Have it narrowed down

RebaRebel (52), pipes9601 (51), hise0001, damian (42)

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GV700 Classic delux 2 Posted by russmaz on 13 Sep 2012 in Viewed 114 times 480w X 360h 122143 bytes

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One thing about having an abundance of cc's is that the joy of riding around at full throttle is replaced by a healthy paranoia about riding around at full throttle. -- JParkinson

[WillRideSomeDay]

Ok...will sound crazy, but have my list figured out...

Hyosung GV250 but want EFI and have to see how it fits me

CFMOTO  V5/Cruze or whatever they are calling it...just love it's looks, but have to see if the dealer near me is staying with them. He is literally like 5 minutes down the road.  I sat on one he had in for service...dont tell that he let me, and despite the floorboards were a touch too short, it was almost perfect, and in its suposed new form, it comes with all the features I would want to add. 

Johnny Pag...something from new line...Love new looks but price and confidence right now aren't there...

A used Vulcan 500 though have never sat on one to see how it fits

Used 650 vstar but never sat on one of those either.

Maybe a used Intruder 800 or even the Vulcan Drifter 800 but again, never sat on either of those, but love their looks

I know...eclectic group...

[Lmbrguy]

Personally,id lean towards the Vulcan......Perfect size and runs its butt off.

[Nate]

Refresh us on your riding experience? Will help is sharing opinions greatly, all the bikes on your list have great virtues.

[WillRideSomeDay]

Virtually none...have friends who ride and I have tinkered around in lots with my friends bikes...Have a bad back, bad knees, bad neck and well, overall body is just bad...lol

Why do I want a bike?  just when I'm with my buddies or even reading about them, I get an inner peace...It'll be my relaxation.

Only thing I need it to accomplish is this:

Comfortable for me
I have a 2 exit jaunt down an interstate for work.  Has to at least keep me safe for those 6 miles or so...I can go a back way, but it'll add 15 miles and 20 minutes for work, and I have to be to work by 6:30am, so would rather not have to take the back way there at least.

[Nate]

Gotcha. If you haven't done so already, take the MSF new rider course or equivalent.

With little experience I'd shave your list to the GV250 or Vulcan 500. The Vulcan 500 would prob win if it were me. 

[WillRideSomeDay]

on the list for the course...I like the looks of the Vulcan 500 with an exhaust on each side, but I don't like 2 things...I really am not  fan of bobtail rear fenders, and even dpetrick says there aren't many accessories....

I want bags, top box and windshield at least....

the Pags probably can't do that and their price is crazy high compared to the rest....

Just need to find a way to sit on all and see what is comfortable...

[Mac]

WillRide - based on that profile (which isn't far from my initial one), the bikes on the list that I would be focusing on are the GV250, Vulcan 500, and the VStar650.  As far as the others, the C50 might be overkill, and I can not really speak to the V5 or Pag.

I do have one question/observation, though - "Interstate" can mean speed limits of anywhere from 55-70mph, so it would help to know which end of the spectrum you normally would be moving.

Can roughly break it down a bit for you (knowing that folks like Nate and Lmbrguy will correct if I'm off base):

Power player of the three would be the Vulcan500, so if that is expected to become an issue and you ride solo (or smaller rear passenger) for kinda short distance, this is a good choice.

Comfort and stability - this would probably be the Vstar650, and is very good on low-end torque, so will quickly get you up to speed.  Is also probably the least complex of the trio, with really good support.

Economy buy that still has enough oomph for the interstate would be the GV250 (in hour or two doses for most of us, but read postings by "SAG" for truly insane "IronButt" usage  ).  You'll likely get 10-15mpg more out of this than the other choices, but still can run 75-80mph with some room to spare (depending on wind).  Just realize that you'll also be running between 7K-9K RPM on a relatively light and upright bike, and it's going to both vibrate and move around a bit on you at interstate speeds.  But I run mine once or twice a week at highway speeds for 30-50 miles, and take trips over 200miles with it a few times a year.

There is one other option which you might want to consider, too - that's the Suzuki S40.  It is a lower rpm single cylinder 650cc, and isn't as high-strung as the Vulcan and GV250.  Also, it is very light so won't have any better stability than the GV....but it was very high up my initial purchase chain, and is often available pretty cheaply in the used market.

As far as all of the bad body parts?  Welcome to the club!  (So make sure that you ride the ones that you are considering, as I just about had the deal on the bike that I've wanted for the last 4 years, and then realized after a half hour ride that my arthritis isn't gonna let me get it.)

Hope that this helps....
Mac.

[WillRideSomeDay]

Will never have a passenger...wife has no interest in riding and I have no interest in having her in back...lol

Interstate here is 65 as the limit....most of course do  70 or more, but if it could do 65 and still have a bit in reserve, then I have no problem being a right lane guy.  After all, truly, my interstate ride would be 6 miles...that's it.

Price point, I would like to obviously be as cheap as possible and I am hoping for warranty as my bike wrenching know how is virtually none...

Thought I read somewhere that the vstar 650 was shaft drive.  If true, even another notch in its favor from a maintenance point of view.

[WillRideSomeDay]

Of course that CFMOTO is belt driven...lol

[Mac]

Yep, the VStar is shaft drive, the Vulcan and GV250 are chain, and the S40 is belt...as is the CFMOTO based on your response.   

I will make one observation about chain drive, though - if you go with a decent aftermarket chain, then you have pretty limited maintenance needs.  My original on my GV250 (which was obviously what I went with in my case) stretched a lot in the first few thousand miles.  But when I replaced it with an aftermarket "O" ring chain, I haven't had to adjust it in the 7 or 8K miles that I've put on it.  Just keep it lubed (and I use an Amsoil spray every couple of months or thousand miles) and have had no problems with it since.

Any of the bikes on that list will do the 65+mph in most cases without major problems.  But you are definitely on the right track to want a windshield and some kinda storage if you are gonna use it regularly for commuting....

Good luck, and enjoy whatever you choose.  Stay safe!