Cruise bike

[Noko]

I'm thinking of buying a bike, cruise bike, 1200 or bigger. I've got a couple of friends who have one and I think it would be fun to take the wife and tour the US with these guys. I had a couple of bikes in the 80's but haven't ridden since. I'm going on 53. I was off bikes for a while because I just thought I'd get crushed by some moron driver. I'm not trying to recapture my youth, but my buds seem to be enjoying the ride and I think I may be missing out on some good experiences. Any thought from the Peanut Gallery?

 

[TheGreekTitan]

I always recommend watching one or all of Jerry The Motorman Palladino dvd's. Straight, no nonsense tips and tricks for all skill levels. They can be found on Amazon and elsewhere.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s?k=Jerry+the+motorman

Stay safe out there, and keep the shiny side up.

 

[ToddW850]

Bought my first bike a couple years ago (Honda VTX 1300). I'm really enjoying the riding trips we've been doing. I think the longest we've done so far was 110 miles. But my buddies ride theirs up to North Carolina and cruise the mountains. I'm looking forward to joining them on that trip too. I too worry about idiotic drivers not paying attention or driving reckless. Keep my head on a swivel when I ride. But I'd tell you to do it. There's no question you'd enjoy it, especially if you've owned bikes in the past.

 

[biffdotorg]

I too rode back in the late 80's as a cheap form of transportation while going to college. I got out of it till about 10 years ago. Since then, I have put on roughly 60,000 miles and loved every bit of it.

You will be happy you live in the Northland, as used bikes are all over and very low mileage. I am currently trying to sell my wife's bike will little luck as the market is flooded due to this half-assed spring we are having. A good week of 80 degrees, and most used bikes should sell.

Don't be afraid of exploring brands. Best advise is either find something that can be serviced locally, or there is a good online community if you care to wrench yourself. Most are not complex machines, so working on them yourself is not hard at all. Don't let these new computer controlled engines scare you away from the garage either. Most are cake to work on.

I don't preach to fellow riders, but I am an ATGATT kind of guy. All the gear, all the time.

Have fun!

 

[Noko]

Thanks for the info.

 

[Scott griffith]

Jerry is the great my dad use to be a franchise owner a few years back we have had Harley all my life I got my first bike when I was 4

 

[fireflymedic]

You might want to rent a bike and drive it 8 hrs. Straight. I found my back cannot take it anymore. I'm around your age but maybe you have not abused your body like I have.

 

[viggen]

I won't be to worried about staying at or above a certain size engine. Get one that fits you best, is comfortable and has whatever creature comforts that you want.

Presently I have a Yamaha yz450f motorcross bike and a Buell 1125cr. I really enjoy the Buell on the street however cruiser and comfort isn't it's forte, I did add riser bars to make it a little more comfortable however 100-150 miles is about all I can take on a day of riding.

Prior to the Buell I had several Harley ultra classics. Multiple 400-500 mile days of riding were easy and having a radio, saddle bags, windscreen etc made riding easy on the body. Comfort wise the only way I could ride it was with a backrest, and I was 20 something at that time.

There are lots of great bikes out there and it really depends on what you plan on doing. If just local short distance rides then just about anything works. If you plan on doing several hundred mile trips sometimes a few hundred miles a day for several days in a row I would get something with a full windscreen, saddlebags etc.

I ran out of time doing my longer distance trips thus the Harley sat and I just rode the Buell locally.

 

[Noko]

I won't be to worried about staying at or above a certain size engine. Get one that fits you best, is comfortable and has whatever creature comforts that you want.

Thanks, good info.

 

[Bennie]

I was always more of a street bike kinda guy but I'm with you @Noko - I think my next one will be a cruiser. Something easy to ride.

From what I've heard from other riders is that Harley and BMW have some of the smoothest rides. I believe Victory is also anther contender in that market as well. I've test rode theirs before and really enjoyed it.

 

[Noko]

I was always more of a street bike kinda guy but I'm with you @Noko - I think my next one will be a cruiser. Something easy to ride.

From what I've heard from other riders is that Harley and BMW have some of the smoothest rides. I believe Victory is also anther contender in that market as well. I've test rode theirs before and really enjoyed it.

Thanks.