Have always wanted to get a cruiser and going to pull the trigger. Not a lot of experience riding but grew up riding dirt bikes and have been on motorcycles before. Looking at getting a used HD Heritage ( also considered V-star and Vulcan). Anything I should know about or look for when buying and just riding in general?
Buying first motorcycle advice?
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61 Replies |
Last: 3 yr ago by lb3
On that particular bike, go for 2008 or later. They have roller chains on the camshafts.
My first bike was a 750 Honda Shadow Aero. Low seat position, low center of gravity. Great bike to start with.
Dirt bike experience is extremely helpful but street riding is a little different. Just take it easy for awhile to get used to pavement and higher speeds, but you should have the basic muscle memory. The only street bike I've had was a GSX-R 750 so I'm not much help with the cruisers.
Always park facing uphill.
"Anything I should know about...?"
If you're raising children: No street bikes.
That's all you need to know.
Have fun.
If you're raising children: No street bikes.
That's all you need to know.
Have fun.
I bought my first motorcycle about a year ago and my situation was similar to yours. Rode dirt bikes some as a kid. I have been cycling for quite a while though and the experience on sharing streets with cars has been helpful in that it's made me very aware of my surroundings. I would highly recommend a motorcycle safety course. I learned quite a bit and gained a great deal of confidence.
In 40 years of street riding, I've come to learn that riding offensively when able seems to be the best method. If you ride 3-5 mph faster than the flow of traffic it keeps almost all of the action in front of you so you can better control what happens. Riding static lets everything happen all around, and riding slower than the flow allows everything to happen behind you.
Even when moving faster, check your mirrors every 5-10 seconds.
Make these assumptions, and let it become second nature in your defensive strategy:
Every vehicle coming toward you is going to turn left in front of you.
Every vehicle pulling out of a side street, parking lot, or driveway will pull out in front of you.
When you stop behind a vehicle at a light, leave yourself room to move should the car behind you decide to not stop....and keep one eye on the mirror to watch for that.
Even when moving faster, check your mirrors every 5-10 seconds.
Make these assumptions, and let it become second nature in your defensive strategy:
Every vehicle coming toward you is going to turn left in front of you.
Every vehicle pulling out of a side street, parking lot, or driveway will pull out in front of you.
When you stop behind a vehicle at a light, leave yourself room to move should the car behind you decide to not stop....and keep one eye on the mirror to watch for that.
Very good advice, that's very much what I did when I had my street bike. Never trust a car, the people you see at Walmart are driving them.
Thanks Rexter! Nice advice one the lights.
This. Exactly this. Only thing I can add is on his last point leave the bike in 1st with the clutch in until the car behind you stops. Makes your lunge to safety faster if the car barrels up behind you without stopping.Rexter said:
In 40 years of street riding, I've come to learn that riding offensively when able seems to be the best method. If you ride 3-5 mph faster than the flow of traffic it keeps almost all of the action in front of you so you can better control what happens. Riding static lets everything happen all around, and riding slower than the flow allows everything to happen behind you.
Even when moving faster, check your mirrors every 5-10 seconds.
Make these assumptions, and let it become second nature in your defensive strategy:
Every vehicle coming toward you is going to turn left in front of you.
Every vehicle pulling out of a side street, parking lot, or driveway will pull out in front of you.
When you stop behind a vehicle at a light, leave yourself room to move should the car behind you decide to not stop....and keep one eye on the mirror to watch for that.
Rexter said:
In 40 years of street riding, I've come to learn that riding offensively when able seems to be the best method. If you ride 3-5 mph faster than the flow of traffic it keeps almost all of the action in front of you so you can better control what happens. Riding static lets everything happen all around, and riding slower than the flow allows everything to happen behind you.
Even when moving faster, check your mirrors every 5-10 seconds.
Make these assumptions, and let it become second nature in your defensive strategy:
Every vehicle coming toward you is going to turn left in front of you.
Every vehicle pulling out of a side street, parking lot, or driveway will pull out in front of you.
When you stop behind a vehicle at a light, leave yourself room to move should the car behind you decide to not stop....and keep one eye on the mirror to watch for that.
This is fantastic. Well done. I'm actually a better car driver having ridden a motorcycle.
My only motorcycle mishap so far has been at a stop sign onto a highway.
I was first in line and waiting for an opening. After a few moments a lady pulls up behind me and coasts ... and coasts, and hits my blinker. Never saw or heard me.
I was first in line and waiting for an opening. After a few moments a lady pulls up behind me and coasts ... and coasts, and hits my blinker. Never saw or heard me.
Also, pay attention. Watch this until the end, and see how many "wrongs" you can spot. This started at yesterday at Buc ees in Waller, and they made it about 5 miles to turn on 2979.
Was that Karen who crashed?
?itemid=10209587 RightWingConspirator said:
Was that Karen who crashed?
No. She was in the front of the pack. I haven't ridden with anyone from Motohouston for a couple of years. First and only ride was through the forest from Montgomery to Yankees, and that group has no regard for speed limits and such.
These guys were clipping pretty good, and the left turn snuck up on them. Bike 1 starts to slow. Bike 2 cuts right and hard slows. Bike 3 can't slow down so he cuts right and bumps Bike 2's bar, knocking down Bike 2, and forcing himself off the road. Bike 4 is coming fast, sees Bike 2 go down, and locks his rear brake, which causes him to go down. Bike 1 barely missed getting bumped by Bike 2.
I don't know who got what, but there was a broken wrist, broken foot, concussion, and lots of bruises. I'd assume rider on Bike 2 got the concussion, as you can see his nugget hit the road pretty hard.
1. Dress for the slide, not the ride.
2. Loud pipes save lives.
3. The clueless will kill you.
4. Just like anything else, practice gives you confidence.
5. Never skimp on tires or brake service.
Enjoy the rides!
2. Loud pipes save lives.
3. The clueless will kill you.
4. Just like anything else, practice gives you confidence.
5. Never skimp on tires or brake service.
Enjoy the rides!
----------------------------------
Texans make the best songwriters because they are the best liars.-Rodney Crowell
We will never give up our guns Steve, we don't care if there is a mass shooting every day of the week.
-BarronVonAwesome
A man with experience is not at the mercy of another man with an opinion.
Texans make the best songwriters because they are the best liars.-Rodney Crowell
We will never give up our guns Steve, we don't care if there is a mass shooting every day of the week.
-BarronVonAwesome
A man with experience is not at the mercy of another man with an opinion.
1a. Make sure life insurance is paid up.TxTarpon said:
1. Dress for the slide, not the ride.
2. Loud pipes save lives.
3. The clueless will kill you.
4. Just like anything else, practice gives you confidence.
5. Never skimp on tires or brake service.
Enjoy the rides!
1b. Have will and testament.
How so?TxTarpon said:
2. Loud pipes save lives.
You are heard before seen.
----------------------------------
Texans make the best songwriters because they are the best liars.-Rodney Crowell
We will never give up our guns Steve, we don't care if there is a mass shooting every day of the week.
-BarronVonAwesome
A man with experience is not at the mercy of another man with an opinion.
Texans make the best songwriters because they are the best liars.-Rodney Crowell
We will never give up our guns Steve, we don't care if there is a mass shooting every day of the week.
-BarronVonAwesome
A man with experience is not at the mercy of another man with an opinion.
Responsible people should have that anyway.
----------------------------------
Texans make the best songwriters because they are the best liars.-Rodney Crowell
We will never give up our guns Steve, we don't care if there is a mass shooting every day of the week.
-BarronVonAwesome
A man with experience is not at the mercy of another man with an opinion.
Texans make the best songwriters because they are the best liars.-Rodney Crowell
We will never give up our guns Steve, we don't care if there is a mass shooting every day of the week.
-BarronVonAwesome
A man with experience is not at the mercy of another man with an opinion.
I have about 100 hours of track experience and coaching, plus about 2,000 miles on the street. Motorcycles will not kill you but ignorance of throttle control, counter steering, blind turns, braking, and clueless drivers will.
Personally, I'd skip Harleys. They are so hit or miss. I've seen $40K land yacht Harley's have major oil leaks before hitting 500 miles and others work for 20 years with some minor carburetor challenges.
Japanese brands and Indian make superior performance and quality bikes, usually for less money.
Cruisers aren't my style due to weight and lack luster braking performance, but am sure some newer Indian's have some pretty sweet specs.
Always wear a full face helmet that is SNELL rated, high ankle leather shoes, gloves, and a jacket if you can. Always assume the cars cannot see you. Loud pipes IMO ARE necessary. My first motorcycle was quiet and I felt as if I was invisible. My bikes since have been LOUD and have not had an issue. Invest in a trailer in the event the bike fails...you don't want to have to loud it in the back of a truck as that can be a challenge. Have a battery tender for when you aren't riding and take all the lessons and coaching you can afford.
There is nothing like riding a motorcycle.
Personally, I'd skip Harleys. They are so hit or miss. I've seen $40K land yacht Harley's have major oil leaks before hitting 500 miles and others work for 20 years with some minor carburetor challenges.
Japanese brands and Indian make superior performance and quality bikes, usually for less money.
Cruisers aren't my style due to weight and lack luster braking performance, but am sure some newer Indian's have some pretty sweet specs.
Always wear a full face helmet that is SNELL rated, high ankle leather shoes, gloves, and a jacket if you can. Always assume the cars cannot see you. Loud pipes IMO ARE necessary. My first motorcycle was quiet and I felt as if I was invisible. My bikes since have been LOUD and have not had an issue. Invest in a trailer in the event the bike fails...you don't want to have to loud it in the back of a truck as that can be a challenge. Have a battery tender for when you aren't riding and take all the lessons and coaching you can afford.
There is nothing like riding a motorcycle.
I have about 100 hours of track experience and coaching, plus about 2,000 miles on the street. Motorcycles will not kill you but ignorance of throttle control, counter steering, blind turns, braking, and clueless drivers will.
Personally, I'd skip Harleys. They are so hit or miss. I've seen $40K land yacht Harley's have major oil leaks before hitting 500 miles and others work for 20 years with some minor carburetor challenges.
Japanese brands and Indian make superior performance and quality bikes, usually for less money.
Cruisers aren't my style due to weight and lack luster braking performance, but am sure some newer Indian's have some pretty sweet specs.
Always wear a full face helmet that is SNELL rated, high ankle leather shoes, gloves, and a jacket if you can. Always assume the cars cannot see you. Loud pipes IMO ARE necessary. My first motorcycle was quiet and I felt as if I was invisible. My bikes since have been LOUD and have not had an issue. Invest in a trailer in the event the bike fails...you don't want to have to loud it in the back of a truck as that can be a challenge. Have a battery tender for when you aren't riding and take all the lessons and coaching you can afford.
There is nothing like riding a motorcycle.
Personally, I'd skip Harleys. They are so hit or miss. I've seen $40K land yacht Harley's have major oil leaks before hitting 500 miles and others work for 20 years with some minor carburetor challenges.
Japanese brands and Indian make superior performance and quality bikes, usually for less money.
Cruisers aren't my style due to weight and lack luster braking performance, but am sure some newer Indian's have some pretty sweet specs.
Always wear a full face helmet that is SNELL rated, high ankle leather shoes, gloves, and a jacket if you can. Always assume the cars cannot see you. Loud pipes IMO ARE necessary. My first motorcycle was quiet and I felt as if I was invisible. My bikes since have been LOUD and have not had an issue. Invest in a trailer in the event the bike fails...you don't want to have to loud it in the back of a truck as that can be a challenge. Have a battery tender for when you aren't riding and take all the lessons and coaching you can afford.
There is nothing like riding a motorcycle.
If I'm in front of you... I'm not hearing your pipe that's projecting sound backwards. Now... when a bike with loud pipes is in front of me... I hear them. However, isn't it kind of moot if you're ahead of me?TxTarpon said:
You are heard before seen.
You have it backwards.
If you're in front of me I can see you. WGAS if you can hear me.
If you're behind me I'd rather you see me and I can pay more attention to what I'm headed toward instead of away from.
If you're in front of me I can see you. WGAS if you can hear me.
If you're behind me I'd rather you see me and I can pay more attention to what I'm headed toward instead of away from.
Agreed. With a FIL in the insurance business, I have been worth more dead than alive for a long time.TxTarpon said:
Responsible people should have that anyway.
Harleys are fuel injected now.Quote:
Personally, I'd skip Harleys. They are so hit or miss. I've seen $40K land yacht Harley's have major oil leaks before hitting 500 miles and others work for 20 years with some minor carburetor challenges.
I have owned 3, all with different engines and had no oil leaks.
Yep.Quote:
Japanese brands and Indian make superior performance and quality bikes, usually for less money.
Indian = Royal Enfield is a yes, they are cheaper.
Indian = made by Polaris, then no, they are not cheaper.
The Indian Scout, Springfield and Chieftain is a sweet rides!Quote:
Cruisers aren't my style due to weight and lack luster braking performance, but am sure some newer Indian's have some pretty sweet specs.
You bring up a great point.
What kind of riding do you want to do?
I currently have an Electra Glide and love it.
The other weekend I was talking to a pilot, older than me, on a BMW cruiser.
He asked how my passing speed was above 100mph.
I told him I don't go 100mph to know.
Your advice on the shoes is spot on. Especially with new riders unfamiliar with exhaust pipe covered in heat shields still get hot.Quote:
Always wear a full face helmet that is SNELL rated, high ankle leather shoes, gloves, and a jacket if you can. Always assume the cars cannot see you. Loud pipes IMO ARE necessary. My first motorcycle was quiet and I felt as if I was invisible.
My BMW was sweet, but too quiet for riding around traffic.
Battery tenders save you money in the longer term.Quote:
Have a battery tender for when you aren't riding and take all the lessons and coaching you can afford.
Did you ever see Jerry "Motorman" Palladino's instructional videos?
He used to have a class in Houston years ago.
Freedom and feels like flying.Quote:
There is nothing like riding a motorcycle.
4 wheels move you.
2 wheels move your soul.
----------------------------------
Texans make the best songwriters because they are the best liars.-Rodney Crowell
We will never give up our guns Steve, we don't care if there is a mass shooting every day of the week.
-BarronVonAwesome
A man with experience is not at the mercy of another man with an opinion.
Texans make the best songwriters because they are the best liars.-Rodney Crowell
We will never give up our guns Steve, we don't care if there is a mass shooting every day of the week.
-BarronVonAwesome
A man with experience is not at the mercy of another man with an opinion.
Hair splitting.Quote:
If I'm in front of you... I'm not hearing your pipe that's projecting sound backwards. Now... when a bike with loud pipes is in front of me... I hear them. However, isn't it kind of moot if you're ahead of me?
Unless you are in a luxury car with the tunes cranked up or arguing with your wife/gf/mistress you will hear my bike(s).
----------------------------------
Texans make the best songwriters because they are the best liars.-Rodney Crowell
We will never give up our guns Steve, we don't care if there is a mass shooting every day of the week.
-BarronVonAwesome
A man with experience is not at the mercy of another man with an opinion.
Texans make the best songwriters because they are the best liars.-Rodney Crowell
We will never give up our guns Steve, we don't care if there is a mass shooting every day of the week.
-BarronVonAwesome
A man with experience is not at the mercy of another man with an opinion.
Hurry up and get riding. We did 770 miles from 10am Tuesday to 1:30 this afternoon
Is that your concours? A buddy of mine put 95K miles on an identical bike. Recently traded it in for an H2 SE.
Yup. I've had it for 3 years. A ZRX was my previous ride for 13 years.
Just got my first motorcycle this year, although its a minimoto. Its a blast just to ride around. Only advice from me is....
Love that color ZRX....Rexter said:
Yup. I've had it for 3 years. A ZRX was my previous ride for 13 years.
But since we're showing off, here's mine that looks great in the garage but I never ride it.
If in dfw these guys sell used bikes. I'm friends with the owners and they're great people.
https://www.motorbikeworks.com/
I'm not a rider but grew up on the back of me dads Harley. You'll learn to wish bad things on people you see tailgating bikes. I want to run them off the road but it'd put me too close to the biker.
https://www.motorbikeworks.com/
I'm not a rider but grew up on the back of me dads Harley. You'll learn to wish bad things on people you see tailgating bikes. I want to run them off the road but it'd put me too close to the biker.
Take the trash out staff.
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