looking to buy my first motorcycle i was set on a  2008 yamaha fz6 cause it was more standard then the rest of the sports bikes and comfortable. i have visted every bike dealership possible and actually have been getting talked out of buying a sportsbike as my first bike by salemen with them feeling i should get some expierence riding on a cruiser before buying a sportsbike they feel it is dangerous cause making a mistake on a sportsbike is more dangerous then making one on a cruiser.anyone have an opinion on that . if i was to get a cruiser i am being steered in the direction of a 2007 vulcan 900 brand new which i can get for just under $5000 i also looked at the honda vtx 1300c which i reaaly like but is around $9000 and salesmen thinks it might be a little to big for me i plan on keeping whaterver bike i get a while so i dont know which way to go can anyone help? im 5"11 195 pounds  

HI;I think you will be happy with the  900. The bike has plenty of power and likes to run all day 60-70 mph. I have a C50T and it is much the same. Runs good all day easy to manuver in and around traffic. There is a couple of articals on the C800 and vulcan 900 here. They are both good bikes. Big enought for you to carry a passenger and a lot of gear..Well good luck happy riding.. scruffy..  

thanks for the help what do you think about the sports bike a few people have told me to get some expierience on a cruiser first before purchasing a sports bike saying making a mistake on a sports bike is worse then on a cruiser any truth to that  

Cambren:

Ditto to what Scruffy had to say about the Vulcan 900 -- by my user name you know which one I chose! ;-)

Before making any comment on sport bike vs cruiser, let me ask what size of sport bike are you looking at?  If you are looking at a 1000cc sport bike you may indeed be looking at more bike than may be confortable for you as a first motorcycle - sport bikes in that size group are some very serious rides with tremendous amounts of power and torque and can be very dangerous in inexperienced hands.  This may be (one of a number of reasons) why you are being steered in a different direction.

The fact is, any motorcycle can be a dangerous proposition, and making a mistake on any kind of bike can be bad...very bad.  Ultimately, safety or safeness falls into the hands of the rider...sport bike, cruiser, dirt, scooter, or moped.

As a new and first time rider, you may want to consider a motorcycle safety course first.  Many courses have motorcycles that you can use and "cut your teeth on" as a first ride.  Then, see if you can arrange some test drives on used bikes at a dealership or those that belong to close friends.

Best of luck!  

thanks for the advice was looking at a yamaha 600 sportsbike. i already have taken the mss saftey course just didnt want to get something that was my second choice for now and then have to buy a sports bike a year or so from now whatever i decided on i plan on keeping for a while  

Don't let the salesman decide for you.  The FZ6 is an awesome bike.  Check out the 2009 Yamaha FZ6R. I bought the naked 2008 but the new one is a whole lot sexier.  This bike will not disappoint you.  

I just want to say that I don't know about the sports bike vs cruiser theory either, but I can say I was looking really hard at the Vulcan 900 before deciding to go with a HD. In my opinion, if you can get a 2007 900 for under $5000, you cannot go wrong. Have you looked at what a new '08 runs? You'd be looking at $8700. You could ride the Vulcan for a year and then make your decision. If you go with another bike, you could probably sell your 900 for $5000 and make your money back. It is a great bike! You just might stick with it!
Be safe!  

thanks for your thoughts i was kind of thinking the same thing you were plus the sports bike i wanted doesnt come out til january