A sportster for 3500 is probably going to need some wrenching.

IIRC, that's a 250 cc street bike. You'll just have to ride it and see if it has enough pickup for you.

Thanks, that's helpful! Figured she was overpriced, and now I can go to her and give number to bring the price down. Trying to test it this afternoon and run it by a mechanic.

I rode a Honda Nighthawk (250cc) at the safety course this weekend. I know if I buy this that I'll upgrade in a year or so, but right now I need something to get me around town. Light highway riding (7-10 miles) with a top speed limit of 55 mph. If I ride home by the ocean, speed limit never gets over 45.

Nighthawk and the Rebel have the same engine, so you pretty well know what you are getting.

They are all listening to their cranked radio, talking on the phone, smoking, eating, slapping their kids, texting and watching a DVD at the same time. Plus anymore there are so many short women driving these big SUVs that they can barely see out of. You can never think that any car sees you... just give yourself a wide berth whenever you can (not that you could have here)

Going to look at a Vulcan 900 Classic this afternoon. The Kawasaki dealer has some great financing options right now.

would be a good choice. like the vulcans.

Absolutely LOVE the way they look. More than I wanted to spend, but could afford the payments until the wife goes to basic and we start getting the housing allowance to pay for the bike outright.

I know. I'm all over the place with wants right now. Thinking inexpensive, so smaller. Thinking bigger and better with financing until we can pay it off (early next 2010).

The Vulcan isn't a lot different from the Shadow Spirit I was originally looking at. A little bigger, and a rumbling cruiser, which I really like. Spending a lot of time looking at available stuff on CL that I can afford to pay off now, and looking at options on the showroom that aren't TOO expensive that I could make payments on until I could pay off in a few months.

The 900 is a bit more motor than I really wanted, but I like the Vulcan 900 Classic better than the Vulcan 500... not sure. Decisions, decisions. Hell, I may sit on one and not like it at all.

knew a friend who had a Vulcan and loved the hell out of it.

Cool name. Vulcan was the Hellenic god of fire and metallurgy

I bought an '81 CB900 Custom last year. Great bike to get me to and from work since it came with all the luggage (two side bags and a trunk). Most of my drive is highway - 65-75 mph. Mileage isn't quite what I would like since it is only a 5 speed (actuall 10 - with the high/low gear it also has) but now 6th gear for highway cruising.

It is because I said so Mother****er!
No, sorry, just kidding. And channeling Sam. ;)
Not that long ago the same thing couldn’t be said and the average bike would out brake the average car. But since the ‘80’s cars have become smaller, lighter and predominantly equipped with power assisted four wheel disk brakes with ABS control. Particularly on loose road surfaces the control of ABS makes a big difference.
You also have to consider ability and it takes someone with a lot of experience that has learned to “feel” the brakes to get the best braking performance out of a motorcycle while even a novice driver can slam on their cars brakes and achieve consistently short braking distances because of ABS.

Just consider the weight of that bike. Big cruisers get heavy fast, hence the term “lead sled”.