First Bike Low rider or Standard?

[wingbot20]

I am currently learning to ride on a Suzuki sv650, my aim was to pass my test and buy a Yamaha XVS650 which is a low rider style bike. I would have liked the xvs1100 (but it might be a bit too adventurous for my first bike)


A friend of mine has rode bikes for many years and he recommends I buy a standard upright Suzuki 650 like what I am learning on as he thinks I would become a better more experienced rider.

I just wondered what everyone else's thoughts were and what bikes you guys purchased after passing. I like the thought of a cruiser

[Matt B]

I can't believe I'm about to say this but, go buy a cruiser then. Riding a motorcycle is a very personal thing, you need to get the bike you want, that will make you happy. Forget what your mate says.

I feel dirty now
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stinkwheel: He had an animated .gif of a cat performing fellatio. It's not socially acceptable. It can have real life adverse effects on other people.

[stevo as b4]

My views are that it sounds like you mate is a sensible and experienced bike rider that knows about bikes and how different types of machines ride. He's also thinking of you developing your riding to maybe advanced or road craft standards on a useful machine that would flatter a new riders abilities etc.

The counter argument though not fully correct, as you can learn to ride anything well with enough time miles and experience, is that with a cruiser style bike do you really need to be a good rider?

Alot of us on here from what we see and hear think of cruiser riders as non serious bikers, not everyday commuters, and people that want to do the sunny day big group ride outs, dress up in certain gear and also want to be looked at/receive attention from posing and looking at their own reflection and to turn peoples heads etc.

You could argue if thats all you want to do on a bike then you don't need to be a good rider overly? Also back to your mates views, is that relatively most big cruisers don't handle, corner or stop very well, so it Makes advanced riding hard work or not even that possible compared to a lighter more responsive bike with better geometry and more ground clearance.

You don't see many cruiser riders on advanced riding courses or as IAM/ROSPA certified riders?

[wingbot20]

Matt B - thanks for your advice

Stevo - you make some good points, although I guess some riders will be thinking they are like the guy from walking dead or them from sons of anarchy posing its not really my thing to do that,

I have being on the back of my friends fireblade and Harley and for me it was the cruising Harley and relaxing ride I enjoyed more.

I do agree I want to be able to advance my skills and being a newbie as safe as possible, it sounds like the bike to start with is the SV650 style, as you mentioned it looks like it will be more forgiving for cornering and braking.

Maybe after a years experience I might build up to the cruiser

[Rogerborg]

[talkToTheHat]

Cruisers are great at making barely NSL speeds seem fast as all hell, becasue vibrations and serious lack of ground clearance. They're a bit crap for hard luggage options, and all the shiny bits need loads of cleaning. One stupid mistake in a carpark and it's loads of chrome damage. I had the predecessor to the xvs, the xv535 for 3 years. I liked it and the broad spread of torque meant it was brisk off the line for an a2 bike. I had a lot of fun at legal speeds on windy back roads but it wasn't a mile muncher. Holding realistic motorway speeds was awkward, 55-60 amongs the hgvs was smooth, and there wasn't a lot left for assertive acceleration to outside lane speed. I'm not sure it was good for the bike to do fuel-tank long stints with the throttle pinned.

XV535 has more power and a lot less weight than the xvs650 but the later bike has more midrange.

I like my bandit more. Not because it encourages me to go everywhere faster. Because i can ride for longer, go further, feel fresher when i get off, see around and over traffic better, filter with more confidence, make overtakes more easily. And the bandit isn't even a particularly amazing bike. I did fall over out of stupidity last week and the only damage was a marked crashbung.

what do you want the bike for? Short bimbles or back-road blasts? Weekends away? Touring by hotel or campsite? Commuting?

I had loads of luggage issues with cruisers. Leather saddlebags are rubbish in the rain, the bikes are shaped wrong for conventional soft luggage and decent racks for hard boxes are hard to find. I did successfully take the girlfriend on a few long trips though.

I don't think you'll work half of this out on testrides if you can get any as a new rider. Buy cheap and outright rather than tying yourself to finance so you can change easily.

Personally I'd say get a cheap sv/gladius/bandit/gsx-f or similar from another manufacturer, ride it, adapt it to your needs with ebay luggage and whatever bolt-ons make it work for you. Get to know it and how you ride as it's never how you think it will be. If you have social skills or notionally fat stacks to wave at dealers you will probably find all kinds of opportunities to try or borrow nice things.

However, it can be cheaper to get insurance on a cruiser. Not always. I think one year in three i had a cruiser specific policy. This was a saving but it made changing bikes harder.

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Bandit. does. everything.