|
Daily Driver |
Cruising |
Sport |
Touring |
| Height/Width |
You want something nimble and fun. So have your feet flat on the ground, and the width comfortable enough so you can enjoy the ride. |
The Cruiser likes to ride something comfortable, but looks are the most important thing. They like lots of chrome, and keeping their bike clean. Some cruiser riders like to customize their engines as well, so look for engine and exhaust modifications. |
Most of these bikes won't be that wide, but height will make a difference. Sport riding is high performance, so pick something that you feel comfortable with. |
Most of these bikes will be bigger and wider than the rest. They contain more onboard storage, and other accessories than the rest. |
| Weight |
You want something light that you can easily maneuver through traffic, and be able to park and back around easy. |
The Cruiser still wants something they can handle, but weight is not as important as style. |
The lighter the bike he higher the performance, so pick one that fits your ability. All of these bikes will weigh less than the other categories. |
These bikes are normally heavier than the others. This makes them more comfortable and they hold the road better for long trips. This also makes them harder to maneuver in parking lots and tight areas. |
| Carbureator |
Probably not the best choice, but I would leave that up to preference and budget. |
The motorheads in the group will probably prefer Carbs. |
The beginner bikes will be carbureted and will be fine for the beginning sport bike rider. |
Some of the older bikes will be carb, but most Tourers will want FI. |
| Fuel Injection |
FI suits the daily driver better because it is more efficient, you don't have to worry about choking it or warming it up, just crank it and go. |
If they grew up with FI, or if they prefer efficiency, most cruisers will prefer FI. |
All of the high end and expert level bikes will be FI. And tunable to your needs. |
Most all Touring bikes will use FI due to efficiency and ease of use. |
| Belt Drive |
A fine choice for Daily Driver because of its low maintenance, light weight, and it lasts longer than a chain. |
Most Cruiser bikes will be belt drive, which allows you to add chrome guards. The low maintenance is a plus for these guys and gals. They would rather be polishing than doing the maintenance. |
Not an option. |
A lot Tourers prefer belt drive because it is lighter and requires little maintenance. It can still break, but the odds of that are low. |
| Shaft Drive |
Another good choice because of the low maintenance and dependability. It may ad more weight than a DD would like. |
A good choice for the cruiser as well. They don't seem to care about the extra weight, and like the low maintenance. |
Some of the Sport Touring models will be shaft drive. They are still great performers and offer less maintenance than the chains. |
Even though it is heavier than the belt drive, a good many Tourers prefer the shaft drive. You don't have to worry about it breaking, and it is also very low maintenance. |
| Chain Drive |
May be cheaper in the beginning, but will cost you more in the long run. The chain requires more maintenance, and is better suited for high performance applications. |
Most larger Cruiser bikes won't offer chain, and the performance gain does not outweigh the maintenance for the Cruiser. |
The biggest % will be chains. They offer the highest performance and the greatest strength. But they are high maintenance, and have to be replaced more often. |
Not really the preference for the Touring Section. High Maintenance, and not as dependable for long trips. |