Bonneville America Forums Forums General Motorcycle Forums Other Bikes Looking to buy but need assistance

So my girlfriend climbed back onto my BA yesterday and we went for a nice long, slow paced ride for several hours through scenic southeast VA. She's getting more comfortable and is talking more and more about gettting her own bike. Last night she asked how I decided I wanted a Triumph and about other bikes out there.

If I can, I'll obviously steer her towards a Triumph. However, she needs to be comfortable on her bike. So, my question is: are there any manufactures out there that are just real crap. I haven't kept up with the rest of the cruiser world like I should have. Comfort and style will be her call, but I want to make sure she'll be looking at bikes that are mechanically sound and certainly reliable.

I'm obviously open for all inputs.

As far as cruisers go, the manufacturers to stay away from are probably the ones you dont know about anyway. Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Victory, Harley, they have all been around and make a reliable bike. I think if you get a used one, stay in the last 10 model years and it will be fine. Of course, you will still want to give any bike a good look and ask plenty of questions if buying from a third party, and a dealer will usually make sure a bike is good to go before selling it.

By all means, avoid bikes made by Chinese and Indian companies. Italian bikes are much like their makers, flashy but occasionally temperamental for no discernible reason.

I'm beginning to think that the Ridley has some advantages for a beginning rider.
http://www.ridleymotorcycle.com/
With no clutch or shifter, it allows the new rider to put more concentration into learning the riding part of motorcycling. They have enough power for highway riding but not so much that being clumsy with the throttle will automatically get you in deep trouble.

The woman next door is fairly new to riding.She bought a 03 kawasaki vulcan 800cc a couple years back.With her money and my time,Ithink she has herself a very practical,good lookin and comfy ride.If I were to go backwards I might consider one,belive it or not I find this bike easyer to ride than any I've rode.

Those Ridley's seem pretty wicked. Anyone know someone that owns or test rode one?

There was another thread about the Ridleys recently here, and I remember somebody made the comment that with it's CVT transmission there wouldn't be any engine-braking available while riding it, and that you'd be relying solely upon the brakes alone to reduce your speed and/or stop on one. That sounded like a reasonable assumption to me, and seeing as how learning to use the engine's compression to help scrub down speed on a motorcycle is a must, and even with over 40 years of riding under my belt I'd be a little hesitant to ride one of these babies myself, let alone advise a newbie to experience this.

This "automatic" transmission effect is mostly the reason that the few times I've ever ridden a scooter, I couldn't wait to get off and ride a motorcycle, a machine where you can feel your engine's torque and horsepower effect much more directly upon your tire's contact patch with the tarmac.

I've had Kawasakis and Hondas, and would not hesitate to buy either again. I had a Kaw Vulcan 500 for a while, that I would highly recommend as a first bike. Low seat height, relatively lightweight, easy to handle in the parking lot or on the highway. Six-speed transmission, which might get a little confusing for a beginner, but it can cruise at 80mph all day. There are usually quite a few low-milage ones around that you can get for a couple grand or less.

Right now I have a loaner bike, a Yamaha V-Star 1100. What a dog! The seat is too low, the pegs are too small. My foot wont fit under the brake pedal or shift pedal, so they have to stick out sideways. The kickstand is awkward and too far back on the bike. The motor pulls fine as far as torque goes, but when you get on it, it feels like its going to shake apart. After 40 miles, my hands were tingling for another 20 minutes. It stands short in stature, much smaller than the America, even for an 1100 it seems like a small bike. I guess the bottom line is, I dont like it. Oh yeah, its almost brand new, only 2300 miles.

I see lots of gals around here on Kawasaki Vulcans and they look like they're comfortable on them. Good company with a solid product, she should give them a look.

My dad had a Vulcan 800, nice looking bike, when I sat on it, it was comfortable. He has never had a problem with it. Its water cooled though, so it has a radiator, but I guess most Japanese V-twin cruisers do.

Yesterday we rode with a gal who was really comfortable on her Burgman scooter.
She says the thing will do 90, she had no trouble doing 75 mph on the slab and did a 200+ mile day on it!

Thanks for the continued input. Every so often she asks about different bikes. May take her window shopping in a couple of weeks.

I owned a Vulcan 500 for a while and would again. Great handling, can run at highway speeds, bullet-proof, and does not have the ugly looks the 750 has or the "I want to look like a Harley" thing going on the 800 has.