Thinking about getting a cruiser in the 750-950cc range to putt around town. I'm pretty much done with big bikes. If I want to ride something bigger, I've got plenty of friends who have one they're not riding sitting in the garage.

If you want something to putt around on get a suzuki burgman. Killer milage and you don't even have to change gears. I'll sale you one.

I never thought about a scooter. My BIL rode a Silverwing for years. Now he's got one of the new Honda automatic motorcycles.

I've been bitten, too, but I'd like either a dual purpose type or a small sport bike like the Honda CB500X. Jim in Idaho posted some pics and commentary here after buying his and had good things to say about it.

You may well find that the smaller bike is addicting, and not just for "around town."

Took my 650 on a nearly 3,000 mile tour of 7 western states in 10 days. It's not a cruiser, but a Suzuki V-Strom.

5+ gallons of fuel, and not all that hard to get 55+ mpg. That's a lot of range... Comfortable, and plenty powerful for one-up, even with a tent, stove, sleeping bag and some clothes for a week.



Handles dirt roads just fine...


Around town? It's a hoot. Not bad up in the hills either... But it's not a cruiser. I really, truly dislike that cruiser sitting position. Much prefer the good old "standard" sitting position.

Take a hard look at your choices. There are some great mid-sized bikes avail.

Regards, Guy

Man, I could really like something like that. My biggest worry about a bike with suspension like that is my 30" inseam and gravity at stops.

Yeah, I'm 6' tall, and it's pretty much perfect for me. But my 5-07 wife has to work to get up on the danged thing. I think a lowering kit is avail.

I've actually been looking hard at something other than a cruiser. But that's all I've ever owned. I may go do some test riding tomorrow. I'm 42 now and have pretty much changed my whole lifestyle the last few months. Job, diet, exercise. Hell, why not change the kind of motorcycles I ride. I've always mostly rode by myself anyway.

Dude me either! But I can put 5 large pizzas and a 2 liter under the seat, or a pair of waiders some tackle and a travel rod! I can go fish trout in north carolina on 5 dollars worth of gas lol. I also have a honda xr650r for when I want to do 4th gear power wheelies, which is often. grin. I'm gonna sale it cause, 1 people will try their best to kill you every chance they get and, 2 I want a bigger boat but don't want any debt.

I have had sport, dirt, dual sport and scooters if it has 2 wheels I love it. I would stomp a puppy for a new triumph street triple. You should check'em out its in the size range your looking at. Its very comfy. Its a 675 and is a naked version of their daytona sport bike but it sits totally different and is remapped for good tork thoughout the rpm range. I love them.

I'm 59, and riding "sporty" is still fun.

When my two-cylinder V-Strom 650 seemed a tad sedate, my oldest son loaned me his Yamaha FZ8, 800 cc four-cylinder. It wasn't sedate...



A little "compact" for me I thought, and I wouldn't want it on a long ride. But dang it was FUN!

Not a top-tier sportsbike, but lots of good mid-range power and handled well enough to be really fun. That grin of mine is not at all forced. It was a hoot to ride.

Guy

Nice

This is a bulletproof little bike.
Can be had with low mileage with a little searching.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2011/09/07/honda-919-best-used-bikes/


The Nine T is pretty cool!!

http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/10/17/2014-bmw-r-ninet-first-look-review-photos/

I know this is double the cc`s your looking for, but it`s a big bike that thinks it`s a mid size or sport bike.
My favorite bike of all time.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2010/08/20/yamaha-road-star-warrior-best-used-bikes/

Once you own a shaft drive bike you will never go back to a chain. Here is a neat little Moto Guzzi V7 that would fill the bill nicely.

My vintage 1979 dual sport XL185 is a hoot!



...and my 1979 XR185 close ratio 6-speed NHRA race bike.



..my '97 Dyna Low Rider cruiser:



...and lastly, 1982 CT110 for deer camp or quick trips to Walgreens:




DMc

OrangeOkie, my brother has been trying to get me to buy a Moto Guzzi for years.

The funny thing is that everytime I walk into a Honda dealership, I have to go mess with one of those Groms. Those little bikes are cool.

I've owned three of them and would buy another.

The V Strom has a awesome track record, if I were to buy a bike today it would be the 650 V Strom (wee strom). I really like them.

What's really cool to me, is that there is this very (dare I say it?) diverse group of mid-size motorcycles available.

Sport bikes, dual sports, cruisers...

There's an awful wide choice, and some great bikes, in that 500 - 1000 cc category.

Yep. Years ago, I got caught up in the big cruiser thing. First a Victory, then a Fat Boy. But now, I just want to ride. I figure I'll get much more use out of a mid sized bike than I ever did out of a big one. I'm going to be looking hard at dual sport bikes tomorrow. I may have to try out one of those Honda CB500X. I'm liking the price and the reviews.

I ride a Goldwing, but those dual sports are attractive. I would like one of each.

I am debating real hard on the new 2016 Indian Cheif DarkHorse

Those Indians are good looking bikes.

650 Burgman. Across town or cross country, Cruises smooth as glass at 80 mph. They're the Goldwings of the new millennium.

If you're looking for an around town bike, I'd take a good look at the Kawasaki KLR650. You ca do almost anything with them, from getting groceries, to loooong road trips. The ergonomicsn are very comfortable. Tons of support a to kl650.net.

My Yamaha 200TW after a bunch of aftermarket parts and some rattle can.

My 2005 Softail Deluxe after a lot of $$$ and thinking

A friend of mine had an 08 Deluxe that he lost in a house fire. That was the best handling Harley I've ever road.

I've got a friend who has a lowered KLR650 for sale right now. I'm 5'8" and have a 32" inseam. He's a couple of inches shorter than me, but was able to handle that bike with it lowered.

How about something like a Triumph Bonneville or a Honda CB500F?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVyRq-D0Xso

Well there you have it. I rode a KLR650 for several years before trading and a nice looking 243 for my current HD Sportster 1200, now much upgraded. Birdwatcher here will hopefully chime in. He has one that rode the ark with Noah, and he has put many thousands of miles on his. For fun plus bulletproof and torquey, hard to go wrong. I put a lowering kit on mine as well even though I am 6'3" tall with a 35 inch inseam. I was getting stoved up with my kidney failure and this made the bike easier to get on and off of for me and it improved the highway handling a whole bunch.

If you don't buy the KLR650 (and i vote for that one) don't forget the new Triumph 850's. I am hearing all good about them and we are considering one soon for asphaltangels next ride.

Good luck, I am anxious to get my bike back soon from the shop that has been finishing the turbocharger install. Got the fever myself

Ironic thread, I pulled mine off the battery tender washed it up, checked fluid levels, tire air pressure and rode it around a bit yesterday evening, few things sound better to me than a 110 c.i. HD through Vance and Hines header pipes.

Motorcycle fever? Had it a few years ago, but after riding from the late 1950's to 1980, I fought the feeling. Rode tens, no hundreds of thousands of miles, in sun and rain, down to the corner store, up to the stable, down to Santa Barbara from the S.F. Peninsula for the horse show. Rode through suicidal traffic, bee swarms, along pleasant country roads perfumed by flower growers, even went tent camping and lake fishing. Broke my left shoulder twice, my right wrist once, fractured and contused ribs, had my right index finger dislocated and shoved into the palm of the hand. Had rear tires go flat at 70mph and managed to stay shiny side up. Had front tires go flat and leave me stranded. Dodged exhaust systems that dropped off vehicles ahead of me on the freeway at night. Hit an ice patch in a dark canyon on a curve, but somehow didn't buy the farm. Had a skunk on that same curve spray my hot exhaust header as I dodged him one night, took my breath away for awhile. Been stung, suffered road rash, torn tendons in the ankle, smacked into by cars running out in front of me, and that older woman that rear-ended me at the stop light - she said she didn't see me atop the Gold Wing waiting for the light to change. Bike fever? Putter around town with all the self-absorbed moron drivers texting and yacking on the phone? Nah, I'll pass, at my age I'd just be another fat old biker looking ridiculous as if he could turn back the clock. Maybe in the next life. Such fun.

Thanks for keeping it real, Wrangler John

The closest Triumph dealerships to where I live are in the Houston area. Might have to head that way while bike shopping. Everytime I've been to one I usually spend a lot of time looking at their full lineup.

Man, I could really like something like that. My biggest worry about a bike with suspension like that is my 30" inseam and gravity at stops.[/quote]

The V-Strom is a bike that is easy to lower for shorter riders. I work at a very large volume dealership where the V-Strom has been a number one seller along with the Yamaha FJR. They change the link on the rear shock to a adjustable link and raise the fork tubes. I rode a 650 for a few years(30" inseam) and they are tall bikes. I traded it for a 1250 Bandit which turned out to be a rear tire eating monster. I miss the 650. The V-Strom is probably the best all around bike out there for the money. I have seen some over 75,000 on them and when the valves were checked they were still in spec. I have never seen one in the shop broke down. Just not a high maintenance bike. The 90* twin is a lot smoother than a twin with a lower degree banking. The wider V makes more power for the engine size also. Gas mileage on mine was usually right at 60mpg. Try one and you will be impressed.

Where do you live? A used Honda CB750 Nighthawk is always a good choice. Can be had for about $2000.

Man, I like that. I believe it's calling my name. For sale perhaps?

I wound up buying a CB500X. They had a new 2013 that they cut me a pretty good deal on. For 471cc it's a fun little bike. I had it up to 87 (with more left) on I10 coming home. Took it to a friend's house. He's one of those "if it ain't a Harley, it sucks" guys. He also calls anything under 1000cc a chick bike. He took off on it and came back about 15 minutes later with a big grin on his face.

So far I'm pretty happy with it. It'll definitely do everything I want it to do.

Now, to keep myself from buying a Grom......

Kawasaki W650




Turning old memories into new motorcycles is tough enough on its own. But
reanimating Triumph's venerable Bonneville--the epitome of cool to an entire
generation--is only slightly easier than, say, cloning Marilyn Monroe. Even if
you could, gentlemen these days prefer a different sort of blonde.

Remembrance is kind, but even the most delusional Anglophile knows a
genetically exact copy of a 1966 T120/R could never live up to its own legend.
The thing that thundered past like a Saturn-V rocket with pushrods when you
were 18 years old becomes an obstinate and flimsy little brute with no starter
button when you're 43. The late '60s Bonneville still has the same kind of lean,
focused outline as a .44 Magnum, Winchester Model-94, a P-51 Mustang...or
Ms. Monroe. Filling in the details that make up a modern motorcycle takes
some artistic license. But how much? Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Triumph
Motorcycles Ltd. have two paradoxically different answers: the W650 and the
brand-new Bonneville.



2001 Kawasaki W650
For those bent on getting all Smithsonian about it, the W650 does have its own
genealogy, a short strand of DNA from Kawasaki's first Bonneville
impressionist: the '66 W1. Created prior to the discovery of styling in Japan,
the forgettable, 624cc imitation of a pre-unit British 650 made 47 horsepower
at 6500 rpm--measured at the copywriter's brainstem--and set you back
$912 in the days when a new Bonneville went for $1309 (or approximately
$7200 in 2001 dollars).

Thankfully, the W650 introduced to American roads last year took its visual
cues from the right places. One look tells you the '01 W650 wants to be a '69
Bonneville even more than Triumph's new translation. From its chrome
fenders, real rubber fork gaiters and faux-Smiths gauges to the alloy rims and
peashooter mufflers that let a 360-degree vertical twin (a.k.a. both pistons
rising and falling together) sound like one, the W650 is the more-convincing
Elvis impersonator. There's even an honest-to-Ed-Turner kickstarter. Nearby,
the cam-drive tower and bevel-gear case inject weird chunks of Ducati 350
Sebring into the mix. Beyond that, nobody really has to know about the
W650's modern conveniences such as the eight valves, LCD odometer and
clock hiding in the speedo face, bungee hooks, centerstand, or seat and
integral steering lock. Turn the key, cue the choke and wonder why only
Kawasaki has a handy neutral finder.

One romp on the kickstarter usually lights the air-cooled fire. Meanwhile, all of
Starbucks basks in your Marlon Brandon-ess. Public Humiliation Avoidance Tip
Number One: Kickstarting only works in neutral, and hands off the clutch. A
polite British edge on the exhaust note lets everybody know you're not kidding
while the cold-blooded twin warms up. Anyone over six-feet tall will wish for
a little more room between the wheel-barrow-esque flat-track bar and the
stepped, tuck-and-roll seat. The W650 puts a '66 T120/R-spec 31.5 inches
between your butt and Mother Tarmac--one inch more than the new Bonnie.
Considering the W650 makes less than half the horsepower of a current 600
sportbike and weighs 70-something pounds more, the Kawasaki pulls hard
enough to get your attention up around 7000 rpm. OK, so it's not what we'd
call fast. Take comfort in the fact that 90 mph at the end of a 14.2-second
quarter would beat a '60s Bonneville, but just. True to the original plot,
Kawasaki's 40-inch twin has an admirably flat torque spread to fall back on,
peaking at 37.7 foot-pounds at 4250 rpm. Even amid the silliness of L.A.'s
vehicular excess, the Kawasaki draws more "Is that what I think it is?" double
takes than the typical V-twin-powered Sunset-Strip hot rod. And thanks to its
wide bar and skinny tires, the Kawasaki steers more like an oversized Schwinn
beach cruiser than a 472-pound (wet) motorcycle. That agility is all the more
surprising considering the unsportsmanlike wheelbase and steering geometry.
An archetypal '66 Bonnie is still almost two inches shorter axle-to-axle.

The W650 holds an even four gallons of unleaded, enough for approximately
140 miles of uninterrupted freeway travel. (Although the Editorial Cheeks were
never good for more than 100. Maybe it's just us.) Indicating 80 mph on its
new/old speedo, the single balance-shaft and rubber-mounted engine keep
life fairly placid, but it can be bloody drafty. That wide bar deploys the
leather-jacketed human torso like an America's-Cup spinnaker, turning a stiff
headwind into a succession of unsolicited steering inputs. Add the ribbed
Bridgestone front tire's fondness for rain grooves, and simply going straight
becomes harder than it should be. Cornering at a sporty clip, however, is
almost too easy. The wide bar, skinny tires and soft suspension make steering
so light it borders on numb. Some grinding begins before sport-bike
aficionados expect it, but this Kawasaki proves retro needn't be a polite way to
say watermelon truck. The phenomenon currently known as "brisk
acceleration" occurs only from 5000 to 7000 rpm, and requires frequent trips
to the gearbox. Wicked up thusly on a twisty road, the steel-tube chassis, soft
suspension and a fade-prone front brake amount to a reasonable degree of
grinding and wallowing. Despite stiffer springs and new damping entrails in
the 39mm fork for '01, the W650 is much happier at an easy trot.



1969 Triumph Bonneville T-120
Let your eyes swallow it whole and the Bonneville couldn't be anything else.
That's exactly why emeritus members of the Saturday Morning Style Council
pick it apart. It's bigger than a '66. The Kawasaki's pipes say T120/R, but the
bow-legged mufflers diverging from either side of the Bonneville's box-
section swingarm say...well, nothing. There's no tach or centerstand. There are
no pukka rubber kneepads on the fleshy tank, and what about that Japanese-
looking seam visible underneath? And the thing weighs 499 pounds wet--
nearly 100 more than its ancestors.

The verdict? Guilty-as-charged, with mitigating circumstances. Triumph's brain
trust knew the Bonneville had to be a solid motorcycle first and an icon maybe
fourth or fifth. To whine about the historical accuracy of this or the absence of
that misses the point. Which is this: Everything that makes the '01 bike a less-
faithful Bonneville makes it a better day-in-and-day-out motorcycle, and one
commoners can afford.

The heart and bones are all right there. Triumph's 790cc interpretation of the
360-degree vertical-twin is a genuinely functional interpretation of kith and
kin. The 86mm bore makes for a reasonably roomy four-valve head, while a
68mm stroke makes the connecting rod long enough to cut secondary
vibration. Driven by a gear on the right side of the four main-bearing
crankshaft, dual balancers in the upper half of the horizontally split cases
filter out objectionable shaking. That lets the wet-sump lump bolt solidly in its
steel-tube frame. A central chain and idler gear drive two cams and eight
valves. That makes the head compact enough to let a chrome, oil return line
between the cylinders impersonate a pushrod tube. An unobtrusive, 12-row
oil-cooler between the front down tubes keeps the beast from overheating.
Flopping the five-speed gearbox (essentially a Triumph Triple's six-speeder
with the fifth cog missing) moves the clutch to the left side, allowing the final
drive and compulsory triangular engine cover to live on the right.

With all those bits in motion, the Bonneville's character favors the present over
the past. It just takes awhile. For riders with an abbreviated inseam, the
Triumph's seat is an inch closer to the street than the Kawasaki's. Then there's
the history quiz called "Finding the Ignition Switch." Pray once for whoever
decided to leave it on the left headlight mount, and again for the mastermind
who gave the fork lock a key of its own. Fortunately, such irritants are few.
The Bonneville does insist its choke knob be fully deployed for at least a
minute. Once warm, electronic communication between the carbs and the
Triumph's digital- ignition box makes power delivery as good, or better, than
anybody's fuel injection. The driveline is just as smooth. A workmanlike clutch
and smooth-shifting transmission come as close to perfection as anything in
the business. OK, so it sounds to some like a twin-cam blender. Triumph's
"off-road" pipes and carb jets should arrive any day now. Besides, everything
the Bonneville engine gives up in character it gets back in convenience. A
56.8-horsepower, 790cc mill is underwhelming around a bunch of 100-horse
600s, but write this down: The Bonneville engine peaks at 42.1 foot-pounds
of torque at 7000 rpm, but 90 percent of that is on-line at 2750 revs. When
top gear is good from 30 mph to the naughty side of 100 mph, you needn't
shift much unless you're in a hurry. Consider the missing tachometer a
cosmetic hardship--a concession to that magic $6999 price tag--just like the
optional center stand and the pair of 5mm Allen bolts you unscrew to remove
the seat, only to discover the tool kit is optional, too. Maybe you should hope
the archetypal urbane boor won't notice.

Chuffing faster than 70 mph, he or she will pick up a little tingle through the
Bonnie's grips and pegs. The payoff is gobs more passing power. Enough to
push the Bonnie from 60 to 80 mph in just less than seven seconds vs. almost
eight seconds for the Kawasaki. The Bonneville's 4.3-gallon tank puts fuel
stops just a bit farther apart than those on the four-gallon Kawasaki, also.
Despite barely enough legroom for a 35-inch inseam, the narrower handlebar
(less of a drag in a headwind) and wider seat (less of a pain in the aspiration)
make an 800-mile lost weekend sound almost rational. Accurate steering,
fluid power and tolerable cornering clearance: For anyone old enough to know
Gary Nixon had nothing to do with Watergate, this Bonneville has the juice to
put regular Saturday-morning scrapes back on the calendar. Cheesy price-
point shocks and a semiflaccid front brake are the only deterrents to twisty-
road happiness. Triumph's firmer, 41mm fork conveys more feedback with
less flex than the W650 unit. Bridgestone's tube-type BT45 tires stick well
enough to carry out the Bonneville's broadband mission, but like the
Kawasaki's more chronologically correct Bridgestone Accolades they have
tubes inside.

Retro Reckoning
Unlike other instances of Britannia and Japan in pursuit of the same
demographic, everybody wins in this story. Clear thinking, modern
manufacturing and a corporate credit line really can cast faded memories into
something besides a big Vee. And, depending on your priorities, there's more
than one way to go about it. Kawasaki isn't betting the farm on the W650, so it
can afford to be a more- convincing Bonneville--even if that means it's a less-
capable motorcycle. But for the corporation John Bloor raised from the dead in
'91, this Bonneville had to be more than some picturesque homage to a fallen
empire. It had to work well enough to justify building a new one--which is just
what it does.



Name: Matthew Davis, a.k.a. Matt the Ratt
Age: 38
Home: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Occupation: Bass Player, The Uptown Savages

'I've owned and ridden several hundred motorcycles over the last 37 years. In
the past three years I've cut my fleet from 20 bikes to one: the W650. I had
two of them for a couple years; my first was a silver-and-blue 2000 model I
bought on eBay, which I eventually sold to my teenage daughter.After a string
of sportbikes she was ready for something a little less intimidating, expensive,
diffi cult to keep running, costly to fix and less likely to get her a ticket.

"Her logic is the same that keeps me riding my W650. I paid $2800 for it two
years ago, buying it from the first owner who painted it black and tan to look
like a vintage Triumph. It had about 3000 miles on the clock, and looked new.

"It is a pure, basic motorcycle, and that's what I want. There's no pretense
about it. It may be a copy of a copy (the original '60s Kawasaki W1 was a copy
of a period BSA), but it's all about function and reliability. The last ride I took
on my Norton 850 Roadster resulted in it jettisoning a piece of its side stand
and almost losing a float bowl. That would never happen on the Kawasaki.

"The W650 is lightweight, smooth, doesn't leak fluids, full of character and
plenty fast enough for street riding. I like its painted front fender and the
contrasting seat piping. Everything on it works well. It's narrow. The pipes
don't have that annoying kink in them that the newer Bonnevilles have. And it
even has ribbed alloy rims-how cool is that?

"Every so often I think about throwing on some aftermarket scrambler pipes
and trials tires so I can do some fire-roading. Maybe even some steel pegs, a
skid plate and a cross-braced handlebar. But then rationality prevails:I am not
going dirt riding on this bike, and there's no need to screw it up. On the other
hand, it would look darn good with clip-ons, rear-sets and some Dunstall
mufflers..."

Good choice on the Honda CB500.

I've got a TW 200 in the garage. It is a fun little ride.

Well, before the 'Strom, there was this three year love affair with the Triumph Scrambler 900... Loved that bike!



Guy

I gave it to the little guy standing behind it, and promised to keep it running. I don't think he'll part with it.


DMc

Due to a severe cold I've come down with I've only rode about 50 miles on this little bike. On my previous two bikes, a Victory Vegas and a H-D Fatboy, I probably had about 30,000 to 40,000 miles in the saddle. Maybe it's because I took a four year break from riding, but I feel like I'm having more fun riding this little bike. I think it has more to do with me not caring anymore about "image" and just wanting to enjoy the experience.

The friend who has the KLR650 took it off the market. He's selling his cruiser instead. He's 68 and rode his whole life. He's always rode cruisers, but he says the KLR650 is his favorite bike he's ever owned.

Went to Uncles deer camp a day early last year and cousin was out in the barn working on an old Suzuki RM 400, we aired up the tires, put some fresh oil/gas and a new plug in it and pull started it with the tractor.

I got on it for a ride, that chainsaw smoking knee bustin' yellow bastid was ready for MUCH more fun that I was willing to roll on the throttle and give it.

If I buy a bike (and the GF is extremely against it, but she's in Sweden for two months) this would probably be what I'd get. But I'm a big guy (umm, oops) and wonder whether a 650 could survive hauling my 340ish pound butt around...

KDK,
Not a good idea. You'll need a 1300 minimum.


DMc

Caution, motorcycling transcends generations!



Momma, don't let your babies grow up to be "motorcycle" cowboys and cowgirls!




DMc

Awesome.

As much as I loved the big, loud bikes when I rode them, I've already fallen in love with this little Honda. Threw on a backpack and went grocery shopping last night. Rode to get a sandwich from Subway this morning. Hell, my truck is going to get a nice break. Plus, the gas guage has hardly moved. That little high revving 471cc engine just sips gas.

daayyummm

me likey

I've got a baby 750 cruiser and I still find myself wanting something "nimble" to zip around. I have a wandering eye for a mid 2000's Suzuki GS500F or Ninja 500R. Something in the 400 pound range that doesn't break the bank.

The cruiser is kinda like my F150. Its not a daily commuter - I know it can be but both of them just aren't up to the task for driving to an office building in commuter traffic.

I've got a 250cc Honda scooter that is 30 years old, starts on the first try and will move my fatass around at 60mph (on 10" tires so it doesn't see 60mph very often) but for daily commuting its just so effortless to use, I prefer it.

Of course the "real" motorcycles guy don't give me the cool bro wave as we pass. That's reserved for when I'm on my cruise with loud pipes.

I think at some point I'm just going to buy whatever "nimble" bike I find and the cruiser will be reserved for Saturday afternoons.

Now I'm trying to figure out a way to carry. I didn't have a carry liscense when I used to ride. I like to carry iwb, but my shirt tail sometimes blows up a bit while riding. I've been pocket carrying my shield the last couple of trips to town. If and when Texas goes to open carry, I figure a crossdraw rig for my 686 4" to go with my shorts and flip flops. (Jk. Pocket carrying the shield is working out fine)

on a motorcycle?

i have a big bike, a goldwing, and a 30inch inseam. You get use to it.

Only to the store about a block away. I don't normally do that.

i stopped at a mcdonalds in flagstaff saturday, guy had a 2004 silver wing just like mine. Got to talking to him, said he bet i didn't have as many miles as him. Mine has about 32k on it, his was at 385k. He was running to california with a pack coming from all over to meet there. Some of them got caught in laramie during the snow this weekend.
He said he never has had trouble with the engine, some with the driveshaft due to pulling a trailer. But think about it, 385000 miles and still going strong.

Edit.. oops I re-read and saw you said Silverwing. My BIL rode his rain, sun, ice, whatever for years. Like I said before, a couple of months ago he raided his retirement and bought a CTX700N. But he still has the Silverwing

Sounds like you're having the same fun with your CB500X as I am. Got mine last year because I wanted the modern equivalent of an old 70’s CB350 or CB450. Not a superbike, not some big heavy cruiser, but a nice, nimble runabout. City traffic scares the hell out of me, actually texters scare me, so I ride mine mostly on the twisty roads we have in abundance around these parts where it’s just perfect. A road with a 35 or 40 mph speed limit is sporty at 55 or so, not pushing the envelope but just a ton of fun. So I’ve heard, of course, I would never exceed the posted speed limit!

Only thing I still haven’t gotten used to is riding down the freeway at 65-70 with the tach at 5500 rpm, since it redlines at 8500. But apparently these motors are made for that and will run at that speed forever with no ill effects.


Parked above the Payette River in Idaholast summer.

Yep. I'm having a blast. On the way home with it, on the interstate, I took it to about 87 without really realizing I was doing it. Kind of freaked me out a little when I saw the tach. I'm going to use this as mainly an around town and backroad burner. The only bad thing about Texas is that the backroads are mostly 70-75 mph now.

I stated in the original post that I was looking at cruisers. But that's all I really knew about. I had been kind of looking at something like this, but really didn't start thinking seriously about it until others started posting. So I started reading reviews and forums about this class of bikes and made a decision to go look at these little Hondas. I'm really glad I did.

Same here, freeway speeds are 80 mph on open country and 65 through built up areas. Country roads vary from 55 to 65. If’n I had my druthers I’d ask Honda to make a slightly taller 6th gear for highway speeds, I lose track of gears and keep reaching for that elusive “7th” gear at top end. My old 1970 CB350 redlined at around 11,000 IIRC so I was a bit shocked to see this one at 8500.

I posed this question to the head of the service department where I bought this, a real friendly older guy, and he said that with all of the protections Honda builds if you ran this 471cc engine at 14,000 rpm for a couple of hours you might damage it but probably not. That may be a bit of hyperbole but he really reassured me that they were made to handle high rpm’s for long periods so cruising at highway speeds with that engine buzzing away won’t hurt them one bit.

Yep. The old friend who decided not to sell his KLR650 suggested that we take a trip across the state to Big Bend this fall. I'm aready looking foward to making that happen.

I'd love a Beemer 1200 GS, but the funds aren't there.