I am a beginner! I want some help

[lifeisforlivi...]

I am new to bikes, I owned a 2t 50cc scooter when I was 17-18 and then did my car licence. Seven years later and I wanted to start commuting to save money, I got rid of my car and got a 4t 125 scooter which was okay for about 5-6 months and then I really wanted a bike : ). I did my theory passed my mod 1 and 2 and got a suzuki dr 125 sm, which is much better in the wet as the weight is distributed better etc.

Whilst I enjoy the super motard I also like the idea of a chopper or cruiser as I tend to like to cruise at 55-60. The only problem is with the 125 is that it doesn't have the grunt top end or if I want to hit 70 etc. I have thought about keeping the 125 for commuting and then getting a chopper for cruising around on. I need to improve y skills so I am doing the enhanced rider scheme course and i might also take additional training to know how to really ride bikes.

If anyone has experience of riding choppers and cruisers how hard are they to control what are the pros and cons? I can't find any low capacity customs apart from 125 and some older 250's. I wouldn't be looking to spend very much at all on a second bike. I am not afraid to do work on bikes and can get advice and guidance from garages / people. I am also on a 33BHP restriction atm.

I have read a few threads about ride outs and low capacity bikes and that generally bigger bikes don't like riding with smaller bikes which I understand, I wouldn't be looking to ride fast but just cruise along. I generally don't really filter and I am quite cautious any advice about ride outs?

[Rogerborg]

I have a Lifan LF250-B which is a nut-and-bolt clone of the Virago / Dragstar 250.

It's slow. I mean, geological timescales slow. And heavy, like "yo momma" heavy. I once nudged a (real) 70mph, but only because the bodged on screen was acting as a sail.

It corners like the proverbial barge. The only thing stopping the pegs from grounding on every roundabout is that the exhaust grounds out first.

Rebel to road-rash in 3 easy lessons:
https://static.blogo.it/motoblog/haley_crash.jpg

Is it fun though? Well, yes, kind of. It's got no power, but only because it won't rev. It pulls well enough up to its modest limit. Stops OK, is comfy enough to ride. If you're not in a hurry (and I'm often not), it's a better way of getting from A to B than any other mode of transport, if a worse way than any other motorcycle.

Would I get another? No. It's just too slow. Would I get a Virago 535 or larger cruiser? Maybe. One day, maybe.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Polarbear]

Roger, a 535 is a girly bike. At least get a rocket 3, you won't worry about speed then
____________________
Victory Cross Country American tractor.

[Rogerborg]

Bah, "fast cruiser" is an oxymoron. Like "well handling cruiser", or "heterosexual cruiser".
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Teflon-Mike]

Another vote for the Virago 535
I'm SURE they come in a blister pack with "My First Cruiser" on the cardboard!
Popular, well supported, and a very well rounded 'package', it's as good a place to start cruisering as a YBR is to start riding. They just work, and are a least cost/least hassle worry free bike.
IF you like that sort of thing.
They are popular with girls because they are very compact, but they are also useful city bikes as they aren't ACTUALLY as choppery as they look, steering geometry wheel-base, all quite concervative for a cruiser, and they are reletively light, well balenced and easy to manage.
Blokes can find them a bit small, and know many 535 Cruiser weiners that step up to the 750's or 1100's fairly soon, as along side larger bikes it can have a little bit of a 'toy' feel to it, but then, also know fair few that have 535's as thier 'every-day' cruiser, as it's one of those bikes that 'just works'.... always tell people that if they get a 535, and feel the need to 'progress' to something bigger, to hold off flogging it till the novelty of the bigger bike has worn off a bit.
Completely and utterly NOT my kind of biking, but WHY is the 535 so popular? Its not got a designer badge on the side; its not got the cudos of being a full on full size 'Mans Machine' complete with handlebar mustache and areseless chaps; its not fast, its not powerful, its not amazingly ecconomical, or hugely practical, nor are they particularly cheap.... but they have SOMETHING far beyond the sum of thier parts, and are fundamentally a pretty good bike.

On an A>25 licence, just restrict one.

Whole thing of cruisers is having a big displacement 'lazy' engine, and the 535 is as small as you can go and still get some sort of real cruiser 'laziness', and chopping of the top of the power peak, is not such a loss you still get the low-down power it offers, where the 250 cruisers are still like 125's all revs to make it go, and not at all 'cruisery'.
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[lifeisforlivi...]

[lifeisforlivi...]

[P.addy]

Going about it all wrong here.

Do you like men? If so, 535 is for you.

Do you like being a man? If so DRZ400 is for you.

If you feel like being the boss, KTM 990 SD.

[posidon666]

ignore them nothing wrong with cruisers and every one will look at it if you get the right one just rember tho they are built for looks not speed and you will have ground clearance issues with the exaust and foot pegs if you push it to hard

[lifeisforlivi...]

[P.addy]

Lol at newfag trying to backup cruisers.

They are not bikes. Bikes (at least most of) should have good handling, cruisers don't.

You'll get noise, yes. But see "South Park - The F Word" for what we actually think about them.

If you want to enjoy your slow ride, checking out the countryside whilst twiddling your tassels, a cruiser is what you want.

If you want to enjoy being able to control a decent bike, a cruisers is not what you want.

Despite what cruiser riders say, they are not great bikes, they've just bought into the "OMG ITS SO SHINY, I GET LADIES WITH SHINY THINGS" package and they are just....so wrong its unreal

You don't like that KTM? It is an animal, what about the 625 SMC or 690 SMC?

[Knightsy]

How often do you ride and how much time do you plan to spend on cleaning it? <- Vital question when considering a cruiser.
____________________
09' Versys 650 | 07' FJR1300A

[sheriffjonny]

Suzuki ls 650 savage, less than 33bhp in stock form, no need to even restrict it
____________________
Current bike........'09 Honda CBF 125, seeking new big bike............New bike found '01 Honda VFR 800

[P.addy]

[Kradmelder]

[lifeisforlivi...]

[P.addy]

Insurance is surprisingly cheap too.

The 990 is a superb bike though. Absolutely superb. Superduke only.

[Kradmelder]

[P.addy]

But Krad, you have a weird looking tourer 990, the Superduke is far different

https://www.raptorsandrockets.com/images/KTM/2007_KTM_990_SuperdukeR_1r.jpg

[map]

[Kradmelder]

[lifeisforlivi...]

I think I need to learn how to ride a bike before going for anything like a large engine supermoto. I think a drz 400 would be fine to start on, I would say I don't know how to ride a bike properly yet.

Does putting on a restriction kit on a big bike make a big difference as I have heard some people say it does and some that say it doesn't.

[Kradmelder]

[waffles]

[lifeisforlivi...]