My girlfriend will be taking the MSF with me and she may get a bike for herself (I recently purchased my first bike). She is unsure if she which type of bike she wants. So what are the advantages and disadvantages of a cruiser or a sports bike? Cruisers are more comfortable to ride slowly, sportbikes are better when ridden fast. Cruisers can't corner for squat, and most cruiser riders still insist on "driving" them, braking in the corners with the rear brake and trying for style points.
Sportbikes are designed to react to every input of the rider, and a pure race-type bike is often too much for a newbie. the speeds they can reach and the abilities of the bike are FAR more than a new rider can handle.
There are bikes in between, called nakeds or standards. Bikes like the Suzuki SV650, Buell Blast, and Ducati Monster give you a more upright, comfortable ride without being too twitchy. More popular small sportbikes that many women like are the Suzuki GS500F, Kawasaki Ninja 250R and 500R. Lower seat heights and easier to ride than a race bike like an R6, GSX-R600, ZX-6R or CBR600.
Because sportbikes handle so much better than cruisers, they will teach a rider more about how a motorcycle works than a cruiser. They're for two completely different types of riding.
Real sport bikes are like a thoroughbred racehorse, they're very special-purpose, very 'twitchy' and they take some skill to get the most out of. They're for an aggressive type of riding. They're a lot more fun for 40 minutes or so but not good for long rides.
Cruisers are for more relaxed riding. They're comfortable for longer periods. They have the extra advantage of a low seat for people who are 'inseam challenged' (like many women).
Sportbikes are covered with plastic that costs a fortune to replace if you have a spill. Cruisers have the advantage there.
There are -standard- bikes that LOOK like sportbikes. Some people call them 'sport-y' bikes. Like the Kawasaki Ninja. They are a compromise, not quite as sporty as a serious sportbike (like a GSXR or something like that) but still pretty good looking, good-handling, and they're comfortable for longer rides.
One of the purposes of the MSF course is that by the time she finishes it she'll know better what she wants! Tom B is the same guy who wants to raise taxes on motorcycles, ignore him.
Cruisers are more comfortable. Pretty much any bike will out handle an automobile. Sport bikes will out accelerate, stop faster and turn quicker than a cruiser.
Even on a motorcycle you are still bound by the speed limits and laws of physics. Very few people will ever reach the potential any motorcycle. You really need to be on a closed track to really open one up.
People tend to put more miles on a cruiser than a sports bike. I think it is due to comfort.
Whatever she chooses, I hope she enjoys it. Check out http://www.indianlarrybikes.com
You can check out all the bikes, crusiers and sports bikes there. Also you can get all the information you need to know about bikes like how to repair or tune a bike. try it out tom B is out of touch, go and look at a triumph sprint ST. its a sports tourer. it looks like sports, goes like lightning, has more performance than you can EVER use on a public road, is easy to ride, not too heavy at all, well balanced, but is as comfortable as any cruiser on the road. i could ride one all day its so comfortable, but it still looks and feels great. I test rode in city traffic, no problem at all, and on a freeway, fast smooth and comfortable. My sports bike restricts the distance i can ride because of comfort issues, and th revvy nature of the engine. the passenger also has to sit on a tiny patch of a seat. i will upgrade to the triumph next time. happy riding First off the first restriction for women is height. Find a bike she can sit on. If she is tall that doesn鈥檛 narrow it down much. Second what kind of bike did you buy? That should be the same she gets. If you have an R1 and she is on a shadow 600 you two wont be riding together much.
The riding styles and the mentality of riding is completely different between the sports and the cruisers. The sport will jump to 100+ in seconds and a cruiser will take a week and a half. It wont be fun riding together and you will have to go really really slow.
Here is what I recommend. Get a used ninja 250 for about $1800. it will do 100mph and is the perfect bike to learn on. After about 6 months to a year she will know which direction she wants to go sport or cruiser. You can also resale the ninja for the same price you paid or maybe 1-2 hundred less.
This will get her on a cheap bike to learn. She can take more time and with the added knowledge she can figure out which bike she likes. Tom B has no clue. As others have said what kind of bike to get just depends on what kind of riding you want to do.
Does she (and you) enjoy getting on the bike and just going wherever it takes you? Do you enjoy going out all day and putting 200-300-400 miles a day riding in the country and seeing and experiencing things you wouldn't normally? Then get a cruiser.
If you enjoy going fast, riding hard for short distances around town or a quick 60 miles trip then get a sports bike.
There is a third option which is a "sports tourer." These bikes combine a sports bike with a touring bike. It's a compromise of both but they are a little more nimble then a cruiser but also good for long distances.
Good luck. Ride safe and remember....Riding is the most fun you can have without having to snuggle afterwards. hey MrKnowitall, the Ninja IS a sportbike I OWN one. The Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R is a sportbike for sure!!. Stick with small cc's itll help with confidence. i ride a sporty cruiser. mine is a sportster. it isnt as heavy as a full dresser, but still has 10x's the manuverability of any cage. no it wont do a 2 mile wheelie down the i-10, but it isnt designed for it. it wont lean at 60 degrees either...it wasnt designed for it.
what it is designed for is for comfortable day-long cruises. if u want to ride 4 or 500 miles in a day, a cruiser is the ticket. if ur not close to very twisty roads, forget the sport bike. they're designed to hit the twisties aggressively. but remember, if u dont know how to ride, a bike like this will quickly introduce u to a pain u will wish u didnt find out about. SPORT BIKE
sport bikes are more comfortable and easier to ride and handle than any cruiser bike
you have to physically fight riding a cruiser bike, they are hard to steer, you get wind-blown, you have to slow down for tight curves, they are too slow, hard to ride at slow speeds and if ur planning a long ride you will find ur body physically worn out | 