getting new bike, GOT NEW BIKE

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

do your pipes say cobra on them :poke2:they did get close to the too loud mark but only when you really gave it some throttle but they purred like a kitten driving normally. unlike some of those pipes that scream the second you start the bike up. the last vlx i looked at had some really damn loud pipes on it and the sounded like ass.


you know even at 70+ mph on my gz it runs quite smooth, no real noticeable shaking or vibrating just the annoying rehhhhhhhhhhh sound from the motor when the rpm's are up that high. i rarley ever get the gz up to that kind of speed but i have a few times just to do it and it ran quite smooth. i had it up to about 75mph and im sure it still had some more left in it but i did not want to push it any further so i backed off the throttle when i got around 75mph.

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

sounds just about right to me. going between 55-65 comfortably is just about perfect in my opinion and if you still got some power left over to get up to 80 quickly for any reason that sounds ideal, i cant ever see my self going much over 65 or 70 mph ever unless i had to.

[alanmcorcoran]

Out here you gotta be able to cruise at 70-75 or risk being run off the road. The limit is 65 in the greater LA area, but very,very few people obey the limit. I suspect average speed is closer to 72 or higher. On the other hand, I rarely find the need to go 80 or above. In So Cal, freeways are where you are going to be riding if the bike is more than a weekend toy and it's best that you get one that is comfortable on them (with all due respect, the GZ is not a great bike for freeways.) If I stll lived in rural New York State, I think the GZ would be very happy on the state roads. I kind of agree with Easy - if you don't need the gears, there's not much benefit. I don't shift like an expert, but generally, I click up to the top, down to the bottom, up to the top down to the bottom. Rarely stay very long in any of the one's in between.

I'd double check on the "service" price differences between Japanese/HD. I pay pretty big bucks for dealer service on the Yamaha. Find it hard to believe that the HD guys would be that much more. HD guys out here are hurting - but I've not checked service prices. I bought my wife a real nice pair of HD boots for about 40% off - they were cheaper than the off-brand ones and better quality.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by dannylightning

do your pipes say cobra on them :poke2:

Nope. Honda!! :roll:

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

Out here you gotta be able to cruise at 70-75 or risk being run off the road. The limit is 65 in the greater LA area, but very,very few people obey the limit. I suspect average speed is closer to 72 or higher. On the other hand, I rarely find the need to go 80 or above. In So Cal, freeways are where you are going to be riding if the bike is more than a weekend toy and it's best that you get one that is comfortable on them (with all due respect, the GZ is not a great bike for freeways.) If I stll lived in rural New York State, I think the GZ would be very happy on the state roads. I kind of agree with Easy - if you don't need the gears, there's not much benefit. I don't shift like an expert, but generally, I click up to the top, down to the bottom, up to the top down to the bottom. Rarely stay very long in any of the one's in between.

I'd double check on the "service" price differences between Japanese/HD. I pay pretty big bucks for dealer service on the Yamaha. Find it hard to believe that the HD guys would be that much more. HD guys out here are hurting - but I've not checked service prices. I bought my wife a real nice pair of HD boots for about 40% off - they were cheaper than the off-brand ones and better quality.

well i dont know for sure but i have always heard a harley is a expensive bike to own due to parts and service cost. when it breaks get ready to empty your wallet and than some according to some folks..

[Dupo]

Danny, you seem like a biker-ish enough guy..... Do yourself a favor and dont be afraid of the 'bigness' of buying a new bike. You'll lose that feeling after a week of riding. A 750 is peanuts really when it comes down to whats available out there. ANYTHING will go highway speed .... its how quick you wanna GET to that speed and how much you want to have left over when you hit that speed.

I say this because the VLX 600 and the Vulcan 500 really are low end CC bikes on todays market. If you want a putt putt bike, then there ya go. Those two are great examples of 'just enough bike' to hit the highway. Easy kinda killed his own ride there ... low top speed and nothing left if needed and, it vibrates.

I really suggest you look for at least a 750 ... on up to an 1100 or 1300. Don't put yourself into the same predicament you are in now a year from now when you are used to the next notch bike and wanna go bigger again. (it will happen). You WILL get used to a bigger bike very quickly. May not seem it now, but you'll thank me later.

My story, started on the GZ ... 250cc ... a tricycle basically. Great learner ... no frigging power and small as hell. I needed more. I too, was intimidated by a 750. But i remembered how i overcame obstacles with learning on the GZ and bit the bullet and got the 750. 1 week of riding and i was as comfortable as could be. NOW .... i fling that thing around like the GZ, like an extension of my body. Ya know what, i shoulda went bigger.................

Food for thought Danny.

Good Luck.

[alanmcorcoran]

Not sure if it's of any use to you, but to reiterate Dupo's point: I got my first motorcycle (the GZ) last June and went directly from that to a 1900cc (1854 technically) in January and I am loving it. I've taken some teasing because it's been down twice (and the GZ never went down) but both times were low speed miscalculations that resulted in me basically setting it down and collecting some minor scratches (to the bike.) I just got back from a night out and the ride home on the superslab with no traffic and at 75-80 was just as thrilling as the first day I got the GZ over 40. There's probably no such thing as a perfect bike, and I've mentioned a few flaws with the Strat, but I have never regretted the size or the power and it handles a lot better on the highway than the GZ. In addition to the afore mentioned set-downs, I've had two near misses - both times I reacted on instinct, locked, un locked and relocked up the front wheel, skidded a bit, but recovered and did not hit the cage in front of me. The Strat has dual gigantic disc brakes on the front and pretty awesome stopping power. Bottom line, even though it's heavy, it's well designed so that even a newb like me can avoid some accidents.

Re HD stuff: I think you have to actually check out all HD horror stories. Some are definitely true: I've talked to some guys that had the super hot air cooled engine problems for example, and I've personally witnessed some very rough idling HD's, but I've also seen lots and lots of very happy codgers tooling around on their pristine Electra Glides etc. When I was shopping, I got hosed pricewise on my first bike but got a great deal on my second - both were Japanese. So some of the fault on paying through the nose lies with me and my timing or negotiation skills.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Dupo

I say this because the VLX 600 and the Vulcan 500 really are low end CC bikes on todays market. If you want a putt putt bike, then there ya go. Those two are great examples of 'just enough bike' to hit the highway. Easy kinda killed his own ride there ... low top speed and nothing left if needed and, it vibrates.

"Just enough bike to hit the highway" is exactly what I wanted AND it is what Danny expressed too.......so it would seem that you are trying to push him into something that he neither wants or needs. My VLX runs very smoothly, for a V-twin, at any speed I will ever run it.

With a top speed somewhere around 100, the Vulcan 500 is MORE than adequate for any highway situation. With a top speed somewhere around 80, the VLX is MORE than adequate for my situation where it will NEVER see a "big city" interstate where it is necessary to go over 70.

The last bike I had was a 600 cc 4 cylinder Kaw Eliminator. IT would do 100 with 2 gears left and would top out about 140 (claimed, I never tried that). The size of the engine doesn't necessarily equate to performance......although you persist making a blanket claim that it does as thought it was a fact........which it isn't. The Ninja 250 keeps up with highway traffic quite nicely, as a matter of fact.

You also seem to repeatedly give the impression that anybody who doesn't share your view of the biking world is somehow shortsighted and stupid for not heeding your advice. I find that distasteful.......but that's just my opinion. YOUR opinion is just that, an opinion and it certainly doesn't apply to everybody.

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by Dupo

Danny, you seem like a biker-ish enough guy..... Do yourself a favor and dont be afraid of the 'bigness' of buying a new bike. You'll lose that feeling after a week of riding. A 750 is peanuts really when it comes down to whats available out there. ANYTHING will go highway speed .... its how quick you wanna GET to that speed and how much you want to have left over when you hit that speed.



I really suggest you look for at least a 750 Don't put yourself into the same predicament you are in now a year from now when you are used to the next notch bike and wanna go bigger again. (it will happen).
.

well dupo the intimidation factor has died, big bike, no big deal but for some reason i am drawn to the mid size bikes like the vlx and sportster, i just like the way they look. i really do like the way the 750 shadows feel, they are super comfortable but when i look at the vlx or a sportster i like it a lot more. unless the 750 has been modified, for example your ride. but when i buy something i want to get a nice set of pipes on it that sound good and make just enough noise, maybe some drag bars and pretty much leave it at that. possibly a custom rear fender,

in all honesty if the gz had just a little more power and was a bit more highway friendly i would almost be happy with it except its not the coolest bike out there by any means. every time i park it next to another bike especially my buddys harley night train im just like my bike sucks or even a Yamaha virago. i don't feel cool riding around a gz no offence to any of you gz riders but to me this is kind of like the geo metro of bikes. i would be happy with something that is more like the honda civic of bikes if that makes any sence :lol: don't get me wrong these gz's are great little bikes and im glad i started out on one.

i think what im looking for here is just a bit more power and something that has a bit more of a cool factor, at my weight 140-150 lbs the gz speeds up plenty fast, it just lacks a little on top end. my main reason for having a bike is enjoyment, i love to ride, when i got nothing to do i can hop on that thing and go cruz around town and i would like to feel half way cool while doing it.

most of my highway trips are gong to be short. around here the speed limits are 55 on most highways and 65 on a few. most people drive really close the the speed limit here so i think the vlx would be ideal plus i don't like to go fast, i like to crus and enjoy my self. i just want to make sure what ever i get is going to be capable of constantly crusing at 65 and is capalble of getting up to 80mph some what easily just encase i ever need it, i don't care how fast it speeds up as longs as its some what quick, and i can get up to a descent speed by the time i go down the highway ramp and get on the highway.

bottom line all i want, a cooler bike that will cruz at highway speeds. i see absolutely no reason to get something that will tear down the road lightning fast. if i wanted that i would buy a crotch rocket. the gz almost does the trick for me but not quite so i really think something like a vlx would be perfect.

i think this posting pretty much explains what im looking for and need out of a bike.riding season here is probably gonna be over in a month or so. i think what im going to do here is take my time. really decide what bike i want. 4k-6k is about all i want to spend preferably on the lower end of the price range if possible.

please feel free to keep giving your advice and suggestions. i am listening and keeping in mind what you guys halve to say. it may sound like im dead set on the vlx but im not. im just saying i think it would do the trick hands down if i did pick one up and trying to make clear what i would be happy with in a bike.

[dhgeyer]

Well, Danny, it sounds like you're as much concerned with appearance and image as anything else. I don't mean that as a criticism. If that's what throws your switch..... And you're on a budget, you are quite clear about that also.

I'm beginning to think Easy might be right - the VLX might be just what you want. It was originally styled after a particular model of Harley, I don't know which one. But it has a bigger looking engine than it really is, and it is a V twin, has the relatively skinny front tire and fat rear tire, generally styled to look like a cool cruiser, which it does. It will go as fast as you need to go, given your description of your riding. Also, I've found, if you get a good deal on a used one and outgrow it in a year or so, it's not the end of the world. Keep it up and keep it clean, and you'll get a good percentage of your money back. Add some more money and you can get something bigger. No, that's not the most economically efficient way to do it, but it might be the most fun way, and it might be the right way for you.

My biggest dislikes about the VLX were the tall first gear, and the fact that routine maintenance is harder than on some other bikes. If you're not going to do your own wrenching, then you don't care about the second point. If you don't have a driving need to come off the line real fast, and don't mind slipping the clutch, then the tall first gear won't bother you. If all you've ridden is a GZ250, it won't seem bad at all.

I actually rode a 2004 VLX from here in New Hampshire to Virginia and back in 2005. I did about a 1500 mile circuit around NY State on the same bike. It's not the most comfortable ride, but if you take your time you can do it. I never had an issue with it not having enough power or speed. The short range was annoying at times, but I got used to it.

If you have any inclination to mount hard bags, look into LeatherLyke. They make, or at least made, a set of removable, lockable hardbags for the VLX. Mounting is a beast of a job. You have to relocate the turn signals, including rewiring them. They give you the whole kit, everything your need, but it's still not a simple job. There's a lot to be said for some secure storage on a motorcycle. Another good thing about the LeatherLyke system is that the bags mount to a pair of nice shiny studs. When you dismount the bags (easy), there isn't anything left that looks bad or out of place on the bike.

In closing, I'd like to offer a different point of view with respect to some of your comments. I have two much larger bikes than the GZ, but when I pull into my motorcycle club meeting, or up to the gas pump next to a bigger bike, or whatever, I'm proud to be on the GZ250. It's a practical, useful, fun, environmentally responsible vehicle. I believe that if more people rode smaller bikes and drove smaller cars, America would be a more secure nation. At this point in my life, I'd rather have that to prove than my ability to conspicuously consume.