New Motorcycles

Well, my Kawasaki spit me off one a few weeks back (actually, I ran out of road, truth be known) and hurt me a bit - and while I was off it a friend bought a BMW K1200 (at which time I turned green with envy of course) - but his wife apparently thought they needed only one motorcycle, so his Suzuki Cruiser went up for sale, and I bought it - and sold the Kawasaki within 48 hours, which tells me that I probably should have asked more money for it.

Cruisers are nominally V-twins, large, heavy, not terribly nimble but comfortable.  It is amazing just how much difference can appear within those specs without making the appearance different.  From a distance, any cruiser looks like any other cruiser - the engine is in the same place, etc.  A V-twin is a V-Twin - the V angle may differ, but you wouldn't think it would change the character of a motorcycle that much.

I learned something - it can make a big difference.  I'm still getting used to the big Suzuki (but loving it all the same) and finding that there are lots of ways to make an engine.  The Kawasaki and the Suzuki are both 1500's - but that's about all that is the same.  The Kawasaki was a 60 degree V-twin with a balance shaft to smooth it out.  The Suzki is a 45 degree V-twin with offset crankpins, so both pistons are at TDC at the same time - making it fire like an old vertical twin Triumph. Different sound, different vibration - and without balance shafts, it does vibrate, but not terribly - not enough for me to wish I had the Kawasaki back.

Other differences include where the gas tank really is as opposed to where it looks like it is, among others - much different balance because of weight location, etc.

I'm loving the Suzuki, but it will be a while before I am as at home on it as I was on the Kawasaki.

Maybe that's a good thing - maybe it'll take a while before I get so used to it that I fall off.

LOVE those motorcycles!