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Cruiser vs. Sport

Kornholio said:
Exactly. :laughing
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Funny how many people who bash cruisers have never ridden one or been on one long enough to know it's characteristics. There are totally different skill sets with each type of motorcycle. To call one style used by the unskilled and another by adrenaline junkies is just ignorance. There are unskilled riders who ride all types of motorcycles as well as seasoned vets. If you haven't opened up your mind wide enough to notice, then you're just as bad as Harley owners bashing any type of metrics.
 
I never even thought to modify my ninja. I don't think it would have helped to much though. I hope to become proficient on many different styles of bikes. I did not mean to generalize cruiser vs. sport I'm just really green and don't know any better lol. Some one mentioned to not jump on the Harley band wagon, funny thing is I don't think I'd ever own a Harley. They are nice, but just way to expensive.
 
cuend said:
Some one mentioned to not jump on the Harley band wagon, funny thing is I don't think I'd ever own a Harley. They are nice, but just way to expensive.
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That's one of the Harley myths. If you compare the prices of different new Harley models to comparable new metrics, you'll find that they are pretty evenly priced. Harley's maybe a little bit more but you're paying for more features that most come with that the corresponding metric doesn't. The difference is the resale value of Harley's are much more than metrics for some reason.

Jumping on any bandwagon is a bad idea. It's all about what you like and what you're comfortable with. I've owned a couple different metric cruisers but I've wanted a Harley since I was young. Last year my Yamaha VStar 1100 needed some work and I was through spending any more money on it so I was planning on buying a Yamaha Roadstar. But when someone snagged the last new "carb'd" model I could find, I decided to pull the trigger on my dream bike, and a year later, I couldn't be happier.
 
ST Guy said:
This!

I've always modified any bike I owned so it would fit me. Yea, it's more hassle than adjusting the fit in a car where all you have to do is press a few buttons and the seat moves 16 ways and the steering wheel and pedals move around as well. Imagine hopping into your car and not being able to do those things. Adjusting your bike to fit you pays HUGE dividends. Really huge. Yet I see all size and shape and proportion bodies all riding the same bike and it's not changed from the way the factory built it. Nutz.
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:thumbup There is a handful of members on BARF that speak my language, and make it a pleasure to be here (for me)....

Your in that handful...I'm thinking there are more...but, not putting it in print.
But I sure do like seeing it in print :thumbup
 
Fixing a nailed tire is easier on a cast wheel than on a wire spoked wheel. Just put in a gummy worm, inflate, and you're good to get home. With a tubed tire, you'll either have to patch or slime the tube.
 
Jon0807 said:
Funny how many people who bash cruisers have never ridden one or been on one long enough to know it's characteristics. There are totally different skill sets with each type of motorcycle. To call one style used by the unskilled and another by adrenaline junkies is just ignorance. There are unskilled riders who ride all types of motorcycles as well as seasoned vets. If you haven't opened up your mind wide enough to notice, then you're just as bad as Harley owners bashing any type of metrics.
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Some of us have ridden cruisers (long enough/often enough to know that it wasn't fun), and some of us have had enough dates with cruiser riders to know that many of them don't have a lot of knowledge about riding... ;) Jes' sayin'...
I did not say all, and I did say I was painting with a broad brush! :p :laughing
 
Unless you like the "cruising" riding, don't do it. I, too, always wanted a Harley growing up. I got V-star as my first bike, as it was considerably cheaper than a Harley. After riding for a while, I had tried many different bikes, including just about every HD out there. No comparision, the metric cruisers are so much better than the HD's, and cheaper as well. The myth that HD's have better resale value is no longer true. Just look at craigslist. Years ago, you couldn't buy a new Harley unless you got the early in the year. Now, they are have year end closeouts. Certainly, theres something to the HD tradition, but unless you want the traditional stuff, go something else.
 
I was heavily vested in buying a Harley on my last bike purchase go-around. Thing is, even though they have stock sitting on their floor, which is something that was literally unheard of for HD in decades prior, they still utterly refused to lower their price below MSRP...not even $1. I went and tried out the Vaquero and was impressed with the features you get for the money. But the reality that can't be avoided is that as much as everyone bitches about HD's being shit, they're not. The build quality is absolutely top notch. The Kawasaki had wiring showing everywhere and an abundance of cheap switch gear and excessive plastics where there probably shouldn't have been. Then again, the MSRP for the Vaquero was still a full two grand cheaper than the Street Glide and that included all the things Harley charges you extra for, like cruise control, ABS, paint (seriously...anything beyond vivid black costs extra :| ), and at least in 2011 when I was shopping, the 103" engine package (to get equal power output to the water-cooled Kawi engine) cost another $2000. So when you're done, the $17,000 Vaquero, which Kawi was actually willing to haggle and negotiate on to bring the price down, is a hell of a lot better deal than the $23,000 Street Glide (what it would've cost me to buy one at that time...no haggle allowed). When it comes down to it, buying a Harley because it's a good buy is bullshit. Buying one because it's really what you want is the only way it makes sense.

Ultimately, I found the BMW R1200RT to be a better choice for me...and I paid $17,800 for mine with all the bells and whistles, a few Harley and even Kawi didn't offer. That was still $4000 off MSRP for a fully loaded machine. Harley apparently isn't ready for my business yet. Someday...
 
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I like both, it mixes it up for me.

Besides I pretty much avoid riding my sport bikes on the street. Sportbikes are evil. ;-) When I ride them, they beckon me to go faster than I should.

My street cruiser is a '72 Moto Guzzi Ambassador. Seems fast enough for me.
 
Street Triple R is my cruiser. It just handles the twisties better than other cruisers I've ridden.
 
Jon0807 said:
That's one of the Harley myths. If you compare the prices of different new Harley models to comparable new metrics, you'll find that they are pretty evenly priced. Harley's maybe a little bit more but you're paying for more features that most come with that the corresponding metric doesn't. The difference is the resale value of Harley's are much more than metrics for some reason.
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Not really if actual purchase prices are taken into consideration. Can't speak for the "metrics" from Europe but the Big 4 brand metrics can be bought for thousands less than its' listed msrp. HD on the other hand, charges buyers full sticker prices pretty much all the time and even add dealer mark ups at time. Looking at value guides like KBB.Com, all major brands seem to loose about the same amount of money when compared to its' original msrp. With that said, the only accurate way to determine resale value is to know the actual purchase price when new vs. the actual re-sell used price. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any agency or resource that produce those data.
 
Kornholio said:
The build quality is absolutely top notch. ..
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No foolin. I go to the HD store to buy my squaking chicken hella synthetic oil and am blown away at how shitty the bits pieces are on their bikes. It looks like Chinese stuff from OSH. parts, paint, bolts, wavy metal, etc.
 
theAmazingKickstand said:
No foolin. I go to the HD store to buy my squaking chicken hella synthetic oil and am blown away at how shitty the bits pieces are on their bikes. It looks like Chinese stuff from OSH. parts, paint, bolts, wavy metal, etc.
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Unless we're looking at different bikes or something happened between 2011 and 2012, yes I'm not foolin'.
 
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