question for motorcycle riders

[slade]

how much of a difference is there between riding a sportsbike and a cruiser? im currently riding my dad's BMW cruiser, but ive always been interested in sportsbikes. im thinking of buying an older sportsbike, but thought id first ask for the perspective of someone whos ridden both. my main concern is really the riding position, since the handlebars on a sportsbike are about even with the seat, while on a cruiser theyre at least a foot above the seat. i would testdrive a bike if that was an option, but its really not for someone my age. if i buy a bike used from someone i would of course ask to ride it first, but i thought id ask for the perspective of AO before i commit to driving an hour and a half with a few grand in my hand.

the bikes i have ridden so far are a 1972 BMW r60/5, 1997 R100RT, and honda at the MSF course.

the bikes im looking at are mainly a ducati supersport 750, suzuki SV 650 S, or suzuki GSX-R (ranging mainly from 1997-2000) any other sportsbike is either very old or out of my price range.

[punkncat]

There is a lot more of your weight on your wrists and your neck in an a completely different position. Your crotch is tighter against the tank and you are in a more cramped position.

At first you will feel like you are sitting way over the front of the bike, which you are.....
The handling, braking, and response of a sportbike are way better. The motor runs at a much higher RPM and the "buzziness" can be irritating until you get used to it.

Obviously a cruiser or standard will be comfortable for longer periods of time. You have to consider what you are doing with it. Will you be commuting long distances, just tooling around, going on road trips?

I like each type of bike for different reasons. I currently own a Harley and ride it every day. I am looking around for an older cafe bike as well to have fun on from time to time. I have owned sports bikes in the past and really liked it in the mountains, once I was there.....the ride to and from was like torture.

[RRfireblade]

In a nut shell ,

A cruiser is more comfy at 35 and a sport bike if more comfy at 85.

Big shock huh?

The deal is , beside the obvious , on a cruiser 100% of your weight is on your butt , your genereally leaning back and taking all the wind in your chest trying to hang on.

On a sport bike your roughly 50/50 hands and butt and leaning forward into the wind. At speed the wind actually supports your body and IMO is quite comfortable. At low speeds your supporting your upper body yourself (hands/arms)

However , too much around the town time on my Dyna and my butt is as hot and sore as I can handle in under an hour. I can and do ride either the CBR or ZX12 all day without a hitch. I like having my weight more evenly dispersed between my feet , butt and hands.

That's just me.

As far as performane of course there's no comparison once you get used to the riding position , a sport bike kills a cruiser in every possible catagory.


(slowly reaches for the flame suit)

[gimp]

Both these fellas speak the truth. The riding position is something you'll get used to. It can seem awkward at first, but you'll get over it quick.

Riding a cruiser is like sitting in a car. It's not much fun. Riding a sport bike is like sitting on a rocket. It's a blast.

*edit - You've got to be more careful on a sportbike. I almost highsided the other day. Gave it some gas going through a tight corner. I was dragging the pegs and the rear end just gave out, then caught. I almost lost it. All it takes is a little mistake. Like giving it some gas at the wrong time. Cruisers are a little more forgiving.

[slade]

thanks guys.

im looking for something that ill mostly be riding anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, but probably not much over that. it will be mostly off the highway so i wont top 50 very often, although i may occasionally ride it for up to 4 or so hours... that remains to be seen. i do like the fact that sports bikes perform better in general (especially in braking and turning). ive just been afraid that it will feel too awkward or i wont get used to riding it. there is a huge difference between the two BMWs ive ridden, and theyre both the same brand and riding position, so i was wondering what the difference between that and a sportsbike is.

thanks gimp, thats essentially what i wanted to hear. Although i guess i can ask you guys, but i wont know until i actually get on the bike and try it... the only problem is, ill probably have to have the cash in hand before i can try one

the main bike im looking at now is a 2000 ducati supersport 750 someone is selling in new hampshire. he said i can go up there and test drive it and im not obligated to buy it if i dont like it, but his asking price is a bit out of my price range. i was also looking at a GSXR because i found a 1997 that needed the shifting lever replaced, but it sold after being up for 2 days... about 5 minutes before i called the guy

i was also wondering if a suzuki SV 650 would be a bit better or easier to get used to, since its the bike the majority of people recommend for a first bike.

[slade]

oh, also how well would a sportsbike run at lower RPMs or with a cold engine compared to a cruiser? i can have enough trouble getting to work on a cold morning as it is.

[BeaverEater]

a sv will have a little bit more upright riding position. You also have to take into account insurance on a rocket will be about 3 times that of a cruiser. Besides you can get a brand new sv for about 6k.

[trevorjk]

oh, also how well would a sportsbike run at lower RPMs or with a cold engine compared to a cruiser? i can have enough trouble getting to work on a cold morning as it is.

*if riding in cold temps, and its fall or spring. watch out for road salt. road salt = bad*

being from wisconsin, and riding in february this year. i think i can say with a tad of experience. that a sport bike is alright. normally i would go outside, turn the bike on useing the choke and just let that run for a minute or 2 till it rev'd up to 2k rpms ( my bike with choke on first starts at 1.5 then goes up to 2k ) once it gets there i turn the choke off and rev the engine up to 5k rpms a few times and im good to go.

the longest time i have ever had to wait was literally a minute or 2 and my bike has a carburator.

as for lower rpm's... there honestly is no such thing ok so there is, but to be honest on a sportbike, just stick to around 5-6k rpms for normal riding. will give you decent responsiveness if you MUST excell fast. i mean you will probably have between 13-16k rpms to go through before you redline, so riding at 5k or 6k or even higher up to 8 or 9 really wont hurt the bike.

just beware, (personal experiences) riding at higher rpms will catch peoples attention. both pedestrian and police! even if your going slow and your reving at 7 or 8k rpm and they hear you... some cops will stop you and pull you over for questions

[Bear_Claw]

My bikes a 2000 Yamaha V-Star 650 Cruiser. But i have rode my bros Yamaha Seca a few times now witch is kinda a mix of a sport bike and a standard.

The differance between the two is NIGHT and DAY. Personally id like to have one of each but if i had to have just one it stil be a Cruiser. Hands down the sport bikes are a blast and can out perform a cruiser in pretty mutch every way EXCEPT rider comfort.

Im hopeing myself to get a Suzuki V-Strom 650 in a year or two (same engein as the SV650) to satisfy the sportier feelling i want and still be used for long huals and finally get to explore all these dirt roads around here. I will still keep my V-Star as a project bike though.

[slade]

a sv will have a little bit more upright riding position. You also have to take into account insurance on a rocket will be about 3 times that of a cruiser. Besides you can get a brand new sv for about 6k.

according to my father our insurance company charges based solely on engine displacement, and doesnt make a distinction between different types of bikes. i wish i had 6k to spend though (or rather, could justify spending 6k) but my price range is quite a bit below that, and im looking to buy used.

thanks for the input everyone. and thanks for the warning about road salt, ive had to ride through sand and gravel a few times, and ive felt my back tire skid a couple of those times.

hmm, ebay sure is full of scammers. i just bid on a bike (since it was local) and so far ive recieved 3 "second chance offers"

[gimp]

The sv650 is a great bike. It's sporty, but not a racer. I think of it like comparing a club sports team, or intramural team to a real team. You can play and have some a ton of fun, but in reality, you can't compete with the big boys.

Some other bikes that are similar to the sv650 in riding position are the yamaha fz6 (my bike. I love it), honda 519, and the kawasaki z750. The sv650 has a V-twin, and the others are all inline 4s I believe. The sv650 has more tourque. The others are like wind up toys. Not much down low, but once you get em reving they'll rip.

Insurance companies do not base their rates just on dispacement. Some companies might, but most do not. I know because I was shopping for insurance for an R6, and my FZ6. Both are 600cc bikes. The R6 was almost double the cost of the FZ6. From what I understand, they brake the bikes up into categories. The R6 is in the superbike category, but the FZ6 is technically a sport touring bike, so it's a lot cheaper. But it was really different from company to company. Bike insurance is definetly something you need to shop around for. I pay $588 a year for full comverage. I got a quote for over $4000 a year for my FZ6 from one company!! Maybe that was for the R6. Either way, it's rediculous. The important part is to do the work and figure out what it's gonna cost to insure your bike before you buy it.

Sportbikes will work fine at lower rpms. They don't have much power down there, but if your at a low rpm then why would you need lots of power? If you get a bike that's carburated then your gonna have to play with it to run it in the cold. If it's maintained well, then it will run well. If you get a bike with electronic fuel injection then you shouldn't have any problems.

[SCpoloRicker]

Obligatory PSA

Obligatory comment:

Wear full safety gear everytime you get on the bike. No exceptions. Don't skimp on the gear either.

/thus endeth the PSA

[slade]

The sv650 is a great bike. It's sporty, but not a racer. I think of it like comparing a club sports team, or intramural team to a real team. You can play and have some a ton of fun, but in reality, you can't compete with the big boys.

Some other bikes that are similar to the sv650 in riding position are the yamaha fz6 (my bike. I love it), honda 519, and the kawasaki z750. The sv650 has a V-twin, and the others are all inline 4s I believe. The sv650 has more tourque. The others are like wind up toys. Not much down low, but once you get em reving they'll rip.

Insurance companies do not base their rates just on dispacement. Some companies might, but most do not. I know because I was shopping for insurance for an R6, and my FZ6. Both are 600cc bikes. The R6 was almost double the cost of the FZ6. From what I understand, they brake the bikes up into categories. The R6 is in the superbike category, but the FZ6 is technically a sport touring bike, so it's a lot cheaper. But it was really different from company to company. Bike insurance is definetly something you need to shop around for. I pay $588 a year for full comverage. I got a quote for over $4000 a year for my FZ6 from one company!! Maybe that was for the R6. Either way, it's rediculous. The important part is to do the work and figure out what it's gonna cost to insure your bike before you buy it.

Sportbikes will work fine at lower rpms. They don't have much power down there, but if your at a low rpm then why would you need lots of power? If you get a bike that's carburated then your gonna have to play with it to run it in the cold. If it's maintained well, then it will run well. If you get a bike with electronic fuel injection then you shouldn't have any problems.

i was actually looking at an FZ6, maybe ill reconsider it.

from what ive heard my insurance company at least only goes by the displacement. maybe my dad thinks that just because he only has and only looks at cruisers, im not sure. i should probably try to contact the company to clarify that.

Obligatory comment:

Wear full safety gear everytime you get on the bike. No exceptions. Don't skimp on the gear either.

/thus endeth the PSA

when i go out for lunch at work (just down the street) i usually dont wear my jacket. youre right though, i really should...

[BeaverEater]

when your looking at sports bikes, if they have the R tag the insurance will usually be higher. As for the sv650 not being able to keep up that is true of a stock bike. My buddy is bike into the racing scene and his street bike is a sv, and i can tell you that thing is faster than any normal rocket on the street. He bought the bike brand new for 5k and put about 2 into it.

[gimp]

I'll give you the lowdown on the FZ6. I love it. It's comfortable, fun and plenty fast for me (and I think it looks sweet). I paid $5200 for an 05 with 300 miles, and about half the factory warranty left last winter. I've put about 5000 miles on it this summer, and I havn't had any problems and it still runs great.

My only complaint is the suspension. It sucks. There is a preload adjustment in the rear, that's it. It's fine if you just want to cruise around, but if you want to do any agressive riding it will hold you back. I didn't feel really stable leaning over in corners. I just replaced the front suspension and brakes with those from an R6 and it's like a whole new bike. It's great.