Best starter cruiser motorcycle?

Question

I am a new rider and I like the cruiser style motorcycles. I've talked to sales people at the shops and some riders. Been getting mainly two options. 1. Get a small bike like Honda Rebel 250 and trade up once you get comfortable. 2. Or get a 500 or 650 any brand to learn.

Everyone says if you get a 250 you will get bored and want to trade up in a month or so depending on how much you ride. The 500 ~ 650 are small enough to learn but powerful enough to keep.

I plan on riding almost everyday around town to run errands, grab lunch at etc. I work from home so I do not have to commute to work. However when I go on sales calls I plan on driving my car.

Please help?! I am 5'9" 150 lbs

Answer 1

Riding a motorcycle is all about balance and coordination.
You need a bike that fits you, with enough power to manuver in traffic, but not too much weight or power that you can't handle.
First, sit on the bike. You should be able to firmly plant both feet on the ground while sitting on the bike in the upright position. You should be able to rock the bike slightly from one side to the other without having trouble bringing it back. If you can do that, the bike is the right height and weight for you.
As for power, I don't recommend anything less than 500cc, as the power limitations can make highway or power manuvers difficult. More than 1000cc is too much power, especially for a beginner, and adds unneeded weight. Around 750cc range is my recommendation for most people.

Also, you need to comfortably reach the handle bars. If the bike you like fits all other aspects except that, don't worry. It's easy to adjust or replace handle bars. But make sure you do adjust or replace to a comfrotable height/position, or you won't be able to handle the bike properly and enjoy the ride.

Answer 2

Well I've been riding for 2 plus years and I started with a Honda Rebel 250 and am just getting the itch to upgrade to a 600cc bike. Probably a Shadow. The Rebel is a great bike to learn on. If you do a lot of highway riding I would not recommend it. It's too small for that. But back roads at 50 plus mph is just great and I weigh more that you! If your new to riding you should also do the basic rider courses...they are awesome! Good Luck!

Answer 3

Being 5' 9" 150 pounds a 250 is going to be to small for you in a hurry and you will wish you got something bigger , Check out The Honda Shadow 750cc ,It will be your best bet , It looks good, handles like a dream and has power when you need it for getting around town /

Answer 4

Although there is some truth to what you've been told about getting bored and wanting to "trade up", if you are sure you will only want to be using the bike for what you say the a 250 should be fine. Besides the Rebel the Suzuki GZ-250 is another really great starter bike. We use the GZ's at our school and they hold up really well.

Good luck!

Answer 5

I started out on a 600 Honda but I would say best for your money is the 750 Honda's they are big enough to last and small enough to learn. Plus they look sound and ride much better than small bikes.

Answer 6

I recommend the Suzuki Boulevard C50/C50T family. 50 cubic inches (805 cc's). They are relatively inexpensive, have lots of power, and are a lot of fun. I recently traded my 2005 C50T in for a Kawasaki 1600 Nomad. Definitely not a beginner's bike. Check out www.volusiariders.com for a really good source of information about Suzuki cruisers. The C50 is not so big that it's intimidating, but is big enough that you won't be in a hurry to trade up..

Answer 7

this is probably the most asked question we field at dualsportbiketest and sportbiketest.com. the best answer is...only you can answer. my suggestion is to find a local bike club and show up to a meeting, ask a million questions ask to sit on the different bikes (most non harley riders will let you) and feel how each bike differs. ask each rider what he/she asks of their bike and why they chose it. this will get you more up to speed faster, also ask about a local riders safety course, here in SoCal Honda has a great one and you can ride a few different style bikes in a controlled environment so you don't have to worry about anything but riding.

Answer 8

u'll want to ride further and further, and the bigger the bike, the more it will absorb the road bumps than ur kidneys. 650's are pretty small bikes. if u are on the interstate, it feels a bit shaky at legal interstate speeds.
remember that air cooled scoots dont have quite as much hp as the water cooled, but if ur only gonna do short hops, a low powered bike will do. i ride a 1200 sporty. it works well for me and still has enough guts to ride smooth on the interstate.

Answer 9

Buy used.
Yamaha Virago 750
Yamaha Virago 535
Kawasaki Vulcan 500

Answer 10

Yamaha 1100 Vstar, it will have enough power and it is very easy to ride w/ all the power & able to ride out of town in 3 months when you are ready.