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Need some help picking a bike - I'm all over the place lol

3K views 35 replies 16 participants last post by  logik brooklyn 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey everyone

New member here whos a long time rider of a yamaha r1. I sold my bike two weeks ago as I really was getting tired of the super sport scene, here in brooklyn ny, it really is just getting uncomfortable, as well as unnecessary.

My initial plan was to get myself a cruiser, like a vstar or something of that sort (harleys are just to damn expensive), and I was dead set on this. Then 3 days ago, I came across two brand new naked bikes, a ducatti monster 1100 evo, and a triumph triple speed r, and I think i might be in love. Thing is I've never riden a naked bike before, and honestly was never a huge fan of them...but those two bikes blew me away.

Can anyone give me some insight on these 3 bikes...I hear Naked bikes like that are much more comfortable then super sports, absorb the roads better, and still ride and handle just as good, if not better then super sports for mainly city use. I do plan on doing nice highway and interstate runs, but a good portion of riding will be right here in the city. I'm 5'11 225lbs and 29 years old btw.

Should I just stick to the vstar/cruiser....or are these naked bikes really like the best of both worlds for comfort and performance?

BTW my budget is 13-15 k tops, otherwise i'd just grab a diavel and call it a day.

thanks in advance!

EDIT...up above where I said vstar, I actually meant the yamaha Stryker...I love that bike.
 
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#2 ·
Personally, I can't stand the riding position of cruisers. Hurts my back to ride them for more than an hour or so. I vastly prefer the naked and supersport bikes.

Also check out the Ducati Streetfighter, MV Agusta Brutale 800, Yamaha FZ09, Kawasaki Z1000, Honda CB1000, and other similar sporty naked bikes.
 
#6 ·
I had a Vulcan 900...

Uber smooth at 50-60mph, vibrated like hell at 75mph, anything over 75mph and your hands went numb because of the vibration, but it struggled to get to 100mph...

Ground clearance was a joke, in my 5 mile commute, all in the city and no freeway, I dragged the floorboards on 3 corners. It was scary, the bike's handing is ridiculously limited because of the lack of ground clearance. Twisties? Forget about them, you'll have to ride them ridiculously slow to avoid dragging hard parts. The worst part of it is that you know there is no more ground clearance in case you have to avoid something mid-corner.

Riding position was really uncomfortable to me, all of the weight was on my tailbone and it was unbearable to ride it for more than 1 hour. Then there is the fact that you sit straight, with your feet and arms forward, it is like being a sail at high speeds. Well, that riding position also makes sure all of your spine will receive every shock/bump that comes from the road, so you will get intimate with expansion joints, potholes, etc, and there is nothing you can do as your feet are forward and unable to use them to support your weight.

Suspension, the low ride height makes for very short suspension travel, which means there is no much travel to smooth out potholes. Which is only made worse because of the riding position.

All in all, never again. Hated that bike, it was the only bike I was happy to get rid of. They look good, but they are all about looks, they are the epitome of form over function, and the function is severely limited because of the looks.
 
#7 ·
By the way, why do you care about the "scene"!? I get on my bike, do my own thing, enjoy the ride, go home and repeat, if someone comes along for the ride it's fine, a good friend riding with me is the icing on the cake, but far from a requirement.
 
#9 ·
Two things I don't like about cruisers - forward foot pedals and small (gallon wise) gas tanks. I do like the new Honda below because of the old school dirt track styling and foot pegs directly below the rider, but it has that damn itsy bitsy gas tank :(

2013 Shadow RS Overview - Honda Powersports

The Duc Monster is one sweet machine, but the upkeep can be pricey. Maybe a Honda 919?
 
#11 ·
View attachment 221793

This is the exact cruiser im interested in.


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That's a Star Stryker not a vstar. From what I've read they handle pretty nice for a cruiser.
FWIW, I've had several sportbikes and two cruisers. A Star Warrior and Suzuki M109R. I recently traded the Warrior for a 2012 FZ1. So far I love the FZ1. Whether you like cruisers or not will really depend on the type of riding you want to do and what you get enjoyment from. For me the cruisers were cool but just didn't turn me on enough to where I could have one as my only bike. They have a lot of personality but now I know that naked bikes are where it's at for me. Modern naked bikes or sport standards do everything pretty well. Handling, speed, easy to work on, reliability, etc. Overall I just find them to be way more fun and practical than the cruisers I've owned for day to day riding. But that's just me...
 
#13 ·
I owned a Shadow Spirit 1100 for awhile, but barely managed ot ride it because it broke down CONSTANTLY. I didn't trust the bike and I didn't like it.

Cruisers are a matter of opinion, and you're on a sportbike forum. Everyone here is going to have the opinion that sport bikes are better. My dad liked the Honda Shadow; he thought it was comfortable and fun to ride. I didn't find it comfortable at all; my shoulders and back start hurting after even short rides, and I really, really hated not being able to use the footpegs for their intended use (weight distribution.) My back and arms actually never hurt from my sv650S, although my legs sure as hell will after awhile. It's a matter of preference and this is not the place to get a non-biased opinion. Just like if you went to Harley.com or whatever the cruisers go to, they would all tell you the Ducatti and Triumph suck; they're uncomfortable, they're dangerous, they're high maintenance, they're for kids, they're cheesy, whatever.

Ride what you like and nothing else. Just know that cruiser does not equal comfort for all.
 
#14 ·
I know I'm going to get a biased opinion here...but I'm getting good because its from people who have ridden both. So I'm taking in what I'm reading, though only with a grain of salt.

I've never ridden a naked bike either, so I may have to test drive one and see how I feel about that experience as a whole. It may feel so similar to a super sport that it may be not what I'm looking for at all.


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#15 ·
I'm in a similar boat to you. I've been a SS rider my whole life, but currently my Duc is dead and my 250R is my only bike. I'm looking at the sport nakeds as well, something to consider..

the Ducati Streetfighters have MASSIVELY higher insurance than any of the other nakeds. I want an 848 Streetfighter like nobody's business - but the insurance is literally 4x the price of a Monster, Speed Triple, or Z1000. Definitely check insurance rates before getting too invested.
 
#16 ·
Cruisers tend to put a lot of weight on your tail they also tend to have very limited suspension travel because having suspension parts you can see and having a gap between the rear wheel and the rear guard so the rear wheel has some meaningful suspension travel is uncool or something.

I'd suggest a Bandit 1250s or a a FZ1s if you intend to do some longer trips the bit of wind protection the half fairing affords is well worth it.

Naked bikes come in all different shapes a sizes some will have a lot of leg room but won't have a lot of ground clearance others will have buckets of ground clearance but the seating position is barely off the sports bike it is based on. So its a bit of look at everything and anything and find one you like.

Some odd ball suggestions dunno what a V4 tuono retails for there apparently its mad as bat poo so might be worth looking at. Moto Guzzi Griso something a bit different and well inside your budget. You could look at a few of the road based adventure tourers as they make excellent all rounders, KTM have just released something recently Vstrom's have a brilliant reputation if you can handle having to look at it before you actually ride it. You may as well try a couple of cruisers you only won't like it.
 
#18 ·
Go on youtube and get some reviews on the various bikes you're thinking about. The Z1000 (aside from its awesome styling) got rave reviews. I love mine to peices and I'm about to set out on a 4 day 3000km road trip on it. Cannot wait!!!

The Stryker is a sweet looking ride, even if it is a cruiser. I don't like the seating position and such on those bikes, granted I do have limited seat time on one as well.

Are there test rides available in your area as well? That would be a great way to get a feel for various bike styles and how they fit you.
 
#21 ·
If you even test ride the Triumph Speed Triple, you will be hooked. The 3 cyl. engine is just unique. The sound is awesome.

But don't count out it's little brother, the Street Triple R. Only a 675, but it'll scoot.
 
#23 ·
I personally suggest you to go for Ducati Monster 1100 Evo bike iconic naked motorcycles. It is very stylish and comfortable with having
great key feature. Ducati Monster 1100 Evo's design is very stylish and comes with the perfect union of power, electronics at the service of
active safety, jaw dropping design and sheer riding pleasure. It has 1078 cc L-Twin cylinder, 2 valve per cylinder Desmodromic, air cooled engine,
maximum power of 69.8 kW - 95bhp at 7500 RPM, maximum torque 10.5kgm - 75.9lb-ft at 6000 RPM, 6-speed gear boxes. Now, it is coming in petrol
as well as diesel version also. You will find it very comfortable and the “Ultimate Monster”.
 
#26 ·
From reading some reviews of those that have ridden both the Evo and the Speed Triple, seems the Triple has a wider torque band and more upright sitting position but feels more top heavy and less nimble than the Evo. The Evo has a more forward sport posture and foot pegs are more rear set.

If it were me and I was going to fork out $13G +, I'd ride them both before deciding. Sounds like either would be a blast. Not a bad problem to have. Then again, you could just do the cruiser thing and save some dough. If you don't like it, sell it and move on.
 
#27 ·
So I bought new tires and needed them swapped and I went to a local custom shop that all the local track guys recommended and use for work on their bikes. I walk in the garage and it's mostly beat-up track bikes, a few Busas, and a couple cruisers... but right in the middle is a new Evo 1100!

It's on stands and both wheels are missing. Gary, the owner sees me gawking at it and says "that's a first-time customer and he's 70yrs old".

Me..."No shit?"

Gary... "Yep, he brought it in cause he wants the wheels painted red".

Me... "No shit?"

Gary... "No lie. He was referred to me by a long time customer that is 80yrs old and rides a ZX-14, and he's about this tall (hand around 5' off the ground)."

Me... "Bullshit!"

Gary... "Dude, I couldn't make that shit up"

Me... "We were just talking about this bike on a forum but this is first time seeing one in person"

Gary... "You want that shit don't you?"

Me... "It's badass! A lot of people like the Speed Triple, we were just having a discussion comparing the Evo and Speed Triple. What would you take?"

Gary... "The Evo hands down, much more nimble. I've ridden a lot of Triumphs but the only one I would buy is the 675."

Just sharing because I thought the coincidences about the conversation and my first time at this shop were funny. That Ducati is sexy as hell, even though I'm not sure that I like the "naked" look in general, but if I ever crossed over, that Evo would be at the top of my list. That being said... the exhaust note sucks, IMO. Gotta be an aftermarket upgrade that makes it growl like an 1100. The Aprilla and Ferrari have legendary exhaust notes, c'mon Ducati!!
 
#34 ·
Went by friends shop today to check out the Stryker again. Told him I was looking at the monster as well, and he showed me a yamaha fz1 and fz8...nice bikes as well. He actually recomended the fz8 over the 1...said it was an awesome machine. Looked good, but it certainly wasn't a monster.
You *really* need to ride as many of the choices as you can before deciding. You can't make an informed decision without the information.

PhilB
 
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