Street bike advice needed. Bike with upright seating position

Guys, I'm looking for a street bike under $5k.

Here's the thing, I don't have a very well defined set needs so to speak and I am pretty flexible.

The main thing for me is that I want something with an upright or fairly upright seating position.

I originally started looking at big scooters and have tested the Honda Reflex 250, Majesty 400, Burgman 400 and 650 and the SilverWing 600.

With the exception of the Reflex, I liked them all and all of them were capable of hauling my fat ass around (360lb) so that was not a problem.

Then I found the Honda PC800 here and started looking into it and I like what I see. I understand they're pretty much bulletproof which is something I need because I don't wrench and once this bike is paid, I'll have little money for repairs.

Someone from the PC800 group advised me that even if I get something like the PC800, going with an older bike could mean a bigger possibility of having to fix something and other PC800 said that many Honda dealerships don't want to work on them and if they do, it gets expensive because they have to take all the plastic off.

Also, the Burgman 650 which I liked a lot, apparently has some possible problems which if you had to repair them, meant taking the whole bike apart. CVT I think it was but don't remember.

I also thought of looking at something more like a regular street bike and just putting hard luggage on it as I want a commuter, a bike for shopping and riding maybe a max of a few hundred miles at a time.

The problem is that where I am (close to Charlotte, NC) most of the bikes for sale are dirt bikes of which I already have one (for sale or trade), I do NOT like cruisers and my gut prohibits me from being comfortable on a racer/crotch rocket.

So, I am looking for a bike with a fairly upright riding position.

I found a nice 2002 Triumph Trophy 1200, some nice DL1000's and of course, some PC800's but I wanted some opinions.

I don't really need the extra horse powers of the first two but it would be cool to have. I guess I could also take the DL1000 on the occasional dirt road.

What's the riding position like on the Triump and the V-Strom?

Anyone have any pics or videos showing the bikes with riders on them? If so, please post.

What about the reliability?
What kind of mileage is considered low or reasonable for someone like me?
Service cost? Is the Triumph more expensive?

Thanks for any advice.

George

I dont know how you got from a burgman to a 1000cc

The weestrom is a better bike in every way except maybe two up. Heaps cheaper too.

You would not believe the smoking deals out there on low mileage Kawasaki Versys.

Knock ya socks off and play to your hearts content courtesy of a fellow inmates effort for having this site , http://cycle-ergo.com/



.

:)

Two up is NOT important to me.

Ok, that was fuckin' awesome

Seems I can get better equipped Vee's for the same price although they are a few years older than the versys.
Does it matter?

Vee is stronger and bigger. Shouldn't they handle more miles? Ie, get an older and feel that it should last for a good while before needing repair?

According to this site where you show the riding positions, the Vee is the one that has the most upright riding position.

As noted above, V-Strom 650 sounds ideal.

Versys

Honda 599 or 919

Bonneville

The Honda Nighthawk 750, '91-'03, is a great all around street bike. Low maintenance, reliable as a hammer, nice upright seating position, low mileage units available for very reasonable prices. Good for commuting and long rides as well. Mine has over 40K on it now with nothing but routine maintenance.

You can look at one of the R series bmw's and see if the seating is good for you, because they are a pretty strong and sweet bike and pretty reliable and easy on maintenance too.

Enjoy your ride.

Thanks.

What kind of money are we talking about?

I found two V-Strom1000's that I like but was told in a V-Strom forum
that they were too expensive.

Hell, I can't find anything cheaper close to me

If the PC800 is within your budget and is a well-kept example, don't discount it yet. I picked one up last year, and was very pleased with the comfort of the machine. If you are taller, you'll want to add a larger windscreen or a windscreen extension, but otherwise they are an extremely pleasant bike to ride. You won't lose money if you take care of it.

While the plastic may be daunting for some, it is actually fairly logically laid out, and isn't a major chore to remove.

The bike needs very little in the way of regular maintenance. The shaft drive is reliable with yearly oil changes. The valves are hydraulic and self-adjusting, and don't need any attention. Do regular oil changes, a new air filter now and again, and plugs on fairly long intervals, and you're good to go.

The suspension should be fairly easy to crank up to accommodate your weight. I'm about 250, and I regularly ride with my son (100 lbs) on the back.

If gravel is in your riding mix, I'd certainly recommend the Wee, Versys, or some of the others mentioned. The PC is by no means a dual-sport. It is very pleasant on the road.

there should be plenty of cheap used bee and wee stroms around Charlotte, especially if you buy from owners, not dealers.

Nope, haven't discounted it yet. I still like the way they look and what they offer and I've found several low mileage ones around $3500-4000.

I'm 5-10 by the way.

I swear, that Vee 1000 really intrigues me.

Where? I can't find much and I've looked on Craigslist up to a few hundred miles from me and not much to choose from that's not pretty high priced.

I would definitely not mind some links to some good deals.

My preference is towards the Vee 1000 though. Again, I haven't tried one but I like what I see.

Thanks

Both the 650 and the 1000 are good bikes. I had a Wee for a while. The decision to get rid of it was a tough one, but either it or my K75 were going to go. I kept the K75, which is also another bike you should look at.

The Wee is a remarkably sweet gravel and paved road machine, and corners like a dream. It's cheap to insure and cheap to run. At least in this area, they are far more common than the 1000s. Depending on your inseam, you may want a lower seat.

I like the lower seat idea which is why I like scooters but I also have a DRZ400s and I have no problem getting up on it if I stand on the foot pegs :)

Hell, I like the idea of all these and especially the PC800's AND, the Vee 1000. Especially the two that I've found.
Sure, they're around $5k but dammit, it seems like a good bit of bike for the money and besides, I can't seem to find better deals locally.

Nothing on cycle trader, not much other than what I've posted on craigslist withing a few hundred miles
and nothing on the forums..?

George

I have been known to pay more for a bike based on condition. When I buy a used bike, it has to pretty much be in perfect condition. If the bike is worth the money, then don't let a few hundred dollars put you off. Spending a year looking for the right deal, when you could be riding, is not that great of a deal

I agree but since I know nothing about these bikes, I still thought I'd ask for advice.

I REALLY like the two Vee's that I found.

However, I would like to find someone local so I can at least SIT on one before
going a couple of hundred miles to buy one...

How about a used Goldwing?