What Size Cruiser For My First Motorcycle? (2024)

In short order I'll be attending the basic rider course in SF, and I'll be taking my written test at the DMV next month. My experience with motorcycles could not be less. However, for a variety of reasons (gas mileage, parkability downtown where I work, mobility since I have no other vehicle, etc.), I'm dead set on getting one by the end of the year.

I really want a cruiser-style bike, but I'm not sure of the size I should get. I've been to Golden Gate Cycles and physically sat on the 250-sized versions of the Honda, V-Star, and Suzuki. The V-Star 250 seemed the most comfortable for me, so that's the front runner at this point.

Now, I'm 6'1", 190 pounds, and a generally physically fit 30-something guy. One of the salesmen at the dealership mentioned that while a 250cc bike is a great starter bike to learn on -- especially for someone with zero experience -- he cautioned that I would probably find it to be not enough motorcycle after a very short while. He advised that I consider something bigger like the V-Star 650 or a Honda Shadow as my first bike.

What do you think? Was this sales guy just trying to upsell me, or does he have a valid point? I've read of tiny wives that get bored of Honda Rebels after a few months, and I've read of big dudes who still love their 250s with no goals of upgrading. I would appreciate any insight you folks can offer. Thanks in advance.

the rebel is a good beginner bike or those who just want something to commute around town, easy to park, good mpg but can be easily outgrown if using it for weekend rides and recreation....

the Vstar 650 will be a great starter bike around town but if you start doing more freeway riding, you'd probably want something bigger which comes to the Shadow 750 ...a 50/50 cruiser that is manageable weight and decent on the freeway...just a bit more weight and price than the 650...

Yamaha just introduced the Vstar 950 that is well balanced and easy to ride intended to be new/intermediate rider in mind who wants something that can cruise and be on the freeway and won't outgrow....well balanced ....

the vulcan 900 is another bike suited for the taller people for their new bike....so is the VTX1100 but I wouldn't advise going any bigger until you've learned how to coordinate your body, give proper steering inputs, and learn the basics...

riding around the Presidio would be an excellent place to learn since it's low traffic and low speed...

do sit on the different models regardless ..an aero will feel different than the custom due to the different bars , wheels, forks, etc...

g'luck..

You might want to consider shopping around. Golden Gate Cycles (GGC) has earned a bit of a bad reputation for their sales practices.

With that said, in your position I would consider getting a slightly larger bike. Sit on a couple. Lean them from side and see how comfortable you are with the weight. I generally encourage first time riders to buy a bike they can muscle around at a stop -- many times when someone is learning they drop the bike at low speeds -- it's often possible to save a 250 in situations where a heavier bike would end up on the ground.

Burning1: That's good advice about finding a bike I can "muscle around" at slow speeds and stop signs. I've actually thought about that potential problem. I think my next dealership visit will be to OTD Burlingame and maybe Berkeley Yamaha to sit on a variety of bikes and feel their weight.

About Golden Gate Cycle, aside from the one guy who jumped at the chance to convince me to go bigger, they seemed like pretty nice people. The first guy I spoke to didn't even mention the bigger bikes, actually. That said, if the sleazy dealer is selling his stuff for significantly less than the nice guy, I'm gonna buy from the sleazy guy.

Turbo BKing? It's a cruiser, right?

someone had to

I remember riding up 9, and seeing a guy pop a wheelie on one of those things. He ended up passing me on the outside of the first corner heading up Scotts Valley Drive from Felton.

I've been kind of impressed by sportsters.

please take into account that a "Ninja 250" (the ubiquitous starter bike evangelized on BARF) is inherently different from a Rebel 250.

it 's possible to have a metric tonn of fun on a Ninja 250, esp. if you stay off the freeway.
but a rebel 250... sigh... you'll outgrow that in a very short time.

cruiser engines are by design less powerful, and less "rev" happy. the Ninja makes all it's power in the upper 1/3 of the revs, where the cruiser just - well - has no power either.

i think for a cruiser a "reasonable" low-end is 640cc, maybe even 800.

I would recommend the rebel really only to a 85lb girl with a 22-inch inseam.
anything else... poor bike.

I'll throw this out there...how sure are you that you want a cruiser?

When I signed up for the MSF last fall, I thought for sure I would get a cruiser. But after trying out the MSF bikes, going to a motorcycle tradeshow and sitting on every kind of bike ever made, I decided that I wanted more a of a "standard" bike; that cruisers, arguably, are harder to maneuver in the city (where I do most of my riding). I got a naked SV650 and couldn't be happier.

Point is, when I was starting out, I thought I knew what I wanted, from gear to the kind of bike, but repeated exposure to other options finally led down the path I am now on--all of my originals ideas changed once I actually started riding. That's my story anyway....YMMV

After reading these helpful posts and other info, I'm leaning towards getting something heavier and more powerful than a starter 250cc, despite the fact that I'm as green as can be. I think I have a healthy paranoia of what can happen to me if I don't respect the risk of what I'll be doing, plus I'll be taking it reallll slow and easy to start, and highway driving definitely won't come for a while. I'd just hate to be two months into a 250 and think, "man, I need a bigger bike."

Peteg: You're right, I can't be sure that I want a cruiser rather than a standard or a sport bike. I've made the Cruiser my bike of choice right now simply because I love their look much more than other styles. Of course, that says nothing of how comfortable or easy to ride they might be. I guess I'll have a better idea of rideability after the basic rider course. I've seen pics and videos of some of those classes with both sport bikes and Rebel-type bikes. Hopefully I'll get to ride both in the class. In the meantime, I'll be squatting my ass down on anything and everything I can in the various dealerships around the Bay Area just to get a feel for things.

Another question for you veterans out there: In the car world, there are certain makes that are widely respected as being quality, reliable vehicles, such as Toyota and Honda. Other makes, such as Ford and GM . . . well, not so much. What's the story in the motorcycle world? Should I avoid certain makes or models? And what's with this make I've seen called Hyosung; is it just a Suzuki the way that a V-Star is just a Yamaha?

Hyosung is to Suzuki as Kia is to Toyota.

Hyosung is a Korean manufacturer that's working to build a reputation in the motorcycle world. They aren't generic Chinese crap, but they are also not as respected as the Japanese 4.

I think the MSF course will be very revealing. You will riding 250cc bikes, probably the Rebel, doing lots of slow speed maneuvers. You can gauge your skill and comfort level on a 250.

You sound like a mature, smart rider, so I doubt you will be throttling down Market Street. The extra weight of a V-Star or a Shadow, about 150lbs heavier than a 250cc bike, shouldn't be a problem for you, but these bikes have about a half foot longer wheelbase, so that might be an issue for slow speed steering on the streets.

The other issue for beginners is "what's next" and "when". If you get a true beginner bike like the Rebel or a Ninja 250, at some point you will outgrow it. But if that point is 2 years from now, well, having a small bike is advantageous.

In comparison, a co-worker took MSF, got his license and immediately purchased a Harley V-Rod.

This was the only motorcycle he wanted, and given his 6'3", 270lb frame, it was a good fit for him. I and several other co-workers warned him about the size and the power, but his only saving grace is that he lives 4 miles from work and it is not that serious of a rider, so he has not had any accidents so far (except for dropping his bike on his and his wife's car in the same incident).

I don't know, just and idea, but
http://stockton.craigslist.org/mcy/1331922202.html

That would last you a bit, and then when you did sell it, they seem to not depriciate in price much.

Burning1 said:

Before jumping on a bike that was only produced for 2 years, I'd do some research on how many of the parts are compatible with more common models from the same line.

Click to expand...

That's an excellent suggestion.

I was more suggesting it as a starter bike that will at least hold him over until winter. Then he could probably sell it for very close to what paid for it in spring, and bam, he has a down payment on his new bike.

So far with my suzuki I have had no problems and been riding it since early 07, I really love the m50 for the price. I was thinking about a honda 650 but for just a little bit more the m50 had more power and better options. It is fuel injected and saft driven which i really liked. It also has a little more aggersive style compared to the others in that class.

I recommend just going out for a weekend and looking at all your options. I org. was going to buy a UM because I saw how cheap they were and they looked nice on the internet. I went to roseville cycle, looked at it and hated it. It just cried cheap too me, plus I talked with people how hard it would be to mod it. I then started looking at the Hondas but feel in love with the Suzuki M50 parked right behind it on the showroom floor. However like I said take a weekend go to different bike shops and check all the models out there...