I've been a looking

[fireball]

was just looking at various bikes dry weights height etc to just get a feel of where to next with my next bike purchase....
im still in dream land about the whole thing but if anyone out there has a experience with the following three bikes would be cool to know

[The Lone Rider]

Those are all relatively similar bikes

Personally I like the stylings of the dragstar (older style frame) and vulcan (soft tail frame style) over boulevards

So people have boulevards these days it aint funny.

I personally find the dragstar the smallest of the lot as its got a shape that is kind of low and elongated, whereas vulcan and boul have a big body build

[nodrog:Me]

arent they all GN's?

[fireball]

Those are all relatively similar bikes

being as small as i am i dont have many options sadly, weight is a large factor when i look at bikes and the smaller bikes are very similar.

my other main concern is engine reliability as i will be using the bike everyday and cloocking up alot of kms aprox 800+km a week, and my current cruiser has had issues with the amount of km put on it but that could also be the age of the bike too (8yrs old)

[The Lone Rider]

Well I do know the boulevards, even though so run of the mill, have a reputation for reliability. They really do have some top line engineering

In saying that, your current bike might have issues because of the bike itself, not the type of bike

My v4 is 1994 and OLDER than your bike. Has 58,000km on it and anyone who's ridden it will tell you its comfortable and smooth to ride. Just pumped $1200 on a thorough service and I'm not having to look into something like that again until its on 108,000km. If you look on a lot of american websites, there are people with bikes in 200,000m or more on the speedo

[Rockbuddy]

I have a 2005 VN800 they started making the VN900 the next year so very similar, anyway it would be perfect for you size wise and as for everyday use you will have no problems with reliability just do your regular usual maintainance services etc. just try them.

[Hitcher]

Don't buy a cruiser with spoked wheels if you aim to actually take it out and ride it. Get a Suzuki VZ800 Marauder with alloys. These things are great value, bulletproof and a great entry bike for mid-size cruisers and anything larger that may tempt you in the fullness of time. Anything less than 800cc is gutless, and useless for anything other than cafe cruising in a 50kmh area.

[sels1]

Best to go round the bike shops and do a few test rides...see what fits. The Jap cruisers should give you less maintenence issues.

[The Lone Rider]

Don't buy a cruiser with spoked wheels if you aim to actually take it out and ride it. Anything less than 800cc is gutless, and useless for anything other than cafe cruising in a 50kmh area.

Hahahahahahah, what a load!

[Griffin]

Don't buy a cruiser with spoked wheels if you aim to actually take it out and ride it.

Whys that?

[outlawtorn]

Don't buy a cruiser with spoked wheels if you aim to actually take it out and ride it. Get a Suzuki VZ800 Marauder with alloys. These things are great value, bulletproof and a great entry bike for mid-size cruisers and anything larger that may tempt you in the fullness of time. Anything less than 800cc is gutless, and useless for anything other than cafe cruising in a 50kmh area.

I agree with Hitcher, get yourself a nice 800 Suzuki, I got spokes on mine and they are a bitch to keep clean, so try and find something with alloys. The suzuki is very comfortable and very easy to ride, someone of your size won't have any issues with it.

[P38]

I agree with Hitcher, get yourself a nice 800 Suzuki, I got spokes on mine and they are a bitch to keep clean, so try and find something with alloys. The suzuki is very comfortable and very easy to ride, someone of your size won't have any issues with it.

Unless you like cleaning that is.

Alloys still require some elbow grease to make em sparkle.

They do crack sometimes too.

800cc is a good size for a cruiser too.

Test Ride em all ... twice

But what ever you choose Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda etc one things for sure


You'll be as happy as a Pig in Mud.

[magicfairy]

I have the vs800 (boulevard S50) Lightest of the lot at 200kg, narrow, shaft drive. I am only 5ft tall, so I need a low, light bike. Handles long distances well, but good in town traffic also. I ride to work in Wellington city every day. I have added heated grips, pack rack and clock, and it is the perfect bike for me. Super reliable, cheap to buy, easy to maintain.
And less chrome then most others, which I prefer.