Cruiser vs. Sport bike

[tlwisner]

Cruisers are for old people who don't wear helmets, like black leather, and drink a lot when they ride from bar to bar. Sportbikes are for squids who wheelie down the highway at 140 mph wearing a full faced helmet, shorts, T-Shirt and flip flops on the way to buy crack or meth...

The bike that is good for you may not be the same one I like. Ride your ride and ride what you like.

[Clint]

The problem is not knowing what you like. Sometimes you just have to try and see. I'd start with a sportbike.

[intimid8er]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

The problem is not knowing what you like. Sometimes you just have to try and see. I'd start with a sportbike.

Ehhhhhh........It'd be so much easier if they let you ride the damn things before you buy 'em.

That is just damn aggravating to me.

[Clint]

I agree. I'm always on the lookout for test ride days. MotoPrimo in Minneapolis (multibrand) does them, but I missed it this year.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by chefprice

Hello I am new to the forum. I have a Suzuki M50 and really like it. I have been thinking of getting a sport bike though. I have found a beautiful 97 Suzuki RF 900 with only 4k miles. Some people swear by sport bikes and some swear by cruisers. Has anyone here owned both and which did you prefer? I am not going to race or do 150mph. I just like a comfortable cool ride. Any ones opinions would be appreciated. Thanks.

I have a sportbike...I want to keep it...but I would like to get a cruiser as well. I do know it's different rides. Different feels. When I ride my friend's cruiser...it's such an enjoyable ride. My Gixxer I can still ride for hourse..without discomfort..but that's me.

[intimid8er]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

I agree. I'm always on the lookout for test ride days. MotoPrimo in Minneapolis (multibrand) does them, but I missed it this year.

I've come to learn that the manufacturers sponsor "Demo Days", but most of them are inconvenient or across the country/state whatever. Plus, I'm not to keen on standing around in the hot sun in a cattle line waiting my turn for the dime tour on the latest ride. Seems like most of the "Demo's" are at the big events like Daytona and such (at least around here).

10K+ is a lot of $$$ to ask of somebody to pony up for a ride that they can't try out. Some people finance them bad boys for five and six years, and are stuck with 'em. I also despise the term "investment" in relationship to vehicles. It's a freakin' common item fer chrissakes! It's a darn depreciating item. An investment for a vehicle is/was buying a Plymouth Superbird way back when, knowing there was less than five hundred made, and hermetically sealing it, then bringing it to Barrett Browning thirty years later. What are they fetching now? $75K? As opposed to an M.S.R.P. of $5-$7K originally. Now that my friends is an investment.

Hell even $5-$6K is a lot to ask of somebody to just take a bike home with nothing more than the obligatory sit on it on the showroom floor shuffle we all go through.

One thing that is nice though, is Victory practically begs you to come ride one
which shows me that the company "get's it". With their lowest priced bike starting at 12K, it shows me they are with the program.

Some Harley dealers are starting to get with it. We have a local one that offers demos on Saturday mornings. Unfortunately, the only bikes that are remotely comfortable to me in their lineup is the Geezer Glides, and I'm not ready for that yet.

I was encouraged to hear Yamaha was going to roll out a dealership demo program with the launch of the Roadliner. They were even going to underwrite the insurance costs so the dealers would hop on board. Most dealers I've talked to deny any existence of this at all. I got my info directly from the Star Motorcycles Wannabe Mailing List....right from the horses mouth.

So little changes are happening, maybe big changes in the way the business of selling motorcycles is conducted can't be far off?

[inspiron]

Over here, most dealers will let you test ride a bike. Of course, you need to show that you are a licensed rider, and you need to sign a contract that you will pay for any damage to the bike if you drop it.

I test-drove a new car this week, and the process was the same. Show your license (usually they'll make a copy of it), sign a contract, and you're off. The contract for the car stated that I could drive 50km (30 miles), and each additional km would be charged about $0.10 per km. Of course, they didn't charge me, but they have this in their contracts to stop people from signing up for a "test drive" and then using the car to go pick up friends from an airport or something.

I wouldn't buy a bike if I couldn't test ride that model beforehand. How can I buy a bike if I don't know what I'm getting myself into? Would you really spend 2 or 3 months income for something you've never really tried? Sitting on a model in the showroom is not the same as taking that bike for an hour through some typical riding conditions - city streets, twisties and the highway.

[Louis]

Not everyone offers test rides here. There's some official ride days organized at some dealers, but they get booked pretty quickly.

[Jammer]

You know what I do? When I am sitting talking with the guys after riding...we're always talking about bikes...We share and if someone would like to test ride..we let them..now we know them of course..let them test ride our bikes. In fact..that's what got me started on this cruiser purchase.

[Trapper]

I organize a ride night throught the restaurant and the local Suzuki dealership. They have a demo day next Saturday and everything they put out is a demo until it is sold. My buddy Claude the salesman, will trade with me every Monday if i wanted. Thats how I got to try out the GSXR 750 last summer.

This year I am looking forwars to the DRZ400SM and the naked SV650. Watch for reviews in the M-J Blog!

[Louis]

That's great Kevin!!!!

[intimid8er]

Originally Posted by inspiron

I wouldn't buy a bike if I couldn't test ride that model beforehand. How can I buy a bike if I don't know what I'm getting myself into? Would you really spend 2 or 3 months income for something you've never really tried? Sitting on a model in the showroom is not the same as taking that bike for an hour through some typical riding conditions - city streets, twisties and the highway.

Jim, that is the biggest gripe I have. (In case you hadn't noticed over the past year... )

A truer statement has never been spoken. I think it is unconscionable that dealers expect us to spend $5-$25K on bikes (up to and above $100K on customs, but I can understand the reasoning for customs), without trying it out first. To see how it fits etc. I've heard the saying, "All you need is fifteen minutes or fifteen miles on a bike to see if that relationship will work."

A car salesman is "required" to take a customer on a demo ride ("Feel the wheel. Make the deal.") You'd be surprised how many customers refuse a demo, (they're the first to %%%%% about a problem afterwards too..or they didn't sit in it and familiarize themselves with all the features of the car, and find that they are missing items.....such as an automatic transmission....

Motorcycle Dealerships get away with what they do, because a good percentage of the buying public allows them to do it. They take a hardline stance against the buyer, tell the buyer that's the way it is in the motorcycle business, and if they don't like it they can lump it.

[SVZuki]

I will be riding a 1300 Honda VTX this weekend hopefully to really see the difference.

[TechJD]

well it makes it tough to make an intellegent desision when buying a bike
your not suppose to ask to ride someone elses bike and the dealer wont let ya
whats a guy/gal to do

touring bikes are nice
you sit upright like a cruser almost, it insures like a cruser, rides like a sportbike almost, corners like a sportbike, and they dont have to have full fairings or saddel bags
I just wonder about fuel milage on the newer ones
I hear sportbikes get way less mpg than a cruser

[robertc729]

Personally, if I can't test ride it I won't buy it. Fortunately when I bought my C50, I already knew how the bike handled.

[tlwisner]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

The problem is not knowing what you like. Sometimes you just have to try and see. I'd start with a sportbike.

I have no desire to buy a sportbike, but I'd be happy to take one for a ride. I liked my sport-touring bike, but for me my cruiser is more fun. I knew I wanted a Volusia - but one local dealer was still selling the leftover '04s for MSRP +. I ended up at another local dealer as they received their first C50 and priced it well below MSRP. It's mine, and will be for some time to come.

[blackie1491]

Most brands have demo days at the dealers.
Suzuki, Kawi and Yama bring a trailer of bikes in to the local dealers.
Yama will rotate thru the dealers over a few weekends, it is advertised and suggested you phone up and book your ride, show up with proper gear and a class 6 license. Honda has not done it for several years. Harley does the same thing and I saw a Victory rig in town in early May.

I have seen my dealer allow test rides, normally on a used version of the new one you want.

[boulevard]

Depends on your mood is the answer. I have a big twin Dyna Harley and a
C50 boulevard. I ride my buddies' Honda CBR1000 and Suzuki GSX1000. I wish I had one of these sportsbikes, because 1 out of 5 times I would like to be riding a sports bike. I wouldn't trade my cruisers for them.

[robertc729]

Originally Posted by boulevard

Depends on your mood is the answer. I have a big twin Dyna Harley and a
C50 boulevard. I ride my buddies' Honda CBR1000 and Suzuki GSX1000. I wish I had one of these sportsbikes, because 1 out of 5 times I would like to be riding a sports bike. I wouldn't trade my cruisers for them.

[jbrough7]

I got a deal a couple of years ago on a cruiser when I got back into biking. Then I swapped it for a Bandit. I guess the big thing is the handlebars when you're moving from a cruiser to anything else. Make sure you check them out. The Bandit was okay for me because the bars are a bit higher. The difference in handling between the cruiser and my new Bandit is incredible. And take off and stopping are something else.

I was ticked too because here they don't really allow demo rides. My Suzuki dealer had similar deals on the Bandit, SV650S, C50 amd M50. I still wasn't sure either if I wanted to go standard or sport or cruiser, but the salesman would only let me sit on them. Can you imagine that happening in a car dealership?

So I just ended up going for the best feel for me (an old dude at 46) and best price and I've never looked back. Good luck.

Jim