Thinking of buying a cruiser - Am I sick ????
 

After some long trips on Enduro bikes I really fancy a bit of easy going, grunty, comfortable biking around the Uk and Europe.

Am I sick ? Am I a pervert ??

It seems quite a nice way to tour on good roads.

I don't think ill be buying the cowboy boots and tasseled jacket to go with it though !:innocent:

Hello, Ted!

Why not?

I've been riding big H-D Electra Glides for the last 12 years, and they took me to most of Europe, the USA, the Middle East and the Caucasus mountains...
This means that if you like comfortable riding and possibility to load luggage you can well get you a cruiser that will not stop you from organizing adventure trips all (almost) wherever you want.

I met a guy crossing Africa on a big Honda Shadow and also a couple of guys doing the Alaska-Ushuaia on Harleys... Theres no doubt you can do it but obviously the roads you take are restricted !

Still.. I think i deserve a little comfort now :)

There was a Bulgarian chap at Ripley this years who had crossed central Asia, Mongolia and on to Vladivostoc on a big Kawasaki cruiser, he had enjoyed his trip and the bike didn't look any the worse for it so there is little restriction on where you can go on one. I have travelled in the States on a Harley softail and it was a nice relaxed way of travelling, quite different to the big trailie so go for it.

I gave up sports tourers a while ago and now ride an extremely comfortable Electra Glide Ultra Classic with custom made 'bars, highway pegs and riders backrest........ an absolute joy to tour. Very reliable up in the mountains here (Thailand)....... takes hours of hairpins and switchbacks in it's stride just as comfortably as open highway cruising.
The Road King is a great bike with it's quick detachable tourpak (top box) screen and seat so you can turn it from a comfortable fully dressed cruiser into a mean looking street bagger within minutes. Very versatile.

Had a couple of Gold Wings, a Honda Valkyrie, Kawasaki VN1500, Yamaha Royal Star, etc before we ended up here in Turkey with a Yam TT600, XT600 and XT660R. We took the cruisers all round Europe from the UK and thoroughly enjoyed them They were all extremely comfortable and fairly economical. I imagine you could get a "fully loaded" cruiser for less than the price you would pay to buy and farkle an "adventure" bike. I've read your website and know a bit about your biking history. It seems that at this point in time our bike choices are reversed! I'd have a big twin cruiser in the garage any day of the week!!

Cheers,

Dicky

Hi

Well I started touring the UK on a Virago 535, then moved up to a Suzuki 1500 Intruder and started to do European trips... very comfortable but small tank ranges!

Bought a Wee Strom and took it for a test run and came back and sold my Intruder straight away... theres no way I would ever tour on a cruiser...though I am restoring a Virago 535 at the mo but it will be sold as soon as the project is completed

To me, a cruiser is too restricted due to smallish tank ranges.. the wee now has gel insert with sheepskin rug and cruiser pegs on the crash bars for the long boring motorway runs we have to do to catch ferrys etc

Cheers
Geordie

Yes, you're a freek. !:eek3:

What are you thinking ???doh

There are plenty of bikes that will give you easy and comfy touring. Most of them will have the foot-pegs where you'd expect to find them and handlbars and seat in a possition to roughly match a human being. They will also go round corners without bits touching the ground and the front wheel pushing away.

Any naked or half faired Jap bike 600cc or over would do the job just fine.

If I had loads of money and room, I'd probably have a cruiser (even the name grates a bit) in my garage, but not for touring.

This is my road bike. Sunny Sundays, as it is. For touring, I add a fly-screen, throw-overs and a tank-bag.

Fine for 80mph all day and 130mph + if I want to test my neck muscles:mchappy:

I switched from "Adventure" bikes to the Bonneville. It's simply a more rounded overall package. You want to do illegal motorway speeds on a windy day, or thrash across Europe without burning oil or carry a pillion, or just go for a hours ride on the A&B roads round your house, it does it all with no drama. The tyres last forever, it doesn't weave at speed, it has wind protection and a seat that's good for 500 mile days. Find a dry dirt road and there is no reason not to just go for it, you just need to take it steady. The only real downside is the range.

I've ridden cruisers. Triumph loaned me a Bonneville America which was a complete pig, the only pegs were somewhere near the front axle, so unless you have a 47-inch inside leg and wear the sort of boots you only find on 1970's DJ's, your bits are going to get crushed and you ankles ache in traffic. It had the turning circle of the Queen Mary and felt lethal enough on a wet dual carriageway to have me down to 55 mph (I rode the Bonneville back in worse conditions at 70). BMW loaned me an R1200C which simply needed a set of flatter bars and a screen to get round the silly human parachute riding position. I accidentally wheelied this bike, it was a total hoot except on the motorway. I almost bought a Harley Sportster, the bike was great, the fact the sales guy simply couldn't get his head round the fact I would ride it every day, year round put me off. It was obvious that if I needed parts in January they'd simply fail to perform on the built in assumption no one could possibly ride until June. My dad rides a Guzzi Nevada. I like this bike until we hit traffic when the low seat and feet forwards riding position makes filtering less easy. Again, all it really needs is flat bars. The fact Moto Guzzi don't know themselves which parts they used can be a serious PITA.

Unless you really want a cruiser, I'd suggest standard "European" shaped bikes might be a more practical compromise. If you want a cruiser, there seems to be a massive difference between the ones that are meant to be ridden like the Harley and Guzzi and ones that are really only meant to be polished like the Triumph. Either way, no reason not to just go for it and ride where you like.

If you do go for it, avoid or at least be ready for the owners chat rooms. After HUBB, ADVrider etc. places like Bonneville chat rooms simply caused raised blood pressure. There really are people out there who take their bikes back to the main dealer to have bulbs changed and would sell the bike if it got a flat tyre. They will not get their heads round the idea that UK-Russia is just a long ride, so expect tales of doom and disaster based on what happened to a guy their mate spoke to once who tried a different branch of Starbucks one Sunday in August. If you want to find a place that sells chromed clutch arm covers, that's what they are good at!

Andy

Those who say a normal street bike will be fine are totally correct... But !! I've owned about 20 of these style bikes and i'm a bit bored of them now. A TDM900 or a Versys would be perfect for what I want right now but they don't excite me.

I fancied the cruiser for something a little different. I've ridden a fair few (Victorys, Harleys, Triumpgh Rocket etc) but never owned or travelled on one. I'm not going to ride accross mongolia on it but some sunny trips to the med would be on the cards for sure. Fuel isn't an issue there and I can do easy short days if I want to...

Like threewheeledbonnie says, the thing that puts me off the bonnies and cruisers are the owners. Having worked in motorcycle dealers, these are the people you try to avoid with their "my chrome isn't as shiney as my friends.. I want my money back"... Still, it's naughty to stereotype isn't it. That's like saying all 1200GS owners just ride their Touratech catalogue bikes to starbucks and back...:rolleyes2:

hmmmmmmmmmm maybe I should just buy a cheap one and give it a blast ! Ideas on a cheap first cruiser bike ??? Honda Shadow maybe !

the answer has to be a GS1200 Ted! a compromise
Want to buy mine? !!:Beach:

BLASPHEMY !!!!!



:innocent:

Don't worry about it Ted, we all go through phases like that and you'll be ok once your a*rse has recovered from the DRZ :rofl: :rofl:

Many years ago I went through the same sort of thought process and bought a Gold Wing - one of the early ones (it was a long time ago - no cruisers other than Harleys then).

After a while I concluded that if I was going to go to eg Athens I couldn't think of a better bike to go on but if I was just going to the shops or 10 miles to work it was horrible, just a struggle the whole way and I'd nearly always use a little 125cc Yamaha 2T that I had as well.

I came to my senses and sold it after a summer trip where six of us ended up pushing it up the Todra Gorge in Morocco. :thumbdown:

No NOT SICK, JUST A BIT MAD
 

Go for the goldwing.. you can pick up an 1800 delux for 6 grand these days and with less than 40k on the clocks.. Perfect for EU and the rest of the world.

Leaving for RTW in 39 days and counting. So hope it warms up soon. Had fun in the highlands this weekend love the snow and handels well.

Oneworld Biker

RTW on a goldwing and a prayer. 2011

SIX GRAND !!! I would never spend that much on a travel bike.. I could travel six months on that :scooter:

I was thinking more like £2k MAX !! Lots of great metal about for 2k

If I add together the value of my Road, Trail, and Trials bikes together, I still need to add my Suzuki Jeep and half my 53reg Transit Van to get to £6K:eek3:

Fill the tank on the Transit to top, that'll do it :innocent: :offtopic: :rofl:

For under 2K I think you might struggle? I keep half thinking about another Bonneville, I fancy FI rather than carbs. Trouble is, most of the population don't ride them and over value what's just an old bike. Brand new, £6000. Seven years old, with about half the mileage as mine, sold for £3500 on E-bay. The engines sell for £1500 to people with Meridens who want to keep the oil off the garage floor and you could easily get another grand for the wheels, tank, etc. I think Harleys will be worse, they go new, nearly new, ready to customise, no old ones.

Are there decent capacity, Japanese cruisers out there at decent money? I wouldn't know my Honda Shadow from my Yamaha Viagra, so can't help there.

Having just bought a 24 year old BMW K-series, I must say they are amazing value for money, but not exactly what you are looking for. There again, put ape hangers on a K100 and go join the BMW club, it'll be worth the membership fee just to see all those slippers covered in pipe ash when the old boys see you :rofl:

Andy

Loads of cruisers about for 2k (ish)

2002 HONDA VT750DC-Y SILVER vt750 shadow on eBay (end time 14-Mar-11 20:20:05 GMT)

Their one saving grace is that they're usually low mileage "mid life crisis" machines. We used to sell loads of them to first time senior bikers and buy them back off them, unridden a year later ! :confused1:

Polished every weekend, regularly serviced and still dropping in value.. Big torquey engines keep plodding on forever !

Hey Ted,

Welcome back. Hmmm, a cruiser you say. It is an interesting thought in theory, but does takes some adjusting to if you decide to go in that direction.

I've got a older Shadow and found that it is most fun for puttering around town on a sunny Sunday afternoon. On longer rides, the poor wind protection can get a bit tiring and I prefer a more forward or upright seating position.

Biggest adjustment is mental whereby you are used to looking at any and all rutted, muddy tracks and wonder where they go. With your dual sport, you head off without a second thought, with your cruiser you should be conscious that they don't crash particularly well:)

They are incredibly popular for a reason though and see many, many trips. My two cents would be to go for it if you are convinced that you can go cold turkey from off highway exploring. If you are fearful that the adventure bug will rear it's ugly head, you may want to look at spending a bit more money and getting something like an older DL650, etc. Happy riding.

So why don't you ring one of your old senior biker mid life crisis customers and buy one of their bikes *********

Can't see how that's patronising to be honest. It's just reality.

Hi Touring Ted,
Only one touring bike for covering the miles in comfort and a reasonable MPG,i get about 240miles before i need to to fill up.
Its got to be a Goldwing.

I never thought I'd see myself on a Goldwing although my mate did a track day on one once LOL..

Out of interest, what mpg did you get to your wing ??

They still cost serious buck though yeah ?? I think it would out of my budget !

Cheers, Ted

Hi Touring Ted,
In france last year,, not using the peage and with er indoors on he back i got between 45 to50 to the gallon,that was averaging about 60 to 70 MPH.
Enjoying just being there.
Have a nice day.
melv
PS I managed to pass my advanced riding test last november and i will be 71 yrs old in May next:scooter:

hehe ! Good job geezer ! I bet your insurance is cheaper than cheap can be now eh !:innocent:

I think you have to differentiate between a "Cruiser" - pose bike not built for long distance riding or comfort and a "Tourer"- which is something like a Gold Wing which is very definitely equiped for long range riding and comfort.
A lot of the cruisers have poor ergonomics ,but you might like that kind of thing !

Buy what you like, you only have to please yourself .:D

Well, TT, you put the question and asked everybody if you were "sick".

So a cruiser could be perfect.

You're free to buy. My moped suits me.

You pays your money etc.....

Of course you'll need fringey lace-up leathers, a bandana and a load of right wing views to go with the Gold Wing views. And a soft toy to put behind the screen.

"Git yore motor runnin'
Git out on the highway
Lookin' for adventure"....:biggrin3:

Welcome back Ted. I totally support the notion of you getting a R1200GS or even GSA. And I'll point and laugh :D

Anyways, I've met this Japanese guy last year at the HU Meeting in Germany who rode his 125cc Honda cruiser all the way from Japan to Europe. He seemed very happy with it - the bike was very light, great mileage and absolutely no "oh-look-not-shiny-enough" issues at all. But to answer your initial questions: yes and yes.

By the way, if I was looking for a road bike I'd seriously consider the Triumph Bonneville or maybe a Royal Enfield. They're timeless classics, they look great and I think they can do pretty much anything. There's a blue brand new Royal Enfield just down the road and I really enjoy just looking at it.