Second Bike Recommendations

[SmoothRider]

I'll try to be brief and summarize my situation.  I am a 30-yr old former dirt-biker who went without any form of 2-wheeled transportation for several years up until a year and half ago.  I ended up getting a Vulcan 750 (small cruiser).  Since then I've used my bike for commuting to work (25 miles one-way) during the warmer months as well as a handful of longer (100+ mile) trips and numerous weekend jaunts.  I initially picked the Vulcan because I it fit me well (I'm 6'2") and because I like the price and upright riding position.  I don't want a bike with total sportbike ergonomics (I have back issues non-related to motorcycles) but I don't mind upright or slightly off of upright seating (either rear or forward).  I want to upgrade my current ride primarily because the Vulcan is less than ideal for longer trips (esp 2-up) and because it doesn't really have a "highway gear" and it runs at a pretty high rpm at criusing speeds.  I'm still undecided as to what manufacturer/type of bike to get but I seem to gravitate towards mid-size cruiser and sport-touring bikes.  Here's my "must-haves" in approximate order of importance:

• Suitable for everyday commuting (incl. some luggage/panniers)
• Able to cruise easily at highway speeds for longer jaunts
• Windshield or some kind of wind/bug protection/fairing
• Comfy riding position
• Suitable for longer day trips
• Suitable for 2-up riding
• Reasonably priced (rel to competition) and cheap to insure/maintain

As a side note, I absolutely love the Kawasaki Concours 14 2010 (perfect seat height and "feel") but the more pragmatic side of me says that it's just too big of a bike for me(engine-wise not size-wise).  That 1352cc inline motor just seems massive and it'd be a HUGE upgrade from my current ride.  I'm not a squid, but I just don't think I trust myself yet with that much power at the throttle.  So anyway, what would you guys recommend for a good "second bike" for a somewhat pragmatic person that wants a good "all rounder" that's equally comfortable on day trips as it is making the daily commute?

[Zerosum]

A V-Strom 650 with a 16-tooth front sprocket would fit that bill, aside from the desire to do 2-up riding.  It's a bit of a dog with 2 adults on board.  Of course, there's always the 1000.  The Strom is luggage-friendly because it comes stock with a great luggage rack.  Most other bikes require you to mount a rack before you can attach a topcase.

There's also the Bandit 1200 or the newer 1250.  No worries about highway-power with those.    You might also want to check out the Triumph Tiger.

[still kickin]

Take a very close look at the Yamaha FZ1. I woulld go with the first generation because I am cheap. But both gens are great bikes.

[Marcster]

In addition to the Bandit 1200, the Honda VFR comes to mind.  The VFR might be a bit cozy two-up, but they are quite reasonable used price-wise and should meet your other requirements.

[UHOH]

^^^ agree

Bandit 1200/newer 1250 (this can have ABS) if you can do with softbags, just buy a touring windscreen.  
You should be v. happy - comfortable power.

VFR too, maybe just a tad more sportbike oriented.

[SmoothRider]

All good ideas guys!  Apparently there's also a fully faired version of the 1250 bandit coming to the states this year:

http://www.motorcycle-journal.com/2009/09/23/2010-suzuki-gsx1250fa-and-bandit-first-look/



Personally I think this looks better than the new VFR1200F.  I had a chance to spend some time with that bike at a motorcycle show recently and I just didn't feel the love.

[jamesgino]

I give my vote to the V-Strom 1000. My first bike was a Honda Magna (I still have it) I love it, but I moved up to a ZZR1200. I thought the ZZR was going to be a great sport-touring bike, but it just had to much sport and not enough touring. I researched my options and I came up with the V-Strom 1000. I bought it and I love it.

I have Givi hard bags, both side and topcase. It can carry my wife and myself at freeway speeds with no problem, and it has the 6th gear. It has plenty of power, but not enough that you'll get yourself in trouble with.

It has a very comfortable seating position right off the showroom floor. (I'm 6' even) My only complaint of the bike is the stock seat. After an hour my tail bone starts to hurt, but I kinda expect that with all stock bikes seats. I'll replace it with an aftermarket seat soon.

The dealership threw in the touring windscreen for me and it works very well. I did test ride it with the stock screen and it seemed to do reasonably well too.

As an added bonus the V-Strom can also handle dirt roads. I've had a lot of fun exploring dirt roads and going into areas that I couldn't get into before. It doesn't like the sand, but I don't hesitate to take it down fire roads and trails.

It has the long-term comfort of a cruiser, it will handle the twisties like a sport bike, and you can off-road it like a dirt bike. It does all of these tasks very well, but it doesn't do any task spectacular. There are many farkles available for the bike two. The bike basically has not changed since it came out in 2002 and most parts can be interchanged between all the model years and the 650 and 1000.

After a month of ownership my only complaint is the seat.

They can be found with low miles 3k-5k for around $6000 or less, and a lot will even have the bags and aftermarket seat installed. Many will still have a factory warranty. Check out www.stromtrooper.com and you will find some great ones for sale. Send me a PM if you want more info about it.

[Zerosum]

The VFR is a great bike, too.  I'm not sure if you'd dig the riding position or not, if you're coming from dirt bikes and cruisers.  Put a pair of bar-risers on it and you're almost in a "standard" riding position.  I've never ridden mine 2-up, but it would probably be fine.  It's been around so long, and the bike is so reliable, that you can basically pick your age/price, anywhere between $2,800 and $5,500.  If it's been garaged and taken care of, you really can't go wrong.  

I have an older 4th Generation 750 and I love it.  It's power is smooth, smooth, smooth.  Nice torque, great mid-range power.  At the top end it will be a little slower than say, an FZ-1 or a Bandit, but big deal.  You're talking about 'fast' vs. 'crazy fast.' It's on the heavy side, but it's a very well-balanced package.  It took me quite a while to realize that I could really man-handle the thing in turns and the bike would remain stable.  It's not "easy to ride" like my V-Strom, but often I find it more rewarding.

[jamesgino]

It's not "easy to ride" like my V-Strom, but often I find it more rewarding.

 

[jdgretz]

I'm still undecided as to what manufacturer/type of bike to get but I seem to gravitate towards mid-size cruiser and sport-touring bikes.  Here's my "must-haves" in approximate order of importance:

• Suitable for everyday commuting (incl. some luggage/panniers)
• Able to cruise easily at highway speeds for longer jaunts
• Windshield or some kind of wind/bug protection/fairing
• Comfy riding position
• Suitable for longer day trips
• Suitable for 2-up riding
• Reasonably priced (rel to competition) and cheap to insure/maintain

As a side note, I absolutely love the Kawasaki Concours 14 2010 (perfect seat height and "feel") but the more pragmatic side of me says that it's just too big of a bike for me(engine-wise not size-wise).  That 1352cc inline motor just seems massive and it'd be a HUGE upgrade from my current ride.  I'm not a squid, but I just don't think I trust myself yet with that much power at the throttle.  So anyway, what would you guys recommend for a good "second bike" for a somewhat pragmatic person that wants a good "all rounder" that's equally comfortable on day trips as it is making the daily commute?

Have you considered an older Kawasaki ZG1000 (C-10 Concours)?  This bike was virtually unchanged from its introduction in 1986 until the introduction of the C-14.  As much as I love my Norge and think it's an excellent machine, at 6'2" you might not be comfortable for extended periods of time, but who knows - find one and see what you think.

I got the wife an '88 C-10 for Christmas that is in excellent condition, needing only new front discs and a replacement screw on the front brake master cylinder to be virtually perfect for $1500.00.  They are wonderful bikes for the money.  If the noise of the engine at highway speeds makes you think you need another gear, there is a "7th Gear" conversion (swap) that lowers the revs on the highway without taking away the fun factor in the twisties.  And yes, it came with panniers that are not mounted in the photo.  Again, comfort is you call, but you can add highway pegs to help stretch out on longer trips, and a factory backrest is available for the pillion.

jdg

[bassjones]

Older ST1100.  Cheap, fun, luggage, reliable - there are plenty of them around with 100K or more miles.

[Skidmark]

Don't buy new bikes from a dealer.  They're always overpriced.  
My dealer here buys used bikes or takes a trade and marks them at $2-4k over their actual value. And they wonder why I try stuff on and buy from the internet...

As for your situation, take a look at the FJR-1300.   Not as much HP as the CX1400, but a very nice long distance bike. Has some great features, plenty of space, and standard hard side bags.  40mpg isn't bad for that size a bike either.  If you've been riding a while, you should have a grasp on respect of the throttle, I would think you'd do ok on a 1L bike or larger.

[birdrunner]

1000 cc Vstrom is an excellent 2- up bike, with lots of leg room.