Patriot
Isabella is Lazarus
A perfect first bike IMHO is a Kaw Vulcan 750 - I owned one for years and loved it and never really outgrew it.
Plenty of get up and go, shaft drive, hydraulic no adjust valves, fairly comfortable seat, decent mileage, and mine was bullet proof. Cast wheels, dual discs up front (drum on back is effective), easy to work on (cept replacing the stator which takes an engine pull, but doable by the average mechanic following the available step by step instructions). I know some that have gone 100k miles.
I only added a superbrace and progressive fork springs and the bike was quite nimble and real fun to ride in the twisties and sweepers. I had a ball shooting up the Dragon and Cherohala Skyway year after year.
Decent seat with low seat height, low weight, good power, but easily controlable and nothing bad happens if you whack open the throttle at any speed or rpm. For a liquid cooled V-twin, has 4 high lift valves and plenty of rev - redline at 9k.
Below is from this article about these type of bikes good for a first bike IMHO:
The Vulcan 750 boasts shaft drive, cast wheels (a 19-inch front and 15-inch rear) with tubeless tires, dual-disc front brake, a tachometer (redlined at 8500 rpm), a fuel gauge, a coolant-temperature gauge, a headlight-failure warning light, a dual-bulb taillight (if one burns out, you're not invisible at night), four-way flashers, dual horns, shocks that adjust for air pressure and rebound damping, air-pressure-adjustable fork legs, a handlebar choke lever, Kawasaki's positive neutral finder in the five-speed gearbox, two helmet locks and a centerstand. That last item is something we frequently wish for on cruisers (the Yamaha V-Max is the only other cruiser that has one). It makes it easy to check the tires and oil before each ride, and greatly simplifies many service procedures. Fashion and cost concerns have made centerstands all but extinct.
All around good bike IMHO. Produced from 1986 through 2006 and good ones are common at real good prices.
Also the Honda Shadow 750 or for a bigger guy, the Shadow 1100 are good choices.
Hope this helps.
let's ride safe and be careful out there,
Mike in Nawlins'
Plenty of get up and go, shaft drive, hydraulic no adjust valves, fairly comfortable seat, decent mileage, and mine was bullet proof. Cast wheels, dual discs up front (drum on back is effective), easy to work on (cept replacing the stator which takes an engine pull, but doable by the average mechanic following the available step by step instructions). I know some that have gone 100k miles.
I only added a superbrace and progressive fork springs and the bike was quite nimble and real fun to ride in the twisties and sweepers. I had a ball shooting up the Dragon and Cherohala Skyway year after year.
Decent seat with low seat height, low weight, good power, but easily controlable and nothing bad happens if you whack open the throttle at any speed or rpm. For a liquid cooled V-twin, has 4 high lift valves and plenty of rev - redline at 9k.
Below is from this article about these type of bikes good for a first bike IMHO:
The Vulcan 750 boasts shaft drive, cast wheels (a 19-inch front and 15-inch rear) with tubeless tires, dual-disc front brake, a tachometer (redlined at 8500 rpm), a fuel gauge, a coolant-temperature gauge, a headlight-failure warning light, a dual-bulb taillight (if one burns out, you're not invisible at night), four-way flashers, dual horns, shocks that adjust for air pressure and rebound damping, air-pressure-adjustable fork legs, a handlebar choke lever, Kawasaki's positive neutral finder in the five-speed gearbox, two helmet locks and a centerstand. That last item is something we frequently wish for on cruisers (the Yamaha V-Max is the only other cruiser that has one). It makes it easy to check the tires and oil before each ride, and greatly simplifies many service procedures. Fashion and cost concerns have made centerstands all but extinct.
All around good bike IMHO. Produced from 1986 through 2006 and good ones are common at real good prices.
Also the Honda Shadow 750 or for a bigger guy, the Shadow 1100 are good choices.
Hope this helps.
let's ride safe and be careful out there,
Mike in Nawlins'
