I guess I'm a little different, I can have a good time at 140 mph on a ZX-10 or slow down to 50 mph on the cruiser, it's all riding to me.

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If I'm going to go slow, I'll just take the cage and be able speak to a passenger, be safer, not have to worry about the weather.....

Na, I don't see much reason for me to own a cruiser when I consider the expense of just owning it. Sure I'd take one but it would not have a lot of miles put on it unless it really did prove to be a chick magnet.

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+1

They are chick magnets, especially Hardleys and probably the only convincing reason to ever own one. If you have a Hardley they figure you either have money or credit which means you can probably hold a job.....you're pretty much in from that point on. Probably doesn't hurt that the Hardley vibrates like a paint mixer either.

Going slow on a cruiser can be fun, you get into the rythm of the road. I can hold a pace on the VTX in the 60 to 70 mph turns as well as I can on the sportbikes, you just drag hardparts sometimes and get left for dead on the straightaways.

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Did one of the Victory test ride days sunday. I rode the jackpot and the vision. The jackpot handles like CRAP! I kept looking for all this torque that I heard these vtwins have, and never did find it. The vision is a nice comfy cross country bike, yet a little odd looking. The transmissions on them is HORRIBLE, real clunky and vague. On both I had a LOT of trouble finding neutral. I don't think I would ever buy one.

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I guess I'm a little different, I can have a good time at 140 mph on a ZX-10 or slow down to 50 mph on the cruiser, it's all riding to me.

I am right there with you dude, I will always own some form of cruiser, I can have as much fun on my 81' naked goldwing GL100 as any other bike, its just a different experience. On Saturday I got to pickup my girlfriends sisters first bike, a new 09 Vulcan 500! lol I put about 70 miles on it right from the dealership to get it home, she is still learning. I felt like a fucking 800lb gorilla on the thing, but even that put a smile on my face.

I drove by a dozen guys on HD's etc on the way home and I got quite a few "WTF?!" looks from them and that just made me laugh even harder, I have no shame. Yesterday I took my friends 09 Vulcan 900 Custom out for an hour and sure its no torque monster, but it was comfy with its forward controls and well placed bars and I had a great time. I was thinking about the ride after I was heading home last night and realized that for most of the ride I was probably doing 30-50 MPH on the roads I took and I actually noticed a lot of scenery I had not previously and I've been down those roads a dozen times.

I would like to get something like a Vulcan 2000 or M109R2 etc... but I could pickup a slightly used Vulcan 900 for $3-4,000 and have plenty of fun. That bike seems like the ultimate hobby-modder bike with seemingly endless mods and aftermarket parts all over the web, it could be a lot of fun. I almost don't see the point in dropping 2-3x that type of cash on a "power cruiser" when no matter what I bought is never going to pump my blood like the 14.

Jeffo that is funny that you drove a Jackpot because my buddy who owns the 09 VN900 said that he wanted that bike but the price put him off... sounds like its more bark than bite hehe

Romans said Hmmmm, the M109 "Most unreliable". I will have to tell these guys. I don't think they are aware of that.

Sure they are! look at a M109 forum and see how much space has been used for oil leaks: often spilling or gushing from various parts of the bike. They have spilled more oil than BP in the gulf.

see http://www.m109riders.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127873&highlight=oil+leak
http://www.m109riders.com/forums/showthread.php?t=128105&highlight=oil+leak
http://www.m109riders.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126615&highlight=oil+leak
etc

there must be 500 posts as to oil leaks most of them are like this poor fellow who pleaded
Does anyone have any remedies for this oil leak on the M109. Have gotten it looked at several times and it continues to leak. Thanks for the help.
Kid
it is a miracle the EPA doesn't shut them down.
thats just the oil leaks - they have more problems than congress.

* Last updated by: alaskarider on 6/15/2010 @ 2:55 PM *

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I've got a very small oil leak from top of front cylinder on left side. No puddle under the bike, just a thin film of oil on the front left side of the cylinder facing the front of the bike. I'm assuming its the valve cover gasket that's leaking. Doesn't seem to be affecting the oil level, and bike is otherwise running fine. A while back I put in DLP's PAIR valve block-off plates to deal with the popping on decel...anyone else with those plates in develop a leak afterwards? Not sure if one could have anything to do with the other...rear cylinder seems fine and leak free. Any ideas? Thanks guys.

Alaskarider my brother is also a member of that forum.

They have spilled more oil than BP in the gulf.

He likes that one. Lol. Do you really believe that Japanese bikes leak more oil then ,,,,, ? Say it isn't so ? I'm also sure if you look long enough you will find ZX-14 with leaks.

it is a miracle the EPA doesn't shut them down.

They have 27 bikes in there local group, none with any issues that were not self inflicted.

JC here on the forum has made over 500 Dyno Runs on the M-109R. He may speak on this ? If you can get this bike to piss out oil this man would have done it.

they have more problems than congress.

So, You Don't like them eh ? Come on, You want one. That's what this is all about. You can tell. Moms the word. Shhhhh.

Did one of the Victory test ride days sunday. I rode the jackpot and the vision. The jackpot handles like CRAP! I kept looking for all this torque that I heard these vtwins have, and never did find it. The vision is a nice comfy cross country bike, yet a little odd looking. The transmissions on them is HORRIBLE, real clunky and vague. On both I had a LOT of trouble finding neutral. I don't think I would ever buy one.

2ND. I have rode these bikes many times(not the vision). Jeff, nails it with the above.

They are chick magnets, especially Hardleys and probably the only convincing reason to ever own one. If you have a Hardley they figure you either have money or credit which means you can probably hold a job.....you're pretty much in from that point on. Probably doesn't hurt that the Hardley vibrates like a paint mixer either.

I zoomed through the parking lot on the gas today. I got a big smile and a thumbs up from a nice looking lady coming out of the building. I nodded and gave a couple little zings on the gas as I passed. There's a couple women out there with good taste in bikes.

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Romans I doubt that any posts on this forum are about non self inflicted oil leaks. But there are hundreds of posts about such oil leaks for m109s. They are leaking when they pick it up new from the dealers or begin leaking thereafter and the dealer can't fix it. Or as the site administrator said about 3 or 4 years ago the oil leak problem is what it is....

The M109 is faster than a Harley; you just have to pack enough oil if you are going very far.
besides Romans we alaskans know oil spills.

* Last updated by: alaskarider on 6/15/2010 @ 4:19 PM *

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Romans I am sure your brother' bike is just fine but this is what I am talking about and It is very common.
a member of that forom wrote

the date was 24th june 09,the day i collect my new 109,having waited 2 months for it my excitement was growing,dan my mate collected me and my fireblade(trade-in),at 1.00pm we then drove the 150 miles to the dealer,getting caught in a rta on the way down we finally landed at the dealers at 5pm,went through the boring swap over details,then went out to see the beast (wow just looking at it blew me away).we loaded the 9 into the van and started the drive home.on arrival back at dan,s(4 miles away from my home) at 9.45 we unloaded the 9 and i excitidly got my gear on to ride her home.i fired her up and rode her the 4 miles home with a grin on my face as wide as the grand canyon,turning on to my street my wife had heard the beast coming and was out waiting for the first sight of our new baby! the look on her face was priceless she couldn,t wait to go cruisin.i parked the bike in the road so she and now all the neighbours could have a good look round the 9...after about 5 minutes one guy spotted oil dripping on the floor on the gearshift side,i hit the floor to take a look, the underneath was wet through!!! **** weres that coming from!!!!! i parked the 9 up for the night,next morning a bigger puddle of oil met me,back in the house on the phone to the dealer,they told me the oil may have been spilt on filling the motor and was just dribbling the spilt oil( YEAH RIGHT).checked the oil level everything ok,put my gear on and took my lady for a blast,stopped at a local cruiser shop to buy a couple of things,back to the 9 still dripping oil,rode her home parked her up...next morning got ready taking the 9 to dan,s (he also owns a bike shop) he was going to take a look at her.fired her up dropped her into gear she struggled to go forward,now what? felt like the brakes were stuck on,jumped off looking round the 9i spotted the problem, A DIRTY GREAT BIG BOLT STRAIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF MY BACK TYRE which by now has done 16miles...**** now what,rang dan he couldn,t collect her for 2days but she was going no were,dan collected her,had a new dunlop ready,put on the new tyre,took the crank case cover off it was soaked in oil,he cleaned it all out so it was bone dry,i collected her the same day,next day went to work on the 9,now i,m paranoid checking the floor under the bike every hour NO OIL DRIPS! finished work took the long way home (as we guys tend to do),got home told the missus no oil drips, had our tea got ready to go for a blast,the wife was waiting outside for me when i heard some abuse and swearing went outside and looked at the 9,there was a puddle of oil under the engine again.next day bike back to dan,s,he ripped off the covers again,the bloody thing was soaked in oil,he asked me to fire her up which i did,,,WOWWWW the oil was spewing (upwards into dans face) kill it he shouts,i cut the motor,he cleaned off the now dripping oil from his face,swore alot

There must be a hundred posts like this in the forums. So Maybe the batch you got up there were the only leak free ones in the bunch.

Here are 140 or so of my favorite m-109 oil leak stories. http://www.m109riders.com/forums/search.php? searchid=2063419

* Last updated by: alaskarider on 6/15/2010 @ 5:39 PM *

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So Maybe the batch you got up there were the only leak free ones in the bunch.

What I can tell you for sure is the 3 guys I see on a regular basis have Zero leaks. Next time they do a group ride I will be sure to ask. Brothers bike has 27,000 of not so nice use. Not even a hick up.

Once again, allot of bike for the Money. Here in Toronto they were selling for 12,500 at bike show. States much much cheaper I'm sure.

Alaska when are you getting one ?

I going to pass on the m109. I think it must be a dealer prep problem as many folks love them. I guess it is kinda like a Harley, if you get a good one you wonder what all the fuss is about when you hear about the bad ones.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs22KAw8Woo&feature=related

I guess I'm a little different, I can have a good time at 140 mph on a ZX-10 or slow down to 50 mph on the cruiser, it's all riding to me.

1+

I too have that same throttle theory. Ass long as you are riding, who cares if you ride a don needs down the road cruiser. Just ride and be you. The big twin haters have to live with that thought at the end of the day and wake up with it. But, you are riding toward the sunset setting a grin you can't wipe off.

Because of the down$izing, my next bike will $till get me down the road. I lube the chain enough, I'll have chain spray up my back, I will fit right in call me, Squiddy.

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Enough with all of this bike bashing BS, even if they are facts. Lets get this thread back on track:

What's your next bike?

If I don't get a ZX-14, I just might get a Busa.

Bashing? No one is losing 2nd gear like a Busa is notorious for. And you would choose that over 4 years of abuse, where no one is splitting cases for bent forks on a 14. Suz have a 4 year window of cases staying together? I didn't think so.

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I am keeping my 08 ZX14 and it will be my last bike, most likely.

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I may have gotten carried away in comparing harleys to other cruisers. I hope I didn't offend you Romans. My point perhaps poorly made was that every bike can be picked on if you know much about them. Even our darling, the zx14, has a history of cracked frames. What is important is that for most of us we will have a next bike and one after that until we can't swing a leg over one to ride and then, who knows, maybe a vespa or trike.

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romans this may be a stupid question but ill ask anyways lol if nothing else ill learn something new.
your so close to the US so why not buy your bikes in the US where they are cheaper?

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The M109 is faster than a Harley

......uhhhhhhh.... actually a Ninja 250 is faster than a Harley if you disregard the V-Rod. Seriously, the 250 topends about the same as most Harleys but will out accelerate them and of course leave 'em for dead in the twisties. Y'know what though, to each his own. I was at Starbucks yesterday evening and some guy pulled up on a brand new '10 Road King all dressed out in black, it looked nice and he was obviously quite proud of it. He had more chrome on that thing than a '58 Pontiac and was beeming like a new daddy. He may be in debt for the rest of his life but he was having as much fun as I was...to each his own. I have to apologize here, I tend to jump on the Harley bashing bandwagon as much as anyone, it's all in fun but we do get carried away sometimes. No harm meant to any of the Harley owners on this forum.

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I am keeping my 08 ZX14 and it will be my last bike, most likely.

Most likely you are going to eat your words. Some old lady H-D rider is in her mid or late 80's and is still riding a heavy bagger. That hag is not about to out-ride my busted ass long as I can swing 3 legs over a seat, it now DEPENDS on which side the third leg swings with what leg is the sack calls the ball(s).

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I'm not looking for a next bike but I have another bike...

* Last updated by: BigSpenda864 on 6/16/2010 @ 9:45 AM *

I have to apologize here, I tend to jump on the Harley bashing bandwagon as much as anyone, it's all in fun but we do get carried away sometimes. No harm meant to any of the Harley owners on this forum.

Kruz ...yes do apologize because im sure in the Harley forums they have nothing but nice things to say about our bikes and thier riders. lol

I have nothing against Harley's to each his own Ive had a couple they are just not for me. For me its about the ride not the bike your riding with, my problem is with the 90% of the Harley owners that think they are so much better than other bikers without Harleys.

Reminds me of a story, me and a buddy were on the highway and we came up on a couple of Harleys I noticed 1 of them was almost on his back rim, so trying to be nice I pulled up next to him pointing at his rear tire, they flipped us off and gassed it. a few miles up we hit rush hour traffic and low and behold who do you think we saw on the side of the highway sitting on thier rim lol and the next exit was several miles up the road. Its that kind of mentallity I dont care for.

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romans this may be a stupid question but ill ask anyways lol if nothing else ill learn something new.

Scott, I have to get smart on this as well. Before it was all about duties, fees for paper work and our local 15% Tax added. Then there is emissions crap, Speedo had to be changed to km first, miles second and new safety up to snuff or vehicle is not aloud in. Just one big pain in the Ass. Then you get your pride and joy home and the local dealer would not do the warranty work. Ahhhhh.

Much has changed in 2010. With our dollar now at 97cents the savings is about 30% after all the BS. Time for me to get my shit together. Kruz gave me the wake up call. i.e. I paid 12,600 for sixer and Kruz paid 7,500.

The new BMW 1000RR at the Toronto bike show was 22,700. I think Rook said the price was 16,000 or something like that.

A good friend of mine buys those Victory bikes in the states drives them for one year and gets more than what he paid after a years riding, smart. Those little beauties sell for around 23,000 here and they are,,,,,, well u know.

Lots to learn. Maybe some one who does this all the time could chime in.