Cruisers.... a few questions

[wantser]

Hi Gang,

I am thinking about buying a new bike in the next few months and a honda VT 1100 shadow has caught my eye.

I was wondering if anyone had any experience of them and...

Being that you are sat completely different on a cruiser to a conventional bike ( I ride a CX500 ) what is given away in handling etc.

Any thoughts?

Wantser

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An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field

[landy.s11a]

for a start its easier not to spill your coffee on the way to work in the morning,

oh! and when you crank it over a little on the bends they tend to wear things down, i.e pipes, pegs, nerves

but they are fun to ride, in a slower type of way, I only have a little yamaha xv400 but its still more fun than the GPZ and I don't get tempted to thrash it around the mountain course,

the wind hurts at around 80ish so I tend to keep to slower speeds

Best of luck

Lee

[BlackSheep]

I can tell you from experience , ANYTHING handles better than a CX500 , including a 3 legged drunken donkey with psycotic tendencies , I know lads around here that regulaly piss all over sportsbike riders on their cruisers although to be fair they do know the local roads very well and their all fecking nuts.
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GSXR 1100 StreetFighter

[wantser]

[bazza]

I've just up(down/side)graded from an XV1100. Handling isn't everything, but with a good set of tyres you can surprise a few people - including yourself. Longer runs are a bit of a pain (literally) as all your weight will be on the base of your spine, so make sure you get stops in at least every hour.
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"That's it. You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college."
'98 Ducati 750SS, '08 Suzuki GSX650F ©2004-2014, Bazza's Harmless Banter

[gimpy limp]

you near chepstow looking at your profile map? Stupid that you can't see where people are on their profile only that lil map thing.

Can't go wrong with a shadow, that'd definatelly be my first choice if i could afford it over anything else.

2002 750cc shadow I bet you could get pretty decently priced:

https://img174.echo.cx/img174/6057/2002shadowace750packed2im.jpg
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-=[Sam/b]=- cx500's the only way to travel, we do it in style just like jimmy saville
msn addy - sam.barwick@ntlworld.com
https://pre-auto.com/cx500/rat_and_survival_gallery_2006

[wantser]

I am in Portishead near Bristol.

I am looking at the shadow because I think it looks ace and I am going to be trundling up the motorway daily to work. Thank something like that would be nice and comfortable with plenty of grunt.

CX is starting to feel top heavy as I am starting to ride better and lean properly. They say you start learning to ride after you pass your test! And "they" are right!
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An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field

[yambabe]

We have a VT500 Shadow. I've not ridden it myself, but my other half reckons that despite how it looks it's probably the most uncomfortable bike he has ever had. Arse-On-Fire syndrome occurs after about 20 miles on average!

Strongly recommend as long a test ride as you can get away with before you buy, just to check that the position will suit you if you're going to be doing a lot of commuting.

Also recommend you look out for an Eliminator, but I'm biased......
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[gimpy limp]

yeh that's a good point theirs a kawasaki eliminator ZL 1000-A and ZL 900-A that would be at the top of my list to go check out.

very nice looking bikes, i'm sure bayyam will know more about their reliability/handling/comfort etc

Their not new bikes mind (18/20 years old i think) but I bet you could get a nice one with your budget that would go up in value:

https://img256.echo.cx/img256/9972/kawasakizl900a1198534ji.jpg

https://img168.echo.cx/img168/2426/kawasakizl900a2198610qh.jpg

https://img168.echo.cx/img168/6551/kawasakizl1000a198726on.jpg
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-=[Sam/b]=- cx500's the only way to travel, we do it in style just like jimmy saville
msn addy - sam.barwick@ntlworld.com
https://pre-auto.com/cx500/rat_and_survival_gallery_2006

[gimpy limp]

probably more chance of picking up a 400 in the uk though:

This would be nice with a custom leather seat made for it:

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/begbie/ebay/DSCF1235.jpg

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=9807&item=4558285232&rd=1
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-=[Sam/b]=- cx500's the only way to travel, we do it in style just like jimmy saville
msn addy - sam.barwick@ntlworld.com
https://pre-auto.com/cx500/rat_and_survival_gallery_2006

[bandit250]

dnt get a 400 cruiser! no torque, thats the whole point - the chug chug thing isnt there. also, dnt get a jap cruiser. tacky tackhole machines. dnt get a harley, too expensive n slow. dnt get a moto guzzi - fall apart. stick with your plastic pig or get a MT-01 or sumthing
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Nudge pig nudge

[m99dws]

[bandit250]

[bish777]

Kawasaki VN750 is a good custom, and the engine actually has a bit of pep to it unlike most cruisers.
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GSXR1100J

[gimpy limp]

plenty of low down torque on my 500 cruiser (cx) and it goes chug chug chug.

nothing wrong atall with japanese cruisers dunno what your on about.

suggest something else then?
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-=[Sam/b]=- cx500's the only way to travel, we do it in style just like jimmy saville
msn addy - sam.barwick@ntlworld.com
https://pre-auto.com/cx500/rat_and_survival_gallery_2006

[mr.z]

cx 650 custom

virago

vmax

ones to consider, very very nearly had a 650custom even though not really my bag, but such a nice bike...
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[yambabe]

Is a v-max a cruiser then? My other half has been hankering after one of those for years.

There is also the Honda Magna, we just happen to have one for sale at the moment!
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[mr.z]

[yambabe]

^^^ yeah, that's pretty much what I thought too.

Our Magna (in the picture) is a VF700 ( I think it's a US import) rather than the 750. Not mega fast off-the-line accelleration, but when you open the throttle it just gets faster and faster and faster...... It's also extremely comfortable either 1- or 2-up and has a decent tank range.

I believe the Americans call these bikes "muscle bikes".
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[Mockey]

I ride a Kawasaki EN 500 Vulcan and it is my second Kawasaki cruiser (I had an Eliminator 125 before) If you wanted something a bit bigger I've heard the EN and VN 750's are nice bikes.

If I was too get a bigger bore cruiser I would probably go for the Yamaha Dragstar 1100 or stay with Kawasaki and get a Vulcan 1600.
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04/05- Kawsaki Eliminator 125, 05/06 - Kawasaki EN500, 06/present - Triumph Thunderbird 900

[ZRX61]