[Sutur]

hello fellow bikers.

i'm new to this site and don't know if this is the correct place to post, but i have a question.

i am looking to invest in a motorcycle, but am concerned about my weight. i am 310 pounds and 6 foot 5 and was wondering what capacity bike would be recommended. this bike would also be more or less for commuting, so what is handling like in the city, or am i a complete dumbass for even considering this. another point of interest is gas mileage. what can i expect?

 

[AndersonUSMC]

Hey buddy, don't sell yourself short because you lack knowledge of motorcycles, you gotta start somewhere! =] As for myself, I know nothing about motorcycles also, but I'll go ahead and try to offer you an uneducated response. Obviously, the bigger the guy, the bigger the bike. If you're looking to go with Kawasaki, a 900 would probably be too small for you. You don't want to come off looking like you're riding a toy bike, you're supposed to look like a bad *** when you're riding =] I'd suggest looking into the 1600 or the 2000, bigger engine, bigger bike. I hope this is somewhat helpful, and welcome to the community =]

 

[accord_guy]

Look at the 1600. It's made for you.

 

[2WheelFun]

Or look at the V2K. It's a nice sized bike that can make a big man feel like he's on the right bike. Just ask Lattimer.

Welcome aboard!

 

[Ruger]

With your size (more your height than weight) you have to go sit on and try out a bike to see how it fits you. MOST motorcycles (even the Goldwings) say that max weight is around 400 pounds, but don't believe it, the 900 will do 2 up with more than the "max" weight and has plenty of power. You really have to sit on the bike to see if your 6'5" is going to fit though. I'm 6' and I ride a VN900 and a Road King. Believe it or not, the 900 is a much more comfortable bike. The Road King is very cramped and has a shorter wheel base. If you have long legs you might have to go with something that has forward controls. For around town, the 900 is great, and not bad out on the highway. If you do lots of highway riding, the Nomad might be a good fit. I'm not saying try only Kawa, but this is a Kawa forum

 

[Sutur]

Thanks for all the help guys. I really appreciate it.

 

[darkwalker]

Well we can do a comparison. I weigh about 165, and I have an 800. Now when I'm on there with the wife (120 ish) I can definitely feel the difference. So I'm thinking 1600-2k for you. Nothin' wrong with going a little big...you don't want to have too small of a bike that doesn't feel right.

Hope this helps some.

 

[JohnScott]

I was thinking a V2K would be a great bike for ya. I have a friend about your build who has an old Suzi 1500 (I think) and it really isn't that good a bike for him (could be he never rides it)

 

[likearock4x4]

I agree with Ruger 100%... you have to go to the dealerships and sit on the bikes that you may be interested in buying. (I wouldn't worry about the engine displacement, because anything that your 6'5" frame will be comfortable on will have more than enough mustard in the powerplant to carry you anywhere you want to go.) It's all about comfort!!! You have to be comfortable on the bike to enjoy the ride, and to be able to ride without distractions!! If you're not comfy, you'll be constantly distracted thinking about whatever part of your body is not comfy instead of paying attention to the road and what's on it. Now, having said this, don't worry so much about the arms and how far you are reaching, that can be adjusted using risers and different things like that... I'm talking about the sitting position and leg reach. This is NOT adjustable in most cases--but not all. (Oh, and by the way, this suggestion applies to any size/style/brand of bike that you're interested in.)

I'd definitely go to the dealerships (All brands involved) and sit on the bikes for a while to make sure you'll be able to ride comfy--for a while. If you're not comfy, go the the next bike and so on until you find the one you want. Yes, this is a Kawi board, but we aren't so narrow minded to only recommend Kawi, just something of the 2 wheeled variety. :wink:

 

[Sutur]

thank you, thank you, thank you. i really appreciate it, as buying the wrong bike would be absolutely horrible. i had a look at the v2k, and ****, what a bike. the only thing that i'm skeptical about is that i've heard it's a bit heavy. i'm going to be using this bike primarily for city driving, so i don't know how that will equate. and although it's double my original price range, i think it would be better to buy something that's right the first time round, than having hassles afterwards. the only problem is the vulcan 2000 is vary scarce in SA. been scouring through all the SA web pages and can't for the life of me find any and i've only ever seen one here!

 

[JohnScott]

Don't forget there are scores of used bikes out there that would (may) do you well too.

 

[Sutur]

I agree with Ruger 100%... you have to go to the dealerships and sit on the bikes that you may be interested in buying. (I wouldn't worry about the engine displacement, because anything that you 6'5" frame will be comfortable on will have more than enough mustard in the powerplant to carry you anywhere you want to go.) It's all about comfort!!! You have to be comfortable on the bike to enjoy the ride, and to be able to ride without distractions!! If you're not comfy, you'll be constantly distracted thinking about whatever part of your body is not comfy instead of paying attention to the road and what's on it. Now, having said this, don't worry so much about the arms and how far you are reaching, that can be adjusted using risers and different things like that... I'm talking about the sitting position and leg reach. This is NOT adjustable in most cases--but not all. (Oh, and by the way, this suggestion applies to any size/style/brand of bike that you're interested in.)

I'd definitely go to the dealerships (All brands involved) and sit on the bikes for a while to make sure you'll be able to ride comfy--for a while. If you're not comfy, go the the next bike and so on until you find the one you want. Yes, this is a Kawi board, but we aren't so narrow minded to only recommend Kawi, just something of the 2 wheeled variety. :wink:

What are your thoughts on the VN900 classic and the Yamaha XVS 1100 Drag Star?

 

[likearock4x4]

What are your thoughts on the VN900 classic and the Yamaha XVS 1100 Drag Star?

I can't speak to the drag star, but I sat on almost all the other Yami's. I felt cramped on all of them. I was uncomfortable.

The 900 was a little small for me too, but I like to stretch out. I could handle it, but the 1600 was a better fit for me.

Like I said in the Sportbike thread, I'm 6'0" and 240 lbs, so I'm slightly smaller than you, but not too much. I hope this helps.

 

[likearock4x4]

Oh, seems as I just remembered that money is an issue, you could go to the shops and get a feel for which model and size you'd like, and then start searching for a used one that fits your needs. You can get exactly what you want that way, it just takes more time this way, that's all.

 

[Tarpon]

Don't know if this will help or not but I am 6'4" with an inseam of 32" and I own a 900LT. It seems to fit me well. I had to get a set of Phat Risers to get the bars back where they were more comfortable. I could reach the bars OK but at full lock I was reaching a little bit.
I also added a Mustang seat which seemed to raise me up some (did not really get it for that, the stock seat was just to uncomfortable to me after about an hour)
I also added Highway bars with pegs on them thinking that would help me stretch out some but I really do not use the pegs much. The roads around here are not really made for sitting back and relaxing while riding (only 45 minutes from the Dragon).
I agree with the others that have stated sit on a number of bikes and see what fits you. The handle bars can be moved around fairly easily to get them where you want them but the pegs are a pain to move even if you can. My former bike was a 500LTD. That was a cramped bike and there was no way to move the pegs on it. Nobody makes a conversion kit for it.:icon_frow
Hope this was of some help

 

[meangreen]

hello fellow bikers.

i'm new to this site and don't know if this is the correct place to post, but i have a question.

i am looking to invest in a motorcycle, but am concerned about my weight. i am 310 pounds and 6 foot 5 and was wondering what capacity bike would be recommended. this bike would also be more or less for commuting, so what is handling like in the city, or am i a complete dumbass for even considering this. another point of interest is gas mileage. what can i expect?

You never said how much experience you have... don't be shy, we have all been newbies at one time.

If you are new, the size of the V2K might be intimidating. That leaves bikes in the 1600 range, and i don't personally recommend looking at anything but a Kawi in that segment (and I don't even ride a Kawi).

If you can go bigger, you might also want to look at a Yamaha Roadliner. It is comparable to the V2K (1900 cc), but handles a bit easier off the kickstand for a newer rider. It is more expensive than a V2K, so if you are buying new the V2K is a better deal. However, if you are patient you can find low mileage (1000-3000 miles) used Roadliners for under $9000. You can also find good deals on low mileage or previous year but new V2Ks 1600S, Nomads, etc.

As far as mileage goes... expect anywhere from 50ish from a 900 to 40ish for V2K. Depends on how agressive you are with a throttle.

Good luck, and don't be afraid to ask questions during the buying process.

 

[Sutur]

You never said how much experience you have... don't be shy, we have all been newbies at one time.

If you are new, the size of the V2K might be intimidating. That leaves bikes in the 1600 range, and i don't personally recommend looking at anything but a Kawi in that segment (and I don't even ride a Kawi).

If you can go bigger, you might also want to look at a Yamaha Roadliner. It is comparable to the V2K (1900 cc), but handles a bit easier off the kickstand for a newer rider. It is more expensive than a V2K, so if you are buying new the V2K is a better deal. However, if you are patient you can find low mileage (1000-3000 miles) used Roadliners for under $9000. You can also find good deals on low mileage or previous year but new V2Ks 1600S, Nomads, etc.

As far as mileage goes... expect anywhere from 50ish from a 900 to 40ish for V2K. Depends on how agressive you are with a throttle.

Good luck, and don't be afraid to ask questions during the buying process.

thanks for the advice. well, i have been riding scramblers and quads for years, but i have never ridden on a street bike. hopefully the transition won't be too difficult. i think i will definitely rather look for a used bike, seeing as the new ones are a bit too expensive for my wallet. was originally aiming in the $6000 range, but after the many replies i think i'll be better off in the $9000-$10000 price range. thanks again for your assistance.

 

[Sutur]

Don't know if this will help or not but I am 6'4" with an inseam of 32" and I own a 900LT. It seems to fit me well. I had to get a set of Phat Risers to get the bars back where they were more comfortable. I could reach the bars OK but at full lock I was reaching a little bit.
I also added a Mustang seat which seemed to raise me up some (did not really get it for that, the stock seat was just to uncomfortable to me after about an hour)
I also added Highway bars with pegs on them thinking that would help me stretch out some but I really do not use the pegs much. The roads around here are not really made for sitting back and relaxing while riding (only 45 minutes from the Dragon).
I agree with the others that have stated sit on a number of bikes and see what fits you. The handle bars can be moved around fairly easily to get them where you want them but the pegs are a pain to move even if you can. My former bike was a 500LTD. That was a cramped bike and there was no way to move the pegs on it. Nobody makes a conversion kit for it.:icon_frow
Hope this was of some help

the 900 LT keeps popping up the whole time, so i'm very interested in that one. the only problem i foresee is that i doubt that many of those conversions you made will not be readily available in South Africa. and importing the parts would be rediculisly expensive coz of our steep import taxes. thank you so much for your help.

 

[Ruger]

the 900 LT keeps popping up the whole time, so i'm very interested in that one. the only problem i foresee is that i doubt that many of those conversions you made will not be readily available in South Africa. and importing the parts would be rediculisly expensive coz of our steep import taxes. thank you so much for your help.

The 900 might fit you right out of the box. Like Tarpon, I have a 32" inseam, but I'm only 6' (all legs) and the 900 is a great fit with no mods. It would be simple to change out the handle bars if you have trouble with reach, any 1 inch bars would fit the clamps - no special order necessary. See if you can find one to test ride. If you have been riding off road, you shouldn't have any trouble shifting over to street riding.