New rider need help making a decision...big shock

[november]

Hey everyone! Thanks for taking a look at my post. I am 25 and a brand new rider. I have been tossing over which kind of bike to get for quite a while now. I was first set on a 2005 HD Sportster 1200XL custom with about 1,500 miles. My friend was selling it for 6500 and it seemed like an incredible deal. Well, long story short, I had a new position come open starting in June, and now that position is closed. So I had to drop my price range down to around 4000. If anyone wants the bike, its still for sale though. Haha. Anyway, back to the problem. I have now found a 2005 Suzuki Boulevard S50 with 9950 miles for $4,000. I am 6'2 and about 230. So the two questions I have are; is this a good bike? I live in Charleston and I will be mainly using it for around town cruising, driving along the coast, and 3 hour interstate drives. Also, does this price seem like a good deal? Thanks in advance for the help. I appreciate it.
MS

[Alan_Hepburn]

I've not ridden an S50 but I do have a C50T that is my commute vehicle. It gets me to work and home quite well. I put about 6K miles on it last year once I started riding it back in April. My commute includes city streets, expressways, and freeways and it handles them all effortlessly. It will carry my wife as a passenger at freeway speeds as well. So far I'm averaging about 48 mpg with it if that means anything to you...

[blackie1491]

To give advice, we need to know a little more.
Do you have any riding exp.?
Have you taken the MSA course?

[november]

I have no experience right now. I have signed up for the MSF course in my area, and I am going to take it as soon as the class is held. Other than that, I have sat on several bikes. So yeah, no experience as of right now.

[blackie1491]

The best advice we can give is take the course first, if you find you like it then look at bikes.

That way if you find it is not your thing, you are not stuck with a bike.

Use the search function, try new rider, newbie, read the threads.
Ask questions, we all were new riders at one time.
There are no dumb questions, although there are dumb answers.

There are several good books out there, also some videos.
Check for Rowdyred's post he has some links listed.

[battypup]

I have to agree with blackie first take the course and decide if you can see yourself riding often. Some people think that it looks like fun but then when they get doing it its not for them.

Do your research also. The bike your looking at from what I have read is a decent learning bike not too big and not too small. Still sit on all styles and read up on pros and cons to them. You'll be happier with your choice and safer for gaining more knowledge.

[omegajim]

I would think the S50 would be a bit small.

The c50 has been all the rage around here.

[SNAFU]

Get the M50 Man! Great first bike, handles like a dream, looks really cool and is in your price range.

Here are some for sale here. Bikes For Sale Street or Other - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

on taking the safety course.

[frostbitevinnie]

Originally Posted by november

Hey everyone! Thanks for taking a look at my post. I am 25 and a brand new rider. I have been tossing over which kind of bike to get for quite a while now. I was first set on a 2005 HD Sportster 1200XL custom with about 1,500 miles. My friend was selling it for 6500 and it seemed like an incredible deal.

Good deal but too much bike for a newbie

Originally Posted by november

Well, long story short, I had a new position come open starting in June, and now that position is closed. So I had to drop my price range down to around 4000. If anyone wants the bike, its still for sale though. Haha. Anyway, back to the problem. I have now found a 2005 Suzuki Boulevard S50 with 9950 miles for $4,000. I am 6'2 and about 230. So the two questions I have are; is this a good bike? I live in Charleston and I will be mainly using it for around town cruising, driving along the coast, and 3 hour interstate drives. Also, does this price seem like a good deal? Thanks in advance for the help. I appreciate it.
MS

There is a chance you will not like riding all that much, God forbid but it still exists. Why not buy an older, smaller bike in the under $1K range? If you have no experience and no license a small bike will be much easier to learn on 800cc or less. A lower price and you have not lost much. I sold my 79" GS850 last year for $600, it was in perfect condition.

[intimid8er]

I agree with Vinnie.

Find a beater first, and decide if motorcycling is for you.

At your size (I'm about the same), you might find some bikes a tad uncomfortable. Remember most bikes are made to fit the template of a 5'10" 150 lb guy. (Or somewhere thereabouts.) So invest some time in looking around for a good competent, comfortable, cash bike that you can learn on. Not only learn to ride, but learn what you want from a bike too.

[ORBrit]

The S50 can be a great starter bike - although it is one of the quickest Vtwins out there, due to it's low gearing and low weight.

I'm 5'6" and 165 lbs and find the footpeg position a little cramped on long journeys - I think you'd be quite uncomfortable on this bike.

As far as the S50 goes, the reason I bought it was for it's weight. I wanted a bike to improve my skills on that would last a while, but wouldn't intimidate me with it's weight. It's the perfect bike.
I took a refresher course a year (and 6000 miles) after my first course and the instructors were very impressed with how well my bike handled the course. They said they'd never seen a student ride the course so smoothly. They invited me to become an instructor for Team Oregon, but that's another thread.

For your height, you may want to look at a Yamaha VStar 650 classic. Full size bike, classic cruiser styling, a bit heavier but I think you could handle it, but not too much power to get you into trouble.

[Thundurburd]

I have a S50 and it's a good fit for me at 5'-7". At 6'-2" it might be a little small for you. I like the footpegs being a little farther back than other bikes I tried, but you are over 6' and could feel cramped. The C50 and M50 have longer wheelbases and seem to fit taller riders better. Plus they weigh about 100# more.

I love my S50 however and will keep it until one of us wears out.

[pgman]

I will also say that it would be very wise to take the MSF course before making a purchase. The class doesn't change the laws of physics, but it does help you handle your bike at low speeds and in tight quarters (where the weight can get you in more trouble). With your budget, you will have a lot of choices (at least if you go with a metric) and many people find that they are less intimidated by the bike's weight after they've taken the class.

I own a Marauder, which (I believe) is very similar to the M50 in terms of weight, wheelbase and drivetrain. It has been a great first bike. I have had it almost a year now and I am not itching to "trade up" yet. The power is just right for me and the handling seems pleasant (though I really have nothing to comare it with). A Harley salesperson recently told me that the big, fat front tire makes a cruiser far more comfortable, but I have no idea if it is true. I do like the look of it, though. I am 5' 8" and 165 pounds. My bike seemed a little too big at first but I am "growing into it". I don't think I'd ever want anything much larger - mostly because of the reach from the seat to the bars (I have drag bars). In fact, THAT would be my biggest piece of advice - make sure you get something that has a good reach for you. You don't want your arms to be stretched out all the way when you ride - and most of us probably don't ride with perfect posture, so be realistic. I couldn't ride for long if my bars were much farther forward.

[zukirob]

Well I love my C50T but personally I think that the C50 is a bit heavy for a new rider. It's 560 pounds is nothing like an 800 pound HD Ultra Glide, but it's still a lot for a newbie. You will probably drop it when you are still learning how to maneuver at low speeds.

I recommend that you get a used, cheap, light bike like a Honda Rebel or something. It won't depreciate all that much over 6 months or so, then sell it and get the bike you want.

[intimid8er]

Originally Posted by ORBrit

The S50 can be a great starter bike - although it is one of the quickest Vtwins out there, due to it's low gearing and low weight.

I'm 5'6" and 165 lbs and find the footpeg position a little cramped on long journeys - I think you'd be quite uncomfortable on this bike.

I didn't want to say anything, but I rode a friends older model.

His had the buckhorn bars, so it's not an even comparison to a degree, but my knees were above the tank and interfered with steering.



Oh and ZukiRob........welcome back! Long time no see!

[Ext1jdh]

(red M50 for sale, Bikes for Sale section, hint hint prod prod)

[dcstrng]

<is this a good bike…>

I have no personal experience with the S50, but us full-frame guys usually are more comfortable on a full-frame bike with a tad longer wheelbase and more leg room… for learning as well as general use a 50-cube cruiser motor is plenty and just a few years back was considered a nice sized bike… with the advent of the 2-liter (or so) cruisers, many consider the 700-800cc range to be small, but many of old goats cut our teeth on 650 Limeys and rode `em from coast to coast, and modern engines/cruisers in the 700cc range (and up) are quite forgiving and generally exceptionally easy to keep up…

I know many advocate something as the Honda Rebel as a learner bike (good bike, wise advice generally), but for a full-sized guy I think you’d quickly feel like you were riding a moped and either have to go through the gymnastics of selling and another purchase, or lose interest altogether… with your budget, I’d actually think in terms of finding a more used scoot (say $2500-$3000 or so) and allow yourself a little extra cash for any gizmos you want to add to make it yours as well as for repairing small items here and there – law of averages says you’ll probably lay it down sooner or later; usually more embarrassing than anything, but most of us have done it now and again…

Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda an Yamaha all make long-chassis versions with their midsized engines and with a bit of shopping you should find a clean, relatively low-mileage scoot for under $3000… that size will run you to the grocery store easily and across the continent if you are of such a mind (with an adjustment here and there) and many folks never move to another size since they are such practical and enjoyably sized bikes – dirty little secret, cruisers of almost any size are dirt-easy to ride… if you can ride a Rebel and can think straight, with a modicum of practice you can ride almost anything of the V-twin genre (perhaps excepting the additional weight of the full-boat types, which are undemanding too – but can intimidate a new rider with their slightly higher center of gravity…).

Good luck, ride safe…

[Fishpart]

Sounds like your asking the right questions, and it sounds like your getting solid advice as usual from the members in the end your going to do what your going to do, but remember the forum told you so!

[wildwolf]

S50 is a great bike. I'm on my 2nd 1999 VS800 Intruder (older name for the S50 Boulevard) and my wife rides a 1994 model.

Your height will be biggest comfort limiting factor, weight isn't an issue. I'm @235-240 pounds, but only 5'8". The comfort/height thing can be overcome with some forward controls, but that'll add a few hundred $ more to your price.

That price, however, is good. Good luck in choosing, ride safe, and all that jazz...and most importantly, when you DO get a bike, be sure to come back & post pics.

[omegajim]

You don't want your arms to be stretched out all the way when you ride

so that's one "no" vote on the apehangers.