Help me choose a motorcycle

[ahtoxa]

Alright, folks.

Time has come to start research. I don't plan on buying until next year, but I want some ideas, as today I'm a complete motorcycle noob. I will be taking my courses sometimes in the next 6 months.

So, help me with suggestions.

Which bike is right for me? What should I avoid? Which bikes are better for reliability/service cost and which ones are worse? Any direction, suggestions and tips are appreciated. Pics are awesome, too!

Criteria:
- do NOT want a sport bike, this I know.
- do NOT want a HUGE 2-person cruiser type with a ton of lights, antennas, etc. A big bike in general is OK.
- DO want a bike that is somewhat comfy to do a couple hunder miles a day on
- I am a tall guy at 6'7", so this may be a consideration
- brands DO NOT matter, as long as the bike is reliable, semi-comfy and looks good
- budget is going to be <$10k
- used is OK


So, edumacate me, please. I know there are riders on this forum.

 

[littleturbo]

I personally am siding with Honda myself I'm a fan of the shadow line they have they are a good looking bike and v-twin powered with a large aftermarket following. They aren't usually as expensive a some of the other competitors out there.

 

[Chevy2012sonic]

You can get a kawasaki Vulcan cheap or even a Yamaha vstar
Iv been looking into both myself just haven't decided which one i want

2012 chevy sonic

 

[ahtoxa]

You can get a kawasaki Vulcan cheap or even a Yamaha vstar
Iv been looking into both myself just haven't decided which one i want

2012 chevy sonic

Are you talking new or used? If used, are there better/worse production years? Any quirks?

 

[ahtoxa]

Also, what do you guys think of the Harley Sportster line? I saw they are like 9k new.

Good? Bad?

 

[littleturbo]

Harley isn't a bad bike but my thinking is everybody has one. But it is american made. Another to look at would be a victory motorcycle I think they are a great contender for Harley

 

[littleturbo]

But there cheapest is the 8 ball at 14k

 

[13nick31]

What about a HD V-Rod (Night) Special?

This is my brothers, he loves it! I'm thinking it's a 2008. He bought it used early this year from a deal for like 11.5k (a tad over your budget). But it has an aftermarket exhaust (sounds amazing!) and the rear seat support, and whatever else..

2008 Harley-Davidson V-Rod (Night) Special - VRSCDX Specifications and Price - Motorcycle USA

 

[SuperFudd]

Clearly what you need is a blue 1972 Honda CL450K5. The trick is finding one.
Hmmm... Let me check my garage..............

Ah YES! I found one. $9,999.99 should get it.

 

[SuperFudd]

Seriously though. At 6 foot 7 inch it could be a problem.

I believe it would be a mistake not to consider a Kawasaki KLR650.
It may not look the part but those who have one have no problem riding all day. Great gas mileage. Note the huge gas tank. Plenty of power.

If I was to get another bike it would likely be one of these.

 

[ahtoxa]

Seriously though. At 6 foot 7 inch it could be a problem.

I believe it would be a mistake not to consider a Kawasaki KLR650.
It may not look the part but those who have one have no problem riding all day. Great gas mileage. Note the huge gas tank. Plenty of power.

If I was to get another bike it would likely be one of these.

Checked it out, and just about every image seems to be of it on gravel. Seems like it's geared towards being an all-terrain bike? Not sure I'm using the right terminology here. I think I'm leaning towards a more street-oriented bike.

 

[Blue hedgehog]

At 6'7" you will need a larger bike to be comfortable on multi hour rides. I don't think a sportster will do. You deffinately want something that fits you in a natural riding position for those long rides. My uncle who's 6'2" loved his Kawasaki concourse before an injury in Iraq ended his riding. I'm only 5'10" so I can't say what would be comfortable. I can say sit on each of the bikes you consider for a little while in the riding position. Or take it out for a test ride if you can. Also don't get an underpowered bike, you won't be happy with it after a few months. Just make sure you have self control, if not, start small. Power can get a new rider into trouble especially if they don't know when or where to use it.

 

[13nick31]

Well, since you're 6'7", what about this

 

[ahtoxa]

What about a HD V-Rod (Night) Special?

This is my brothers, he loves it! I'm thinking it's a 2008. He bought it used early this year from a deal for like 11.5k (a tad over your budget). But it has an aftermarket exhaust (sounds amazing!) and the rear seat support, and whatever else..

2008 Harley-Davidson V-Rod (Night) Special - VRSCDX Specifications and Price - Motorcycle USA

FANTASTIC looking bike. The less chrome, the better. I dig the way it looks.

Argument against this one (purely for educational purposes). Why would I want this bike over a similar vintage Honday Shadow, which can be had for about half the price? Benefits aside from it being a Harley?

 

[Blue hedgehog]

FANTASTIC looking bike. The less chrome, the better. I dig the way it looks.

Argument against this one (purely for educational purposes). Why would I want this bike over a similar vintage Honday Shadow, which can be had for about half the price? Benefits aside from it being a Harley?

A used Harley will be worth almost as much a few years from now as it is today. The only other bikes (that i can think of) that hold their value almost as good are BMW and Ducati.

 

[ahtoxa]

A used Harley will be worth almost as much a few years from now as it is today. The only other bikes (that i can think of) that hold their value almost as good are BMW and Ducati.

If I bought a Shadow of a similar vintage for 5 grand today, how much more depreciation could it really take? I'm talking 1-5 years after purchase.

A buddy of mine bought an '08 Shadow recently for just over 5 grand. Seems like a good buy.

 

[13nick31]

FANTASTIC looking bike. The less chrome, the better. I dig the way it looks.

Argument against this one (purely for educational purposes). Why would I want this bike over a similar vintage Honday Shadow, which can be had for about half the price? Benefits aside from it being a Harley?

Hopefully someone with more knowledge can answer that. My knowledge with Harleys and similar type bikes is next to zero.

I'd check out some motorcycle forums too, questions like that regarding a V-Rod/Shadow might be out there..

 

[SuperFudd]

Checked it out, and just about every image seems to be of it on gravel. Seems like it's geared towards being an all-terrain bike? Not sure I'm using the right terminology here. I think I'm leaning towards a more street-oriented bike.

It is a good unpaved road bike. It is a great highway bike. As I mentioned, don't be fooled by it's appearance. Read reviews. This bike has been around for maybe 20 years with only minor changes. That is how good it is. Very reliable. Easy to maintain. Our military, and others, uses them.

 

[ahtoxa]

Hopefully someone with more knowledge can answer that. My knowledge with Harleys and similar type bikes is next to zero.

I'd check out some motorcycle forums too, questions like that regarding a V-Rod/Shadow might be out there..

Yeah, I just want to avoid some of the bias you get on the make/model-specific boards. I'll use those forums to figure out technical aspects/issues and other specifics once I narrow down my playing field a little.

I also plan on going and sitting on a bunch of bikes in the next few months to see which feels best.

 

[ahtoxa]

It is a good unpaved road bike. It is a great highway bike. As I mentioned, don't be fooled by it's appearance. Read reviews. This bike has been around for maybe 20 years with only minor changes. That is how good it is. Very reliable. Easy to maintain. Our military, and others, uses them.

Noted - not discounting it and keeping an open mind to all suggestions.

Just not crazy about the look of it. It sits too high for what I'd like to see in a road bike.