, and what kind of riding you plan to do. But I would say rent the Triumph for a one-day screwing-around trip - i.e., no interstate and no dirt roads. It's cool, it has a low seat for flat-footing the bike, and, the power is adequate but won't get you into trouble. The Strom and GS are better all around bikes, but have a higher seat, probably a little higher center of gravity, and aren't as cool for just cruising around. Also the BMW has weird switchgear which takes a while to get used to.
 
My dad has a Vstrom...it’s a nice bike. ABS is nice but that doesn’t make or break the choice in my opinion.
 
I've never understood the concept of 'soul' on a motorcycle. Air cooled twins have some advantages but can't match the performance and smoothness of inline fours. My favorite bike to ride just happened to be my BMW 1200RT, but that was because it handled the best at slow speeds and was the most comfortable. If I could have the power and smoothness of the Concours with the light handling and ergonomics of the RT, I would have the perfect bike. Before the last two sport touring bikes, I've pushed sport bikes most of my life.

If freeways were not an issue and I did strictly city/burbs riding, I'd pick up some small 125-150cc class scooter like the Honda PCX (I don't think they sell them here anymore.) I ride something similar when I'm in SE Asia. They are a blast to ride and are quite practical. Go shopping? Just hook the plastic bags on the little pegs up front. Transport a 12 pack of beer? Hold it between your knees if your.... translator... isn't riding on the back to hold it.
 
Half Fast said:
Hmmmm..... Maybe you could sell the kids and get back on the bikes. :)
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Honestly, I don't miss riding. It's not nearly as fun here, and what I want to do with the bikes are long motorcycle trips going out to the mountains which aren't happening until the kids are at least in high school, more likely out of the house. If we lived in PA we'd be more likely to do fun rides, but we don't live there anymore - we live in Kansas. We've taken the bikes out a few times when we get a babysitter, but the roads here just are unenjoyable, and the dynamics aren't the same as in PA. Just feels like clinging on to something that's changed.

Personally, I'd be fine with selling them and cashing in to buy a Cub. We'll use it more in the upcoming years and get a lot more enjoyment out of it. In another 10-15 years when we're ready to ride again, our current bikes will be old and then we'd have concerns about them breaking when on trips. The newer Harleys are getting nicer, more powerful, etc. And if we do ride, what I'd really rather do is go out to Colorado and rent a couple of bikes to go tour around the mountains. Or go to PA and do similar.

Something to consider. Not going to sell anything now - November is the wrong time to sell motorcycles anyway.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Honestly, I don't miss riding. It's not nearly as fun here, and what I want to do with the bikes are long motorcycle trips going out to the mountains which aren't happening until the kids are at least in high school, more likely out of the house. If we lived in PA we'd be more likely to do fun rides, but we don't live there anymore - we live in Kansas.

Personally, I'd be fine with selling them and cashing in to buy a Cub. We'll use it more in the upcoming years and get a lot more enjoyment out of it. In another 10-15 years when we're ready to ride again, our current bikes will be old and then we'd have concerns about them breaking when on trips. The newer Harleys are getting nicer, more powerful, etc. And if we do ride, what I'd really rather do is go out to Colorado and rent a couple of bikes to go tour around the mountains. Or go to PA and do similar.

Something to consider. Not going to sell anything now - November is the wrong time to sell motorcycles anyway.
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I kind of feel the same way. I'm not motivated to go on long rides like I used to. I guess I'm spoiled by heating, air conditioning, wind protection, stereo, and room to carry 'stuff' I need at my destination. Don't get me wrong, motorcycles are a lot of fun, but in the end I'm more of a 'get from point A to point B' kind of guy. I've commuted for years on a bike mainly to have the capability for lane splitting, which we can do here.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I kind of feel the same way. I'm not motivated to go on long rides like I used to. I guess I'm spoiled by heating, air conditioning, wind protection, stereo, and room to carry 'stuff' I need at my destination. Don't get me wrong, motorcycles are a lot of fun, but in the end I'm more of a 'get from point A to point B' kind of guy. I've commuted for years on a bike mainly to have the capability for lane splitting, which we can do here.
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We may be in the same place, but I think we got there differently.

I'm not a "point A to point B" kind of guy, I'm someone who's always wanted to enjoy the journey as much as the destination - getting there should be half the fun. That's why my first car was a V12 Jaguar when other kids were driving Hyundais and Ford Foci. Yeah, their cars were reliable (although not really cheaper since they bought new), but I had a hell of a lot more fun than they did. Soul? In-line 4 motorcycles don't have any.

But I have kids to take to school, and motorcycle isn't the way that'll happen for a while, if ever. I also have kids that I need to come home alive to, and a motorcycle isn't as conducive to that. The fun rides we do just aren't the same as they were in PA. So, it feels like holding onto a part of life that's past just for the sake of holding on to it.
 
Half Fast said:
Rent the Bonnie.

A year from now you'll still be enjoying the memory and re-reading Peter Eagan stories.

(I ride a Triumph Daytona 675 myself.)
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The forecast is for temps in the middle to upper 50's, so I'm thinking I want the V-Strom's fairing. I'm hoping this won't upset my wife too much and I'll get to do this some next year as well, and I'll definitely try the Bonneville.

aftCG said:
Why not another Guzzi?
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They don't have any. If I were buying I would definitely consider a Guzzi.

Vf6cruiser said:
rent the t 100.....a boring bike but low seat and moderate power.....
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I've never been bored on a motorcycle.

Bill Jennings said:
Oh, and let me know when you do this, if it's a weekend day I might ride down and meet your for lunch if that sounds good.
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It will be a week from Thursday, the ninth. I can meet you somewhere up in northwest Georgia.

denverpilot said:
My comment had more to do with the fact that he said he hasn’t been on one in decades, than the machines themselves.

Same deal with airplanes... we even have these things called Flight Reviews...
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A motorcycle is vastly easier to operate than is an airplane. Provided you don't ride like a maniac, the main survival skill is avoidance, which I already do on my bicycle and in my car. There are a few things you add when riding a motorcycle, like making sure when you stop the person behind you does as well, and getting out of the lane if he doesn't, but I remember them quite well.
 
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