Most people ride motorcycles because of the freedom they afford; the lightness, maneuverability and connection to the road. That’s pretty common among most bikes, but then there are some that don’t seem to fit that mold.
The Touring Bike is the big boy pants of the biking world, and while some of them still possess the lithe nature inherent in the biking ethos, some are like Bounder motorhomes in their scope, feature set, and girth. This raises the question of, if you’re going to go with something so heavy and feature laden, why not just drive a car?
What do you think, is there a Papa Bear size when it comes to motorcycles? Can a bike be too big?
Image: Motorcycle News
Hooniverse Asks: When it Comes to Motorcycles, is There Such a Thing as Too Big?
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28 responses to “Hooniverse Asks: When it Comes to Motorcycles, is There Such a Thing as Too Big?”
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If you and your SO can’t pick it up after the kickstand slips through the hot asphalt, then it’s too big…
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Given that your pictured machine is down on its right side, I don’t think that was a case of the sidestand sinking through the hot asphalt.
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Never said it was. I just liked all the elderly, expectant spectators in for a lesson on how to right the bike. I always remember a comment from a review of the original Goldwing in the mid-70’s ” Voted most likely to become a car”
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Well, there’s too big for me. I can’t peg it at an exact point, because centre of gravity plays as much a role as overall weight, but personally, I think I’m not ready to try out any large touring bike, and even some of the adventure bikes (once they start getting 500+lbs) are more than I’m willing to try out with my negligible inseam.
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Yes, absolutely. My rule is that more than 2.5x the rider’s weight is too big.
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Is there such a thing as too many flavors of ice cream? A big touring motorcycle’s Fun Stuff certainly can overlap with the Fun Stuff of certain automobiles, but the experience is certainly different in totality. If people keep buying them, then it’s not too much of anything, apparently. If I had piles of money, I’d have at least two of everything from pocket bikes up to those big custom tour busses that rock stars use.
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It’s a personal decision o when a bike is too big.
Me personally, I think this one is too big for this little lady…
http://f.tqn.com/y/motorcycles/1/S/t/e/0/-/boss-hoss.jpg-
But with that rear tire, it’ll never tip over.
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Or turn inside of a circle smaller than 40 acres.
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http://retrosales.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/1908Scripps-BoothBi-AutogoV8-powere.jpg
It’s too big if it has a V8, steering wheel, and stabiliser wheels.
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I was going to post a Czech Bomerland image … but this thing beats that idea – wow
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Short answer, no. Go as big as you want, it’s your bike. Have fun.
Qualifier: A bike can be too big for it’s own engine, and I’m thinking of Honey Bunny’s Suzuki DL650 VeeStrom. This thing is a 650, and it’s the same size as the 1000 version. Sort of like the Honda GL650 SilverWing was to the GL1000 GoldWing. I can’t understand why anyone would get the 650 instead of the 1000. Fewer exhaust pipes? I ride around on that thing repeating, “Why? Why is this a 650? Why is it so big?!? Why is the center of gravity up around my belly button?”
I gather there’s a new generation of Vee Stroms, so maybe they’ve differentiated them.-
I have an 07 Wee. I recently went to a Suzuki Test Ride event and liked the new 1000 but not enough to get me to upgrade. Slightly more stable on the highway but a little bulkier feel around town by the same margin. Also, I have been known to get 60+ MPG on the 650. The 1000 will be lucky to do better than 45.
Here’s a more comprehensive run down.
http://www.jackphelps.com/vstrom/comparison.htm-
Hers is an ’08 or ’09. It’s a great bike on the freeway, and I’ve ridden an earlier WeeStrom that was just as good, but they’re sooo bulky!
I should amend what I said, sometimes my thinking goes the other way and I wonder why anyone would get the 1000, considering the capabilities of the 650. All I can think is that 2-up touring might be a strain for the 650.-
I’m 200 pounds (with gear) and I’m ok with a passenger on the Wee as long as they are about the same or less. Once my son went over that (he’s 6′ 4″) things got a little wonky.
You’re not wrong about all Stroms being on the bulky side. A big tank, high seating and sturdy frame will do that. True story: The other day I went across town to the bank on my DR-Z. Then I came home to switch to the Wee to get my new glasses because I had to go on the highway. I didn’t have a lot else to do that day. It was glorious.-
Yep, I’ve ridden my DRZ400 and the WeeStrom in the same day. A few weeks ago I rode all 5 of the functioning bikes in the garage in one afternoon.
http://hooniverse.info/2015/08/07/last-call-bridging-the-gap-edition-2/#comment-2182158280
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I had a wee-strom and loved it, yes it was big, but quite nimble. High CG? Oh yeah, but never tipped it. Close but never over…
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The SilverWing was actually a right sized engine/bike combination since it had nothing in common with a GL1000 except the naming. SilverWings were CX500s and CX650s with touring gear added. The obvious tipoff is V-twin versus flat 4, and the gas tank on a CX is over the engine while GL tanks are under the seat.
The V Strom critique is probably correct since BMW has done something similar with stuff like the old R45 which was a smallbore R65.
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On a different note, have yall seen the new BMW XS?
They stuffed a S1000RR engine in a GS style frame !
( the RR engine is “detuned” down to ONLY 175hp though )
too bad it is not black with white pinstripes – or it may be getting honed this morning -
if its too heavy for me to pick up unassisted then its time for a Miata.
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Of course a bike can be too big. There is always a Law of Diminishing or Negative Returns. On a bike I see maneuverability and fuel consumption as the vulnerable attributes.
Maneuverability is subjective for a number of reasons. Some people are looking to tour the interstates, and some people like to zip around town. Further complication arises from the fact that humans are of greatly inconsistent size. Mr. Tanshanomi advocates staying under 2.5x the rider’s weight. I’d be a fool to disagree but I’d qualify it a little by clarifying the intended use.
That brings us to fuel consumption. Most people assume bikes get good mileage. Most bikes do. Back in the day a UJM would get about 40 MPG while a Chevy Impala was getting 15. A quick jog over to fuelly indicates that a Honda Valkyrie checks in at 33. Who cares? Gas is cheap, right? Yes. Yes it is. It also isn’t generally delivered and said Valkyrie only holds about 6 gallons of it if you’ve got the big tank. Under the current infrastructure system you better start looking for a Gas ‘N Sip at about the 150-175 mile mark. -
For new riders? Yes, there is. Graduated licensing is a must for bikes. For experienced riders, if you mean horsepower, not really. Stuff like Boss-Hogs are really just for tiny egos I think. A motorcycle needs to feel part of you, straddling a 502 Chevy is a circus-act at best.
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I am on my 2nd Goldwing. They are very well balanced, so once you become comfortable with them, turning around on a city street for instance is easily done. My wife is very comfortable on the back of it, so….happy wife, happy life.
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Modern ‘wings are surprisingly nimble, once you get that bulk moving. I was astounded the first time I rode one (a 2008, IIRC). Leagues different from the overstuffed pig (Suzuki Cavalcade) that my father had.
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Funny you mention it, was thinking the vic is way too porky at 820lbs this summer, been looking at the Indian Scout as a tradeoff, but still, that is a beast at 600 lbs.
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I put too heavy at around 650-700lbs. this is why I don’t like GoldWings, although they are surprisingly fast and agile, and I also disdain H-D. Basically anything bigger and heavier than BMW R1200RT feels like too much motorcycle to me, and more than 100-120 bhp feels like more horsepower than I can safely handle. Consequently a Triumph Speed Triple is too much bike for me but a Street Triple is just right. Obviously your mileage will vary dependent on skill and courage.
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Is there, yes.
I, however, have yet to find it.
It’s all about leverage and learning how to use your strength and mass against that of a machine with a pivot point.
I lifted my rather porky ’91 Honda ST1100 off its right side when I kinda half-ass dumped it in the sand outside Death Valley National Park, about 6 AM one long-distance rally. I’d been on it for 25 hours, and was a bit tired.
That’s the only time I had to lift that machine off a ‘fallover wing’, because I was careful with it.
Never had to pick up the GL1800, and honestly…while embarrassing…it handled better than did the pretty seriously customized ST1100. The ST had a custom $1K rear damper, different fork springs and oil, the forks dropped in the clamp a little bit, and I even put a CBR600F2 wheel on it, 17″, more for tire size than anything, and that Wing-A-Bago, bone stock, out-handled it.
Can they be too big? Yes.
Are you likely to exceed their perfect-environment capability? Unlikely.
FWIW, I dragged my wife’s pegs on the road to Cottonwood pass in Colorado. Passed a red first-gen NSX both on the way up and on the way down. We had to take a Polaroid at the summit to prove we’d been there, which is where he caught up to us.
Dude was confused….
That rally, though…1,628 miles in 26 hours…two-up. I was seriously tired, as it was 100% within the borders of Colorado.
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