hi folks,
I haven't been on much lately, because I havent been riding much lately.
I havent been riding much... because "a certain medical condition" I mentioned (ick) has gone INTERNAL now

I'm thinking I may have to quit riding any more (Noooo!)

Alternatively... maybe I could try a different ride?
I would want/need the opposite of what most people seem to want:

smooth(minimal vibes)
quiet (as bikes go)

I'd also like on the light side, (400lbs or lighter), with good fuel econ. but enough torque to be fun please!
I need a 80mph commuter bike, so no weak-knee'd 250cc's.

Technically, that seems to call for.... a cruiser.  But I'd rather be caught driving a prius!

Do I need to go to 4cyl for smooth, or is there still a twin out there that is a good choice for me?
for $4k or order?

(edit: please note, I'm in USA; california to be precise.)

You get these where you are?

http://motorcycles.honda.com.au/Naked/CB400

It is exactly as you descibed.

Quote from: Twisted on April 08, 2012, 03:51:58 PM
You get these where you are?

http://motorcycles.honda.com.au/Naked/CB400

It is exactly as you descibed.

sigh. sadly, I'm in USA, so not so much.
On the popular site "cycletrader.com", there are exactly 3 in the entire USA for sale. from 1980s, and none within 1000 miles of me.

These things can be dealt with.  I assume that you are working with a doctor.  What is the doctor's advice?  Maybe you could just modify your seat with some gel or something?  Seems like that would be easier than getting a new bike just for this reason.

Weelll.. it's not ONLY this reason
my bike is a bit beat up, due to the drop I had last year at speed.
So at some point I would like to replace bike. And I kindasorta have the money.
it's a question of whether it should be a shiney "new" gs, or some other bike.

The gs vibes of my current bike appear to interfere with my nether regions. I dont think a new seat is going to improve things THAT much.

If vibration is the issue, you need a four cylinder bike. Preferably one with small pistons. I think just about any I4 600cc bike should do the trick.

Might try a spin on an SV650 or DL650 or even the DL1000. All great bikes. About as solid as the GS500 motors but with less vibration.

Quote from: Kijona on April 08, 2012, 09:31:43 PM
Might try a spin on an SV650 or DL650 or even the DL1000. All great bikes. About as solid as the GS500 motors but with less vibration.

Interesting.

Looking at specs...
wikipedia classes the V-strom as (blah blah), "dual sport" ?!!?!!

I didnt know there were dual sports known for "smoothness"?
Plus it's 50 lbs heaver than sv650. yikes.

Anyone ridden both and want to describe/compare the ride?

Quote from: Phil B on April 08, 2012, 09:46:09 PM

Quote from: Kijona on April 08, 2012, 09:31:43 PM
Might try a spin on an SV650 or DL650 or even the DL1000. All great bikes. About as solid as the GS500 motors but with less vibration.

Interesting.

Looking at specs...
wikipedia classes the V-strom as (blah blah), "dual sport" ?!!?!!

I didnt know there were dual sports known for "smoothness"?
Plus it's 50 lbs heaver than sv650. yikes.

Anyone ridden both and want to describe/compare the ride?

I've ridden a DL1000 and an SV650S. The DL is very, very big and top-heavy. The DL650 is supposed to be much better in terms of weight distribution....though it may be just hype. I know the 650 has a lower seat height versus the 1000.

The SV650S might be a bit crampy for you. The N model has more relaxed pegs and also a regular set of handlebars which can be customized a lot easier. In terms of ride...the DL, while heavy and quite a bit to handle if you're vertically challenged, is quite comfortable and easy to ride once you get going. The DL650 or SV650 might be better. Another interesting and comfortable bike is the Katana. Very relaxed. Though, it's around 100lbs heavier than the SV650.

Quote from: Phil B on April 08, 2012, 09:46:09 PM

Quote from: Kijona on April 08, 2012, 09:31:43 PM
Might try a spin on an SV650 or DL650 or even the DL1000. All great bikes. About as solid as the GS500 motors but with less vibration.

Interesting.

Looking at specs...
wikipedia classes the V-strom as (blah blah), "dual sport" ?!!?!!

I didnt know there were dual sports known for "smoothness"?
Plus it's 50 lbs heaver than sv650. yikes.

Anyone ridden both and want to describe/compare the ride?

I've owned a few SVs, a DL650 and have ridden the DL1000. All are 90° twins and so inherently smoother than the GS.
The SV is closest to the GS. Weighs about the same, similar riding position (especially the naked version) makes more power and handles better. Not sure though if it would be much better for you. A certain amount of vibration still comes through.
The DLs are smoother, especially the 650. It's a physically bigger bike (the 650 and 1000 are identical ergonomically) and much more comfortable. In fact, with a Corbin seat the DL650 is the most comfortable bike I've ever owned. It has a wonderfully smooth and balanced feel, and it handles very well too. Just don't confuse it with any sort of a dual sport, a GS500E is better on dirt than the DL is. 

Another option is a big scooter. The wife had a Burgman 400 for a while, that thing was smooth, comfortable and a hoot to ride. I put more miles on it than she did. The 650 is kind of pricey, but everyone I know who has one loves it.

Quote from: RichDesmond on April 09, 2012, 04:45:30 AM
The DLs are smoother, especially the 650. It's a physically bigger bike (the 650 and 1000 are identical ergonomically) and much more comfortable.

Nuts. Then it probably isnt for me?  I should have mentioned, I'm 5'6"
What do you guys think about switching to a 4cyl then?

Different engine configurations across different manufacturers have different levels of vibration. You will find one 600cc inline four from one manufacturer that is buzzy and another that is not.

The FZ6R my wife has now uses a variant of the motor Yamaha used in the R6 in 2003. Itself a derivative of the YZF600/750 model from '95-'98, it has a reputation as being quite smooth.

The difficult thing about figuring out which bikes are less buzzy is that often we are comparing a v-twin to an inline four, or an inline four to a parallel twin. These engines produce vibration at different frequencies across their rpm ranges, and sometimes going from something where you are used to a particular type of vibration to something different it can feel better, or sometimese worse, than it actually is.

I have also ridden two of the same bike where one had quite harsh vibration and the other one did not.

Quote from: RichDesmond on April 09, 2012, 04:45:30 AM

Quote from: Phil B on April 08, 2012, 09:46:09 PM

Quote from: Kijona on April 08, 2012, 09:31:43 PM
Might try a spin on an SV650 or DL650 or even the DL1000. All great bikes. About as solid as the GS500 motors but with less vibration.

Interesting.

Looking at specs...
wikipedia classes the V-strom as (blah blah), "dual sport" ?!!?!!

I didnt know there were dual sports known for "smoothness"?
Plus it's 50 lbs heaver than sv650. yikes.

Anyone ridden both and want to describe/compare the ride?

I've owned a few SVs, a DL650 and have ridden the DL1000. All are 90° twins and so inherently smoother than the GS.
The SV is closest to the GS. Weighs about the same, similar riding position (especially the naked version) makes more power and handles better. Not sure though if it would be much better for you. A certain amount of vibration still comes through.
The DLs are smoother, especially the 650. It's a physically bigger bike (the 650 and 1000 are identical ergonomically) and much more comfortable. In fact, with a Corbin seat the DL650 is the most comfortable bike I've ever owned. It has a wonderfully smooth and balanced feel, and it handles very well too. Just don't confuse it with any sort of a dual sport, a GS500E is better on dirt than the DL is. 

Another option is a big scooter. The wife had a Burgman 400 for a while, that thing was smooth, comfortable and a hoot to ride. I put more miles on it than she did. The 650 is kind of pricey, but everyone I know who has one loves it.

The seat is lower on the DL650 versus the DL1000. One common thing for people to do who are vertically challenged is to replace the DL1000 seat with the DL650 seat. It's cut lower, thus allowing more firmly planted feet. And, conversely, some people replace the DL650 seat with a DL1000 seat to make it slightly taller for them if they've got long legs. Supposedly the DL650 is slightly smaller than the 1000 but from pictures...the only way I could tell, apart from decals obviously, was that the 650 has a single pipe versus the 1000 which has dual pipes.

The DL1000 weighs in the neighborhood of 520lbs full wet. Meaning anything other than bone stock is going to add even more weight (bags mainly). It's compounded by the fact that it's so tall. If you ever drop it...it's going to be almost impossible for you to pick it up. It's so tall that there is a ton of leverage required to get it upright. For me, I'm 6'0 tall and around 185-190lbs. I'm mostly muscle and I could BARELY pick the thing up after dropping it.

The DL weighs about the same as the Katana...yet the Katana is a LOT easier to manage due to how close to the ground it is and where the weight is on the bike. Might look into one of those? The ergonomics are extremely relaxed. The 600 felt great...haven't sat on a 750 but reportedly they're even better.

Oh, and you're shorter than I am...you can forget trying to put it on the center stand, much less get it off. My feet wouldn't even touch the ground on the center stand. You can push it off from the side but the bike is extremely wide and extremely tall, as I said, which means you're at a disadvantage if you're off to one side pushing it. That's how I dropped it the first time.

I vote scooter.  Scooters rock.

Quote from: cbrfxr67 on April 09, 2012, 11:54:57 AM
I vote scooter.  Scooters rock.

...LOL

Hey now, don't be hatin' on the scooters!!! 

Anything is OK as long as you don't have that "scooter smug" attitude.
Even on my TS-185, I got waves from Harley hogs and GSXR dudes.

This web page claims that gel seats are an antidote, or at least a helper for, cycle-induced hemorrhoids. Hmmm...

http://www.articleclick.com/Article/3-Great-Reasons-to-Purchase-Gel-Motorcycle-Seat-Cushions-for-Your-Needs/916819

Wonder if that sort of thing would be better than the "walmart ATV" seat cover mentioned on the forums.


Dis guy over here, is selling em through ebay for $50 each.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-Seat-Gel-Pad-Cushion-Cover-Suzuki-GS500F-Model-New-/110802919084?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item19cc5e5eac

HMMMM.....

Kawasaki versys, kawasaki ninka650r, klr650, vstrom, vfr, f4I, fz8, fz1, there are tons of bikes that fit the bill. And cheap too.