hey everybody,
thinking about making a move from the 99 gs500e to a light/middleweight cruiser (600-800cc's). anybody else done it? got any good advice? i'm looking at suzuki volusia, honda shadow spirit and magna, kawasaki vulcan, yamaha v-star, harley sportster 883... i've seen the shadow spirit, vulcan, v-star, and the triumph speedmaster and i didn't exactly fall in love with any of them.  i also kind of like the feel of the honda rebel and the yamaha virago as i am a short guy but i've got my doubts on their smaller engines....

I had a vulcan 750 and a 535 virago before, also have a 1000 kawi eliminator and other general junk... Try a 600 eliminator, see if you like that. The 96-2001 were nicer with stock drag bars... also look at older maxim's ...IMHO better than the whole slew of new bikes.
Cool.
Srinath.

 

Of the bikes you are thinking of I've only owned one...the Sportster. If you are thinking you might like a Sporty, if you lust over that "charisma" that only an HD can exude, then I say go for it. Other bikes are faster, handle sharper and are more comfortable for long-distance rides but then again you can form a bond with your Harley unlike that with any other bike. They are simplicity in the purest form, can be modified to...well the sky's the limit, and they can be made to run fast and quick. Plus, if you keep it you can hand it down to your children, grandchildren and on and on. I love my little GS, but I still long for the HD's of old.

C.......

ever considered the Honda Deauville... sells here (new) at around the equivalent of US$ 6.700,- which is including a 20% VAT.

shaft transmission, 56 hp 650 cc engine, 115 mph top speed, fairing, 2 cases... sounds reasonable to me.

yeah, i'm gonna have to take a look at the sportster some time soon. thanks for the tip about shopping around different HD "stealers".  thanks for the deauville recomendation but i'm not a big fan of fairings.  there are so many options out there i guess i should accept the fact that its going to take some time and patience to make the right decision and find the bike that fits me best.... and its not like i'm looking to get rid of the GS any time soon.

Quote from: deuce bigi'm looking at suzuki volusia, honda shadow spirit and magna, kawasaki vulcan, yamaha v-star, harley sportster 883... i've seen the shadow spirit, vulcan, v-star, and the triumph speedmaster and i didn't exactly fall in love with any of them.  i also kind of like the feel of the honda rebel and the yamaha virago as i am a short guy but i've got my doubts on their smaller engines....

Did you like the handling of the Rebel? One thing to consider is the handling difference between the GS (sport/standard) vs. the others (cruisers). Cruisers typically do not handle as well as sportbikes, but are better at absorbing road irregularities.

I'd second Srinath's vote for the older Maxims, if they weren't so...old.

The Shadow handles like a car (turn left to go left, turn right to go right(weird)).

Handling-wise I would prefer a Vulcan 750 or any of the Yamaha's. Yamaha usually makes better handling bikes (what good is power if ya can't handle it).

You might want to look into the Moto Guzzi Nevada as well. They look pretty good(in my humble opinion), are shaft drive, and have a fairly low seat height. That's probably what i'd get if i could afford it and wanted a somewhat sporty cruiser. If i remember right, they cost less than the Harley Sportster.

Forgot to mention that the Guzzi is 750cc(i think) and pretty doggone lightweight. http://www.motoguzzi-us.com/index2.html

I would second the Breva 750.  If you like the GS, you will love the Breva.  Similar weight, ergos and HP, but quite a bit more torque. And it handles very well.
Kinda like an Italian 883, only better looking.

I went from a GS400(33hp) to a Maxim 700 (86 hp).

After I learned to clutch it properly I had no real learning problems. It handles just as well and of course hits the highways perfectly. It just takes time to learn to deal with the extra umph of horsepower.

Yeh, the Breva 750 looks interesting...kinda like somebody punched a Baby G in the nose. I guess it's true; beauty IS in the eye of the beholder.
But hey I would ride one, but not over an HD...take the 1k or so I'd save and get some parts for the Piglet. Love the little GS500, this forum and Moto-Guzzi bikes.

C.......

BURLINGTON, VT!!!
i'm MA but I went to college in burlington, vt.  i live in San Diego now. pretty drastic change. i'll actually be visiting burlington on the second week of october. too bad i won't have my GS.  there must be some beautiful fall rides....especially out on rt 7 and rt 100(i think???).
thanks for the advice everybody!

...well, with close to 3K on my "F", I am looking at larger bikes.  The new (to USA) Kawasaki Z750S looks sweet to me!  Should be comfortable and it offers 100 bhp at the wheel.

Gene

I go to uvm  

universitas verdis montis class of 2000. go catamounts. good times...good times.

Quote from: deuce bigi also kind of like the feel of the honda rebel and the yamaha virago as i am a short guy but i've got my doubts on their smaller engines....

Try a Savage.

I'm a freshman this year  

Quote from: Ed_in_Az..........I'll be buying a 2005 883 in the spring. ........The base model XL883 can be had for $6,500 to $7,000 if you don't mind researching to find the closest(least distant ) dealer that isn't a rip off. It's a shame that most of them are. I'll be driving/riding 450 miles to get the right deal on mine, but I'll save $1,500 over the closest stealer to me.

I'd rather deal from dealer cost than list price.

Does anyone know if dealer cost info is available for HDs?