Ater being in yank-land I kinda get why why they like cruisers: with the roads between cities being so straight, long distances, and filtering is illegal (in some states); a comfy two-wheeled sofa you can eat up the miles sort of makes sense. You don't really need a bike which can corner or is narrow.

Saying that, why bother, and not just buy a car? And they still seem to make little sense in say Ingerland But yes, I can sort of see the point...

Zed wrote: filtering is illegal (in some states);

*Faints* Surely filtering is one of the very best things about two wheeled travel?

Zed wrote:Ater being in yank-land I kinda get why why they like cruisers: with the roads between cities being so straight, long distances, and filtering is illegal (in some states); a comfy two-wheeled sofa you can eat up the miles sort of makes sense. You don't really need a bike which can corner or is narrow.

Saying that, why bother, and not just buy a car? And they still seem to make little sense in say Ingerland But yes, I can sort of see the point...

No, you don't get it!

melpotter wrote:

Zed wrote: filtering is illegal (in some states);

*Faints* Surely filtering is one of the very best things about two wheeled travel?

yep, it's illegal on many states actually. I know this from the admiring comments i get on my youtube vids saying they wish it was legal for them in USA

when I rented a Harley in Arizona,,,,I was told you cant lane split...filter...so every time you came to a traffic jam you had to sit behind the car or truck in front of you,,,,in Arizona it can hit 120 degrees in the shade,,,so sitting in traffic is a nightmare

They call it 'lane splitting' here in the Colonies and there's only one state to my knowledge - California - where it's legal. And yes, for long commutes on what you would call a motorway, or long distance travel between cities, having a comfy cruiser can be relaxing. And I'm sorry, mate, but two wheels is two wheels, whether a big old HD full of chrome or a sport bike ridden by a Rossi wannabe. Brothers of the Road and all that.

However, I live in a more rural part of the country where there are plenty of twisties to play on, kind of reminiscent of the two-lane blacktops in the south of France. So I scoot.

In the Vancouver area they have HOV lanes (High Occupancy Vehicle - more than 1 person in the car) that bikes are allowed to use so not being able to lane split isn't so onerous. Big cruisers abound there too but there are plenty of open roads to enjoy.

Isn't the, kind of, sit back and relax seating position what we all wanted when we bought our maxis?
I know it was a significant factor for me, (even if I did end up with sports tourer).
In fact, now I come to think about it, I'm not sure that the maxi scooter isn't just Europe's mini-me answer to the big US cruisers anyway?

SpikeOne wrote:Isn't the, kind of, sit back and relax seating position what we all wanted when we bought our maxis?
I know it was a significant factor for me, (even if I did end up with sports tourer).
In fact, now I come to think about it, I'm not sure that the maxi scooter isn't just Europe's mini-me answer to the big US cruisers anyway?

I'll quibble a bit and you can tell me if I'm wrong. When I'm reading forums from the other side of the Pond, the talk is generally about how much power a riders NEEDS based on length and speed of commute and so forth. On this side, it's about how much power a rider WANTS. A 650cc motorcycle set up as a cruiser is just about as comfy as a monster HD, but it just ain't enough for some folks.

Many people confuse "need" with "want" and a lot of people want bikes which are entirely unsuitable for road use.