I am a little hung up on choosing a bike.  I am looking for my first actual motorcycle.  I grew up on dirt bikes and snowmobiles but thats it.  
  I am looking for a decent cruiser thats comfortable, nice looking, and reliable.  I am most hung up between the M109R and the Vulcan 2000.  Most of my riding is going to be on flat non-winding roads.  Not a whole lot of excitement here in Wisconsin.  
  I am 255 and if I have the wife on shes another 105.  SO I definitely want something with decent power and is stable on the highway.
  I like the looks of the M109R better, but I dont care for its exhaust note (even with aftermarket pipes)and I prefer the belt drive.  I guess how does the reliability of the Suzuki compare to the Kawasaki?
  Another bike that has really caught my eye is the Yamaha Raider.  Would it be better to drop both of these bikes in favor of the Raider?

Thanks in advance for your help!


Mike  

Hi; How much comfort does your wife require? The passenger seat on these are small. I ride with a gut with 109 it's fast and does not have much space for a pass. Have you looked at the 109 touring version?The bikes you like are very good choices. If you like belt dr. then the 109 is out being shaft dr.
I have friends that own these bikes. I have a C50T none of us have ever had any trouble. I have the least milage of all 14,400 , just replaced the tires. We have never been stranded along the roadside. Big Dan ran out of gas. That should't count.
Take a ride on the Raider and see if it fits what you want. It is a good looking bike. For your first bike these are kinda big. Have fun checking them out. Ride safe... scruffy  

Hey Scruffy,

Thanks for the response.  I know that if shes not happy then I wont be happy  .  Shes not a big gal, only about 105, but she definitely wants support and an back rest.

I definitely think the Raider has an nice look.  What do you think about the 1600 Mean Streak?  

I bought a Vulcan 2000 Classic LT Jan. 15 08 put A 1000 miles on her so for an the wife loves it i weight is 290 an she 4 ft 11 at 104 lb. WE took a trip on her an road it for 8 hrs. only stop for gas an eats. Wife is very happy we bought it got plenty of power an very comforble ride .  

Hello Mike,
I just got Raider S, I had same thinking about 109 Suzuki but Raider just blew it out of the water.
It is the most beautiful bike I ever owned and it is going to be the bike of the year 2008.
Very limited production.
Go and get it.
G  

I ride a M109R and it rides great. The passenger seat is nice for the wife. look at the big bike shootout on this site and you will see that the "9" has a very comfy passenger seat. They are really not the same bikes. The M109R will beat them all in a straight line drag race hands down. The vulcan will be a little smoother due to the belt drive. Don't know much about the raider. Mean streak you will be bored with in a week, don't buy that. If you want the most bang for your buck get the M109R. But remember its what you like first. Your not always going to ride double. Good luck.  

HI again..  I think that if you are going to ride 2 up most of the time that the 1600 would be good. Lots of power and they are easy to ride. Cause the combined weight will be over 300 lbs. The big bikes don't seem to be affected as much as the 650-900's do. The wife is going to be wiggling around looking at stuff. Stop I got PPPP    the fun stuff. I ride with a guy that has one and when the wife is with we are always stopping for something.  I don't mind it just takes a little longer but that''s the fun..
Remember You have to feel good on the bike. Get the one bike that fits you. You will have more fun and not get tried quickly. So have fun and test ride as many as you can before the purchase...Take the safty course if you haven't yet..It will save you a lot of grief later..It will speed up the learning curve. Have fun  scruffy  

I used to ride a 800 Kawi Drifter. Wife rated the rear seat a 7 (ok for the 1st 100, talk about divorce after 200). We did the test rides at Americade, and she thought a Nomad was an 8, as was the Royal Star Tour Deluxe and Road King Classic. She rated the Goldwing (wince... not a Cruiser... sorry) as a 10. More comfortable than her car. We now have one.

If riding 2 up is a priority, look at the Road Kings or the Glides, the Tour Deluxe, and the new Victory Vision. Make sure it has a real back seat, or, we'll read about you on divorce court.  

no contest, for two up and highway, the kawy 2k