| Motorcycle rides and riders in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia | |||||||
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10-31-2012, 01:49 PM
| #21 | |
| Streetfighter   | 
Just read a number of reviews and really feel this is right up his alley. (This from a noted Honda hater mind you) Such a cool bike! A strong possible alternative would be the Versys 650. If he likes the looks. Upright riding position, strong lowend-middle range power and, well, versatile! All the Kawasaki 650's would be very good as far as that goes. (This from a Kawasaki lover) The various 650 twins all would be newbie friendly with their low end torque. And they will be long term bikes for a fellow Old Dude as they can do all a man needs. Sometimes I wish I could turn my 1400 into two 650s! One for street/touring, one for adventure/dirt. Last edited by Lone Rider; 10-31-2012 at 01:53 PM.. | |
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10-31-2012, 02:00 PM
| #22 |
| Track School Dazed  Joined: Oct 2005 From: CENTRAL I Ride: When I can |  Suzuki DL-650 VStrom... Take it from a 58 y/o. For his 1st bike. Suzuki DL-650 VStrom. Wide power band. Sit-up riding style.(not bent over all sport bike style). EZ to get any kind of Gizmo's and Gadgets he could want. Sips gas. 5 gallon tank. The majority of the weight is down low. At 57 I rode mine 22 hours and over 1,200 miles to qualify for Iorn Butt. I also Rode that same bike in (2) 'Dam Tours' . That's visiting 20 Dams per year. (40) total. Earned Crystal Trophy's for Both Tours. The bike is very versatile and a hoot to ride! If your dad wants to know more have him call me. Jim  Last edited by james1300; 10-31-2012 at 02:05 PM.. |
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10-31-2012, 03:30 PM
| #23 |
| Superbiker  Joined: Sep 2008 From: Puyallup-ish I Ride: 04 CBR1k | |
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10-31-2012, 03:44 PM
| #24 |
| Shredder  Joined: Feb 2007 From: Seattle, WA I Ride: '98 Valkyrie, '75 CB400F Cafe | had a kawasaki 90cc 2 stroke as a learner bike, then moved to a rebel 250, rode that for maybe 800 miles before i quit, it was too small, on tight corners my knees hit the handlebars and im 5'10 i went to the stealership and got a brand new sv650, rode it 20k miles and sold it to my cousin. funny thing is, we both regret selling it (he has since bought an sv1000), what an amazing bike, never skipped a beat, i rode it in sleet, snow, hail, anything. rode it from seattle to boise, doing probably 8k rpm for hours at a time. with all that being said, i would recommend an sv650 to ANYONE, i actually went out and bought a late model R6 after the SV to see what all the hype was about, rode it 300 miles and dumped it off as fast as i could |
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10-31-2012, 03:48 PM
| #25 |
| Intellectually Sphinctered  Joined: Oct 2005 From: Camano Island I Ride: cuz levitating takes way to much concentration | Have him get a adventure bike (Katoom or beemer) buy him a gps preloaded with maps from advrider.com and say take a month and go find yourself |
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10-31-2012, 03:58 PM
| #26 |
| Training Wheels  Joined: Oct 2012 From: Redmond, OR I Ride: Ninja 250 | I have quite the list now, though it sounds like that SV650 might be a really good fit but he should try sitting on a bunch he likes the specs of before buying, I would imagine. I know someone with a Vstrom 650 and I hadn't really considered that one because it seems less like a beginner bike, probably because it seems absolutely HUGE side by side with mine. Killermondodude, I think that would be really good for his soul right now. Devil doc, great info on that thread and I apologize for not seeing it first. |
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10-31-2012, 05:06 PM
| #29 |
| Chicken Strips  Joined: Apr 2009 From: Roseburg,OR I Ride: 1993 ST1100 | I'd have to say if he was a Wing rider before,then that would be my first choice...That said,I sold my 84 Wing after I got my ST1100,handles well enough to be an "old mans sportbike",but with bar risers it's comfortable enough to go on longer rides...I'm 55 myself,and although I'd really like a GL1800,if I had the money for a new bike it'd be a Concours14 hands down... Seeing as how he will be the one riding it,why not let him test-sit a lot of different bikes and get the one HE likes best,NOT the one you think he should have???Just a thought,he may surprise you with his choice... |
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10-31-2012, 10:11 PM
| #33 |
| Shredder  Joined: Jul 2009 From: Beaverton I Ride: Harley FLHT | Some of the group's choices are a bit on the questionable side. If this is he first bike then I would suggest a bike that is easy to ride, has good power and can be taken around the block or across the country.  A 2013 Harley switchback. It has a 103 engine and a 6 speed trans, the windshield can come off as well and the bags, so it can cruise around town easy and have the travel equipment for the longer rides. The dyna has a lower center of gravity and thats good for the new rider, less chance he will dump it and slow speeds, but it still handles fine. |
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10-31-2012, 10:29 PM
| #34 | ||
| Streetfighter |
But a $16,000, 700 lb. bike that is a load at slow speeds (compared to any mid sized bike) might also be considered highly questionable 
  Sorry Jeffy this automatic, 700cc HONDA (ugh) would be the bomb....., | ||
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11-01-2012, 04:41 AM
| #35 |
| Endorsed  Joined: Mar 2012 From: Eugene Or I Ride: 2009 Kawasaki ER6N | Kinda hard to recommend a bike without know what kinda of riding he intends to do. Just riding around town? Long interstate cruising? Back roads exploring? A little of everything? What's his financial situation after getting divorced? I agree with the SV650/Vstrom and the ER6N (for obvious reasons, haha), Versys, Ninja 650 (a lot more upright than an SV650S) suggestions IF those bikes fit what he wants to do. If he's more of a "cruiser guy" I would suggest a Vulcan 900 Classic. It seems like it is about the minimum (in the cruiser world) for longer distances, while still being fairly easy to handle (for a cruiser). |
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11-01-2012, 05:25 AM
| #36 | |
| Licensed  Joined: Dec 2009 From: Bothell, WA I Ride: BMW S1000RR, BMW K1200GT, H-D Dyna Wide Glide, Suzuki DR650 |
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11-01-2012, 06:51 AM
| #38 | |
| Training Wheels Joined: May 2012 From: Redmond, WA I Ride: 2012 Triumph Thunderbird 1600 |
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11-02-2012, 11:50 AM
| #39 |
| Permit Joined: Sep 2012 From: Everett, WA I Ride: 2003 sv650s, 2009 Gladius | I love my sv650, but I don't think it's for everyone. I let my dad (51) on it a few times, and he thinks its terribly uncomfortable. That being said... he's used to a Road King. |
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11-02-2012, 12:50 PM
| #40 |
| Shredder  Joined: May 2009 From: sammamish, wa I Ride: 2006 Suzuki GSXR 600; 2007 Yamaha FZ1 (the Mrs.'s bike) | Lots of good reccomendations here...even the Harleys. I think the big question is what kind of riding does he see himself doing. If he sees himself more of a cruiser guy, the the Harley's are pretty sweet. I can't belive I just said that. Another Goldwing would be a good option as well. Does he see himself riding down to Tierra del Fuego, the V-Strom or BMW suggestions would fit the bill. Is he going to commute to work and enjoy carving up the corners on the mountian roads, the SV and FZ's are great options. He's got some good experience, but will need to refresh his skills. Just take him around to some showrooms and test ride a few bikes. You guys will have a blast. Last edited by cletus; 11-02-2012 at 01:49 PM.. |
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