probably gonna up grade next summer. i like small bikes???

[dannylightning]

reply the the last few post

i really don't like many harleys, the sportster-iron or nightster models are about the only harley i would consider buying. if i got one of those i would not touch it as far as mods




i know you can do a lot of cool stuff with the shadows. i think the vlx looks great with only minimal custom work. the guy at work with the vlx put a new rear fender, a different seat and different bars on his. and its a bad ass ride. not sure if he has dome any thing else to it or not but it's a nice bike.. i hope my uncle gets one so i get to ride it.

the s50 well the baby blue one is hideous in my opinion. i guess the black one don't look so bad, kind of expensive and i think i would prefer a air cooled bike, just one less thing to go wrong.

ill check out some other forums and see what people have to say.

to be honest i love the way my gz feels, just about perfect for me, only draw back it's a little slow.

[Water Warrior 2]

Danny, don't knock water cooled bikes too much. The engines are made to closer tolerances and run at a constant temp. As for the S 50, it has water cooling, a drive shaft and a 805 cc V-twin all in a fairly light compact pakage. The price is not too outrageous either.

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

Danny, don't knock water cooled bikes too much. The engines are made to closer tolerances and run at a constant temp. As for the S 50, it has water cooling, a drive shaft and a 805 cc V-twin all in a fairly light compact pakage. The price is not too outrageous either.

i don't make much money so it is kind of outrageous for me. if i did make a lot of money i would not think twice about what bike i was gonna get and buy that harley tomorrow . in all honestly i cant think of a single bike i would rather have than that harley iron except for a 1950's vincent black lightning or black shadow but that is completely out of reach.

i just look at it this way. liquid cooled = one more thing to spring a leak and halve to repair down the road. but im sure they are a lot better than air cooled bikes. i dont know im weird haha

i have pretty much decided this.. unless somehow i can save up enough money to buy that sportster iron. i will probably go with a vlx, before i completely make my mind up about the vlx i will definitely take a test ride on a shadow 750. i guess just setting on one is not enough to go by. i saw some really good deals on used shadow 750's, a lot of them were around the same price or cheaper than the vlx. me and my uncle went to look at a vlx today and its plenty fast, i like the way it rides, it's just about the perfect size and i thought it was comfortable, i like almost every thing about it except for the handle bars but that is a really easy fix.

now on the other hand the s50 there is just something about it i do not like. if you get any thing but a black one i cant stand that the frame is painted the same color, the only thing that sounds good to me about that bike is the big motor and the drive shaft. i looked it up on you tube and watched a few videos and i really don't like how the s50 looks.

if i cant get up the money for the sportster iron, it will probably be a vlx but before i completely make my mind up about the vlx i will definitely take a test ride on a shadow 750. i guess just setting on one is not enough to go by ( i liked the honda rebel when i set on one but hated it when i drove it). i saw some really good deals on used shadow 750's, a lot of them were around the same price or cheaper than the vlx

i think it will end up being the sportster iron if some sort of miracle happens, or one of the shadow models, i can get one of them used between 3 and 4 thousand. im big on paying cash and not making payments. my philosophy is, if you don't have the money to buy something out right than you should not buy it. credit and loans are evil. i am virtually debt free and want to stay that way.. i learned the hard way when i was younger.

[Dupo]

Originally Posted by dannylightning

im big on paying cash and not making payments. my philosophy is, if you don't have the money to buy something out right than you should not buy it. credit and loans are evil. i am virtually debt free and want to stay that way.. i learned the hard way when i was younger.

[Sarris]

Dude, I sold my 2006 Sportster 1200 (rubber mounted motor w/ carb) last year with 7500 miles on it. It was my third bike and it didn't get much seat time. Also, it was hot as hell to ride, top heavy, had miserable handling, had an uncomfortable riding position (seat, bars, etc.) and had a shitload of Sportsterisms. It would shoot a fireball out the tail pipe (V&H shorties) in the AM when the motor popped for the first time and with the choke on. When riding, it would piss oil mist out of the airfilter on your pant leg.



That aside, it was very fast and very cool looking. To me a Sportster doesn't look right with the "Dyna" style tank and I prefer the old 3.5 gallon peanut tank. On mine, I installed a Mustang seat and lowered Progressive Susp. rear shocks. That helped the ride and the handling a lot. Then I decided to be a cool guy and make it a hardtail with a springer seat. Although it now was REALLY cool looking, it was virtually unrideable for my 6'-1" 280# 52 year old frame, so I sold it.

My suggestion to you is any of the Yamakawazukihonda v-twin cruisers in the sub-one liter size is a good next step, or perhaps a used Sportie.

Then you'll be ready for a big v-twin HD. Or......you could skip all the bullshit bikes in between and pull an alanmcorcoran and go right to the top.

:chop:

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Sarris

you could skip all the bullshit bikes in between and pull an alanmcorcoran and go right to the top.

Sure you COULD ......but even Alan has a misgiving or two on occasion. :cool:

[Water Warrior 2]

I think we all have a misgiving now and again no matter what we ride. I really wondered about my choice a week after I got the Vstrom, of course I was trying to pick it up at the time.

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by Sarris

Dude, I sold my 2006 Sportster 1200 (rubber mounted motor w/ carb) last year with 7500 miles on it. It was my third bike and it didn't get much seat time. Also, it was hot as hell to ride, top heavy, had miserable handling, had an uncomfortable riding position (seat, bars, etc.) and had a shitload of Sportsterisms. It would shoot a fireball out the tail pipe (V&H shorties) in the AM when the motor popped for the first time and with the choke on. When riding, it would piss oil mist out of the airfilter on your pant leg.



That aside, it was very fast and very cool looking. To me a Sportster doesn't look right with the "Dyna" style tank and I prefer the old 3.5 gallon peanut tank. On mine, I installed a Mustang seat and lowered Progressive Susp. rear shocks. That helped the ride and the handling a lot. Then I decided to be a cool guy and make it a hardtail with a springer seat. Although it now was REALLY cool looking, it was virtually unrideable for my 6'-1" 280# 52 year old frame, so I sold it.

My suggestion to you is any of the Yamakawazukihonda v-twin cruisers in the sub-one liter size is a good next step, or perhaps a used Sportie.

Then you'll be ready for a big v-twin HD. Or......you could skip all the bullshit bikes in between and pull an alanmcorcoran and go right to the top.

:chop:

so basically you are saying the sportsters are junk???? any one else had a new sportster with problems like this. if it's gonna shoot fire balls and spray my leg with oil that's no good. i personally like the gas tank, it kind of reminds me of one with that tank. before they put that tank on the sportster i didn't really care for them but that is personal preference. are Harley parts really expensive???. did it at least handle as good or better than the gz when it was stock?? if i wanted to fly around corners i would get a crotch rocket

[Arkygs250]

Had to jump in on this one. What about the Kawasaki Vulcan 500. This is the bike I went to from my GZ. The Vulcan 500 is inexpensive and reliable. I found a 98 model with 23K miles on it for $1200. This bike has the same engine that is on the ninja 500 sport bike. These bikes have been know to keep up with and out run most 750-800cc class bikes and I believe it. It is rated at 46HP. That is right up there again with the 750 class machines. At 70 mph this bike is just getting started. Top speed is rumored to be 100 mph plus. I recently did a 2 up riding trip with a friend that had a 1500cc suzuki. Even with 2 people on my vulcan I had NO problem keeping up. I am totally impressed with this machine. And the best part is there are no markings anywhere an the bike indicating what size it is. Most people are shocked when you tell then it is only a 500. Just my 2 cents but I don't think you can go wrong with this bike.

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by Arkygs250

Had to jump in on this one. What about the Kawasaki Vulcan 500. This is the bike I went to from my GZ. The Vulcan 500 is inexpensive and reliable. I found a 98 model with 23K miles on it for $1200. This bike has the same engine that is on the ninja 500 sport bike. These bikes have been know to keep up with and out run most 750-800cc class bikes and I believe it. It is rated at 46HP. That is right up there again with the 750 class machines. At 70 mph this bike is just getting started. Top speed is rumored to be 100 mph plus. I recently did a 2 up riding trip with a friend that had a 1500cc suzuki. Even with 2 people on my vulcan I had NO problem keeping up. I am totally impressed with this machine. And the best part is there are no markings anywhere an the bike indicating what size it is. Most people are shocked when you tell then it is only a 500. Just my 2 cents but I don't think you can go wrong with this bike.

thats not a bad looking bike?? how's it sound?? i imagine you cant get a good v twin sound out of it.