I am 82 years old and started riding Whizzer motor bikes when I was 8. Bought my first Harley, a 1942 "45" flat head in 1955 when I was 14. I now ride a 99 Harley Softail Custom. It is as comfortable as sitting in my Lazy Boy recliner. I have a bad back and neuropathy in my feet, but I can ride for an hour or so with no problems. That pillow seat and the buckhorn bars fit my 6' body just fine.
Now is a good time to buy a pre-owned Harley Davidson cruiser if you could not previously afford to buy one. I got the Harley of my dreams.... Road King Classic from an original owner with low miles and excellent maintenance and running condition. You cannot go wrong with a Honda, Suzuki, etc. but don't pass up a Harley Davidson if you have always wanted one. Cheers!
Acceleration can be pretty quick if you have the right cruiser. A friend of mine has the Suzuki M109 Boulevard, I don't even try to keep up with him when leaving the lights.
End of February I bought a 2002 Yamaha vtsar 650 classic. I love riding it. I love looking at it. I love the way people look at it. I love the way kids react when they see it (childrens smiles were one of the reasons I went with a bike over a car and they love trying on all my gear despite the sweat and smell)
I agree, cruisers are a blast to ride. I have a 1995 1200 Sportser in showroom cond. & all I've done is change seat, bars, pipes & a few bolt ons & I'm good to go. I ride it hard & it begs for more. It's an awesome bike as all bikes are. Ride whatever puts a smile on your face, that's all that matters, stay safe Dan!
Im switching next week from a yamah MT-09 to harley davidson road king special. I've noticed that I enjoy longer rides and after running away from the police with a friend of mine on my MT I decided that speeding just is not my thing. I love the style and it will definetly be a learning experience to ride something this heavy. Any motorcycle is not slow compared to cars.
I bought a 2018 Yamaha V Star 250 cruiser custom style bike. The 27" seat height works out perfect for me at 66 years old. Bad right hip and L2 disc not withstanding. I can flatfoot it and my arms are bent at the elbow just right. Quite comfortable seated position with feet a bit forwards of vertical center on the pegs. Torquey bike with the V-Twin SOHC engine. Good for beginners or returning riders like me that need to relearn it all.
Biggest Truth - its cheap to buy, its all of what you do to it after that breaks the bank, lol, ya forgot that. Handlebars, seats, lowering kits, exhaust, intake, fuel management pack and so on........
Hey Dan, I passed my Total Control class (it was not MSF and I thought it was) I rode their cruiser and no doubt they are comfortable. I still haven’t gone to a dealer and sat on other bikes but definitely cruiser is one I’m considering
Chilton and Haynes put out repair manuals for most bikes. They're the next best thing to the manufacturer's repair manuals, and you can find them at your local auto stores.
I recently got a 05 v star 1100 a well! It's winter in the Midwest right now, but I've had good experiences with the few late fall rides i had before winter.
Most of these points were opposite for me. Sports - Braap Moto3 Cruiser - Boulivard c50 Sport was comfier. I never had a problem with 2+ hour rides on the sport. Almost immediate back pain with the cruiser. my pilon says the opposite tho. Everything is immediately accessible on the sports. you have to take a panel off to check the coolent in the cruiser, and take the dials and fuel tank off to refill it. I ride in town more than long distance, so the sport was way better. more nimble, and better control at low speeds. I feel safer on the sports bike. Especially when cornering. If you take a corner too hot on the sport you can just lean more and you'll be sweet. but on the cruiser, you don't have that option. you will hit the pegs and you're done for.
I find my V Star 650 to practically drive itself at slow speed. It's absolutely a marvel to drive, extremely well balanced, and a far cry from the tippy Honda I learned on.
Exactly the same here, I feel like once I go for my advanced course (the way Australia do it) I am gonna look a bit out of practice on their tiny Suzukis
I have a Honda goldwing gl1200 aspencade, 1986. I personally wouldn’t classify it as a cruiser it’s honestly a touring bike and only a touring and the 2018s are almost more sport touring, they are a genre of there own
I was wondering if there's a terminology difference. Here in the UK, cruisers and tourers are very different things. A Goldwing is definitely a tourer, not a cruiser, on this side of the Atlantic.
Yikes, no no no. You should be looking and spotting obstacles so far in advance that your view angle should have no impact. If you're looking at the ground you're going down.
@@OldManShoutsAtClouds that is a good point..which I’m always scanning far down the rd, but it does make me feel better that I can still see the immediate ground for some moments for like when sand shows up quick, or small stones, sometimes you don’t notice till last couple seconds..
JigSaw maybe. The ONLY motorcycle I have even sat on is a 250 at the MSF course. I’m a little bit older and I have gotten out all of my youth speeding with sports cars about 10 years ago. I originally was going to get a CBR600RR, but the moment I sat on one, my back instantly hurt. I chalk it up to 10 years in the military and 7 years of infantry. I think if I do want to upgrade, I can/will do it in 2 years.
@@carlosmartinez6164 It's a 399cc..not a 286cc like my rebel. And my rebel is tuned for low end torque unlike that Ninja. SS2 can take the ninja at 75mph without that bike even breaking much of a sweat, seriously. How is he going to get bored with a bike like that in which one can also take the to track? Any bike you can hit 100mph ( which is faster than EVERY single public road in the USA and probably UK also) with and you get bored on it ...say you need to rethink your greedy speed needs unless it's a track only bike. Ari Henning did a review about it and he holds the current record at Laguna Seca raceway btw. Not everyone needs a damn 1300cc busa not to get bored and easily kill themselves. WE're not talking honda grom or z125pro territory here.
@@aemondtargaryen972 I had both a 1988 EX500, and later a 2007 Ninja 500R The X500 was kind of a piece of junk by the time I got it, but the Ninja 500R was a fantastic bike, and would roll 100 miles per hour smooth as glass
Is your girl going to customize the Honda Rebel 500? I heard there is a company called „K-Speed“ from Thailand i think who produce pretty nice parts for the Rebel ;))
Getting a 2009 Kawasaki Vulcan 500 here in the next few days as my first bike. I'm excited but incredibly nervous. I think I just gotta go out and do it I guess
I agree Dan on those slow speed maneuvers. I have disagree on the Honda Rebel for 6’ footers. The Kawasaki Vulcan S has the ergofit which can accommodate short, average and tall riders . I love the Rebel, but for taller peeps, the Vulcan S can fit those folks better.
6:18..YES....IF your leg inseam is shorter than 31 ". Otherwise, you're gonna be cramped within a few minutes. Again, I've owned and ridden the rebel 300 2017 for a year now ( as of April 28th). 32" leg inseam here and honestly I am little cramped ( not horribly-dealbreaker cramped...but noticeable enough compared to test riding a Kawasaki vulcan 650 or the Honda cb500x adventure bike....which I'm planning to upgrade to xD )
The best way to know if a motorcycle will work for you is looking up the specs to know the seat hight and weight. Look around dealerships for used motorcycles with similar specs and go sit on one. You don't have to ride it, make sure it feels comfortable. Also take a safety course. They pay for them selves over time with a discount for your insurance typically. Most of the time they use honda rebel 250 for a trainer, so you can get used to the feel of a smaller honda. Honda steed is a pretty good choice starting out. Best of luck to you.
The steed is a beaut. I started with a Yamaha VStar 250. although I now have a bigger cruiser, I always go back to the smaller one. Like the steed, it is snug. You wear it as much as you ride it. It never ceases to be fun.
About 4 months late, but bad call. Not because there is anything wrong with those bikes but because you don't yet know what you need. Take the course first, decide what you are really going to use it for, then buy an appropriate bike. I was sure I'd be getting a Yamaha R3 but my Iron 883 is actually perfect for what I need. This is obviously posted so the random person scrolling through with the same question gets another perspective.
I’ve sat on motorcyles but never practiced, I’ve watched tons of videos and have purchased a Suzuki boulevard s50 with an 800cc and weighs 445lbs is this a good beginner bike help please
That sounds perfect as a fellow “beginner”. I have 942 cc Yamaha bolt and the power is good enough I won’t get bored and can hit the highway/freeway. But it’s also not stupid fast where I feel it is putting me in danger
You can customize any bike.. I’ve never heard someone say a bike being heavy and slow being a benefit. Lol. also the rest of the others apply to naked sport bikes
Huge and way too heavy for a first bike. Check out the Kawasaki Vulcan S. It's amazingly fast for a cruiser but it's under 500 lbs. Even the big Harleys can't keep up with the Vulcan S.
"Get an older cruiser because there will be a ton of parts"... Says the American! Try having one of those things in Britain - I think Suzuki sold about six Intruders over here since 1980 ¬__¬
Color me surprised. I would think people over there would be buying cruisers more than here, seeing as though you guys invented cafe racers and bobbers. Plus, companies like Triumph and Royal Engfield are from England.
There is a niche that go for the 'retro' cafe racer style, but mid- to large-cruisers are pretty rare. There's a decent Harley presence (nothing like in the US though) but otherwise I'm usually the only chrome in a sea of Sports Tourers. A lot of the urban crowd all have 125s or scooters (some of which are even owned legally by the rider) because of our stupid CBT rules. It's why every delivery driver has an L-plate and no idea how to ride.
Depends on the bike...how often it's ridden, hold old it is...how it's cleaned. If you get wax on the hot portions, like exhaust pipes, you will smell that when things heat up...as an example.
There are lots of bikes in that price range posted on Facebook market. Just be careful and have someone who knows what they're doing look the bike over before you buy it.
Come on with this BS bulshit man you can make any bike the way you want to!!! If you really want to design your own fucking bike take the fairies off your bike make it a Naked Bike Stop bullshiting people!!! I like to give people the benefit of the doubt but let's be realistic the Harley you have is a woman's bike all three of my girlfriends have the exact same fucking bike!!!
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That's a respectable 'stache
I told you i join Patreon this month! I join Small Engine Velocity two month ago!!
I am 82 years old and started riding Whizzer motor bikes when I was 8. Bought my first Harley, a 1942 "45" flat head in 1955 when I was 14. I now ride a 99 Harley Softail Custom. It is as comfortable as sitting in my Lazy Boy recliner. I have a bad back and neuropathy in my feet, but I can ride for an hour or so with no problems. That pillow seat and the buckhorn bars fit my 6' body just fine.
Now is a good time to buy a pre-owned Harley Davidson cruiser if you could not previously afford to buy one. I got the Harley of my dreams.... Road King Classic from an original owner with low miles and excellent maintenance and running condition.
You cannot go wrong with a Honda, Suzuki, etc. but don't pass up a Harley Davidson if you have always wanted one. Cheers!
Acceleration can be pretty quick if you have the right cruiser. A friend of mine has the Suzuki M109 Boulevard, I don't even try to keep up with him when leaving the lights.
Dude I have a Suzuki boulevard and I’m a newbie rider I mean holy shit it’s fast a little to fast on first gear
End of February I bought a 2002 Yamaha vtsar 650 classic. I love riding it. I love looking at it. I love the way people look at it. I love the way kids react when they see it (childrens smiles were one of the reasons I went with a bike over a car and they love trying on all my gear despite the sweat and smell)
I agree, cruisers are a blast to ride. I have a 1995 1200 Sportser in showroom cond. & all I've done is change seat, bars, pipes & a few bolt ons & I'm good to go. I ride it hard & it begs for more. It's an awesome bike as all bikes are. Ride whatever puts a smile on your face, that's all that matters, stay safe Dan!
Im switching next week from a yamah MT-09 to harley davidson road king special. I've noticed that I enjoy longer rides and after running away from the police with a friend of mine on my MT I decided that speeding just is not my thing. I love the style and it will definetly be a learning experience to ride something this heavy. Any motorcycle is not slow compared to cars.
I bought a 2018 Yamaha V Star 250 cruiser custom style bike. The 27" seat height works out perfect for me at 66 years old. Bad right hip and L2 disc not withstanding. I can flatfoot it and my arms are bent at the elbow just right. Quite comfortable seated position with feet a bit forwards of vertical center on the pegs. Torquey bike with the V-Twin SOHC engine. Good for beginners or returning riders like me that need to relearn it all.
I ride my cruiser as fast possible personally because it's fun.
Love my 2007 Harley Davidson Roadster XL1200.
I have two cruisers,a 95 Suzuki Intruder VS 800 and a 98 Honda Valkyrie 1500. I love them both.
Biggest Truth - its cheap to buy, its all of what you do to it after that breaks the bank, lol, ya forgot that. Handlebars, seats, lowering kits, exhaust, intake, fuel management pack and so on........
Kawasaki Vulcan S.
'Nuff said.
Agreed
Just got my first bike yesterday. It’s a 1988 Suzuki Intruder 1400
Love my cruiser! 06 Honda Shadow aero 750 🤘🤘🤘
I have the exact same bike! It's my addiction :D
@@Wardner213 hell ya man Its such a beautiful bike I fell in love as soon as I seen it!
Very objective review. Good job. And you’re right, as you progress to an eight hundred pound cruiser. You better be good at slow speed maneuvers.
That or get really into weight training
Hey Dan, I passed my Total Control class (it was not MSF and I thought it was)
I rode their cruiser and no doubt they are comfortable. I still haven’t gone to a dealer and sat on other bikes but definitely cruiser is one I’m considering
I got a Suzuki Savage for 2000$ 😍 Ride it for a year now and its such a great motorcycle!
Chilton and Haynes put out repair manuals for most bikes. They're the next best thing to the manufacturer's repair manuals, and you can find them at your local auto stores.
I just finished my basic skills course and I bought a suzuki boulevard C50T. I'm 6'3 270 and absolutely friggin love it.
I would love to see you riding on an Indian Scout😎
Got my first bike ( 1999 Vstar 1100) two months ago! Absolutely love it! I personally love the slow speed maneuvers
I love my 08 vstar 1100 (first bike aswell) very reliable and very fun, and I agree they handle beautifully at slow speeds
How are they at highway speeds?
@@saranieri mine runs perfect at highway speeds, nice and smooth and keeps up with my dads road king just fine
@@saranieri great at highway speeds
I recently got a 05 v star 1100 a well! It's winter in the Midwest right now, but I've had good experiences with the few late fall rides i had before winter.
1:37. You also had a glorious and awesome mustache!
I have Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350x, and I love it 😘😘😘
How you don't recommend off roading and then say you had lot of fun you made me want to go offloading now
He meant off roading on a cruiser, or anything but an adv and/or dirt bike,
It’s more important to gesticulate while making a social media vid than to keep two hands in the wheel… discuss
My yamaha v star 1100 fits my 6'0 frame so comfortably that all thoughts of buying anything other than a cruiser have left my mind at this point
Most of these points were opposite for me.
Sports - Braap Moto3
Cruiser - Boulivard c50
Sport was comfier. I never had a problem with 2+ hour rides on the sport. Almost immediate back pain with the cruiser. my pilon says the opposite tho.
Everything is immediately accessible on the sports. you have to take a panel off to check the coolent in the cruiser, and take the dials and fuel tank off to refill it.
I ride in town more than long distance, so the sport was way better. more nimble, and better control at low speeds.
I feel safer on the sports bike. Especially when cornering. If you take a corner too hot on the sport you can just lean more and you'll be sweet. but on the cruiser, you don't have that option. you will hit the pegs and you're done for.
I find my V Star 650 to practically drive itself at slow speed. It's absolutely a marvel to drive, extremely well balanced, and a far cry from the tippy Honda I learned on.
Exactly the same here, I feel like once I go for my advanced course (the way Australia do it) I am gonna look a bit out of practice on their tiny Suzukis
I have a Honda goldwing gl1200 aspencade, 1986. I personally wouldn’t classify it as a cruiser it’s honestly a touring bike and only a touring and the 2018s are almost more sport touring, they are a genre of there own
I was wondering if there's a terminology difference. Here in the UK, cruisers and tourers are very different things. A Goldwing is definitely a tourer, not a cruiser, on this side of the Atlantic.
@@Grim_Beard yeah definitely not Cruisers, the first Goldwings were standards,, that they strapped saddlebags and fairings to
Yea I have a 1981 standard and its def not a tourer more of a cruiser for sure
I feel on sportbikes the way your leaned forward you have a better view of the ground making it easier to pick out obstacles quicker
Yikes, no no no. You should be looking and spotting obstacles so far in advance that your view angle should have no impact. If you're looking at the ground you're going down.
@@OldManShoutsAtClouds that is a good point..which I’m always scanning far down the rd, but it does make me feel better that I can still see the immediate ground for some moments for like when sand shows up quick, or small stones, sometimes you don’t notice till last couple seconds..
The suspension in my front end above 55mph on the cruiser is suspect. Never felt that on my sv650. I think my tires need attention.
I ordered my FIRST MOTORCYCLE!!!! NINJA 400. Will be in within another 3-7 days.
SS2 Lannister you’re going to get bored really fast lol
JigSaw maybe. The ONLY motorcycle I have even sat on is a 250 at the MSF course. I’m a little bit older and I have gotten out all of my youth speeding with sports cars about 10 years ago. I originally was going to get a CBR600RR, but the moment I sat on one, my back instantly hurt. I chalk it up to 10 years in the military and 7 years of infantry. I think if I do want to upgrade, I can/will do it in 2 years.
@@carlosmartinez6164 It's a 399cc..not a 286cc like my rebel. And my rebel is tuned for low end torque unlike that Ninja. SS2 can take the ninja at 75mph without that bike even breaking much of a sweat, seriously. How is he going to get bored with a bike like that in which one can also take the to track?
Any bike you can hit 100mph ( which is faster than EVERY single public road in the USA and probably UK also) with and you get bored on it ...say you need to rethink your greedy speed needs unless it's a track only bike.
Ari Henning did a review about it and he holds the current record at Laguna Seca raceway btw.
Not everyone needs a damn 1300cc busa not to get bored and easily kill themselves. WE're not talking honda grom or z125pro territory here.
@@aemondtargaryen972 I had both a 1988 EX500, and later a 2007 Ninja 500R
The X500 was kind of a piece of junk by the time I got it, but the Ninja 500R was a fantastic bike, and would roll 100 miles per hour smooth as glass
Is your girl going to customize the Honda Rebel 500? I heard there is a company called „K-Speed“ from Thailand i think who produce pretty nice parts for the Rebel ;))
Hey Dan. Great vid as always. Appreciate your info. I'm looking at the Vulcan 650. 1st bike though, so not sure yet
I would say it's great for a first bike. I got a ninja 300 for my first. I love it. However, I think I want a vulcan 2000
That was going to be my first bike . It’s an awesome ride and I think you would have a ton of fun on it.
Getting a 2009 Kawasaki Vulcan 500 here in the next few days as my first bike. I'm excited but incredibly nervous. I think I just gotta go out and do it I guess
How did it go? Im getting my first bike in 5 days. Its a '88 Honda shadow vt1100
Dan, thanks so much for your videos!
I agree Dan on those slow speed maneuvers. I have disagree on the Honda Rebel for 6’ footers. The Kawasaki Vulcan S has the ergofit which can accommodate short, average and tall riders . I love the Rebel, but for taller peeps, the Vulcan S can fit those folks better.
6:18..YES....IF your leg inseam is shorter than 31 ". Otherwise, you're gonna be cramped within a few minutes. Again, I've owned and ridden the rebel 300 2017 for a year now ( as of April 28th). 32" leg inseam here and honestly I am little cramped ( not horribly-dealbreaker cramped...but noticeable enough compared to test riding a Kawasaki vulcan 650 or the Honda cb500x adventure bike....which I'm planning to upgrade to xD )
I am riding a 2001 vf750 getting ready to swap out the handlebars
I dont know how to ride a motorcycle. And i want to buy a honda steed 400cc. 2000s model.
Is this a good decision??help please.
The best way to know if a motorcycle will work for you is looking up the specs to know the seat hight and weight. Look around dealerships for used motorcycles with similar specs and go sit on one. You don't have to ride it, make sure it feels comfortable.
Also take a safety course. They pay for them selves over time with a discount for your insurance typically. Most of the time they use honda rebel 250 for a trainer, so you can get used to the feel of a smaller honda. Honda steed is a pretty good choice starting out. Best of luck to you.
The steed is a beaut. I started with a Yamaha VStar 250. although I now have a bigger cruiser, I always go back to the smaller one. Like the steed, it is snug. You wear it as much as you ride it. It never ceases to be fun.
About 4 months late, but bad call. Not because there is anything wrong with those bikes but because you don't yet know what you need. Take the course first, decide what you are really going to use it for, then buy an appropriate bike. I was sure I'd be getting a Yamaha R3 but my Iron 883 is actually perfect for what I need.
This is obviously posted so the random person scrolling through with the same question gets another perspective.
I’ve sat on motorcyles but never practiced, I’ve watched tons of videos and have purchased a Suzuki boulevard s50 with an 800cc and weighs 445lbs is this a good beginner bike help please
That sounds perfect as a fellow “beginner”. I have 942 cc Yamaha bolt and the power is good enough I won’t get bored and can hit the highway/freeway. But it’s also not stupid fast where I feel it is putting me in danger
Gold wing is a sport tourer not a cruiser..
What type of camera attachment to you have for your helmet?
What he didnt have there was a RokForm Mount.
Have you ever seen the 1982 Yamaha XJ 1100 Maxim? And if you have what do you think about it and its capabilities? Thank you
You can customize any bike.. I’ve never heard someone say a bike being heavy and slow being a benefit. Lol. also the rest of the others apply to naked sport bikes
Cruisers are the most customizable motorcycles of them all. There are simply much more styles of customization than in other class.
Jizzy G not really. You can do anything to any bike. Have you seen a sport bike conversion to a street fighter? Much cooler than a bobber imo
Man it's been a min since I dropped a comment
Also, they are good for ladies and shorter people as the seat height is so low.
Thoughts on a yamaha Vstar 250 are they a good first beginner motorcycle/cruiser
Yee boyyyy
I am a college student, but will riding a cruiser make people perceive me as a boomer 😂
what do you think of the Suzuki M109R for a beginner
Huge and way too heavy for a first bike. Check out the Kawasaki Vulcan S. It's amazingly fast for a cruiser but it's under 500 lbs. Even the big Harleys can't keep up with the Vulcan S.
"Get an older cruiser because there will be a ton of parts"...
Says the American! Try having one of those things in Britain - I think Suzuki sold about six Intruders over here since 1980 ¬__¬
Color me surprised. I would think people over there would be buying cruisers more than here, seeing as though you guys invented cafe racers and bobbers. Plus, companies like Triumph and Royal Engfield are from England.
Most of what I see Brits ride are adventure bikes. I'm planning to get the 2019 cb500x , legit.
There is a niche that go for the 'retro' cafe racer style, but mid- to large-cruisers are pretty rare. There's a decent Harley presence (nothing like in the US though) but otherwise I'm usually the only chrome in a sea of Sports Tourers.
A lot of the urban crowd all have 125s or scooters (some of which are even owned legally by the rider) because of our stupid CBT rules. It's why every delivery driver has an L-plate and no idea how to ride.
Adam Hughes Wow, that's interesting. I did forget for a minute you guys have that tier license system.
Does anyone know what helmet he uses? TIA
So odd seeing Dan with a moustache and no beard!
Is it normal for your engine to smell like burnt wire or hot tar when it gets hot?
Depends on the bike...how often it's ridden, hold old it is...how it's cleaned. If you get wax on the hot portions, like exhaust pipes, you will smell that when things heat up...as an example.
Hi,I am new rider and like to know where I can get a bike for $2000 to $3000?
There are lots of bikes in that price range posted on Facebook market. Just be careful and have someone who knows what they're doing look the bike over before you buy it.
Awesome information. What Harley would you recommend as a cruiser that is good for a intermediate rider?
Street Rod 750
Motoryzen too small of a bike
👍👍
Sportsters are not "cruisers"
Come on with this BS bulshit man you can make any bike the way you want to!!! If you really want to design your own fucking bike take the fairies off your bike make it a Naked Bike Stop bullshiting people!!! I like to give people the benefit of the doubt but let's be realistic the Harley you have is a woman's bike all three of my girlfriends have the exact same fucking bike!!!