Motorcycle Weight

[Rough Edge racing]

  With a 400 pound bike I can park it anywhere and not worry about looking like the fool try to paddle back a two wheel Buick..

[Kev m]

  With a 400 pound bike I can park it anywhere and not worry about looking like the fool try to paddle back a two wheel Buick..

Of course you should never HAVE to paddle uphill.

If there's a slope that goes down into a parking spot simply turn it around and back in downhill when you park.

[oldbike54]

Of course you should never HAVE to paddle uphill.

If there's a slope that goes down into a parking spot simply turn it around and back in downhill when you park.

 Yeah , but what if it's uphill both ways  I think Jim is referring to something other than parking 

  Dusty

[charlie b]

If I was not concerned about the weight of my bikes I'd have an ST1300 or Connie, maybe even a Road King or GW.

[Kev m]

I think Jim is referring to something other than parking 

  Dusty

That must be why he used the term PARK in his one sentence post.

  

[Rough Edge racing]

Yeah , but what if it's uphill both ways  I think Jim is referring to something other than parking 

  Dusty

 Oh yeah the low spot in the middle...and the shorter rider on his 800 pound behemoth paddling and suddenly the low spot is exactly where his feet are.....And over he goes .......
 For the record, I'm 6 foot skinny and I don't normally foot paddle, get off and stand to the left side to maneuver the bike even though my heaviest bike is about 450 pounds ...

[oldbike54]

Oh yeah the low spot in the middle...and the shorter rider on his 800 pound behemoth paddling and suddenly the low spot is exactly where his feet are.....And over he goes .......
 For the record, I'm 6 foot skinny and I don't normally foot paddle, get off and stand to the left side to maneuver the bike even though my heaviest bike is about 450 pounds ...

 Hate those low spots in the middle 

  Dusty

[krglorioso]

Six weeks shy of birthday number 79 and weighing a svelte 136 lbs, I grow weary of massively over-sized bikes.  Well, I guess if I were over-sized the bikes wouldn't seem over-sized, but as Dirty Harry said, "A man's gotta know his limitations".

15 years ago, I bought a new Honda ST-1100, clearly the most competent roadburner of the 80 bikes I've owned.  I struggled with that 700 lb,  top-heavy, narrow-barred beast for 3 years and finally sold it because I was afraid of it at any speed under about 5 mph, above which it morphed into a totally wonderful bike.  But, I had to stop for lights and stop signs and muscle it around the garage and that was pucker time.

My two Stone Touring models are well into the upper 500 lb range, topped off and with some gear in the bags.  A fairly low c.g. and wide bars (I use EMGO low flat track bars) has made them livable for a few more years (I am never afraid of them in any circumstance) and a daily work out with weights helps what I have do what I want.

I plan to sell one of the Stones soon and am going to look hard at a light single-cylinder dual sport weighing no more than 350 lbs.  A sign of the times for me.  I do marvel at Size 5 young women riding massive Harley Road Kings with apparent ease.  Maybe they are braver than I am.  Or stronger.

Ralph

[jas67]

Six weeks shy of birthday number 79 and weighing a svelte 136 lbs,...as Dirty Harry said, "A man's gotta know his limitations".
....
I plan to sell one of the Stones soon and am going to look hard at a light single-cylinder dual sport weighing no more than 350 lbs.  A sign of the times for me.  I do marvel at Size 5 young women riding massive Harley Road Kings with apparent ease.  Maybe they are braver than I am.  Or stronger.

Ralph

First of all, I hope I'm still riding at 79!   It sounds like you do what you need to to keep fit -- keep it up!  Depending on how tall you tall you are, or more importantly if you have a short inseam, even a small dual sport could be more of a handful than a Road King at stops.    The up side is, there are lowering kits available for many of them, so, if you are short of inseam, do you homework before picking a bike.

A DR650 could be the right bike for you.   Kuba Links makes a lowering link for it, and they weigh in right around 350 lbs ready to ride.    The DR650 is air cooled, which keeps it nice and simple, and helps keep the weight down.   My F650GS is water cooled, and is around 430 lbs ready to ride.   I would imagine that the KLR650 is nearly the same (as the F650GS) as they are water cooled as well.

I know a few people with DR650's, all love 'em.   They're a very good do-it-all bike.

[JeffOlson]

^ Congrats on the upcoming birthday! I hope I am still riding 20 years from now, or even 10!

Again, I have found nothing easier--or more fun--to ride than my wife's Moto Guzzi cousin, the Vespa 150 (hers is a Sprint, with ABS). Around town, it can't be beat: swift, agile, and very easy to handle. Well under 300 pounds, 117 mpg, lots of grins, and lots of waves from pedestrians and fellow riders. If I ever get to the point where I really need something light weight and a motorcycle will not do, I would be happy to ride a scooter.

Or, there is the Sym Wolf 150, which weights 266 pounds dry...

[krglorioso]

5'10" and 31" inseam.  Lowering links and pulling up the forks in the triple clamps may be on my horizon.   

Ralph