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-   -   Which Cruiser Motorcycle for my 55-year old dad? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/229867-cruiser-motorcycle-my-55-year-old-dad.html)

Hello Fellow Bhpians, We are looking to buy a cruiser motorcycle for my 55 year old dad, he used to ride a RX100 in his college days. Seeing his friends ride bikes, his passion has been reignited. He wants something with a laid back riding position, at least 300cc and no fuss in terms of maintainability. He shall be using this bike for weekend rides in vicinity of NCR. Also, The ride quality needs to be easy on the back as he suffers from slipped disc. Our budget is upto 4 lakhs. Any suggestions guys?

The highness and meteor are the recent additions and stand out from their competitors. I’m almost in the same age group and have picked up a highness after riding my friends bike for an extended period. I prefer to cruise at 90-100 and it can do it all day comfortably. The seating position is neutral, not committed but not too relaxed like the meteor. Add Honda reliability and you have a winner. The only caveat is the service centre availability, but you will have it sorted in NCR

Precisely for the above reasons & this, CB300R comes to mind.

Ideally the laid back riding will aggrevate the back more than a forward stance riding posture (ideally more forward leaning, better as the muscles at butt tends to absorb the riding jolts than hitting the tail bone & traversing through the vertebrae and even spinal cords probably) Also considering the age, lesser the weight better to handle & enjoy. KTM would've been ideal choice than CB300R but for riding stance.

55 is not exactly a geriatric. :)

I just turned 50 this month. I think the Duke is a brilliant choice.

Cheers, Doc

No first hand experience, but the reviews suggest the Meteor 350 to be a pretty comfortable bike with respect to seating and overall ergonomics.
A used Vulcan 650 is also a good option considering the budget constraint.

Since he mentioned a 300cc+, technically its 286cc :) The suspension would be fairly stiff for a person with back issues. Apart from the neutral foot peg position, I find the handlebars not that much more relaxed than the dukes. The snatchy throttle can also catch a returning biker off guard. It tends to promote very fun and sporty riding, wailing through empty corners at 130+, not relaxed cruising. Just speaking from discussions by the seniors in the owners group.

It will fit the requirements perfectly for weekend usage, zero maintenance and a refined effortless experience. However the 300R's not on sale YET. Quite hard to find a reasonably used one. And I think for someone returning to bikes a brand spanking new one will pamper their interest better.

However the Highness will probably be a better choice considering ergonomics, you still get the Honda family reliability. Maybe even the Meteor if it's softer on the back. If he feels the need for POWA the Interceptor should be plenty.

If he's got the inseam, maybe purpose built touring bikes like the 310GS and 250 ADV will suit him.

These cruiser bikes are too heavy to handle owing to weight of bike. It's not easy even for 20-40 year old riders to take the bike parked on the side of a busy street in a city/town then start it. Moving bike in neutral takes a toll on the ligaments of knee. Imagining day-to-day situations like where bike is parked in unpaved road and the newly laid roads are few inches higher than it. the bike has to be started again for joining the road. It becomes a nightmare to maneuver the bike in neutral. So my recommendation will be to try hands at powerful scoot like Aprilia SR150 or even a decently powered Burgman for the relaxed riding posture it offers. A TD of the H'ness, Meteors and then such powerful scooters one can understand what I say about. From my experiences with SR150 and TB500, all I can say is SR150 is damn good machine and can give even 300cc bikes run for money.

I've booked a Meteor for myself, and my dad, currently 65, test rode the meteor and found it to be very comfortable in all aspects. He currently rides a Passion pro. So I suggest you give Meteor a try.

Now that is something we need to wait and watch with Meteor. My opinion is the bike would be relatively fuss free, compared with other REs, barring the 650s.

+1 Couldn't agree more.

@SID2997, Given the plethora of options in today's market, I suggest that he rent few bikes, from the likes of Dominars, Interceptors, Himalayans, Classics, and Dukes, and go for a short 100km ride. Let his ride experience dictate his choice.

Cheers!

SR150 has hard suspension and small size. Burgman is good, but the power is 'adequare' only. Too bad we don't have any choice of a powerful scooter.

If rumours are true, Honda will be launching the Forza 300 in couple of months, that will be a great choice if you are looking into gearless scooters, will be far better than SR and Burgman for sure. My two cents.

Thank you so much for the prompt responses, all inputs are real gems. What I can conclude from all your considerate inputs is:-

1) Even too much of a relaxed position is bad for the back.

2)Meteor and Highness ought to be considered.

3) Cruisers are heavy in terms of parking logistics and bad on the knees in the long run

4) Renting/Borrowing multiple bikes to get a feel is a really good idea

5) The CBR300s sporty stance makes it a unique proposition among the rest.

6) Sporty scooters can provide the best of both worlds to some extent.


I guess we shall try some of these out and also wait for new launches around the corner

I would suggest he gives a used Tiger 800XR a go. The road version is supremely comfortable, very manage able and need not leave the tarmac ever to enjoy.

Most of my riding friends are in the 48-55 age bracket and have migrated to the adventure tourer category for its jack of all traits. Usable power, ergonomics, comfortable and can take abuse.

I would also suggest a used Versys 650. A brilliant jack of all.

The Bajaj Dominar 400 can also be looked at.

These regular RE's are just crap bikes and provides no riding pleasure whatsoever. If it has to be RE, then it is the brilliant 650 and nothing else.

The new Honda 300 should also be good, give it a test ride and also the Suzuki VStorm 650.

Stick to bikes above the 300/350cc category for a more sublime/restrained riding pleasure.

More importantly, he needs to test ride a few and form an opinion. The game has moved on from the screaming banshee days of the 2 stroke.

Thanks Sir, it’s true there’s a sea of difference between the two strokes of yesteryears and the modern engines which we have now. The used tiger is there on our radar, but we will have to try out in person as we are average heighted people as a family (which may prove as a disadvantage in the ADV class of bikes). Also, in terms of reliability how does Triumph compare to Kawasaki?

Royal enfields are on heavier side and even dominar too. I assume your dad would want to have an ease of riding and friendly maintenance. If your dad is ok to try Hero Xpulse 200, I think that can be in TD list and figure out if it will fit your bill.

All motorcycles (all automobiles for that matter, discarding lemons) from TVS to Bajaj to RE to Honda to Kawi to BMW to Moto Guzzi to Harley to Indian are made to perfection by any manufacturer & always screwed by their respective ASC.

What ideally you've to see is whichever motorcycle you buy, whether you're going to leverage those functionalities. For instance, buying a Tiger XcX for a pure city & occasional highway is not taking fully advantage of the features of the motorcycle. At the same time, buying a Versys 1000 & always riding on trails is not going to be enjoyable riding as well.

Every manufacturer makes a model for an intended purpose serving specific set of customers. As a customer we're bound to make due diligence on our purpose to find that model meeting our requirement for an enduring, delightful & gratifying ownership.

And we assume here you'll bump up your budget for that (and it indeed weighs over 210 Kilos)