Help pick a cruiser

I am hoping to buy a (used?) cruiser so my dad and i can ride together. The Cb200 is not cutting it for him and its really a slow ride haha. The sale of the CB will fund the new bike. I say that im buying my dad a bike but essentially i am buying another bike for me and letting him ride it although so far all the choices appeal to him as well so everyone wins.

I am looking at cruisers (sport cruisers?)

Price is like $2000 but i have been looking at high as $2500.

I want a reliable mainstream bike (i think) 600-1200 cc. If its a touring motorcycle my insurance is 15% cheaper so thats a plus.

So. Bike that have been popping up a lot:

• Honda Shadow (ACE/ VTX/ VT) (dunno what it means)
• Honda Runmaster
• Kawasaki Vulcan (VN?)
• Suzuki Intruder

Most are 700-800cc which i feel would be ample power. Most actually seem to have fairly low miles on em (under 10-15K)

So which bikes stand out? Which are better then others? Advice? Things to look for?

Thanks as always

Get a Sportster. $2500 should get you into a decent 883 or even an 1100.

The Kawasaki ZG1000 Concourse was produced from 1932 until last year without a change. (I am kidding, but only a bit) They are a sport-touring bike with a huge following. You can get an early 2000s model within your budget I would think.

If it was my choice I'd want a Sporty.

If not than I think the goldwingers look pretty cool especially stripped of all the BS. I think one member here has a cool naked winger, they sound really cool also with the flat four. They are basically give away bikes, you can get one for 1500$ all day long.

Yamaha Virago?

You can do this with a Virago

Dr. Hess wrote: Get a Sportster. $2500 should get you into a decent 883 or even an 1100.

where haha i have been looking a bit. they are 20% more insurance but it would be under my dads name.

love the 883 iron fwiw

Honda Shadows are pretty bulletproof, as were the old Yamaha Viragos.

Another vote for the Virago...

The PC800 will be next cruiser. Or maybe the TransAlp. Maybe not traditional enough for your pops though.

I'd second the votes for a Concours or PC 800, but practically speaking, the most bang for the buck winner is the CB750 Honda.

Viragos have terrible, effectively terminal starter problems. That's why you find them so cheap. It has been a while since I worked on the last one, but it was an incredibly expensive headache that left me and the customer angry. Not recommended.

(Aside from that, even though they can look cool, they certainly don't from stock. And what can't look cool with enough time/effort/money?)

My $0.02? Get a Shadow, the newest and best you can find.

Be careful with your terminology. An 883 is not "iron." The very last thing you want is an Iron head Sportster (pre '86). Technically, there was an iron head 883, but it was called a 900. Any Sportster 86 and up is an Evo Sportster and a fine bike. Don't be put off by a 4 speed either. This 4 speed 883 (1987) has no problem at all staying up with my big twin:

Dr. Hess wrote: ........ This 4 speed 883 (1987) has no problem at all staying up with my big twin:

So, does this mean the sporty, and Doc Linda, is fast or is the hogger, and Hess, slow?

Just fooling Doc.

CarKid1989 wrote: So. Bike that have been popping up a lot: - Honda Shadow (ACE/ VTX/ VT) (dunno what it means) - Kawasaki Vulcan (VN?) - Suzuki Intruder

Of these three which one is superior?

I ran a 1983 GPz-1100 for a few years, sold it for what I paid for it. Three years later my son bought it for $1200 but it had new sneakers, new chain and sprockets.

Old sportbikes are not as sporty as new ones, this one is more like a sport standard. Plenty quick, heavy enough to ride all day, enough snot to get you out of trouble and you can put bags on it. The engine has been around a long time unchanged. Mine had K&Ns and a Kerker.

Limiting you choices to "Cruiser" really narrows the field.

CarKid1989 wrote:

CarKid1989 wrote: So. Bike that have been popping up a lot: - Honda Shadow (ACE/ VTX/ VT) (dunno what it means) - Kawasaki Vulcan (VN?) - Suzuki Intruder

Of these three which one is superior?

ACE means American Classic Edition; Harley-esque.

I don't like the way the tank sits on an Intruder, it looks like an after thought.

I would go for the Vulcan. Actually I would buy a Drifter and make it an Indian clone.

So i went out this weekend to a few motorcycle dealers to sit on a bunch of bike to see what i liked and disliked.

The Harley is out of the picture as is the Virago, Marauder and prob Vulcan.

I love the honda shadow. The Shadow RS and Phantom both were comfortable and i fell for em. Granted my budget wont allow me to BUY one but i will be content to MAKE a "clone" out of a bit older Honda Shadow.

So Honda 750 and VStar 950.

However are these considered "Touring" motorcycles?

Is there a list of "touring" motorcycles?

A 750cc bike bike will be ok to insure but a 950cc i dunno unless its a touring stlye bike.

Thanks

While im here can anyone say good or bad on the honda shadow 600? They are dime a dozen which is good for me but the speed of them has me worried.

One site said 14.5 @ 91 mph and another says 16.4 @ 78 mph for the quartermile. Now i get they are geared for cruising and the 14.5 quarter mile is ok but if its slower then its a no go.

Can anyone confirm the numbers or give insight here? Ideally im shooting for a 750cc shadow but 600cc is cheaper

If you're moving off of the list, seriously check out a PC800, like Bastomatic said earlier. Maybe something like this from craigslist:

Honda CB650 Weekend Special - $750 (North Syracuse) Date: 2011-02-18, 3:32PM EST Reply to: sale-mabvc-2221767780@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

I have a 1981 Honda CB650 with 5,618 original miles 2 brand new tires chrome spoke wheels, original paint on tank and side covers. Bike is a very strong runner, but does smoke a bit mostly when you first start it up and one of the fork seals will need to be replaced. Battery not included. Beautiful bike at great price. Clean NY title in hand.Would be good as a daily rider, step up from a starter bike, So here is a chance to get a good bike at great price. Do let this deal slip by! Call 315-491-5547 or email me. Thanks!

* Location: North Syracuse

minimac wrote: If you're moving off of the list, seriously check out a PC800,

HATE the PC800 haha.

i guess im past the standard foot position and want a mid or forward now...hence the cruiser thing

When my son was about 8 years old, I went for a ride with a guy from my Karate class. He rolled up in a champagne colored PC-800.

Kid looks it over, put his hands on his hips, "Looks like a Judy Jetson motorcycle".

A PC is definitely an acquired taste, but it is a much more capable bike than it looks. Back on topic, Honda 750 Magna or a Sabre might be to your liking, or maybe the Suzuki 600 Bandit. Easy to insure, too. If you want to drop down a little performance wise, it's tough to beat the Kaw EX500 and they are priced right.

That's my old 1980 CX500, proof that just about anything can go touring. I travelled thousands of miles on that sucker, usually two up, and it never let me down. I think most old UJMs, and especially Hondas, will provide miles of enjoyment for little $$$. I never had a single complaint about my 30 year old bike, until...

The market tanked, bikes weren't selling, and I picked up an unsold 2009 V-Star 950 for less than $6K new. With another $1K in bags, backrest and windshield, I had a great touring and cruising bike with a warranty. (They also have a touring model, but I couldn't find any with such a deep discount)

Riding it, I can't believe the difference 35 years makes! I compared it to the Sportster, but for me the Sporty was too small/weak for touring. (Plus, you can see that my buddies ride maxed-out Ultra Classics. Once you try one of those, you want nothing less from HD! Someday...) Compared to other Japanese bikes, I would be sacrificing some style, EFI, rear disk brake, mag wheels or other options...and be spending more money, so for me the choice was simple.

The only downside is that you scrape the floorboards at anything over 3-degree lean angle so if you are coming from a sportbike you will hate it. I am a pretty relaxed rider, so it doesn't bother me.

I am really liking the Honda Shadow which tops my list for cruiser i want (maybe a magna)

Anyone have any experience with the Shadow 750?

THanks all