Am choosing a suitable bike for short rides and occasional long rides. Hope to get some good feedback and advice.
Thanks in advance.

aa/ Kawasaki Vulcan S ,Positive:- looks good overall , Price, looks, reliability. With Ergo fit, it is a big welcome. Seats are comfy and upright. //
1/ Upon reading some reviews , I came to understand
the gear ratio is a little low, that at cruising, one feels that there is another gear to go,( this means that the engine will
be at high revs which subsequently creates vibrations ? )
2/ Spares are easily available however a little expensive ?
3/ New price around MYR30k and plenty of used in the market.

bb/ Honda Rebel 500 ,Positive: - looks different and good as well , Upright sitting with foot peg just below the rider (in comparison with Vulcan S, which to a little forward). Honda reliability, and low revs at cruising and with enough torque to
overstake.
1/ Price in Malaysia rather high in my opinion approx: MYR32k ( in my currency conversion from other countries, this bike
should cost approx: MYR25k ?
2/ No idea about spares and cost in Malaysia
3/ Available only as new bike (Oct 2017)

Below are a few in my list and are open topic.
cc/ Honda CB500X. ......?
dd/ Benelli Leoncino ? coming soon this year ? ...
ee/ Naza Cruise 650 ? .................

In conclusion, I believe the after sales service are as important as well.
Thanks guys.

For a 60 years old?

Young at heart

Personally, I'll take Rebel 500 in not time. Way lighter and smaller / shorter.

Spare parts - still big question though. But plenty in Thailand & Indonesia.

As for Vulcan S, plenty of spare parts & well experienced by local market.

Thanks,,many advice I get is to buy a Used bike first and go on from there. Wll also look at Honda CB500F or CB650F,,,let s see......

In the meantime, I am open to all suggestions and advice. thanks again

Nice..celebrating retirement or something?

depends on how fast you wan your cruising speed to be.

based on specs, the vulcan s can cruise @ 6th gear @ 5600 rpm @ ~ 120kmh. which is not tat bad,

but if u want to go faster it will have to rev til 7200 to get ~ 154kmh, which might be a bit high rpm compare to

more powerful bikes...

http://www.gearingcommander.com/

Boss...even if the Vulcan engine had enough power to let you could cruise at 150km/h, trust me...you wouldnt want to anyway.

The aerodynamics of a cruiser simply won't allow it to be done comfortably.

Gotta set realistic expectations.

I think the Vulcan S is a decent bike for its given purpose. It is a cruiser afterall and it should be a bit more comfortable than other formula'd bikes to ride for long distance. But like what ZZR-Pilot said, best to manage expectations. It is a cruiser and it cruises. Notice it does not mention sport cruiser as the genre that the bike is in so that should give you a good idea already as to it's intended purpose. On the highways, the Vulcan S can quite comfortably keep up at speeds up to decent high speeds (as mentioned by a Vulcan S riding friend to me) but you would need to add on a screen to deflect the air.

However if you're mixing in city riding being a larger percentage of your ride time, you would appreciate better the foot pegs being closer to the rider due to the need to have your legs down more often because of stop-start traffic. 500cc isn't exactly small either so it theoretically, should also give you enough oomph to mix it with the underbones in city traffic.

IMHO, it is all about preference and you would probably ease into either one you choose easily.

Betul, sudah retire,, tetapi masih cari kerja atau pilih peniaga yang sesuai. Cool , ada masa...

So, it would be nice if Vulcan S has a better gear ratio adjustment... I can imagine, cruising at 120Kmh and with high revs,,,not something I am looking at, due my age.

Am also browsing at Yamaha Xj6.....

Thanks for your input.

You have a valid point. Many tks. Also looking at other bikes. I have time to choose..that s a bonus..

You guys are experience riders,, many thanks indeed for all points. I am gradually enlighten.

Am also looking at other bikes ( Used preferably) ...
Honda CB500F
Yamaha XJ6
..............

XJ6 gets my vote. Proper 4-cylinder engine and, if you go for the half-faired version, you get enough protection for comfortable high-speed touring...if that's what you're after.

It'll last you a while.

I don't like the Honda, but that's entirely down to my personal beef against 2-pot parallel twins (half an engine). Less cc, less cylinders = less power...but if you're starting out that may not be a concern. Apart from that, it'll match the Yammie. In which case, the price will be the determining factor.

I wish I had bought the XJ6. But at the time I only had RM23k cash in hand to buy a used low mileage TNT600.

now theres plenty of used xj6 ~rm2x k..++

xj6 revs higher @ 6th gear tho..

My Cruiser bike can go up to 120 MPH.. around 197 kph.. no issue even with lethargic 5 speed gearing....

offcourse the benefit of cruiser is low center of gravity which make handling is much more easier, but the long wheel base can make plowing through the urban traffic can be a little bit challenging.

What lowpro is right, if you want to get a versatile cruiser type of bike, get the one with closer to you foot steps control..

Triumph did that with Bobber and their Boneville series.

and one last thing.. get the one with ABS...at least..

TNT600 revs high in 6th gear too.

It's a simple matter of changing the final gear ratio to suit your riding style - either swap out the rear sprocket with a smaller one, or swap out the front sprocket with a bigger one.

Changed my sprocket setup to 15/46T and now the bike clocks 150km/h at 7000rpm for a more relaxed ride. Less torque... but hell I'm just commuting on the highway most of the time, not popping wheelies.

yea change spoket is the solution for that matter...

im surprised no one has mentioned the versys 650 since CB500X was in the list as well.

ts said wana ride around town. i saw many versys around town also...

versys apart from the height, sure ride more relax on long distance compare to vulcan s i think...

This post has been edited by basilisk: Oct 16 2017, 02:09 PM

Yup, quite a lot of XJ6 in all versions available for sale these days but they're utilitarian big bikes. Nothing fancy or spectacular. It is like riding the Camry of bikes... Maintenance is straightforward and relatively inexpensive. Just bear in mind, nobody's gonna look at your bike at traffic light stops

But I kinda like it for it's ease of use (though a little top heavy) and somewhat multi-role capability

The Benelli Leoncino is here:

https://pandulaju.com.my/benelli-leoncino-5...rm27999-sahaja/

One note on the Honda Rebel; the speedometer is rather.. too simple. No rpm indicator.

That Leoncino has got me drooling tho, but have to see how it fares in the local market first.

Sempoi & ranggi.... agaknya tinggi x seat dia?

No RPM and No Fuel Gauge.... for cruiser is normal hahaha..... arrived to Pattaya from KL without RPM gauge..

Honda rebel suits well someone who appreciates simplicity and is a no frill bike. Might becomes big seller due to riders now more inclined towards classic/cafe racer. And since it's seat height is about 690mm can attract more lady riders and shorties as well. As an Er6n owner myself I would say Rebel is perfect for city riding whilst Vulcan S great for longer distance touring.

If TS is a tall guy Versys is a good choice because parts and accessories are in abundance in the market. Great for touring and look nice with top and side boxes.

Agree. Yesterday, I saw a black Rebel zig zagging in heavy traffic (near stand still) in front of Sunway Pyramid, heading towards KL. Can't even tail him. Too nimble and quick. and very low.

That vulcan s ergofit you must pay la. Depends on your sources lucky you can buy a single part out of a set but usually they come in a bundle of shift rod, handle bar and seat that will slap you easy 1k++. If you go custom route maybe the cost is cheaper.

Yup you gotta buy it as a pack. Part number reduced reach set is RR99994. MSRP is RM1,275.03 in case any of you out there are interested

Can you kindly share some experience with this TNT600 ? I am new,,,.... quality, reliability, etc etc.. many tks

I was looking high and low for Benelli Keeway showroom... in the end, they are closed and learned that MForce is the new distributor. Was told Leoncino
will be available end of year.

Yes, agree...

Kindly excuse me, but what do you mean by " ts "

Have been a little busy going around, viewing, seating, test riding, asking and hopefully enlighten to assist in my decision.
My heart swayed a little when I saw a picture of Suzuki SV650,, great looking "good old" Headlamp, unlike today's "transformer" headlamps.
V Engine..grrrrrrr, however, only new bike and only CBU, hence high price.

Had a look at CB650F , Aprilial Shiver ,Xj6 ,Naza Cruise,....have yet to view TNT600,..
Still looking, however, may finalise by next week or so,,, waiting to view/test ride two used bike ,..and what can I say, year end,,..always better prices ,new or used.

bro, which bike shop can test 2nd hand bike ?

If you wanna ride in town then go for something slimmer like that rebel 500 or any with mid control vs forward ones.

Binelli tnt600 is a bike I used for license test and one problem was sometimes the gear is still engaged even when the indicator is in N but it's good enough for a beginner like me just 166cm tall, manageable tip toeing. I have great confidence doing emergency braking and somehow with the low weight and powerful engine I just tuck it in first gear for the titi, slalom and donut test. I once tried it in second gear but the power is too much I cant control and fell. Biasa la noob. Any bike can be a hit and miss but soon you'll grow up with it.

Vulcan s is one special breed really. A modern sport cruiser capable of doing 190kmh (which is not a good experience on a forward control cruiser but it's there when you wanna let loose the horse), able to lean in quite a high degree for its class. Some say the gearing felt it needs another click up because it revs at around 4k rpm when cruising at 100kmh but its the character of the engine really. Im sure adding another gear will ruin the power delivery across all band.

100kmh is around 4800rpm.

The SV650 is a top performer in many aspects, the only drawback is that while is the cheaper option in its class elsewhere around the world, it's the other way around here in MY.

The TNT600 is a value buy from what i heard, For around RM32k, 4 cylinder 600cc with all the frills and a fierce design, hard to beat. Perhaps it's biggest weakness is its lack of midrange torque against those within its class. If you're around Cheras, u can drop by Tenaga Motors at Tmn Tenaga, talk to Ah Fook or Ah Choy and see if they can let u test the bike.

This post has been edited by Mikahl: Nov 6 2017, 12:56 AM

Thread Starter

Have you decide?

Thanks Mikahl,, will drop by soon

Have not decided, still waiting for the seller. In the meantime,,,logged headed with used bikes ,between SV650 2013 ( or is it Gladius ? confusing sometimes ) and Yamaha XJ6. Twin V against 4 in line.

1/ SV650, any advice and feedback about Suzuki, maintenance and spares in Malaysia ( Selangor ) ,, ? tks in advance.

dont buy bikes that will bring you headache... particularly on spare parts...
I am a Vulcan S owner, Kawasaki parts are easy to get, even in Sabah since official dealers are available...

Suzuki well known for robust well made bike ... so the part can last for long time.. however once it need to change.. then the headache will come.

Its as expensive as those Continental bikes.. (BMW, Triumph, Motoguzzi, Ducati and others) as parts need to be imported from Japan (Suzuki big bike Malaysia not keep stock of all parts)..