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Pondering a new bike

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Vikti

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My wife told me today that in the spring I can get myself a new bike and gave me the option of keeping my current bike. So I decided not to argue with her and said OK. I thought about getting a Harley Dyna but after a small test ride I don't care for the weight of a bare bones model, I have ridden goldwings and Moto Guzzis that seems to weigh less. So I have narrowed it down to either a Honda Shadow or a Yamaha Star.

I have been looking at the v-star 650s but I have heard that they loose quite a bit of power once you get them to about 70 mph, for those of you who have one is that so? I would rather have a 950 or 1100 but at this time they seem to be out of my price range, I can't exceed $4000. I'm hoping to find a dealer who is willing to let me test ride a 650 so I can find out for myself. As far as the shadows go, any input from shadow owners would be appreciated. Today I was at a Honda dealer who will have a '06 shadow 750 ready for sale by the end of this next week and will let me test ride it next weekend but I really don't know much about their performance.

Thanks all

Damon
 
You'll like the power/weight of the Shadow 750 better than the VStar 650.

Definitely consider the 1100s. You should be able to find V-star or Shadow in your price range but it may have to be from a private seller instead of a dealer. Also look at the Vulcan 900. I think $4k can get you in the game there too and it has fuel injection.

I think you will keep and ride a larger bike longer than the others.
I've had my VT1100 for 8 years now. Still love it.
 
Personally I think the Honda 1100 is superior to the VStar having owned/ridden both.
 
Too bad you're not closer, I'd let you take mine for a spin.

I would look to find a good used 1100 as you might outgrow a 750 rather quickly.
 
I've got a buddy with a 600 shadow, at nearly 82,000 miles with no major work. Not the fastest around, but his cobra pipes sound great! Have fun shopping! :sun:
 
Just bought my Vulcan 06 900 LT, So far I am loving it, it also cost under 4k with 34k miles. I like that the LT models already have some nice extras
 

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If you wanna go in another direction, I know where there is a great ST-1300.
I would attach photos but........................
Tom
 
Vikti -- I owned a VStar 650 for about a year. I found it to be less than enthusiastic.
For chugging around town it was ok. But don't be taking it to Arkansas.
 
you might take a peek at the new Suzuki cruisers.
visit the website and check them out.
The ones I've seen are pretty nice and seem to be fairly popular around here.
water cooled so our heat is no issue
 
You need to look at a Kawasaki Mean Streak. We sold our 2006 model for $4500 last year - it had less than 12k on the odometer and was in perfect condition. With 1600 cc's of power it will flat out move. It also has an extremely low center of gravity and can easily be handled by just about anyone. This was Joyce's bike for many years - and she's only 5'4" tall! She picked it over the Vulcan 900 because it was actually easier to ride and get up off the kickstand.
 
Check out the Honda 1100s, they quit making them a few years ago. Also check out the VTX 1300s also.
 
Can anyone say something about the Suzuki Boulevards? A good friend of mine may be getting his '06 back in a few weeks and he's too much in love with his '83 Goldwing (he's on a quest from God to restore it back to a showroom finish) to want to ride anything else and is thinking about offering it to me for a dirt cheap price. He told me that it was one of the bigger engines for that year.

Any comments? Good or bad.

Damon
 
My first bike was a Suzuki boulevard S50 805cc. I put nearly 14,000 miles on that bike and rode it to Colorado, Arkansas, the Hill country and all over central Texas.

My mechanic made sure it had regular maintenance and it performed perfectly in the mountains of Colorado and Arkansas. I never had trouble keeping up with bigger bikes and I rode with Harley's and Gold Wings and big BMWs all the time.

I recommend them highly. Nimble, lightweight, low maintenance, great choice.

MCB
 
Damon,
I've got a friend with a bazillion (not really, but it's a lot) miles on an S50 Boulevard. He loves it, rides it everywhere and I never hear him complain.
 
Right now I'm planning a road trip to NE Alabama later on in the year if things work out the way I want and I would need to carry about a weeks worth of clothes and necessities. Could this bike do this with little/no worries? I can do this trip on my Nighthawk but after about 4-5 hours on the road comfort would start being an issue. I've had a Suzuki '80 400 single & an '81 450 and as far as the overall quality of Suzuki's in general they are faithful little bikes and I never had a problem with either one of them. It's just that I haven't looked at Suzuki's in so long.

And thanks all who have put up with my round of 20 questions so far. Ya'll are great.

Damon
 
Vikti said:
Can anyone say something about the Suzuki Boulevards
Click to expand...

My first bike was an 2005 S50. The S50 is interesting; it's about 100 lbs lighter than any other 800cc bike (that I could find specs for). It's a five speed, and doesn't include a tach - both minor-ish inconveniences. It's very comfortable and the seat is really low. Shaft drive, so no chain to maintain. Carbureted, so it needed to warm up a bit in weather like we've got now.

Overall, I thought it was a really fun bike around town. Riding across the state or country wouldn't be a problem (though the longest ride I ever did on it was probably 200 miles round-trip) with some wind protection, though the 5 speed means it's revving pretty good at 75 mph.

There are loads of other 'Boulevards' - which specifically are you looking at?

Cheers, Jeff
 
My 1st bike was also a S50 great bike if your not 6 feet tall I am so after 2 years and riding from Connecticut to Florida 1st year then to Georgia the next I had enough! Traded her in with about 22k miles for the Bandit which is better for us "tall" freaks of nature! :D
 
For a lightweight cruiser, look no further than a 2006 Honda Shadow 750 Spirit Chain Drive. Change the rear sprocket to a 38 if you are doing 1 up riding, and you can cruise comfortably at 80mph without the engine screaming for mercy. There are plenty of accessories available for it, and of course it's a Honda so it will last practically forever.

Downsides are spoked wheels, so you have tubes to deal with, which makes roadside flat repairs impossible. FWIW I have 33k miles on mine and have not had 1 issue with a flat tire yet, but that could just be luck. 200+ mile days are doable, a new seat will make those days easier.

If you are short in stature, look at the ACE model, it has mid-mounted controls, for those with shorter legs.
 
I owned a 750 Shadow for a year and thoroughly enjoyed it! If it weren't for my size (I looked like a circus bear on it) I would most certainly still own it! Handled well, and for a 750 had plenty of power. You will find them all day for $4k or less if you simply look around.. I bought and sold mine on Craigslist with relative ease.
 
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