What bike?

We do this all the time with cars, so maybe you can help me with bikes (and the Miata/E30/P71 cop-out won't work here )

I've mainly ridden UJMs. I've had everything from a Honda CM250 Custom to a Suzuki GS1100L. Mostly I ride mid size bikes, 500-750. Right now I have an 82 Honda Silverwing GL500i. Nice bike, and I've enjoyed some weekend trips on it. I thought I wanted to do more touring, but the truth is that real life has taken over too much, and I simply don't have the time to do as much touring as I'd hoped. Mostly I end up tooling around evenings and weekends, and I'd like to do more commuting. It's a bit small for my girlfriend and I to ride together, and it's 30 years old. It was a great bargain - I got it for $400 plus my dead GS1100L and it's taken me up Mt. Washington - but I'm looking for the next bigger thing.

My problem is that there are so many models out there, and I don't know them all, mainly because I've been going from one good deal to the next. Now that I intend to get something I actively want, I don't know what I want. A Goldwing is the next logical step from the Silverwing I have now, but if I'm not touring, is it, really?

Here's what I do know:

• Large enough for me and my girlfriend to ride together.
• 600 or more. Don't need over 800 but wouldn't rule it out.
• A bit newer than my 30 year old Silverwing.
• Able to carry my laptop bag in a hard saddlebag or trunk. (I can swap on the aftermarket trunk off my Silverwing.) This is a requirement for commuting.
• Roughly $3000 tops. Less is better.
• But not a project bike. I've had enough of those. I want something I can just hop on and ride.
• Style? Don't know. I'm not a sport rider - I get my speed thrills on 4 wheels with metal around me. Sport touring, touring, standard, cruiser (except Harley), all of those could work.

What do you suggest?

V-Strom seems to be the equivalent of Miata. I don't know about the price they fetch, though.

V stropm is kinda sucky for riding a girl on the back. I would look at one of the Yamaha Harley clones or a Honda shadow 750.

You sound like you are looking for some kind of VFR.

VFR is a good choice for something sporty-ish but still reasonably comfortable.

For proper two-up riding I'd also look at BMW K100RS/RTs if you can get those in that price range. Another option - but it might be over your budget - is to go look for an ST1100.

I like my ZRX1200R and that one is definitely available within your price range, but the passenger accommodation isn't that great (rear footpegs are way to high up IMHO, but you can get lowering adapters). You can get a topbox mount for them but no side cases. Something I actually need to look into as I have the mount and baseplate for mine, but no case.

Triumph Tiger 'steamer' or 'girlie'. The 'girlie' is the FI model and will struggle to make your price point, but the earlier carb model ('steamer') is out there for 3 grand or a little less. I know the 955i comes standard with luggage. The 3 cyl Triumph engine gets rave reviews. It's a sorta-kinda-wannabe dual-sport like the V-Strom but...different. More personality, certainly, and more power. And, despite it being from Merry Olde England, they are actually very reliable.

So you want a comfortable 2 up commuter. I have 1 recommendation.

Pacific Coast.

dead nuts reliable, great handling, not popular so you can get them cheap, easy maintenance (shaft drive Vtwin 800 Honda), and a massive trunk. They are very, very comfortable.

Western Mass Craigslist of PC800s

Why haven't you bought a VFR yet?

VFR (but that's my avatar so I'm sort of biased).

Possibly an early SV650?

Seriously.

95 VFR

2001 VFR

99 VFR

Re the VFRs - I would recommend to try both the 750 and the 800 for size. I've owned a 750 that I rather liked and I also tried a pre-VTEC 800 at some point. The seating position on the 800 is different enough to put more weight on your wrists and in my case, that was too much weight.

Oh, and check the the connectors for the regular/rectifier on those. In typical Honda fashion they fry, often taking the battery with them. I had one conk out completely at 70mph on the motorway in the UK, in the outside lane no less. It didn't exactly endear the mechanic to me who had previously attempted to "fix" the electrics...

VFR is good but I think they would fall short in a few areas.

Stock comfort for the rear passenger, Stock Storage, Price ($3K doesn't buy a very nice VFR IME)

Seriously take a look at the PC. I have never seen someone ride one and then say something negative about the bike. But I can also say the same thing about the VFR.

ddavidv wrote: Triumph Tiger 'steamer' or 'girlie'. The 'girlie' is the FI model and will struggle to make your price point, but the earlier carb model ('steamer') is out there for 3 grand or a little less. I know the 955i comes standard with luggage. The 3 cyl Triumph engine gets rave reviews. It's a sorta-kinda-wannabe dual-sport like the V-Strom but...different. More personality, certainly, and more power. And, despite it being from Merry Olde England, they are actually very reliable.

Everyone I know who has a Tiger loves it. Most don't do two-up on them though. I think that has more to do with the size of the rider/passenger, than the bike though.

BMW K or R something

FJ1200s are in your price range and look really cool

Recent 750 Katanas are good value

I don't know how they do with 2up touring but the Kawasaki ZR7s might be just right for you. 1/4 faired modern aircooled standard sport tourer. I see em around $2k. But the 90's CB750 is around the same price, may look nicer but lacks a fairing.

Personally, I'd take a look at yesteryear's super tourers, specifically the CBR1100 Blackbird. But, I do enjoy the whooosh factor.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'd never heard of the PC before, but it sounds like just the sort of bike I'm looking for, and info like that is what I'd hoped to find. Many other good suggestions, too. Now I can make a shopping list.

I'll add a +1 to the Pacific Coast. Had one for exactly the uses you describe, and it did everything I asked of it without skipping a beat. I rode it 500+ miles the first day I owned it, and had no vibration issues at all from the 80+mph freeway jogs up and down the mountains.

For commuting, it would start up every morning, carry all my stuff, and it could fit a full face helmet and cold-weather gear in the locked trunk once I got to work. Wife said it was "too comfortable" whatever that means.

Only con is they're carbed engines, so they like to be used and not sit around. I only sold mine because I knew I wouldn't be doing any riding for a few years, but I'd definitely get another. There's a great community online, many have gone over 100k miles.

Here's a classified list for the PC800.

_# for PC800 pacific coast

Have you checked out the Kawasaki ZRX1100 or ZRX1200? They look amazing in green, classic UJM styling, reasonably priced, etc.

I'm looking at a well equipped PC800 this afternoon. A little more $ than I'd planned on, but it for a bunch of add-ons and full maintenance records, I might just make the stretch...

Sweet. On a bike that age it's certainly worth springing for a well-cared-for example.

Step it up to a proper wing man. All these answers, and no one wants to say the obvious, you have a silverwing, step up to a full on goldwing. Up to about 87 they were 1200's still got 30mpg or better. Personally I would pay a bit more for an 88 or newer aspencade with reverse and an extra 300cc. According to dad, in the mountains it was a whole lot more enjoyable than his 1200 when 2 up. Growing up my mom had a silverwing and dad had a goldwing, so I pretty much grew up on the back of both. Learned to ride on dads wing, smooth lots of torque, easy to roll out on. Lots of room for laptops and such. Heck I've only had sportbikes since I moved out of my parents house, and after taking dads project wing for a spin, I'm looking for one now.

local cl ads:

87 wing with 32k on it

gone but this gives you an idea

85 LE exact bike I learned to ride on

White_and_Nerdy wrote: I'm looking at a well equipped PC800 this afternoon. A little more $ than I'd planned on, but it for a bunch of add-ons and full maintenance records, I might just make the stretch...

Pics if you go for it!!!

As for the GoldWing vs PC.

drop them both and see which one you can get up by yourself. That always answer the Half-Civic vs Motorcycle argument for me. The wing is a great touring bike, but it isn't a commuter.

In reply to Flight Service:

I've been able to pick one up since I was 14. That was the test before dad would teach me to ride it. A year after back surgery I was able to right one by myself. It really is all about technique, that being said, drop it in the sand and you're gonna hate yourself. That and PC's are just UGLY!

I caught a 1500 coming off the stand at work one day. Back hurt for 2 weeks, and I was alot stronger then.

If you pick up a handle bar in the ground gold wing up since you were 14, (not talking the baby-GL 1000/1100/1200 UJM models, I mean the 1500 (like you suggested he purchase) and 1800 versions) I salute you Mr. HooganSchwartnegerNorris, Sir!!!! I am sorry for ever saying something that you would not agree with, SIR!

But since I doubt you are the son of Jor-el and the yellow sun has strange effects on your genetic structure I will bet this was a crash guards up lift on a semi-hard surface.

900~1000lbs is more than un-believable for a 14 year old to manipulate.

...and yes the PC800 looks fat scooter ugly, but they out handle a GL (and for what the GL is they do maneuver well), have better fuel economy no matter which version GL you buy, have a thinner profile which is great for commuting and have a larger single compartment (vs the dressed GLs 3 compartments) which all lead to a great day to day bike.

Flight Service wrote: I caught a 1500 coming off the stand at work one day. Back hurt for 2 weeks, and I was alot stronger then. If you pick up a handle bar in the ground gold wing up since you were 14, (not talking the baby-GL 1000/1100/1200 UJM models, I mean the 1500 (like you suggested he purchase) and 1800 versions) I salute you Mr. HooganSchwartnegerNorris, Sir!!!! I am sorry for ever saying something that you would not agree with, SIR! But since I doubt you are the son of Jor-el and the yellow sun has strange effects on your genetic structure I will bet this was a crash guards up lift on a semi-hard surface. 900~1000lbs is more than un-believable for a 14 year old to manipulate. ...and yes the PC800 looks fat scooter ugly, but they out handle a GL (and for what the GL is they do maneuver well), have better fuel economy no matter which version GL you buy, have a thinner profile which is great for commuting and have a larger single compartment (vs the dressed GLs 3 compartments) which all lead to a great day to day bike.

He didn't dead lift it, just put it back on the wheels

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlFY91626u0