Cruisers (eek run a mile!)

[Barker-CBR 600]

I'll admit it, i am pining for a cruiser.

The CBR was great, amazing and awesome... but due to coming to university i had to sell it if i expected to eat... well i maintained that i didnt need to eat but it was only partially my desicion.



So when i got here an started workin regular etc, my first thought was 'i just need anything with two wheels with me here' but then i thought about it, after insurance/tax/petrol/parking at uni and the danger of it being smashed up/robbed or generally knackered by drunkern idiots... i decided i wouldnt want a bike to keep with me at uni but instead a nice summer rider for home that i can pine over while i'm here and enjoy hugely when i'm back home!

So i decided i wanted another cruiser.

I had a Dragstar 125 while i was learning and for a few months after my test and had such a great time riding it, talking bout it with people and yes... cleaning it!

I know their not massively popular on the forum but i wandered peoples opinions on cruisers or if anyone has any good suggestions with the followin in mind!

- Under 600cc due to insurance and my size, since i am not massive myself! (Are their any decent 400's? that would be perfect)

- Not a massive budget, in fact the less the better. I know there are Dragsters/Intruders out there for £2000ish but i was wandering if theres anything cheaper.

- Any idea on the insurance for 19 year old with 2 year NCB, no points in a very good area?


Cheers
____________________
Previous - Gilera DNA50 / XVS125 Dragstar/Honda CBR 600F/GSF 650 Bandit
Current - 2013 Suzuki VZ800 Intruder
'Is this a rhetorical question?'

[instigator]

Hi

Good to hear it At last, someone else other than babyyam who likes cruisers.

I had one as a 125 (kymco zing) and I have always really wanted another. Not as a primary bike but want one for those hot summer days.
Wait for babyyam to come along.

[McGee]

Theres a few cruisers i would own but one i want is a triumph rocket III.

https://www.thewheelieschool.co.uk/images/rocket.jpg
____________________
◙◙► K6 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 1000 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► 96 RF600r ◄◙◙
◄◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙►◄◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙►◄◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙►
Its pronounced Jixxer!

[colin1]

I had a go on a vtx1300 at the nec that i quite liked. It was actually easier to ride on fiddly bits than a honda rebel 250.

The rebel250 is nice to ride while actually cruising but is awkward in fiddly bits such as traffic.

rebel 250 is cheap, vtx1300 is not
____________________
colin1 is officially faster than god

[Ichy]

XV250, XVS400 XV535
CMX250
GN250!!
CX500 custom
XL400 eliminator
and the list goes on.....

If your trying to save money then most can be got pretty cheap since they are older models. Biggest problem is that since they are getting on a bit they may need a bit of attention. Bonus is that they have rarely been pushed to the limited or dropped down the road.

Other option is to go for a custom chop but you need a bit of mechanical knowledge. Don't go for a hard tail tho', nice to look at but..

Generally insurance is cheaper than sports bikes due to the nature of the bike. Just take a look at any of the online sites to get a quick quote.

I've had anything from 50cc 'sports' mopeds up to 1600cc cruisers and no one can convince me that there is anything more comfortable than a cruiser when you have a couple of hundred miles to go two up so I'm with you on this one mate although I'd prefer a 750cc+.

[A J]

You could get a kwasaki zxx6 for 2000.
You know it makes sense!

What has made you want a cruiser?

I had a cruiser 125 intruder if you know it, now i have a CBR600F fx/fy and i am at uni, now on a sports bike although having a lot of fun on my 125 i cant really see myself going back unless it was something with a lot of power like a rocket 3 as i think that i would miss the power handling brakes etc.

Although some cruisers look cool i think that it would feel inadequate in comparison, but thats just me, but if you do get a cruiser make sure you give it some open pipes!!

Give the cruiser bike a better name and have some fun !!!!!

[yambabe]

Haha, my specialist subject.......

There's loads of them!

First Q is do you want the v-twin noise? Most of your bigger cruisers these days are v-twin, but there are still a few smaller ones that aren't.

Hondas are good for reliability, the VT500 Shadow is a damn good bike (we have one) but the electrics are proving to need some work! Honda Steeds come in 250 and 400 IIRC, and they are pretty good too. The ultimate little Honda cruiser IMO is the VRX400 but they are only available on grey import and (*sigh) they are quite expensive for what you get. One day, one day.....

XVs come in all shapes and sizes these days, 535 Virago is probably your best bet. In their favour there are loads of spares & bolt-ons for them, personally I find them front-end-heavy and a bit of a slug to ride but that may just be me! You can also get a 400 virago (grey import again), a friend of mine has one and says it's a better bike than the 535 but she's not let me have a go yet so I can't confirm. Note: Virago's take a lot of work to stop the chrome rotting.

Never ridden the big Suzuki v-twin (is it the Intruder? I can never remember) I think it comes in a 600 and the next one down is the 125, might be wrong but I don't recall seeing anything in between. It looks the biz cos the frame is a bit different to the norm, the Marauder is also a nice-looking thing but no personal experience again.

Naturally I am going to recommend the Eliminators because I love mine, but you might want to ignore me for being biased! They come in 250, 400, 600, 750, 900 and 1000cc so plenty of choice. Plenty of spares available for these too, but they rarely need them. In 18 months on my EL250 and over 8000 miles I have had to put a new chain on, a new back tyre, changed the oil a couple of times and refill the scotoiler. Good on petrol too, I get just over 100 miles to a tank (about £7 at current prices).

If you want to extend your budget a bit you can pick up a decent 2nd-hand 883 Sportster these days for about £3000 but the insurance would probably cripple you. Harleys apparently have very low depreciation rates though so you don't lose out when you come to re-sell.

If you would consider something bigger, you could try getting an insurance quote on a VF700 Magna, cos I know where there's one for sale at a very reasonable rate, c-reg.......
____________________
Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[Barker-CBR 600]

Cheers this is just the stuff i was looking for!

I'll have a proper look through everything soon and post a few idea's, its a while off (post christmas! unless i can convince parents on a downpayment as a pressie - unlikely!)

for now its too late and g/f has PMS.
(least she likes bikes..... *gulp*)
____________________
Previous - Gilera DNA50 / XVS125 Dragstar/Honda CBR 600F/GSF 650 Bandit
Current - 2013 Suzuki VZ800 Intruder
'Is this a rhetorical question?'

[stinkwheel]

Do not under any circumstances buy a 650 Dragstar. They are underpowered and overweight. Absolute pish!
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[gimpy limp]

[Delvard]

Gotta say on looks there's something about the Yamaha VMX 1200....
____________________
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep A bower quiet for us, and a sleep Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

[Claud 14.7 to 1]

Spending 2k on a cruiser!?!

I'd spend about 1k on a bike. 400cc sports, Bandit, CB500, ER-5 something you aren't going to care too much about. If you will use it a lot, they can get bashed about a bit at Uni.

Cruiser ain't the most practical for chores, commuting and the like. Not good for anything now I come to think about it.

[Aikman666]

I vote the Yamaha Virago 535cc. Very nice!
____________________
Will work for petrol
My Design Blog

[funmonkee]

[mattsmith95]

[Delvard]

[funmonkee]

[muddycoffee]

I had a fantastic time on a Kawasaki LTD450 cruiser.
This one : -
https://www.rocknroll.f9.co.uk/motor/ltd450.jpg
it was comfortable for me and had masses of torque. And brutal acceleration, having an engine which was half of a GPZ900R [the original ninja]

However all the recent cruisers I have sat on have been far too low for my 6'2" frame.
In fact most bikes are too small for my frame.
If you are a smaller person it might be perfect for you. I certainly would have no shame in running one if it was a comfy bike for me.
____________________
Suzuki SV650 naked Blue curvy with Givi Screen and G force can.

[bish777]

Only one bike.

Buy a Vmax and tune the bollocks out of it. Or your a POOF.
____________________
GSXR1100J

[bish777]

[funmonkee]

[Mockey]

You can pick up a Kawasaki EN500 pretty cheap, it has the same lump as a GPZ500 so its pretty quick for a cruiser. Insurance isn't too bad either.

Heres mine...
____________________
04/05- Kawsaki Eliminator 125, 05/06 - Kawasaki EN500, 06/present - Triumph Thunderbird 900

[Knowlsey]

you can get an en400 aswell as the 500, they are gpz based engines, just detuned a bit

Nowt wrong with cruisers, this is mine

1100 virago
https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b304/darrenknowles/P1010092.jpg

[tintin]

OMG - a survey of the best Cruisers, I think I'm gonna puke....
https://www.pukeplanet.com/pukeimages/toilet_puke.jpg
____________________
The older I get the better I was

[Nath]