Joined
·
1,609 Posts
Ok, first off, you "recently got into motorcycling." You're a beginner. We're not going to recommend a bike that's going to be more than you can control. Unfortunately for you, most large bikes have a lot of power and a lot of weight. That's a terrible combination for a beginner.
Getting a used dual-purpose bike is a darned good recommendation, because those bikes will have enough height for you, but the smaller ones won't have so much power that you'll get in terrible trouble. You can learn on it for a year, become proficient, and then sell it and move on to a bike that you really want. But for now, getting something inexpensive and survivable is the key. It's good advice. And those DP bikes -- the KLR 650 in particular -- are perfectly good on the street.
Second, with respect to your overall needs, "fit" is a heck of a lot more than just your legs. Bikes with forward controls might feel good in the store because you think, "ah, I can stretch out my legs" but keep this in mind -- motorcycles are MOVING vehicles. A bike demands DYNAMIC comfort, not static comfort. Air blast, shifting, turning the bars, watching traffic, all the movements involved in motorcycling as well as the dynamism of the bike itself are going to transform that couch on the dealer's floor to a very different environment. Got it? In short, you CANNOT assume that a bike that is comfortable sitting on a floor will be comfortable when it is moving.
That said, some cruisers might do for you. Or, you could look for some larger standards that have a decent seat height. Street oriented semi-DP bikes such as the Buell Ulysses or Triumph Tiger could be fabulous for you. There are a lot of options out there; they just are not very good for a beginner. Which you are. So choose something that you can learn on now and resell later.
Good luck!
Getting a used dual-purpose bike is a darned good recommendation, because those bikes will have enough height for you, but the smaller ones won't have so much power that you'll get in terrible trouble. You can learn on it for a year, become proficient, and then sell it and move on to a bike that you really want. But for now, getting something inexpensive and survivable is the key. It's good advice. And those DP bikes -- the KLR 650 in particular -- are perfectly good on the street.
Second, with respect to your overall needs, "fit" is a heck of a lot more than just your legs. Bikes with forward controls might feel good in the store because you think, "ah, I can stretch out my legs" but keep this in mind -- motorcycles are MOVING vehicles. A bike demands DYNAMIC comfort, not static comfort. Air blast, shifting, turning the bars, watching traffic, all the movements involved in motorcycling as well as the dynamism of the bike itself are going to transform that couch on the dealer's floor to a very different environment. Got it? In short, you CANNOT assume that a bike that is comfortable sitting on a floor will be comfortable when it is moving.
That said, some cruisers might do for you. Or, you could look for some larger standards that have a decent seat height. Street oriented semi-DP bikes such as the Buell Ulysses or Triumph Tiger could be fabulous for you. There are a lot of options out there; they just are not very good for a beginner. Which you are. So choose something that you can learn on now and resell later.
Good luck!
