Cruisers ahoy

tee hee - somehow I KNEW you were going to say that!!!

I will do exactly that. I'm going to sit on every bloody thing that I can
over the next few months. Ta Hmmm, wonder who the Guzzi dealer is around
here? Gecko has closed down. Hope it's not Eurotune....

betty

 

Some of the Bonnevilles have 19 inch front wheels (spoked) and some have
17 inch front wheels (mags), the seat height on the 17" mag wheel
version is significantly lower and probably easier to manage if you're
looking at Bonnies. I'd go so far as to say that the Mag Wheel Bonnie
SE has just about the lowest stock seat of any non cruiser large
capacity bike currently made.



G-S

 

I'm thinking that the 750 Breva would be a better choice, the seat
height is similar but the riding position is closer to standard than
cruiser.


G-S

 

Here's another vote for the Bonneville. I love mine - last of the wire
wheels and carbs (2008) - and I can sit with both feet flat on the tarmac.
I'm only average height, but (ahem) slightly more than average mass, and I
have to report that my glutæus maximus does most certainly suffer after any
more than -say- 3-400 kms in one day.

I doubt a featherweight would mind the paper-thin padding on the so-called
"seat", though.

Lovely bike.

Jeff R.

 

In aus.motorcycles on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 22:54:59 +1000

The problem is she needs to sit on her backside, and I dunno a Breva
will do that.

I have found a Breva for her to try (Betty, you have mail) so it might
work!

Might need the low seat option, from memory the Breva with lowered
seat is the same seat height as the Nevada.

Zebee

 

Sometimes the lightest bike in the world can't save you if you're not

Wife managed to drop the Sachs Madass 125 that had a lowered seat and
suspension.

She had to stop fast due to a car burning around the corner on the wrong
side of a dirt road and she ended up with bad footing. It was funny to
watch as it happened so slow. She was stopped then slowly lent over and
just kept going. No damage to bike or body helped.

 

Your a classic!
Sorry, a top bloke. ;-)

 

Good work!

I think you're correct Zeb.


G-S

 

Folks, thanks heaps for all the suggestions/advice/help - I knew I could
rely on you lot!

I couldn't help myself - I went to my friendly bike dealer today... No, I
haven't bought a bike - I'm trying to be sensible - and besides, I'm only at
the very beginning of my cruiser-research.

Today, what I learned was this:

Giving a car dealership the bike dealership rights is really bloody stupid.
A Ford dealership is now the Canberra Aprilia/Moto Guzzi dealer. There were
perhaps 10 bikes in their showroom, and the girl I spoke to kept trying to
sway me to look for a car, rather than a bike. (Hello? Aprilia, Moto Guzzi -
what were you THINKING?!!!)

Anyway, I sat on a Triumph Rocket. BWAHAHAHAHAHA - the less said about that,
the better. Gosh it's big. I also tried a Guzzi V7. Managed to ease my leg
over but the ride position was too much on the broken bits. No Nevada to
try. (Great dealership - NOT!) Perhaps a trip to Sydney will be in order
sometime soon... Really want to have a sit on a Nevada and see how it feels.

So anyway, off I went to Canberra Motorcycle Centre (the northside shop,
which does Suzuki & Yamaha)

I discovered this: The Suzuki Boulevardes are all way too big for me. The
seat height is fine, but the stretch to the bars isn't - and my poor little
legs and little size 5 girly feet couldn't reach the gear changer and rear
brake. Same for a used Kwak Vulcan 900.

I also discovered I don't like running boards. Maybe coz they were so far
away... felt really peculiar. Pegs for me, please.

I eyed the 250 cruisers and thought about what you said, Bob, about the 250s
being crap. I also remember getting a Hyosung Aquila 250 as a loan bike
once, and hating it - so I refused to even sit on a 250, just in case the
fit was really good...

And then I tried a Yamaha XVS650. It was a PERFECT fit. And I do mean
perfect. I could get on/off without any trouble; the seat was more
comfortable than the seat in my car, and I was able to haul it upright
without any trouble (and without stressing the pelvis - could do it with
arms/shoulders)

So, right now, it's at the top of my list. As I still have a while to wait -
have to be able to ride it away from the showroom, after all - I will
continue my research with a trip to the southside CMC, which is the
Kawasaki/Honda dealership. Oh, and the Harley dealership is in Fyshwick as
well, so I'll pay them a visit too. Pisshead keeps trying to convince me
that a Sportster would be perfect for me. Might as well try everything I
can...

The best thing about today was the instant mood-lift! I've been such a big
bundle of misery just lately - all it took to put a giant smile on my face
and a spring in my hobble, ha ha, was sitting on a bike that felt good and
imagining that I might be back on the road for real soon!

Once again, folks - thanks heaps for sharing your wisdom :-D

betty, still grinning

 

It's useful to take bikes for a test ride when they're a completely new
style to you. And not just a quick round the block test ride. The
posture you assume when you're sitting on a bike stationary probably
isn't directly comparable to your posture when you're actually riding
the bike.

Also, getting on the bike, riding it, and getting off is actually a good
way to remember all the things about the bike that are different to what
you're used to, which isn't necessarily indicative of your long term
appreciation of the bike.

The format of the Spyder test rides recognises this, and takes this into
account. The test ride I did involved riding about 8km or so, and then
getting off and having a drink and a biscuit and then after about 10
minute break getting back on and riding back. The difference between
the two rides were noticable and definitely the second ride was much
more comfortable, more fluid, the spyder felt much less foreign than it
had on the first half of the ride.

Nev..

 

Point taken - makes a lot of sense. The bikes I sat on that had running
boards were far too big for me. I wouldn't be averse to trying a bike with
running boards if I could actually reach them properly, but I couldn't find
one today...The point I'm trying to make is that I wouldn't even be able to
take a lot of those cruisers on a test ride, coz I simply couldn't reach the
gear changer or rear brake! I am really looking forward to test-riding the
650 though, to see if the fit is as awesome as it seemed on the showroom
floor!

Great way to conduct a test ride, I think. When I had a cruiser loan bike,
the ride through Queanbeyan, from the bike shop to the servo, was seriously
horrible. After refuelling and walking around for a few minutes, getting
back on the cruiser wasn't quite as weird, although I still had issues with
trying to put my feet on pegs that simply weren't there (I'm a bit of a slow
learner when it comes to physical stuff).

PS How's Wintersun???? *envy envy*

betty

 

Someone woke up the other day with a wonky back and can't ride her bike
so we didn't go. I went for a short ride this morning and hit a roo.
Decided I'm taking the bike out for a good run tomorrow. Alarm set for

Nev..

 

sparrows fart.

Nev..

 

Eek, sounds like weird messages from the Universe ;-) Love to Jo - hope
she's getting lots of rest/massage/physio/chocolate for her back...

Have a great ride tomorrow!

betty

 

I tried a Virago 250 and it left me grinning ear-to-ear!

 

Hit a roo?!
I take-it it was just a touch and you stayed upright?

 

Yeah, pretty much. Was on a dirt road heading into the rising sun and I
was only going around 50kph. Fortunately he hit the bike around the
crash bars so didn't upset the front wheel (although there were clumps
of fur stuck to the brake caliper bolts). He wasn't as tall as the
handlebars and put a few nice cracks in the fairing with his head but
the bike and I both fared better because I rode home and the roo is
still lying where he landed.

Nev..

 

Oooh, that's so sad :-( They're so stupid.....

Really glad to hear that you came out of it ok though!

betty

 

Maybe two bikes, one used and cheaper...
A cruiser
and something like a
PS250
or
XG250

 

Do they?

=================

Onya bike

Gerry