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I just cannot decide. I am buying a new cruiser and can't decide on either the Kaw 1600 classic or the Honda VTX1300. Can anyone in the know give some advice???
Kawasaki or Honda????
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G
Guest
·Of those two, I like the Honda.
I've heard that the Honda is the cadillac of cruisers, and from owners have told me, I would go with the Honda. I have a shaft drive on my C90T, and it howls something fierce. But, a dealer told me I should take it back, because he thinks it wasn't set up properly at the factory.
G
Guest
·Honda VTX1300
My wife recently bought a new '07 VTX1300, we heard it was the smaller brother of the VTX1800...NOT. Don't get me wrong we really like it, but I did not do the reasearch I normally do before buying. We bought it more for the ergonomics for the wife.
What I discovered was that the VTX1300 is carburated with a single 38mm carb (VTX1800 is EFI) , the clutch is mechanical (VTX1800 is hydraulic) The 1300 is 50 LBS lighter than the 1800 (very good for the wife), The 1300 sits lower than the 1800...VERY GOOD for the 5'4" wife. Feels like a Shadow 750 as far as height for her! The standard floor boards keep you from leaning very far at all before drag occurs. During breakin it is getting about 40 MPG so far, I expect it will do better after breakin is complete. The 1300 has a long profile/wheel base. It is 1 inch longer overall (fender to fender tip) than my Valkyrie (1500cc) and the wheel base is about 1.4 " shorter. Therefore it has a wide turning radius.
I have been breaking it in for her. After getting used to it, it seems like a nice cruiser, smooth, comfortable, with a slightly slow but steady power curve.
Stats say it has 76 HP.
Don't know anything about the Kawasaki, but we like the VTX1300 so far.
Ride safe & long,
Colorado Fats
My wife recently bought a new '07 VTX1300, we heard it was the smaller brother of the VTX1800...NOT. Don't get me wrong we really like it, but I did not do the reasearch I normally do before buying. We bought it more for the ergonomics for the wife.
What I discovered was that the VTX1300 is carburated with a single 38mm carb (VTX1800 is EFI) , the clutch is mechanical (VTX1800 is hydraulic) The 1300 is 50 LBS lighter than the 1800 (very good for the wife), The 1300 sits lower than the 1800...VERY GOOD for the 5'4" wife. Feels like a Shadow 750 as far as height for her! The standard floor boards keep you from leaning very far at all before drag occurs. During breakin it is getting about 40 MPG so far, I expect it will do better after breakin is complete. The 1300 has a long profile/wheel base. It is 1 inch longer overall (fender to fender tip) than my Valkyrie (1500cc) and the wheel base is about 1.4 " shorter. Therefore it has a wide turning radius.
I have been breaking it in for her. After getting used to it, it seems like a nice cruiser, smooth, comfortable, with a slightly slow but steady power curve.
Stats say it has 76 HP.
Don't know anything about the Kawasaki, but we like the VTX1300 so far.
Ride safe & long,
Colorado Fats
So Colorado, has the wife ridden it yet? Does she like it? Years ago, Hondas had the bad reputation of running down the battery even if they sat for just a few days. I'm sure that's corrected, however, but that's why I've never thought about buying one. Skittish over nothing, I suppose.
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33 Posts
Overall, the Honda has a better reputation mechanically. Lots more customizing options available, too.
G
Guest
·She hasn't ridden it yet!
We bought it any way, but she had lumpetomy surgery, and is on chemo now, then radiation. The chemo is making her feel out of whack (dizzy, headaches,etc), so she decided to let me break it in so it is ready next spring. It is a dirty job, but someones got to do it.
She had actually looked at a VTX1300 trike because of her fused neck and a developing bad knee, but kept telling the dealer that she really liked to lean into curves and wanted to continue to be a 'canyon carver'. So I sat her on the standard VTX1300S and the ergonmics were great for her, seat height being greatly improved for her 5' 5" height, weight about right, good wide handle bars. We ordered it out with bags, roll bars, windshield/lightbar, lower 'air wings', back rest, throttle lock, etc. It took about a month for the dealer to get the parts and get the bike set up. So it was a little late for her to start driving anyway.
So far I am really happy with the 1300. I am taking my time to break it in. I always take a full 1000 miles to break in my bikes before I consider them 'road ready'. So by next Spring hopefully both she and the bike will be ready to go on our nect adventure.
Ride safe & long,
Colorado Fats
Within days of deciding to buy it, my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.
We bought it any way, but she had lumpetomy surgery, and is on chemo now, then radiation. The chemo is making her feel out of whack (dizzy, headaches,etc), so she decided to let me break it in so it is ready next spring. It is a dirty job, but someones got to do it.
She had actually looked at a VTX1300 trike because of her fused neck and a developing bad knee, but kept telling the dealer that she really liked to lean into curves and wanted to continue to be a 'canyon carver'. So I sat her on the standard VTX1300S and the ergonmics were great for her, seat height being greatly improved for her 5' 5" height, weight about right, good wide handle bars. We ordered it out with bags, roll bars, windshield/lightbar, lower 'air wings', back rest, throttle lock, etc. It took about a month for the dealer to get the parts and get the bike set up. So it was a little late for her to start driving anyway.
So far I am really happy with the 1300. I am taking my time to break it in. I always take a full 1000 miles to break in my bikes before I consider them 'road ready'. So by next Spring hopefully both she and the bike will be ready to go on our nect adventure.
Ride safe & long,
Colorado Fats
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