Me and my 2001 GZ250

[5th_bike]

Originally Posted by mole2

Darn that was fast...only one month! lol

... make that 12 days.... congrats Dana, thanks for dropping by and I'm glad you managed to learn some important things here, for instance that the petcock handle should point straight forward until the tank is "empty", after which you can turn it to "reserve". :rawk:

[CMS]

Originally Posted by Dana_GA

Thanks everyone for the warm welcomes. I went this wkd and bought a new bike, a 2009 Kawasaki Vulcan 500. The GZ was fun to start out with, but it wouldn't go fast enough (top speed of 70 going down hill and I got tired of trying to shift higher LOL). There is a HUGE difference, almost a orgasmic difference :drool:

Dana,did you trade the GZ or do you still have it? CMS

[alantf]

Originally Posted by New GZ250

Great looking bike, I would of seriously looked att the Vulcan if they were sold here in California,

Yeah, I wanted one too .......... but they stopped making the European version in 2008. BTW, if anyone else wants one, they're stopping the North American version this year. :poorbaby:

[Water Warrior 2]

Just when there are more an more gals out riding but don't want or need a 750 lb monster to wrestle they stop production of a sweet ride. Sheesh !!

[Mercutio57]

Let's face it, there is almost no market in the U.S. for mid-size motorcycles. We have a couple of 250s on one end of the spectrum, and the rest of the showroom is filled with 200 MPH crotch rockets and cruisers the size of SUVs. Lots of luck finding many choices in between, folks.

Back in ancient times, when I was a kid, there were all sorts of nice machines in the middle range-- 350s, 450s, 500s, 650s and 750s. Now everything is "supersized" to the point of absurdity. Just as the normal family house has been replaced by the ginormous (and pretentious) "McMansion," so too mid-sized motorcycles have gone the way of the Dodo.

Does anyone else out there remember when the Sportster, for example, was considered big and powerful?

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Mercutio57

Let's face it, there is almost no market in the U.S. for mid-size motorcycles.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg ??

I think you are wrong. I think the problem is lack of product.

Dealers stopped ordering mid-size bikes a few years back 'cause the profit margin is less and they had good luck "up-selling". Because they stopped ordering, the factory stopped making them......for the most part. Now nobody can afford a monster bike and pretty much EVERYBODY wishes they had more mid-size bikes to offer.

My dealer's showroom looks the same way but when I ask why they have quite a different story. They can't keep a mid-size on the floor; when they do get one it, it sells in just a few days......new or used. I REALLY wanted to see a Shadow Phantom; nope, I flinched and it sold before I got there. Dealer says he may only get one more this year.

[SuziQ07]

Wow, that was fast! I bought my GZ250 on April 1st and I'm still spending a lot of practice time in the middle school parking lot near my house! I have ventured out to some more rural roads during slower traffic times. I practice once or twice a week, and I'm just starting to feel more confident. Every time I ride I learn something new, and get just a tiny bit better. I personally don't see myself needing to upgrade for a long time. Rode my bike a couple of weeks ago to our local Dinosaur Barbecue Restaurant/Biker Bar and I felt proud parking it next to a Harley beast of a bike!!
I hope someday Harley may decide to make a mid-size bike in the 500 range. They have ignored a huge market for a long time (speaking as a woman). There is no way I would feel comfortable learning to ride on a Sportster! :tongue:

[Mercutio57]

You may be right, Easy-- it certainly is true that the companies won't make (or distribute in a given country) machines they can't sell.

My market-based assessment of the situation is undoubtedly influenced by the supersize mania that I see every day here on Long Island. Perhaps in other areas people do indeed look for mid-size bikes, but not where I live. Every time I mention that I would like to eventually move up to a 650 (the V-Star or the S40), people immediately tell me that this is wrong, and that I "need" at least a 1200.

At any rate, the sad fact remains that there are so few offerings out there.

[Water Warrior 2]

Speaking of a quick upgrade to a larger bike this is a new 2009 Ultra Classic H-D. My friend Jack bought a slightly used 1100 Honda Shadow about a month ago and decided he didn't like it. He just loves this bike so I guess money can buy happiness. His wife said get a hobby so he did.

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by Mercutio57

people immediately tell me that this is wrong, and that I "need" at least a 1200.

A 1200 anything is a pretty darn big bike. We all ride or try to ride a bike that is satisfying and size isn't the whole answer. My Vstrom is a lowly 650 V-twin with more than enough to keep me happy. If Suzuki ever shrunk this bike 10 % all around it would be even more fun in my opinion. Just put a larger capacity charging system on it and perfecto on wheels. When Lynda upgraded the criteria for the new bike dictated her choices. No chain, cast wheels, fuel injection being the main requirements. An M-50 filled the bill very nicely but it certainly isn't for newbies with it's size and weight. It's 800 cc V-twin has a very nice power delivery and it more than adequate to roll up and down the roads.
Not knocking really big bikes, they do have many benefits and are usually a good choice but I personally don't see the need for so much bike. Must be old age and maturity taking hold of me b/c I used to like big cages with gas guzzling big blocks and a hey look at me attitude.