Have you ever ridden a cruiser?

Rocky Raccoon said:
whoa! The Triumph Rocket III, now that is a beastly bike! I would like to try that out, just for the experience, I looks like a lot of fun.
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It's tons of fun but also riddled with problems. Not a year goes by that I don't need to take some of it apart and fix it. I love the bike,I just wish it was more reliable.
 
I've ridden my father's Harley quite a few times now, I absolutely love it! Torquey power delivery, brilliant pedestrian scaring noise and very very comfortable. Wouldn't want one as my only bike though, but as a second bike definitely.

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I don't think it looks bad, either.
 
I had the Moto Guzzi V7 Racer which is the closest thing to a cruiser I have ever ridden. To be honest, I'm a little scared of getting on a cruiser. The seating position makes it feel like I cant ride motorcycles. I've had offers but cant bring myself to do it...noob.
 
Rocky Raccoon said:
Most of the vloggers here seem to have every other type of bike except cruisers, but have you tried one or owned one? How did you like it?
I never had before, but had a chance to do a demo ride on a Victory cruiser last week. I hated it! I'm pretty sure it was the fault of that specific style of bike (really wide tire, barely any rear suspension travel, hard seat with weird position) but what a bad first experience! I felt every little imperfection in the road.
I never got a chance to try the other touring style baggers, but they looked a little better.


Let me know your experiences with cruisers, and if i should give them another shot.
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I vlog on a cruiser (2008 Vulcan 900 Classic). I definitely prefer a sport bike but the vulcan is an awesome bike. I love the vulcan but it doesn't fit my needs very well. It's a higher rev cruiser (about 8k rpm). The worst part is that it is a monoshock so if you hit a bump in a turn then handling goes to crap. My floor boards are scrapped badly because you can only lean over so far and I tend to ride hard. But if you go on long trips, just throw a wind shield on it and you can go cross country comfortably. Another bad side is, since it's a cruiser people tend to skip you videos. If you try another cruiser you should make it a vulcan and def not a harley.
 
BikerOnABudget said:
The worst part is that it is a monoshock so if you hit a bump in a turn then handling goes to crap.
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That probably has more to do with it being a heavy bike that's sprung for a comfortable ride, not a sporty ride. I don't know of a single sportbike (doesn't mean they don't exist mind you..) that has more than 1 rear shock. You could make it better with heavier oil and/or a stiffer spring, but your tailbone is going to notice every time you hit a bump, and if you go too far with it the bike will become skittish.
 
My current ride is a triumph rocket 3 and ride the hell outta that bike and it handles just fine for me, you just gotta manhandle it a bit. There are plenty of cruisers that handle great! I just think most sport riders feel so out of place on them that the confidence to really push it isn't there.

And there are people who will blow your mind with what they can do on a cruiser... Check out this video and you'll never say a cruiser can't handle again.


Anything is flickable if you're strong enough. Haha
 
All that being said, obviously you're not going to track day with a cruiser... But they can be way more capable than most give them credit for.
 
I know a good handful of people who take their cruisers to track days, including myself. It may not be as exhilarating as the sport bikes, but there are plenty of skills and techniques that can be applied to daily riding. I encourage anyone to find a good track with an excellent track crew and advance your skills. What you learn at the track may save your life on the street.
 
Love, love love the cruisers! Well actually, I love all bikes but the cruiser is what suits my body type. Straight back, forward pegs, swept back bars. Uber comfortable and even after a 3 or 4 hour ride, it feels like I've just whipped down to the local shops.

Agree with an earlier posting about the weaker brakes (on older models) but mine (Honda CTX700N) has ABS breaks and haven't had any problem.

Not super fast like a sports bike, but then again, its a cruiser and built for cruising - not racing.
 
cruisers you sit upright, when I tiered I lean forward......Sport bike your leaning forward, (according to a sport bike friend) when you get tired you sit up......

Cruiser vs. sport bike..6 one way 1/2 dozen the other. cept you get to go 180 mph on a sport bike
 
Rocky Raccoon said:
whoa! The Triumph Rocket III, now that is a beastly bike! I would like to try that out, just for the experience, I looks like a lot of fun.
Click to expand...
I took one for a test ride once. It was a lot of fun, but it was the same kind of fun as owning a panther; you don't know if it's going to nuzzle you or rip your face off. When you open the taps it torque steers like crazy.

I also ride my friend's Yamaha V-Star 1100 kind of often (two or three times a year) and it's alright. I am very uncomfortable in that seating position. I like my feet to be beneath me, not in front.
 
Shadetreesurgeon said:
My current ride is a triumph rocket 3 and ride the hell outta that bike and it handles just fine for me, you just gotta manhandle it a bit. There are plenty of cruisers that handle great! I just think most sport riders feel so out of place on them that the confidence to really push it isn't there.

And there are people who will blow your mind with what they can do on a cruiser... Check out this video and you'll never say a cruiser can't handle again.


Anything is flickable if you're strong enough. Haha
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Hi Shadetree,

That's one of the first motorcycle videos that I saw and thought:
-Oh. There are skills that can be applied. It's not just practice and crash until you get it, if you ever get it.

Supposedly my bike is a cruiser so I found that very encouraging. I don't know any experienced riders other than a few I've met for group rides. I've had to research and learn most everything myself.
That lead to the Ride Like a Pro videos etc. that I told you about and mentioned.

I have this video bookmarked and watch it occasionally just for inspiration.
 
I had a chance to testdrive H&D Sportster Iron 883 from the H&D's demotruck. It was quite nimble for a H&D but I guess I'm too spoiled by Hornet's behavior. It was capable of 87mph (140kph) max speed, then limiter kicked it. It lacked feel of torque. Brakes sucked really hard, almost no effect until I squeezed the lever alot. Everything was shaking. The bike was really small but quite comfy. Conclusion - Harleys and other cruiser aren't bikes for me, would not ride again. At least for now. Maybe I'll talk differently when I'll be over 60 years old.
 
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