Thread: New cruiser vs second hand (motorcycle)

Thinking of getting a cruiser style motorcycle, I currently ride a 2008 cb900, and have a gb500 project under way. I'm thinking of selling the 900 and getting a cruiser for longer trips and having the gb for short weekend backroads/around town weekend blasts. Been riding dirt since I was 10, on the rd since 16 so plenty of experience just none on or with cruisers.

Wanting it for 2 up ( both of us are light probably 110kg comined) longer rides possibly multi day trips up to 6 hrs/day, lightweight luggage and tent. Hope to do rides like coromandel, forgotten highway, just find some campgrounds I have never been to.

Any way I talked to a mechanic at local bike shop as I was thinking of getting a sportster but he fairly quickly talked me out of that, he suggested a dyna (wide glide, super glide) due to my experience and size.

Looking on trademe I could only afford something in the 2007-2010 sort of age, a tidy low km's one seams to go for around 20k. My old man just bought a new triumph speedmaster for 21k. New bike has the pros of its new, warranty, etc but is it as good as a older dyna?

What does every one think, 10 year old dyna or new speedmaster?

Very interested in all input.

Obviously I will try to take a dyna for a ride etc I have riden the speedmaster and it was nice thats what got me thinking, heading to auckland in a couple of weeks to have a look around, but a test ride doesn't tell me what it's like to live with one, sometimes you can learn allot from someone that owned one for a year.

Cuzzie of mine is a big fella, 6ft5 - 120kg, and he rides a Suzuki Indruder 1800.

Personally I detest HD. Worst engines made ever. Definately not nice bikes to ride for a long distance.

I can't offer any advice regarding cruiser bikes since all of mine have been sport tourers ( currently a Suzuki 1250 Bandit), but with new vs second hand, with new you know the service history and will serve you for many years with no hassles with regular maintenance etc.... That said, there must be a few cruisers out there that people have bought then changed their mind so will be just run in.
If you are looking for a more upright riding position ( hence the cruiser style), with a few tweaks a sport tourer ( or your CB900 ) might fit the bill.
I'm not really a fan of the highway pegs with your legs up high up the front, with no chance of putting your foot down mid corner should you have a little slide. But of course like rifles, everyone has their preferences

I’ve had four HDs,
Latest one is a Electroglide Classic, real good for open road cruising and trips 2-up with all necessary gear on board, ride all day and not feel stuffed at the end of the ride - BUT she’s a big girl the Electraglide and given the size of the OP and his pillion I doubt it would suit him.
I’ve also had a HD Dyna T-Sport, now that was a good cruiser, had clip-on quick release side bags, adjustable suspension etc - only negative was that you got wetter than you would on the Electraglide! Once rode from Nelson to Milton non-stop (except for petrol stops of course) and felt I could have carried on to Invercargill if I had to.

I’ve also had Honda and Suzuki bikes but not cruisers - however any of their bigger cc cruisers would also be good I suspect.

I had several 750cc four cyl road bikes - Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha - all bought second hand. They all proved excellent runners.

Some dam good engineering out of japan for a long time now and in my view you don't need to throw alot of coin into a new bike. Or a new truck for that matter. I'd be looking for a model with good reputation, with reasonable ks, not out of date for parts, then give it a thorough test and vetting to establish its a good one.

Not a cruiser guy myself but I imagine any big capacity Japanese bike would run forever as the engines ar so under stressed. A second hand shouldn't be a problem as long as it hasn't been sliding down the road. Have you actually ridden any cruiser style bikes? Would pay to before you dish out any hard earned cash. You might miss the ability to go around corners and brake properly

10 year old Dyna vs new Speedmaster.....Depends on whether you're making an emotional decision or a rational one.
The Dyna won't have ABS, or any other modern technology. It will have plenty of torque and the iconic HD sound. Average handling and fairly heavy bikes, although you don't tend to notice the weight when they're on the move.

The Speedmaster is obviously a new bike, so you get new tech like traction control, abs, slipper clutch etc. Better lights (led) , better brakes. Lighter, better handling , probably the only negative I've heard is the smaller fuel tank is a bit of a pain on longer trips.

I like Harleys (I currently own one) but compared to the Triumphs I ride with, it's a pig.

Nah I have not spent any time on cruisers that's why I'm asking, I just like the idea of a laid back style of ridding, low seat height, maybe a screen, foward controls, comfy position, big tourqey motor, after something different I guess and the look kind of appeals to me, I'm sure jap bikes are better no doubt, my honda is great, been a solid bike. I could spend a bit of money on it and make it do what we want but thought I may just have a look at some cruisers instead.

That super glide t sport would be bang on, looks like exactly what I was thinking, (had to Google it) I have never seen one though so I imagine there's not to many around.

I did think of a jap cruiser but, they really don't hold there value and seam hard to sell, that's one of the reasons the harley appeals, there seams to be a large demand for them second hand if I decide I want to go back to a sport tourer.

Hey ruger thanks for that, so a speedmaster size triumph handles/rides better than a dyna in your opinion? I thought the extra weight and size of the dyna may have made it handle better than the small triumph. It is hard because I do prefer the look and sound of a nice harley, some of the bits on a triumph look a bit cheap to me. And yea the tank is a bit small my dad is trying to figure if he can fit a bigger t120 tank to his.

Going to look at a mates thunderbird tomorrow see what that's like.