What motorcycle would you recommend?

Question

Last bike I had was 20 years ago. (last one was Honda CB350)
Kids are grown.
Male weight 210
Light touring (mountains, desert)
Limited funds (under $7k)

Answer 1

WOW.I had a Honda 350 (CL) about 20 years ago and I just got back into it. I got another red Honda, a CBR 600 F3.I found a super clean 1998 for $3500 and it is awesome. It is tame as a kitten under 4000 rpm, but goes like a lion after that. What excitement!!! On the freeway, I can get it over 90 in a hurry, or just cruise along at 65. On the highway, cruising at 40 to 50 is very sweet and in 6th gear, it is purring. It is also an "eye catcher" and makes me feel 20 years younger. It is a 4 cylinder, water cooled and sounds like a sports car. Its quiet, very nice to ride and when you want some good "cheap thrills," just roll the throttle andlet the fun begin.
Any clean 600 cc sports bike will give you what you need.I get about 40 mpg, cheap maintenance and a lot of fun.
Look at whats out there in your area and take one for a spin.

Happy motoring.

Answer 2

Here in PA they offer free motorcycle safety course and provide motorcycles for the course, They are 250's and most of them are Honda Shadows. These are good training cycles and are not very expensive. However, if this will be your first bike buy used and pay cash, get the experience of riding before moving up to bigger and more expensive bikes. I have had friends who bought big bikes like Goldwings and rode only a few times then selling them at a loss because they weren't ready for a big bike. Nothing wrong with starting small and working up to bigger later on. In fact the smaller bike will normally sell quicker when you are ready to move up, then use the money for your next bike.

Source(s):

25 years motorcycling, owner of Goldwing and Harley Sportster, member of "HOG" and Christian Motorcyclist Association.

Answer 3

If you are Looking for a Sport. Then I would suggest a Yamaha 600 or a Suzuki Katana.600/750. There are good deals on ebay under 7 K out the dorr Brand New,
If you looking for a Cruiser Suzuki C50 or Honda Shadow id what I am personally considering.
My profile meets yours so I know where you are coming from

Answer 4

Go with a Honda Africa Twin. Best light touring mountain desert bike ever made. 750 cc. These are hard to find in the states, however, but I don't know where you are from.

Answer 5

You know for that price you can get just about any brand bike you want used of course on some and new on others. What I would do and have done is get on the net and do some research and consider how much you will be in town or on the road.Remember one thing.. A bike is a bike and it's all about the ride......Not much help but that's my 2 cents worth....

Answer 6

I would look for a Kawasaki ZRX1200. They don't import them to the states anymore, but they are great all around bikes. Extremely customizable. Lots of power. Comfortable upright position that you're used to. You can get a good used 2005 for around 4k-5k. There also is excellent support community at www.zrxoa.org that will tell you everything you want to know about the bike.

Answer 7

suzuki sv650s, kawasaki ninja 650R, yamaha fz6. Should be good for touring with a decent upright position and fairings, but still capable of having some fun on those mountain roads, and all under 7k.

Answer 8

Your best bet is a Harley Road King for your weight/size and touring preferences. Check around the classifieds locally to find one in your price range...there ARE some out there. I will also give you a couple of sites to try besides eBay. www.motorcyclejunk.com - these are not junk motorcycles, just full of a bunch of motorcycles and "junk"
www.craigslist.com - be sure to click on YOUR area on the right side of the page. I wouldn't go with anything else but the Road King. Very comfortable ride and great for your size and preferences.

Answer 9

New or used Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic or 900LT.

Answer 10

okay well, dont get a harley davidson unless you are obsessed with their style. They are overpriced and arent very good in any category, try getting one of the japanese made bikes. Japanese bikes are cheaper, faster, and more reliable than 100% of the crap that HD makes. The only reason you should ever get a HD is for the looks, or "lifestyle" (aka marketing scheme).