Good starter motorcycle for riding doubles?

[thecoolnessrune]

I'm into looking at getting a good starter bike that will see most of its purposes riding doubles. I am into cruisers exclusively. No sportbikes for this guy. I always hear that 250cc is good for a starter bike, but I'm afraid that might be underpowered for decent riding for 2 people and gear.

Any good suggestions for a laid back cruiser (new or used, doesn't matter, preferably used even, since it will probably get some dings) that is able to comfortably sit two either directly or through the addition of a seat accessory? What is a good cc range to be looking at? Thanks.

 

[Saga]

Pretty much any cruiser where your riding posture is upright would be great. Since you said you are into cruisers exclusively, you seem to have that down pat.

As for size, a nice big 700cc+ bike would be ideal for me personally. A 250 feels underwhelming solo, double up would only compound that issue. Keep in mind that even a 1700cc hog can be stomped by a 600cc supersport, so what you're combating primarily is weight. If you and your partner combined are over 300lbs I'd be pretty uncomfortable on a 250.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Originally posted by: Saga
Pretty much any cruiser where your riding posture is upright would be great. Since you said you are into cruisers exclusively, you seem to have that down pat.

As for size, a nice big 700cc+ bike would be ideal for me personally. A 250 feels underwhelming solo, double up would only compound that issue. Keep in mind that even a 1700cc hog can be stomped by a 600cc supersport, so what you're combating primarily is weight. If you and your partner combined are over 300lbs I'd be pretty uncomfortable on a 250.

Together me and the gf weigh around 320lbs. So I guess 250 is out of the question. The only time I've rode a 250 was on a sport bike and it felt comfortable. I suppose I need more cc for the weight of a cruiser. But even with all that taken in, isn't 700cc a bit huge for a starter bike? I'm certainly not wanting to kill myself and my gf here 😛

 

[Saga]

Originally posted by: thecoolnessrune

Together me and the gf weigh around 320lbs. So I guess 250 is out of the question. The only time I've rode a 250 was on a sport bike and it felt comfortable. I suppose I need more cc for the weight of a cruiser. But even with all that taken in, isn't 700cc a bit huge for a starter bike? I'm certainly not wanting to kill myself and my gf here 😛

Not totally. My nephew and his girlfriend ride very frequently - he owned a EX 250 Ninja. He probably weighed around 160 and she was likely 175-180. I called him to ask for you (though some would argue about comparing an inline 4 to a v-twin, but really a 250 is a 250 in my opinion..) and he basically said it was the primary reason he got his 600 Ninja. He just felt that anything over 50mph was incredibly scary and the bike really lacked the getup and go to do evasive maneuvering if he ever needed to get both of them safely out of a risky traffic situation. All situations will be different, but his biggest concern was safety. He really just felt that if he needed to avoid an accident on the 250 it would have been extremely difficult to do.

However, they're also young (19-20) so they're just a bunch of kids. Are you a first time rider? I'm not really an open fan of Honda's, but I'd have to admit that if I was in your situation I'd probably pick up a Honda Shadow. Would make an excellent first timer bike or expert bike and is very forgiving. It's also not super heavy so if you have mishaps the risk of hurting yourself is less.

Your mileage may vary. I haven't ridden cruisers in a long time (unless you consider the Vmax a cruiser but no matter what I disagree) so I have to analyze a bit differently than my normal thought process.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Originally posted by: Saga

Originally posted by: thecoolnessrune

Together me and the gf weigh around 320lbs. So I guess 250 is out of the question. The only time I've rode a 250 was on a sport bike and it felt comfortable. I suppose I need more cc for the weight of a cruiser. But even with all that taken in, isn't 700cc a bit huge for a starter bike? I'm certainly not wanting to kill myself and my gf here 😛

Not totally. My nephew and his girlfriend ride very frequently - he owned a EX 250 Ninja. He probably weighed around 160 and she was likely 175-180. I called him to ask for you (though some would argue about comparing an inline 4 to a v-twin, but really a 250 is a 250 in my opinion..) and he basically said it was the primary reason he got his 600 Ninja. He just felt that anything over 50mph was incredibly scary and the bike really lacked the getup and go to do evasive maneuvering if he ever needed to get both of them safely out of a risky traffic situation. All situations will be different, but his biggest concern was safety. He really just felt that if he needed to avoid an accident on the 250 it would have been extremely difficult to do.

However, they're also young (19-20) so they're just a bunch of kids. Are you a first time rider? I'm not really an open fan of Honda's, but I'd have to admit that if I was in your situation I'd probably pick up a Honda Shadow. Would make an excellent first timer bike or expert bike and is very forgiving. It's also not super heavy so if you have mishaps the risk of hurting yourself is less.

Your mileage may vary. I haven't ridden cruisers in a long time (unless you consider the Vmax a cruiser but no matter what I disagree) so I have to analyze a bit differently than my normal thought process.

I'm just 20 and the gf is young as well so I guess we're a bunch of kids too 😛 You've convinced me to look at some higher cc bikes. And a Shadow doesn't look bad at all and the prices aren't unreasonable. They sound like a great bet.

I essentially am a first time rider. I'm a person who just didn't have much problems adjusting to a motorcycle so I just ride a friends every once in a great blue moon (maybe 3-4 times a year). So in all honesty I'm just a starter because I haven't ridden a motorcycle steadily at all and maybe have 60 miles total in my total biking amount 😛

 

[JulesMaximus]

In California you are prohibited from riding two up until you've had your license for 1 year. Honestly, you'd have to be a complete idiot to ride on the back of a bike with someone with less than 1 years riding experience.

Learn how to ride. Then learn how to ride with a passenger.

 

[Saga]

Originally posted by: thecoolnessrune

I'm just 20 and the gf is young as well so I guess we're a bunch of kids too 😛 You've convinced me to look at some higher cc bikes. And a Shadow doesn't look bad at all and the prices aren't unreasonable. They sound like a great bet.

I essentially am a first time rider. I'm a person who just didn't have much problems adjusting to a motorcycle so I just ride a friends every once in a great blue moon (maybe 3-4 times a year). So in all honesty I'm just a starter because I haven't ridden a motorcycle steadily at all and maybe have 60 miles total in my total biking amount 😛

A shadow would be great, really. Or an older Nighthawk. If I were you I'd pick up an older cruiser and spend a year or so just learning the basics - the pro's far outweigh the cons!

Pro's:
1) Cheap! Can find a 80's Nighthawk that runs great for anywhere from $600-1500.
2) Parts are still very easy to find, so you can easily get replacements, fix things, and learn yourself without paying big bucks for simple maintenance.
3) Cheap insurance.
4) Playing along with #2, if you drop it it's easy to fix it or repair it without spending a lot of money. A new bike dings hard with those little scratches.

Con's:
1) It's not very stylish by modern standards.. but really, thats about it.

Thats what I did, and what I'd recommend anyone doing - buy an older cheap bike to learn and once you've gotten all the novice mistakes taken care of upgrade to something a little bit more tasteful.

 

[BZeto]

Prepare to upgrade at least your passenger seat if your GF will be riding often.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
In California you are prohibited from riding two up until you've had your license for 1 year. Honestly, you'd have to be a complete idiot to ride on the back of a bike with someone with less than 1 years riding experience.

Learn how to ride. Then learn how to ride with a passenger.

I actually learned how to ride with a passenger 😛 I think I ride almost anything more with a passenger than without. My bicycle, a 50cc moped I ride around the neighborhood up here, and on the motorcycle the few times I've ridden one (unfortunatley without a motorcycle license, though I've never been above 40mph on one. Just riding neighborhoods and the 1-2 miles to Walmart pretty much).

I've always had a passenger. I think it's simply because I dont find any fun riding by myself.

Believe me I understand what you're saying. I want to learn to be a good rider hence the inquiry about a motorcycle. But I dont want to get a bike just to sell it again when my gf wants to start riding with me. Hence why I want to get a bike *now* that I can ride doubles on. Then I can learn on that bike and also have my gf ride when she wants to.

Is that more understandable?

And BZeto I agree I should be fully willing to upgrade the seat and I'm plenty willing to, hence why I was wanting to make sure the bike I got either came with a proper seat or would be properly upgradeable.

EDIT: Oh, and me and the gf always use full protective gear. We may be young, but we're not terribly stupid 😀

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Originally posted by: Saga

Originally posted by: thecoolnessrune

I'm just 20 and the gf is young as well so I guess we're a bunch of kids too 😛 You've convinced me to look at some higher cc bikes. And a Shadow doesn't look bad at all and the prices aren't unreasonable. They sound like a great bet.

I essentially am a first time rider. I'm a person who just didn't have much problems adjusting to a motorcycle so I just ride a friends every once in a great blue moon (maybe 3-4 times a year). So in all honesty I'm just a starter because I haven't ridden a motorcycle steadily at all and maybe have 60 miles total in my total biking amount 😛

A shadow would be great, really. Or an older Nighthawk. If I were you I'd pick up an older cruiser and spend a year or so just learning the basics - the pro's far outweigh the cons!

Pro's:
1) Cheap! Can find a 80's Nighthawk that runs great for anywhere from $600-1500.
2) Parts are still very easy to find, so you can easily get replacements, fix things, and learn yourself without paying big bucks for simple maintenance.
3) Cheap insurance.
4) Playing along with #2, if you drop it it's easy to fix it or repair it without spending a lot of money. A new bike dings hard with those little scratches.

Con's:
1) It's not very stylish by modern standards.. but really, thats about it.

Thats what I did, and what I'd recommend anyone doing - buy an older cheap bike to learn and once you've gotten all the novice mistakes taken care of upgrade to something a little bit more tasteful.

Honestly I love the looks and simplicity of old cruisers. I have no interest in a new expensive bike. Biking to me is the enjoyment of the experience. The looks of the bike I'm riding on don't matter to me as long as its comfortable and useable.