About buying a motorcycle?

I'm close to buying a bike..but not sure which of the many are for me.


I love Harley for the history and rep they have but feel nervous about the reliabilty and cost of regular maintenance. I also like BMW...like Victory and Honda.


I want a touring bike that will close to the top of list and allows me to get my friggin feet on ground...no ballet dancing....my legs are too sort for the " Big Honda"





Can someone give me some direction...thanks a lot|||If you are 'inseam challenged', a cruiser is a good choice. They do make good tourers because they are so comfortable. I am not a cruiser person but I rented a Harley for a day a couple of years ago and I have to say I absolutely loved it. It wasn't a good handling bike but it was amazingly easy to manage for its size because of the low center of gravity, and the seat is low. And it was just superbly comfortable. I could have ridden that bike across the country.





Harleys are great but they are EXPENSIVE. You might do better with a Japanese cruiser. They are a much better deal for the money. Honda Shadow, Kawasaki Vulcan, Yamaha Star, Suzuki Boulevard. People who have Harleys usually aren't interested in any other bike, it HAS to be a Harley.





Also your regular cruiser is a good all-around bike. The 'Big Honda' is really specialized for touring. It's so big and heavy that it's clumsy in the city. But a cruiser is just as comfortable, but more maneuverable and easier to manage.|||Hmm going to throw a spanner in the works here





I hate cruisers for long rides (I live in Australia, a long ride may last a week here).





Their seating position, whilst usually comfortable, doesn't give you much room to move / reposition your legs or butt. Also you tend to have all your weight on the base of your spine, which is comfy for a short trip, but results in agony for any extended ride.





Go BMW, Harleys are overpriced, underengineered and you will only get 'rep' from idiots who wouldn't know a motorcycle from a tractor.|||No need to worry about the reliability of a Harley. Cost of maintenance isn't bad if you buy a shop manuel and can turn a wrench. You need to go to some dealers and sit on some bikes.|||You may wish to have the seat 'lowered' on just about any bike.


My 5'7" sister rides a BMW 1200 GS with a seat like I'm talking about and ask for a gel pack for the remodel.|||Take a look at Honda's NT700V or VTX Tourer





http://powersports.honda.com/2010/nt700v鈥?/a>





http://powersports.honda.com/2009/vtx130鈥?/a>|||OUR FIRST BIKE WAS A BMW R1150 R.... MY BOYFRIENDS..NOW HE BOUGHT A HARLEY SPORTSTER 1200..THERE BOTH BEAUTIFUL BIKES HE REALLY MISSES HIS BMW.. ..BUT BOTH GREAT FOR TOURING... WE GET SO MUCH RESPECT ON THE HARLEY....