A friend likes the look of my motorcycle, my Honda shadow VT 1100 c2 ACE.
He also likes the look of other classic cruisers like the Honda Rebel and most older Harley Davidsons.
He may want to buy a bike, brand new, under warranty, if he can get one that's affordable and has the right features.
--Must be a cruiser style.
-- Has to have electronic fuel injection.
-- Has to be of a reasonable size and weight to learn street riding on, although he will take a professional motorcycle beginner's course. He's never ridden a motorcycle heavier than his own 125 cc dirtbike, except for doing a few laps around the parking lot of a closed business on my 1100 cc bike, 1st gear only.
--Has to have sufficient power /torque to pull his 190-pound body weight up serious hills because we live in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. And it has to have the power to get him up to speed quickly when pulling away from a stop sign, or accelerating up a highway on-ramp, so that other traffic doesn't overtake him with too much of a speed differential.
--Has to have a top speed sufficient to run in a group ride with a bunch of other folks on cruiser motorcycles (older folks, riding for fun.) But not long distance rides on wide-open highways-- think of a half-day triip to some place within 120 miles of home. My friend doesn't expect to be doing a lot of mileage on interstates or US highways going over 55 mph.
-- Would be nice to have an antilock braking system (ABS).
-- Less expensive is better. Under 8 grand preferably. Maybe up to $12K if it's from a dealer that offers financing.
What brands and specific models should he look like from new bikes that come with a factory warranty?
