Commuter motorcycle

[pellegrino]

I have ridden for 10 years now on a Vstar 1100. It is the bike I started on, and would recommend it or a Honda Shadow of the same size even for beginners.

If I had $5k and was looking for a commuter bike, I would go with a 2 or 3 year old Suzuki SV650. Don't let their engine size fool you, they have some pep in them, putting out over 70 hp stock (Nikuman's Harley puts out 80 stock). It is light, and easily maneuvered. It would also be a blast to take up the canyons on the weekends.

The SV650 is a great bike. I almost bought one, kind of wish I had. It's a sweet ride.

[Pheidippides]

I have ridden for 10 years now on a Vstar 1100. It is the bike I started on, and would recommend it or a Honda Shadow of the same size even for beginners.

If I had $5k and was looking for a commuter bike, I would go with a 2 or 3 year old Suzuki SV650. Don't let their engine size fool you, they have some pep in them, putting out over 70 hp stock (Nikuman's Harley puts out 80 stock). It is light, and easily maneuvered. It would also be a blast to take up the canyons on the weekends.

Which is why mine is no longer stock.

Actually, I think this is a great suggestion. I will say, though, that the lightest bikes aren't always the most easily maneuvered. My bike is quite heavy, but quite easy to ride on a comparative basis. I think feel and fit are more important than gross weight - although it will make a difference when you inevitably lay it down or drop it.

My brother has a Honda Shadow and speaks quite highly of it as well.

[FN Phat]

niku, what model HD are you riding?

[Pheidippides]

niku, what model HD are you riding?

Road King. Not the classic the the leather saddlebags - the one with hard bags. It's the FLHRI, should you care - they made both the fuel injected and the carburated my year, and I have the fuel injected. It's a very classic looking bike.

[UteStar]

I saw one of these in Utah:





It gets 45 miles per gallon on the freeway and around 35 in the city. Holy crap, how sexy are you going to be driving that thing around?

[FN Phat]

Road King. Not the classic the the leather saddlebags - the one with hard bags. It's the FLHRI, should you care - they made both the fuel injected and the carburated my year, and I have the fuel injected. It's a very classic looking bike.

I love the way the road king classics look with the exception of the leather bags. I like the hard cased bags better.

You mentioned that you dropped your bike before. Care to share your story?

[Pheidippides]

I love the way the road king classics look with the exception of the leather bags. I like the hard cased bags better.

You mentioned that you dropped your bike before. Care to share your story?

Yeah, it was a scary deal but a non-event. Coming home from work in Downtown Houston, I was making a left turn from a one way street to a one way street. Car in front of me decided to go into a parking lot instead of turn (no turn signal of course) and put on its breaks. I had to brake hard, but of course that's a no-no on a turn. It was either lay down the bike or hit the car, and I low-sided - not really intentionally, but knowing that was probably what was going to happen. Roll bars on the bike worked exactly as designed - if you are on your back looking up, you can see two minor spots where the bars got scraped. Otherwise, no damage to me or the bike other than pride. It was about 10mph and still scared the dickens out of me. A nice pedestrian helped me get the bike up (it does weigh like 800 pounds!) and then I was on my way. I didn't ride again for a week, though.

I've had a number of close calls - one where I'm still amazed I kept it up - and a number of birds flipped for calls that could have been closed but weren't because I was paying attention.

[mUUser]

My neighbor rides one of these. It's called a Spyder -- a 3 wheel motorcycle, and claims it is far more stable than his wife's Harley. I've never ridden a bike in my life so wouldn't know.

[Pheidippides]

My neighbor rides one of these. It's called a Spyder -- a 3 wheel motorcycle, and claims it is far more stable than his wife's Harley. I've never ridden a bike in my life so wouldn't know.

I've seen one or two of those. Supposed to be pretty fun. Of course it's more stable than a harley (or any other motorcycle) - it's got three farking wheels!

[RobinFinderson]

My neighbor rides one of these. It's called a Spyder -- a 3 wheel motorcycle, and claims it is far more stable than his wife's Harley. I've never ridden a bike in my life so wouldn't know.

I just don't get these things. They seem to have all of the worst features of a car and motorcycle.

[creekster]

Of course it's more stable than a harley (or any other motorcycle) - it's got three farking wheels!

lol. That was my exact reaction. It BETTER be mnore stable. But what is the market? is this for epopel that can balance a moving bike? Or people too weak to stand a bike up when it is stopped? Who needs the three wheel confgiurationa nd why?

[Pheidippides]

lol. That was my exact reaction. It BETTER be mnore stable. But what is the market? is this for epopel that can balance a moving bike? Or people too weak to stand a bike up when it is stopped? Who needs the three wheel confgiurationa nd why?

I imagine it's a parallel crowd to the trike crowd for Harleys/Honda Gold Wings. There are apparently all these people who are old and who should no longer be riding but who like the appeal. So they get a trike instead. I've never understood it, myself - half the fun of a motorcycle is the skill in taking corners, leaning at an angle, pushing your handlebar down hard to grab the pavement. I can't imagine having much fun on a trike on, say, the Tail of the Dragon.