New to biking community

[Ratbone]

Hello there, my name is Jason, I am a new member of the community here. I have ridden before but always out of need rather than desire. My first bike I don't even remember what kind it was! My second bike was a Nighthawk 450, and though I loved it I could not afford to maintain it and had to get rid of it before it got dangerous.

Now I can afford to ride for fun and commuting, and I can afford to keep it up safely. I want to get a middle or lightweight cruiser that is just enough for riding my wife on the back, but not so big that it would be more than I'm used to. I'm thinking 500-750 range would be perfect to have the right look and be able to handle us both without being very expensive for cost and maintenance, not to mention jumping too far beyond my experience in terms of size.

One problem I have is that I am 6-6 tall and so normal or smaller bikes are tough for me to handle. It is very uncomfortable to have your knees bump the handlebars from poor fit, and unsafe to boot. So far I have been favoring the Shadow VLX and Aero from Honda primarily. While they have the looks I want, I'm worried that all the cruiser styles I desire will be tough to ride because of them being so low (seat height).

My secondary concern is making sure the size I'm looking at will be comfortable for my wife and I as well as not straining the bike. As I mentioned I'm a big guy and my wife is 5-10. So I have to straddle the line between small enough for safety and cost but large enough to not kill the bike with two big people on it. The longest ride I'd consider making would be maybe 1.5 to 2 hours tops, and that would be rare. Mostly just shorter rides closer to town and stuff for fun, and the main job of the bike will be light commuting (not five days a week and not much miles).

Do most bikes have seats available that are adjustable or bigger/taller for folks like me? How many bikes have handlebars that would leave room for my long legs so my knees don't hit them on turns? How small is just plain too small for two large people so that I don't get a bike that would be straining to carry us and give crappy fuel on such rides? For someone who has only ridden a 450, how big would be too much of a jump in size?

Even if cost were not a factor I would probably max out around 900, *maybe*, but more likely 750. Most important features are cool styling and good engine. I'm not very savvy with repairs so I need a very strong reliable engine with a reputation for low maintenance too.

[robertc729]

Give the Suzuki C50 or M50 a look, they are very good mid-weight cruisers.

[SNAFU]

Originally Posted by robertc729

Give the Suzuki C50 or M50 a look, they are very good mid-weight cruisers.

Go sit on them to see how you like it.

and

[RideTrainer]

It really doesn't matter what "size" the engine is, ie 750, 900 etc. What matters is that the bike fits the rider and that you have good training. Consider a more stretched out bike such as a Harley Dyna Wide Glide. I am 6'3" and find it extremely comfortable.

Ride Safe!

www.expertmotorcycletraining.com

[jgreth]

Originally Posted by RideTrainer

It really doesn't matter what "size" the engine is, ie 750, 900 etc. What matters is that the bike fits the rider and that you have good training. Consider a more stretched out bike such as a Harley Dyna Wide Glide. I am 6'3" and find it extremely comfortable.

Ride Safe!

www.expertmotorcycletraining.com

I wouldn't say that necessarily. Riding two-up on a 750 won't have much passing power compared to a liter or more.

[MOTOHOLIC!]

Cool!! Great to have you!

[Ratbone]

One of my concerns is obviously focused on my height and comfort for two hours of riding (or basically the limits of the tank). I see lots of talk on websites about how this bike has a seat height of 28 inches or that one is 29 inches, etc. I'm sure if you are 5-9 that extra inch helps out a lot for comfort. But at my height those little bitty differences are going to be negligible.

What I'd like to know about without being able to wander around town and sit on lots of bikes (for 120 days I'm still stuck in Afghanistan) is about stuff like foot peg positioning, floorboards, highway pegs, etc. Those are the type of things that I figure will be more likely to create a serious difference in feeling for my legs (38" inseam) over the course of a long ride of 1.5-2 hours between fill-ups.

I did notice one review of a bike that mentioned how a particular model could not move the footpegs, and that information I considered golden. What kind of recommendations for sites where I can read lots of reviews not only be professional reviewer types but also riders as well. If anyone has links to recommend I would really appreciate it.

Additionally having only ever ridden two bikes in my past, and those being 450 and 500 standards, I don't know much about details on the bike itself, when it comes to things that are usually only learned about with experience. So thoes reviews are my best source of information when it comes to deciding between bikes. Each company has styling that looks great and I have yet to see a bike that I simply don't like much, so it has to come down to value and features and I need to learn how to discern on that stuff.

[tallannie]

Ratbone,

The Suzuki C50 is a great bike...but probably not gonna fit ya. I have a husband who is your height and finds my C50 very cramped. I am also 6'3" and find it tight but bearable.
I dont think knees hitting the handlebars will be the issue for you...it is just that your knees end up too bent for comfort and a good feel for the pedals. Also if your feet are more than about a men's size 12 you will be a snug fit between the up and down shifter. You can roll the handlebars up a bit ...or put on risers easily so hitting the knees on a cruiser is not probably a big concern.
I put dually-iso highway pegs forward on my bike's engine guard... and get nice leg relief on highway rides that way...helps a lot. You can move them forward or back depending on your leg length.
I also used pullback risers to get the bar further back...so I sit more comfortably upright... it is straightforward to do and you might consider that if the bar position feels wrong...
From being too tall for this bike, I find I sit a bit on the rear of the seat on the C50 too... and so I use an airhawk cushion to pad that area better...and make it work for me....but this is a compromise of course.
IMHO the C50 would not take two large people comfortably ...and it would be a bit of a strain on the engine.....
I sat on a C90 and it was a whole different ballgame...the engine is 1300 cc or so I beleive, but even straight stock it was a much more generous fit and I bet it would work well for two full size humans. You should check that one out....but,oddly, it did have a slightly smaller tank on it....
My husband has a Honda vtx1300 and likes it a lot....so you might consider that one too... it is still a bit cramped for long legs. He also has hiway pegs for the leg length thing... but still only gets around 160 mi per tank...like my C50.
Not aware of 'adjustable' seat hieghts... a lot of folks change the stock seat for Corbin or Mustang or put on a pad like my airhawk cushion. I think the seat replacements usually try to match or slightly lower the seating position height...and the cushion adds an inch or two.

hope that helps ya
.