First Street Bike for Large Adult

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NosajM

NosajM

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Apr 8, 2012
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Western Pennsylvania
Folks-

After 37 years of drooling over various street bikes and keeping myself restricted to the fields and trails, I've decided to take the plunge and get my license and a street bike.

I've been riding dirt bikes, ATVs, snowmobiles, etc for as long as I can remember. 2 wheeled types ranged from '68 Honda Mini Trail to a late 80s CR500.

I've sat on quite a few bikes like the KLR 650 to large vtwin cruisers. I don't intend to do any cross country trips, just some light commuting and weekend cruising.

I'm a Big&Tall rider 6'3" and 290lbs. Bikes with a 'heel and toe' shifter don't work, as my feet are too big to fit between them.

The plan is for something used to see if I really enjoy being out on the open road. Any suggestions?
 
The Ninja 500R is a decent starter street bike if you don't have to have a cruiser. They recently stop producing it, and there should be affordable used ones. The center stand is nice to have.
 
Triumph Bonneville 900.

Bonneville_T900_00-04_1.jpg
 
First and foremost at 6'3 290 your going to have to consider what fits and what doesnt.. your physical attributes are going to require that you put a little more thought into this purchase.. for example i dont think you would fit well on a R6, but the above mentioned VTX or KLR are great suggestions.. you need to go try some bikes on and see how they feel.
 
BMW of your choice. The R models come with the bulletproof boxer engine. They're great for an oil nerd too, because they have a dry clutch and seperate sump for the transmission, so you can use standard motor oils and don't have to get motorcycle-specific stuff. Lots of people run Mobil 1 15w-50 or HDEO 5w/15w-40, and there's a guy on the ADV Rider forum that has 400k+ on his bike with nothing but the M1 at 5k OCIs.

If you want to stick to roads, the R1100R might be a good used bike to look at. It's the naked model (no plastic fairings) and very easy to work on. The newer ones are the R1150R and R1200R. The RxxxxGS is the "adventure touring" bike with long-travel suspension. With good tires, you should be able to ride that just about anywhere. The GS models are taller and might be a good fit for you.

I'm still holding on to my first bike, an R1100S. She's great for the mountain roads near me. Lots of fun and ultra-reliable.

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Thanks for the suggestions folks. I'll take a look at them.

Next step is the 3-day Motorcycle Safety Foundation Course. Everyone I've talked to said it has made them a lot better and more aware driver on both 2 and 4 wheels.
 
Originally Posted By: Jasmotas
Next step is the 3-day Motorcycle Safety Foundation Course. Everyone I've talked to said it has made them a lot better and more aware driver on both 2 and 4 wheels.

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You didn't mention a price range.

It wasn't long ago that 1800cc was an unthinkable displacement for a bike. It's likely something much smaller (such as a still large ~1300, even a 800-900) would be more than adequate, less expensive, more manageable, and better suited to the commuting and weekend cruising you mentioned earlier. Lots of bikes will fit you height wise (I'm also 6'3") but your weight may rule out some of the smaller bikes that would otherwise be fine (I ride a GS500 but I'm only 185lbs).

jeff
 
Originally Posted By: Bandito440
BMW of your choice.

What kind of handling tradeoffs are there with a shaft versus a chain drive?
 
You are a very big guy. I think you will find that most bikes are too small for you. A few exceptions might be, the big Suzuki V-Strom, A Buell Ulysses (with the tall seat) and Some of the Victory Motorcycles. Even then, the Buell may be too small.

I'm a dirt bike rider, so I'm not particularly comfortable on low street bikes. I like 'em tall. While, I'm only 215 pounds, I still find many street bikes "small".
 
Originally Posted By: Cogito
Originally Posted By: Bandito440
BMW of your choice.

What kind of handling tradeoffs are there with a shaft versus a chain drive?


Acceleration isn't as "snappy" like you would find on a chain-driven superbike, but it isn't an ultra high performance machine. It's a great all-around street bike but isn't for racing. Everything is butter smooth and the only maintenance on the final drive is a pint of gear oil and a crush washer every other year. I love it and won't ever get anything else again.
 
Try finding a used Suzuki SV650. It is a V-Twin, so it doesn't have the power to get you in trouble like a R6 or something like that would. The engine is basically bulletproof and parts are easy to find. Used ones are reasonable and easy to sell if you decide you don't like it. The insurance on mine is around $40 a year (liability only). I started on a SV 650 and can't imagine getting rid of it. JMHO.
 
Originally Posted By: wvrailroader
$40 a year (liability only).
No matter how much $$$ you save, it is NEVER worth it to ride with liability only...
 
Originally Posted By: Jasmotas
Any suggestions?


Make sure your organ donation card is up to date.

There is a transplant surgeon that comes into our winery from time to time. He's said that the best source of organ donations is from motorcycle riders, and he encourages anyone who rides a motorcycle on the road to keep their organ donation card up to date.

There's a reason why transplant surgeons nickname them "Organcycles".
 
Take the MSF course and ride safely. Pay no heed to the alarmists. If the trade off for less safety vs. an automobile for enjoyment of the open road is worth it to you, then have at it. I don't live my life surrounded by airbags. Taking my BMW into the mountains is how I relieve stress from the week. Plus, I get 45 mpg doing it.
 
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