newbie - good next bike if I trade up.

Hi Folks. Just started at 47. I took the MSF course and bought a Yamaha
Virago250. I just love it, but you know the scoop - already wondering
if I should buy a bigger bike say next year. Here is my question. I

How long you been riding? Since you took the course.

Here is my

Try out a Harley Sportster. There are some for whom the look, sound
and feel of a Harley Davidson resonates deeply in their psyche.

Some bikers know this about themselves from early childhood.
For others it's a dormant trait that they discover only later
in life. (This was true for me.)

And there are even a few strident Harley bashers who secretly yearn
for one, but won't admit it to themselves. Sigh.

Anyway, if you are one of these select breed of Harley people I hope
you discover it without too much time wasted.

Meanwhile -- I also ride a Virago 250 for commuting and running
errands. It's a bit small for a real motorcycle, so I think of it
as a scooter.

Sean_Q_

'99 FLHTCUI
'04 Virago 250

drive to work (literally 10 miles round trip) and for fun. We're not
talking cross country. I live in the North East, so this is a 4 month
or so thng a year. I like the Yamaha's and so have thought about a
bigger Yamaha. Problem I have is the power to weight rations on the V
star 650's are not that much more impressive than the Virago! Do I need
to go all the way up to an 1100? As you can tell I want to stay in the

You've gotten some good advice on this already. If you're gonna ride a
cruiser (assuming a V-twin), then 1100 cc isn't a particularly big bike.
There's not a lot of horsepower in a cruiser that size, so don't be afraid
of being able to handle it. Just ride responsibly, and you'll be fine with
it. And when the time comes that you really NEED some power to extricate
yourself from a bad situation you've found yourself in, you'll be glad it's
there.

Not bragging, but just as a matter of comparison, my 600 cc Yamaha R6
generates 123 hp. My Honda Shadow 1100 1100 cc V-twin cruiser generated 60
hp. Almost twice the displacement, and less than half the horsepower. (And
about 200 pounds more weight.)

So don't think of displacement as the only meaningful measurement of a
motorcycle. And if you're gonna stick with a V-twin cruiser, don't be
afraid to ride something in the 1100 or up range. It's not gonna run away
from you!

And, as various folks have said, it's very much a question of
riding style / preference. TO that I would add 'RPM range to GET the
HP numbers mentioned varies tremendously - some ( V-twin cruisers )
you might spend all day and never go above 3,500 RPM, some 'hot sports
bikes' need to be cranked up to 10,000 + to 'do what they do'. Very
different noise levels, attitudes, etc.

How big are you? Do you ride 2 up ever? Plan to?

cruiser league.

I came off a 600cc sportbike and got on a honda shadow sabre 1100cc,
and it was no problem, i have a freind who has a shadow 700 and wants a
bigger bike, point being you should step it up to the bigger bike, it
shouldnt be a problem to handle, although i did find the sabre a bit
hard on the back during long trips. good luck