Motorcycle Gurus- Advise needed

My BIL bought himself a cruiser 2 yrs ago. A 93' Virago with a 535. Nice LITTLE machine. Last summer he upgraded to a 900 Vulcan. I went out for a cruise with him last fall before they were both put away for the winter and have been thinking about riding all winter, only because he brings it up every time we see each other!
We checked out the motorcycle show earlier this month and sat on every bike that I figured was a good starter. My kunundrum, and where I want the advice from you guys, is should I start with a little 500 then move up? Or start with a mid size 800-900? I don't see a real need for anything larger for sure.
My BIL got very bored very fast with the Virago. If he knew that in the beginning, he would have started with a larger bike. He was just really nervous about dealing with a bike that weighs 125lbs more.
What are your thoughts?

BTW, because you guys are a bunch of curious dudes, the main models that interest me (size, looks, maintenance etc.) are Suzuki Boulevard C50T, Yamaha V-Star, Kawasaki Vulcans and Honda Shadow Areo's. Mostly shaft drive units, large enough for me and the missus for short tours. Maybe she will get hooked and want one of her own. She was riding with my BIL when we went out last fall and sat on as many machines as me at the show. Maybe this is a whole new chapter in our future after our last kid moves out.

If anyone has any thoughts about any of those models good or bad, or has a suggestion I may have overlooked, by all means....

jump on a 750 or 800. 125lb isn't much difference on a cruiser. Shadow is a proven reliable bike as well as the Suzuki's, they are also the two that are probably on the smaller side of the big bikes. If you go with a 500 you will kick yourself when its time to hit the hwy, and wish you had opted for the 800. just my 2 cents. good luck with the purchase.

Back in 07-08 I bought a new Boulevard C50. Awesome bike around town and for short trips but didn’t find it very comfortable on long rides, I never kept it long enough to upgrade a seat or anything for more comfort but it was a beautiful bike. The power was a little on the light side on the 4 lane with the Hwy 2 nazi’s but for 2 lane back road touring it was fine. It’s a solid bike, easy to maintain and handle, if I recall it replaced the Volusia that was a proven chassis.

That's all great info. Kinda validifies what direction I want to go.

Yup, look at something bigger than the 500. The extra weight will help with the cross winds and passing semis. You won't notice the extra pounds.

Triumph makes some cool retro bikes.
Some good deals on HD used as well.
Vstrom is a neat bike, put some rubber on it and the fun doesn't end at gravel.

In an air cooled cruiser twin I would go north of 500 and even say you could venture easily into the 1200 category with no worries. The HP those put out is very manageable for any skill level and I would not be concerned about the weight as it will sit very low.

If you were looking at sport bikes, naked bikes or sport touring it is a very different conversation as a 600 liquid 4 is a highly strung bike with twice the HP as a 1200 cruiser.

Good luck on the hunt! I am selling my BMW 1200GSA currently but it wouldn’t fit into the category you are looking at.

Well, we pulled the trigger on my BIL's Virago. My wife wants to learn to ride solo. So we will start with that and I will get a bigger bike. It will likely be a Boulevard C50T. I like the fact they have gas gauges and some newer ones have gear displays as well.
Cant wait till the snows gone now!

nast70 said:

Well, we pulled the trigger on my BIL's Virago. My wife wants to learn to ride solo. So we will start with that and I will get a bigger bike. It will likely be a Boulevard C50T. I like the fact they have gas gauges and some newer ones have gear displays as well.
Cant wait till the snows gone now!

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That will be a good little bike to learn on for both of you. When you look to upgrade the Suzuki models are nice. They have both eh "C" models and the "M" models of cruisers. I've been told that the C models are more of a traditional cruiser and the M models are more of a muscle cruiser. I had a M90 and loved that bike, but unfortunately its gone now. I just brought home a new M109 and am looking forward to riding it sometime this summer. Also, don't forget that there is motorcycle training available from beginner courses to advanced. I've been riding for years but plan on taking one of the advanced training courses this summer. Its never too late to brush up on your skills. And, make sure you have good gear. For those of us that have been down on a bike know the importance of wearing the proper protective gear. There is a good MC forum on this site and several other good specific MC forum sites as well with a wealth of information and tons of people willing to help with any questions that you may have.

Enjoy your new bike! You're probably hooked now!

It amazing how this stuff can spiral out of control. Case in point:
We have a 30' 5'er we are going to down size, the boys are both grown up and want their own space...tents!
We were going to get a smaller 5'ver. But I've watched some cool moto-tour vids on you tube. I'm thinking to scrap the 5'ver and get a bumper pull toy hauler instead. The fifth wheel toy haulers are too big for my truck, it would cough up a left lug nut if I hook on one of those!
The new trailer can obviously still be used for the quads, my wife's TRV in the trailer, my quad fits in the truck box. Done.
Loving the idea of setting up camp in the mountains, then cruising around on the bikes.
My BIL has a small cargo trailer he uses for his model planes. Its convertible to haul his new bike around as well, and small enough to haul behind his 5'ver. But he cant go out of Alberta like that. Hence my thoughts on the bumper pull. I have always been pro tandem tow, but defiantly leaning the other way now.
decisions, decisions, decisions

Make sure to take a motorcycle safety course! You need every advantage to survive when riding a motorcycle and this course will save your life! https://www.safetycouncil.ab.ca/training-programs/motorcycle/beginner-motorcycle-rider

scesfiremedic said:

Make sure to take a motorcycle safety course! You need every advantage to survive when riding a motorcycle and this course will save your life! https://www.safetycouncil.ab.ca/training-programs/motorcycle/beginner-motorcycle-rider

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Done deal. My wife has already scheduled her sessions, I think in mid April. Had to work around school and work.
I hope to get in as soon as the roads are safe. As much as I am looking forward to it, it's nothing to risk life and limb over.

nast70 said:

Done deal. My wife has already scheduled her sessions, I think in mid April. Had to work around school and work.
I hope to get in as soon as the roads are safe. As much as I am looking forward to it, it's nothing to risk life and limb over.

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might I make a suggestion. Speaking from experience I would suggest that you limit you first rides to quite low traffic residential areas or better yet if at all possible quite low traffic highways. Get to know the feel of you machine. Get comfortable and confidant with you maneuvering of the machine. Once you get some time in the saddle then you can attempt the more busy traffic areas. And remember you are not driving one vehicle ( the bike that you have your leg slung over) you are driving every vehicle around you.

Good luck and have fun.