What's up with the general population of cruiser riders?

[T.W.R]

The weekend just gone was the Woodstock (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=58298&highlight=woodstock+rally) rally which I attended with a mate along on the pillion seat :crazy: (he did quite well considering the 610kms coast to coast return journey).
Now I scoot along at a fair rate of knots usually attempting to be as consistent as possible and make the ride the smoothest for the pillion and did so on this trip, passing plenty and being passed also (I averaged 18.5km/l sitting around 120ish though, not bad for what the ZXR is & with over 100k on the clock).
Now heres where the question comes in; Whats with Cruiser riders going like stink on the straights then being a mass of brake lights & wallowing bike in the corners? wheres the train of thought that inspires that to happen?
Both heading to & coming from the rally I had this happen on multiple occasions and have had it happen on various other times as well.
During this event though on the Sunday return in particular 2 instances stick in my mind just due to their stupidity and the severity of what could have happened.

A cruiser is meant for cruising not for battling around bends and have the sportsbike you've just passed all over your butt or passing vehicles over blind rises just to almost throw the bike away into westcoast bush

Patience and being relaxed must go out the window somewhere along the line or something ???

[onearmedbandit]

Yeah, I remember a cruiser rider on a ride I was on once, did the same thing. I was approaching a series of corners at about 140km/h, said cruiser rider went past me then hit the brakes and wallowed around the corner after hitting the brakes hard. Not safe riding at all.

[98tls]

Stop talkin shit Bill,its just not possible that a cruiser rider could be that irresponsible:nono:Must have been fat sprotbikes:angry::innocent:

[doc]

Its not just the cruiser riders either. There are a lot of dudes out there that have too much bike for their honest abilities.. Most stuff nowdays is too much for the road anyway. Sometimes my bike is bigger, newer than yours, the road test said it was faster, so they have to be in front theory rules.. I always enjoy staying loosely around the speed limit on the straights and hooning it on the corners, having real fun with types like that, all brake lights and boot it out of the corner then heaps of brake light again. Of course they piss off once you get out of the gorge.
I'm always wary of the ones who come a long with a reputation "Man he can ride" usually end up causing someone to do something stupid trying to give him the learn.

[Headbanger]

I fail to see the issue, Crank it down the straight, Panic on the corners.

Thats how we roll in these parts.

[AllanB]

Smooth smooth smooth that's the way to go fast(ish) for me. If I start to light it up too much I'll just start f-ing up corners and go slower!

I prefer to be able to wind it on mid-corner and exit at a respectable speed than fill my leather trou entering too fast and panic braking.

[T.W.R]

Stop talkin shit Bill,its just not possible that a cruiser rider could be that irresponsible:nono:Must have been fat sprotbikes:angry::innocent:

:bleh: well the cruisers in question were a M109 & V-Rod in particular and in amongst them a few other hogs & assorted cruisers.
The only time I've found it entertaining was last years Woodstock on the trip there I covered a few kms with a Rocket 111 which was a laugh but down right bloody impressive with the straight line punch :shit:

But these guys over the weekend were just making their rides so much bloody hard work :eek5: as well as being unnecessarily dangerous and it seems a common theme

[P38]

I ride with guys like this and they arent all on crusiers either.

Sad thing is they never arrive at a destination more then an few minutes ahead of anyone else, and several have got a ride in the helicopter because of it.

You can raise it with them, some listen some don't, at the end of the day its their funeral.

[T.W.R]

Its not just the cruiser riders either. There are a lot of dudes out there that have too much bike for their honest abilities.. Most stuff nowdays is too much for the road anyway. Sometimes my bike is bigger, newer than yours, the road test said it was faster, so they have to be in front theory rules.. I always enjoy staying loosely around the speed limit on the straights and hooning it on the corners, having real fun with types like that, all brake lights and boot it out of the corner then heaps of brake light again. Of course they piss off once you get out of the gorge.
I'm always wary of the ones who come a long with a reputation "Man he can ride" usually end up causing someone to do something stupid trying to give him the learn.

Yeah thats a common flaw across the board, the misconception of theoretical mechanical ability controlled by individual ability, absolutely no-one rides the same as another.
Keeping a consistent pace over a distance is far more rewarding than being a straight line hero.
Chasing a faster rider for the sake of gauging ones self or making a blind pass just to gap the bike behind is just a lack of discipline


I fail to see the issue, Crank it down the straight, Panic on the corners.

Thats how we roll in these parts.

:laugh:


I ride with guys like this and they arent all on crusiers either.

Sad thing is they never arrive at a destination more then an few minutes ahead of anyone else, and several have got a ride in the helicopter because of it.

You can raise it with them, some listen some don't, at the end of the day its their funeral.

Yeah it's better to be a few minutes late rather than dead on time.
Yeah it's their choice to do so but it's just unnecessary hard work that escalates risk for all involved.

[Nagash]

That's pretty standard behaivour, just trying to keep up (or ahead) of others in a no skill mad dash trying to make it anyway possible. Unfortunately cruisers really don't have that leaning ability of spoty's or naked bikes..

There was a great video somewhere, live leak or something of a few cruisers passing some holiday campings who are making a video on a blind outside corner and one of the cruiser's goes straight off the edge and right into a ditch, another manages to scramble the bike over the ditch to the other end, bloody hilarious to watch.

[Subike]

As I See It
We in NZ have the best sport/touring roads in the world without a doubt.
And there in lies the reasoning.
Harleys, and all the big crusers that grace these same roads
were just not designed for them.
Think.....yes think
where are harleys built?
What market are the Jap crusers designed and aimed for?
America
400mile long straights!
Go sit on your sports/ tourer and travel across Texas.
Your ass will be raw, your arms will be lock jointed, your legs unbendable by the time you cross the first interstate line.
They dont have the awsome tight hills as often as us, neither the short hops town to town.
100 miles is nothing in a straight line on a cruzer, and where is a straght road even resembling that in NZ?
No they cannot corner as well, and yes the riders do brake hard, turn slow and the fang it along the straight.
But thats what the crusers were designed for.
I do agree that there are a few cruser riders who try to ride past their bikes ability to turn, but then so do sprot riders, just at twice the pace.
If the guy in front of you on the cruser is getting you hot under the collar,
Stop!
Chill out!
Ride to the conditions.
That way tempers dont cause either of you to kiss the gravel.
So you dont like the style of his ride?
He may not like yours either.
Self control, self disiple, know your spot on the road, and all will be well.
In my opinion

[onearmedbandit]

Not so easy when some of these cruiser riders feel the need to prove themselves right in front of you. Literally.

[onearmedbandit]

So you're happily riding along at your pace when a rider of either less capability or on an inadequete machine (for what they are attempting) passes you, then pulls directly in front of you and hits the brakes hard, all at the last minute. And you'd have no problem with this? It's downright fucking dangerous riding. And then their problem becomes mine.

[jrandom]

So you're happily riding along at your pace when a rider of either less capability or on an inadequete machine (for what they are attempting) passes you, then pulls directly in front of you and hits the brakes hard, all at the last minute.

I don't think any of us are happy when that happens.

There was some twunt on a ZX-10R pillioning his missus around Taupo track in medium group at MotoTT last weekend, cutting in front of n00bs with no room to spare (entirely unnecessary - heaps of space on the track and he had twice the power of most bikes in medium group), taking all sorts of odd lines through corners, and generally making himself look like a complete squid.

He probably has no idea how close he came to receiving a good 'talking to' from several other riders that afternoon.

Good thing we're all generally fairly tolerant, easy-going types, eh?

:nono:

Personally, I won't ride with anyone I don't trust. I prefer to ride with guys who are a faster and smoother than me - I don't get in their way, they stay in front of me, I pick up a few pointers from watching them, everyone's happy.

If I was out with anyone who was riding inconsiderately, I'd simply fuck off alone and not ride with them again.

[Ixion]

Hm. Without passing judgement either way (and accepting that the riders originally cited may just have been twats), but ..

Crusiers have a long trail, shallow rake. That makes them hard to turn turn in.

So, maybe some riders adopt the style I do on the Yamaha. Brake hard into the corner, right up to the turn in point and a wee bit beyond. That compresses the forks (muchly so on the Yamaha with it's long soft suspension). Which reduces the trail, and facilitates the turn in. Then at the apex full gauntlet to extend the forks and straighten up.

So , maybe what people are complaining about is just that the crusier riders are not riding the same way as sprotsbikers. Cos, like, they're crusiers.

[heyjoe]

I ride a cruiser. I like to cruise. It is what I like about my bike. I am in no hurry and I will get there in my own time. It has the grunt to go fast when I want it to. I try to be considerate on the road around other bikers on sport bikes. I know they are a different type of bike and likely to have a rider who rides different to me and thats ok. I will try to be considerate to them whenever I can. I expect the same in return. I think this is fair. We all share the road and have a right to be there.

[Big Dave]

Both the m109 and the V-rod are good to go through at 30kph over the maximum advisory speeds posted on corners.

The national speed limit is 100kph and is being blanket enforced.

To me Cruisers make far greater sense in 2008 than a sportsbike.

Riding them to the limits is just as much fun - because it is the limit - than never maxing out more than 2nd gear on a sportsbike for the now constant threat (Around Auckland at least) of having it confiscated if you do use its full potential.

OAB has a valid reason for a light powerful machine. Track day enthusiasts likewise.

Otherwise I feel a bit sorry for the waste.

[T.W.R]

I ride a cruiser. I like to cruise. It is what I like about my bike. I am in no hurry and I will get there in my own time. It has the grunt to go fast when I want it to. I try to be considerate on the road around other bikers on sport bikes. I know they are a different type of bike and likely to have a rider who rides different to me and thats ok. I will try to be considerate to them whenever I can. I expect the same in return. I think this is fair. We all share the road and have a right to be there.

Yeah mate thats what a cruiser is meant to be, a relax ride soaking up the scenary and enjoying things. I just can't understand these blokes who push a cruiser into the realms of being something it wasn't designed to be, it just takes away the relaxed nature of the cruiser set.



Both the m109 and the V-rod are good to go through at 30kph over the maximum advisory speeds posted on corners.

The national speed limit is 100kph and is being blanket enforced.

To me Cruisers make far greater sense in 2008 than a sportsbike.

Riding them to the limits is just as much fun - because it is the limit - than never maxing out more than 2nd gear on a sportsbike for the now constant threat (Around Auckland at least) of having it confiscated if you do use its full potential.

OAB has a valid reason for a light powerful machine. Track day enthusiasts likewise.

Otherwise I feel a bit sorry for the waste.

As any bike though the mentality of the rider sets what the bike does and pushing as cruiser into the realms of standard roadbikes or sportsbikes takes away the meaning of what a cruiser is meant to be. the guys that I mentioned were just taking things beyond the safety threshold and into sheer stupidity.
Your right that modern sportsbikes are beyond what our roads allow and that is fair enough to because the bikes themselves are beyond most riders capabilities.
OAB sets the mark for conquering the odds, he has my respect as I live very close to the world that he lives in.

[Big Dave]

Are you sure though? - lurching a big cruiser sideways in a pall of sparks isn't necessarily a loss of control. well - only temporary anyway.

It sounds worse than anything else.

[Headbanger]

Yeah mate thats what a cruiser is meant to be, a relax ride soaking up the scenary and enjoying things. I just can't understand these blokes who push a cruiser into the realms of being something it wasn't designed to be, it just takes away the relaxed nature of the cruiser set.




meh, A cruiser is meant to be ridden however the rider chooses*, There is no pre-defined manner* that has to be adjured to.


*as long as your not fucking with other road users.

[madbikeboy]

[QUOTE=Big Dave;1404832]Both the m109 and the V-rod are good to go through at 30kph over the maximum advisory speeds posted on corners.


30 kph over the posted sign? Wow. I think I'm trading in the Gixer.

We're all riders, and I respect differences between us. I'm happy that there are people who ride 'em. I think it takes a special someone to enjoy riding something slow and bouncy, with no ground clearance, poor brakes... :)

I'll say :bye: for a while, I'm sure there's going to be a few :angry2: :angry2: :angry2: :angry2: :angry2: :angry2: after me throwing stones at cruisers... :dodge:

[Ixion]

Both the m109 and the V-rod are good to go through at 30kph over the maximum advisory speeds posted on corners.

The national speed limit is 100kph and is being blanket enforced.

To me Cruisers make far greater sense in 2008 than a sportsbike.

Riding them to the limits is just as much fun - because it is the limit - than never maxing out more than 2nd gear on a sportsbike for the now constant threat (Around Auckland at least) of having it confiscated if you do use its full potential.

OAB has a valid reason for a light powerful machine. Track day enthusiasts likewise.

Otherwise I feel a bit sorry for the waste.

So, why not, instead, a smaller engined bike that still has the handling capability of a sprotsbike (and maybe more) ?

Moreover, large crusiers are not slow in a straight line. Quite fast enough to break speed limits.

In the USA with its huge distances and long straight roads, the crusier model makes (some) sense. In NZ, with no large distance and no long straight roads it does not. Our riding landscape is predominated by narrow winding badly surfaced roads. The very sort of road where at crusier is at its worst.

And where a light good handling bike with a torquey moderately tuned engine around the 350 - 500 cc mark excels.

We used to have lots - SRX600, GB500, Meridan twins. We still have some - motards, Hinkley twins.

But there's a mindset that says that only wimps ride small engined bikes.

I think the crusier thing is a posing thing not a riding thing. There are better options, as far as pure riding goes, if the large sprotsbike is ruled out as unusable (which, by and large it is)

[Headbanger]

10 ton of bullshit.

Its about what suits the rider, Not the road.

[Nagash]

Completely agree with HeadBanger,

I wouldn't want to ride a cruiser to show off (My looks do that already :cool:) and I don't ride for optimal performance, my skillls aren't even close to those big ol' sporty bikes. Just the type of performance is what I enjoy, the cruisers own personal heavily restricted abilities makes riding.. different.

And that's what I like, though I'm not looking for cruisers over 1000cc anyway, 800's my limit!

[heyjoe]

So, why not, instead, a smaller engined bike that still has the handling capability of a sprotsbike (and maybe more) ?

Moreover, large crusiers are not slow in a straight line. Quite fast enough to break speed limits.

In the USA with its huge distances and long straight roads, the crusier model makes (some) sense. In NZ, with no large distance and no long straight roads it does not. Our riding landscape is predominated by narrow winding badly surfaced roads. The very sort of road where at crusier is at its worst.

And where a light good handling bike with a torquey moderately tuned engine around the 350 - 500 cc mark excels.

We used to have lots - SRX600, GB500, Meridan twins. We still have some - motards, Hinkley twins.

But there's a mindset that says that only wimps ride small engined bikes.

I think the crusier thing is a posing thing not a riding thing. There are better options, as far as pure riding goes, if the large sprotsbike is ruled out as unusable (which, by and large it is)

I don't have a personal problem with your comments except I am unsure what you mean by 'poser' and 'pure riding' terms. Perhaps you may like to define what you mean. If you mean that all cruisers riders are posers then I suggest you will find that there is at least an equal number of poser people who ride sportsbikes. But really the term is more of an insult to the riders and not the bikes isn't it? As far as 'pure riding' is concerned, I did not realise there was a difference. So are you suggesting there are people out there (particularly cruiser riders) that are not 'pure riding'?

[Ixion]

Hm. My bad. 'twas not meant to be perjorative.

I was addressing the proposition that , because of strict speed policing etc, the crusier type was inherently more suitable than others to NZ conditions.

Which I don't agree with . But I wasn't aiming to bag crusiers or their riders.

What I was trying to put across was that people that prefer crusiers do so , not because they have found them to be particularly suited to NZ roads (as was argued) , but because the like the crusier 'thing'. Appearance, 'message', 'statement' (help me with this). They rider crusiers because they like the 'image', the 'message' that a crusier sends, not because the crusier riding dynamics have an inherent advantage on our roads .

I guess the attenuated Ozzie would say that crusier riders ride crusiers becuase crusiers are 'cool'. But if considered purely in terms of riding dynamics , given our roads, they are less 'suitable' than a lightweight semi-sports bike (I don't think the full blown sprotsbike is very suitable for our roads either)

[Big Dave]

The difference between you and me is that you take the motorcycle and design optimum solutions around it.

I design me and add a motorcycle.

[Finn]

I design me and add a motorcycle.

Fine, but please don't come around my house naked.

[Headbanger]

well. after near 2 decades of riding NZ roads, Mostly on HD but also on a smattering of Jap bikes, I can say I have never yet ridden a road and thought whatever bike I happened to be on was unsuitable.

Hell, If its black, uphill, downhill, straight, twisty, hilly, a freakin goat track that's tighter then a nuns cheese factory I'll ride the bastard, and love doin it.

If its got wheels and handlebars then its suitable....Its not like there is some fucker timing ya. And there is a shit load of fun to be had whether your kicked back, handful of torque, taking in some scenery or prefer to have your arse in the air and doing dive bombing runs through through corners.

[hobdar]

I think each to his own, we are all part of one larger happy {at times} biker family.........

Personally i have just been looking for a new bike and tried a range of cruisiers, sports, naked, dual sport...........Each of them had bits i liked, loved, and hated and in between. I settled on something that was right for me, and what i do and had some space for me to grow my skills on....

I don't often ride with groups {i am wary of other bikes more than cars for some reason} but when i do, i ride to my level, and keep out of the way of people who want to go faster than me..............and try really hard not to let my ego take control of the throttle....

That way every one gets home nice and safely and we don't have another thread regarding _enter name here of biker here_ who is no longer able to ride {ever} and whose fault it was or was not.......and some family having to bury some poor slob.

[heyjoe]

hey there Ixion,
Thanks for the clarification and no offense taken.
I guesss we just have to take the roads as we find them and exercise our skills the best we can.

[biggerbud]

I'm safe cause I travel at 120 - 140 kph, he's not cause he brakes on the corner, cruisers are not made for NZ roads...BOLLOCKS
Ride your own ride and stop bloody winging like an old woman.
Sports, cruisers, tourers, scooters, gettin passed, wobblin on the corners, who gives a toss cept those with a small penis syndrome....YOU!!...LMAO

[idb]

Hm. My bad. 'twas not meant to be perjorative.

I was addressing the proposition that , because of strict speed policing etc, the crusier type was inherently more suitable than others to NZ conditions.

Which I don't agree with . But I wasn't aiming to bag crusiers or their riders.

What I was trying to put across was that people that prefer crusiers do so , not because they have found them to be particularly suited to NZ roads (as was argued) , but because the like the crusier 'thing'. Appearance, 'message', 'statement' (help me with this). They rider crusiers because they like the 'image', the 'message' that a crusier sends, not because the crusier riding dynamics have an inherent advantage on our roads .

I guess the attenuated Ozzie would say that crusier riders ride crusiers becuase crusiers are 'cool'. But if considered purely in terms of riding dynamics , given our roads, they are less 'suitable' than a lightweight semi-sports bike (I don't think the full blown sprotsbike is very suitable for our roads either)

Hmmm...I didn't choose my bikes for practicality.
They're toys so there are all sorts of reasons why I have the bikes I do, practical transport certainly ain't one of them.

[toycollector10]

I think the way the cruiser guys ride in a group could be part of the problem. They seem to have protocol for leaving as a group and maybe they have a thing also about arriving en-mass. This could mean that if someone at the front wants to show off and ride hard, maybe some of the guys behind can't keep up.If they are keeping up, they're probably not riding their own ride and are at their limits. Next thing to happen is an accident.

[Headbanger]

I think the way the cruiser guys ride in a group could be part of the problem. They seem to have protocol for leaving as a group and maybe they have a thing also about arriving en-mass. This could mean that if someone at the front wants to show off and ride hard, maybe some of the guys behind can't keep up.If they are keeping up, they're probably not riding their own ride and are at their limits. Next thing to happen is an accident.

I'm struggling to fathom why you would link only cruiser riders with people riding above their limits in a group scenario, I see groups of bikes on the road everywhere I go. Leaving in groups, riding in groups, and ....not surprisingly...arriving in groups.

[johnnyflash]

I think the way the cruiser guys ride in a group could be part of the problem. They seem to have protocol for leaving as a group and maybe they have a thing also about arriving en-mass. This could mean that if someone at the front wants to show off and ride hard, maybe some of the guys behind can't keep up.If they are keeping up, they're probably not riding their own ride and are at their limits. Next thing to happen is an accident.

what a lot of BOLLOX.

[Mythical007]

I ride a cruiser albeit a small one and do you know why i ride it because it fits me, that bike is the perfect size for me and I feel very comfy on it, why am I cautious on corners? I'll tell you why because I had my big accident on a corner and it sticks ya know that little thought in the back of your mind but I work through that. I never chose a cruiser because it was a cruiser and I'm into that image... NO WAY I chose my precious baby because we were made for each other yeah!

[T.W.R]

Ride your own ride and stop bloody winging like an old woman.
Sports, cruisers, tourers, scooters, gettin passed, wobblin on the corners, who gives a toss cept those with a small penis syndrome....

Small Penis syndrome is an affliction of those who go like a shower of shit in a straight line then can't handle getting around corners to save themselves, putting others near by unduly at risk or in a situation where they have to clean up the mess of SP sufferer as he/she is a crumpled pile of crap parked in the undergrowth or smeared over the front of an on coming vehicle.
Yeah ride your own ride but when it fucks up other road users it shows who the :tugger: are

[scumdog]

Hmmm...I didn't choose my bikes for practicality.
They're toys so there are all sorts of reasons why I have the bikes I do, practical transport certainly ain't one of them.

I lean a bit that way too (especially when drunk:apint:)

But the bikes CB and I ride are comfortable cruisers that we can cover a fair distance CRUISING -not racing - and arrive feeling fine and not tied up in a knot or in a lather of sweat.

Often I go quite a distance through windy road without using the brakes, I judge the corner and use the gears and have my speed sorted before I get to the corner.

If ya want a slow, safe and comfortable ride with time to look at the scenery then follow us on a trip......

[Mythical007]

Often I go quite a distance through windy road without using the brakes, I judge the corner and use the gears and have my speed sorted before I get to the corner.

Great way to ride... personally i would rather have a super comfortable maybe little slower ride than to be super quick and feel like crap because I was trying to hard or something along those lines I dunno... You should enjoy riding and thats what I do.

Love my cruiser don't care what anyone thinks of her :love:

[Rotor]

Don't ride with crusers if they up set you that much.
I've riden with a few fast (but safe) harley riders and a few f%#ked straight line poser sports bike riders.
Its not the bike its the rider (most of the time)
Just do what Copper Reid says and "Harden the Fuck up":crybaby:

[kiwibryn]

Cruiser rider here... I had a very interesting experience the other day when a mate turned up on a Virago that he'd just bought. Now, he is used to his 900 Hornet and reckoned there was something wrong with the Virago... so I took it for a run, and there was nothing that I could find except that the bars were a wee bit skew-iff.
Anyway, we took off for a punt round the block, Pahaitua to Palmy via the track, then over to Woodville via Ashurst and the Saddle.
So here's me on the CX, riding a little harder than I normally do cos I am used to him pwning me over the hills... and bugger me if I don't pwn HIM!! He reckoned he was pegging on every corner and had to get used to it.
Fair enough, I said and remembered my own experience on the Hornet where he was out-cornering me on MY bike...
Two totally different riding skills. So, I watch my mirriors LOTS, and give way to people behind me (unlees they're acting like half-wits... then I act like I ain't seen 'em)...

[biggerbud]

Small Penis syndrome is an affliction of those who go like a shower of shit in a straight line then can't handle getting around corners to save themselves, putting others near by unduly at risk or in a situation where they have to clean up the mess of SP sufferer as he/she is a crumpled pile of crap parked in the undergrowth or smeared over the front of an on coming vehicle.
Yeah ride your own ride but when it fucks up other road users it shows who the :tugger: are

Bollocks once again but hey, cheers for quoting me, awsome....LOL

[Ixion]

Cruiser rider here... I had a very interesting experience the other day when a mate turned up on a Virago that he'd just bought. Now, he is used to his 900 Hornet and reckoned there was something wrong with the Virago... so I took it for a run, and there was nothing that I could find except that the bars were a wee bit skew-iff.
...


My very limited crusier riding experience is on a Virago 750. Admittedly, a 27 year old one (I think) so that has to be taken into account.

The handling I thought was OK. It didn't "inspire confidence", none of the sports "Whee that was fun, bit faster next time" feeling. But not frightening, or scary. Just different. Took the corners slowly, and they felt "right"

The bike felt like it handled much better than Petal, also a 750 and probably the nearest thing to a crusier before they were invented, a Grand Tourer , with her flexyframe and boingboing suspension (admittedly, 7 years older), But also a lot slower through the corners. The Virago felt slow to turn in, and instinctively one approached the corner slowly. But once committed it was stable enough. A nice slow sedate wouldn't scare Granny sort of ride. Yes, bits scraped, but that doesn't much bother me, I come from the era when every bike did that it was normal.

Petal in comparison is SCAREY. Faster , but every corner is an 'event' - "OMG what's it doing now!? EEK where did that bump come from. Oh Gawd how should I deal with this. Phew , made it. Well, that was an interesting experience. Maybe I was a bit timid, after all I'm still alive, I'll try harder next time" Sort of fun, if you like challenges. And being terrified. But interesting.

I can see learners in countries where they don't have to start on small bikes , really liking crusiers. I think it would be quite difficult for even an inexperienced rider to get into difficulties cornering on a crusier, even a biggish one. If , of course, the Virago is any guide. Which it may not be.

(The thing that really impressed me about the Virago was how small and light it felt for a 750 - once again, good for a beginner, and a real difference to Petal - which is HUGE and HEAVY)

[Headbanger]

This thread now sucks.

[kiwibryn]

The bike in question was an 1100 early 90's model... and yes, it felt about the same weight as my maggot... easy in, easy out...

[NighthawkNZ]

I lean a bit that way too (especially when drunk)

But the bikes CB and I ride are comfortable cruisers that we can cover a fair distance CRUISING -not racing - and arrive feeling fine and not tied up in a knot or in a lather of sweat.

Often I go quite a distance through windy road without using the brakes, I judge the corner and use the gears and have my speed sorted before I get to the corner.

If ya want a slow, safe and comfortable ride with time to look at the scenery then follow us on a trip......

Tom I have riden many trips with you now and had a few with CB in tow as well, and yes cruisey, we all ride our own ride, and no racing, no pressure, and we just enjoy the ride... I hope we do many more in the future with you and CB :)

Even though I am on a Sports/Tourer, the way I have it set up its more a tourer and is happy just to cruise along as well... (though I am still looking in to getting that touring seat :D)

I to rearly brake using brakes (heck still go the orginal pads :crazy:) but use the engine braking power of the VTR, I do sometimes flash my brakes lights if I am under engine braking alone to alert the rider or vehicle behind me that I am slowing but not heavy braking...

With going back to orginal title, I have seen all sorts do the fast over take, slam on anchors to get round the corner... when I have already judged the speed for the corner... and its not just cruisers, and not just bikes... Yes I know I could get round alot faster than I do...(and could if I wanted to) but why I am still going to get there a split second behind the idiot that just past me... and nine times out of ten the cruiser (or cage) has slowed me down during the corner... especially after the apex and I am about to put the power back on... I normally have a smooth ride and keep a steady pace (what ever pace I have set) for the corners and straights...

If I am in a group and don't know the road I will happily take up TEC...

A while back I was past by a cage that slammed on anchors to get round the corner... luckily I cottoned on to this and had already reduced my speed even more then needed... but still... heck I witness a camper van tring to overtake a Goldwing going to Kaikoura a couple of years ago... that nearly caused a pile up and th egold wing being pushed off the road... (and He wasn't going that slow either)

And yes many cruiser riders over taking on stupid places, as mentioned... many sports bike riders do as well, and many cage drivers, Whats the rush... you don't really get there much faster over all...

[buellbabe]

Well when I read the post that started this thread off I pretty much had an instant reply...along the lines of "oh boo hoo hooo...stop snivelling and build a bridge".

Buuuut I read thru the whole thread (bummer it turned into a slanging match) and there are alot of relevant points made.
Heres my 2c...Jeez! over the years I have ridden a quite a few different bikes and ridden with a LOT of different bikes and I think its unfair to point the finger at one particular style of bike...cos in my experience the style of riding is actually the issue and it is widespread across the riding community. Yeah I am not a fan of it either but its just part of life !




Often I go quite a distance through windy road without using the brakes, I judge the corner and use the gears and have my speed sorted before I get to the corner.
.

Well said Scummy...I would rather ride at a steadier pace as well ...easier on the body and easier on the bike LOL.

[GrayWolf]

As I See It
We in NZ have the best sport/touring roads in the world without a doubt.
And there in lies the reasoning.
Harleys, and all the big crusers that grace these same roads
were just not designed for them.
What market are the Jap crusers designed and aimed for?
America
400mile long straights!
No they cannot corner as well, and yes the riders do brake hard, turn slow and the fang it along the straight.
But thats what the crusers were designed for.


I'd agree with about 60% of that. I rode various 'Cruisers' from the mid 80's till getting the FJ & XTZ. (That includes a Guzzi California 1100, Does'nt corner?) Mutters about selling said Cali, because 'she' reckoned the suspension was like riding a plank!!!:angry2:
One thing I have seen is that many still try to ride cruisers like a 'sprotbike'. Designed for heavy braking then 'fang it' down the straight, no my friend, line up, lose speed and smoothly through the corner, then 'rolling' power on the apex in top gear.... Hmmmm now I know why I love the FJ!

[bmz2]

I think the way the cruiser guys ride in a group could be part of the problem. They seem to have protocol for leaving as a group and maybe they have a thing also about arriving en-mass. This could mean that if someone at the front wants to show off and ride hard, maybe some of the guys behind can't keep up.If they are keeping up, they're probably not riding their own ride and are at their limits. Next thing to happen is an accident.

What planet are you from. Because it's not from here:spanking:

[Toaster]

I ride a cruiser. I like to cruise. It is what I like about my bike. I am in no hurry and I will get there in my own time. It has the grunt to go fast when I want it to. I try to be considerate on the road around other bikers on sport bikes. I know they are a different type of bike and likely to have a rider who rides different to me and thats ok. I will try to be considerate to them whenever I can. I expect the same in return. I think this is fair. We all share the road and have a right to be there.

Well said and ditto.

[xwhatsit]

What I'd like to know, is why the general population of cruiser riders on this forum are so fucking touchy.

[scumdog]

What I'd like to know, is why the general population of cruiser riders on this forum are so fucking touchy.

Buy a cruiser and find out - it's a secret cruiser 'thing'.

[xwhatsit]

Buy a cruiser and find out - it's a secret cruiser 'thing'.

Something to do with the riding position crushing and vibing yer nuts? I thought that was a sprotsbike thing? :woohoo:

Anyway, everybody seems hella defensive. Perhaps it's just because nobody's insulted 250 Hondas in a while that I don't understand why you're all so upset :pinch:

[Headbanger]

Something to do with the riding position crushing and vibing yer nuts? I thought that was a sprotsbike thing? :woohoo:

Anyway, everybody seems hella defensive. Perhaps it's just because nobody's insulted 250 Hondas in a while that I don't understand why you're all so upset :pinch:

You would be too if you had spent 35 grand on a penis enhancement and everyone mocked it.

Muhahahahahaha

[oldrider]

I lean a bit that way too (especially when drunk:apint:)

But the bikes CB and I ride are comfortable cruisers that we can cover a fair distance CRUISING -not racing - and arrive feeling fine and not tied up in a knot or in a lather of sweat.

Often I go quite a distance through windy road without using the brakes, I judge the corner and use the gears and have my speed sorted before I get to the corner.

If ya want a slow, safe and comfortable ride with time to look at the scenery then follow us on a trip......

I will drink to that!

Following along behind SD and CB (once I caught up to them) from Franz Joseph to Woodstock was very relaxed and enjoyable.

They rode a "smooth and steady" ride and I really enjoyed riding with them, good company at the stops too! :shifty: Cheers John.

[scumdog]

Something to do with the riding position crushing and vibing yer nuts? I thought that was a sprotsbike thing? :woohoo:

Anyway, everybody seems hella defensive. Perhaps it's just because nobody's insulted 250 Hondas in a while that I don't understand why you're all so upset :pinch:

Hey!
You own a HONDA!:whistle:
(People in glass houses and all that)

[NighthawkNZ]

Something to do with the riding position crushing and vibing yer nuts? I thought that was a sprotsbike thing? :woohoo:

Anyway, everybody seems hella defensive. Perhaps it's just because nobody's insulted 250 Hondas in a while that I don't understand why you're all so upset :pinch:

Well you obviously haven't had a honda for long... just wait the honda jokes will come...