Motorcycle request/quest

[Clive]

I previously was bike-only, using a 1990 Honda CBR1000F.  Over 600 pounds wet, large turning radius, top-heavy.  Absolutely sucked as an around-town bike ... except when you needed a little juice to go forward RIGHT NOW. (hehe)  I had a Givi luggage set-up on it, and my wife and I enjoyed many trips of one to four days each.  I tended not to think "Gee, I wish I'd bought a smaller bike" partly because I used it for things a big bike was good at and mostly because I had no fresh small-bike reference for comparison.

When I returned to riding in 2006, I honestly assessed what kind of riding I'd do and in what amounts.  I was wrong, which explains why that sport-touring bike is no longer in my garage.  (The fact that my wife still loves motorcycling but decided she won't risk orphaning our child means I don't need any two-up ability, after all.)  And as spacey says, don't buy a bike for two-up riding if that's going to be but a small portion of your total riding use.  unless that bike also delivers on the riding you will do the most.

Around town, torque is your friend.  Light weight is a benefit if/when you're duck-walking your bike in a parking lot/garage, especially if there's slope involved.  (Sometimes you'd like to lean the bike over as you push it to tighten the radius; heavy bikes make this a dicier proposition.)  Cargo ability is nice, too, whether it's luggage or just a place where you can securely -- and maybe weather-proofedly -- bungee your briefcase/courier bag.  When you get your protective-gear geek on, you'll also need a place for your street shoes and whatnot, so you can wear your riding gear and change at your destination.

Full fairings get scratched more easily in urban riding.  Sportbikes get stolen more frequently, too, but I don't know that the phenomenon extends to sport-tourers.

Minor: Your head moves at higher altitude on a standard than a sporting posture.  As the helmet is the highest point on the rider, you can increase your visibility to others in this way.  Also, your view is improved, so you see issues and can neutralize them in advance of trouble.

Not like I'm Mr. Triumph, but have you looked at their Bonneville line?  Triumph readily offers test-rides, too, helping you (a) see if it really delivers what you want, and (b) see if what you thought you wanted is really what you want.

[spacey]

+1 on the Bonneville. If I were to buy a 2nd bike, that's very likely the one I'd get.

[stegerman]

http://boise.craigslist.org/mcy/912326189.html

Going to look at this tomorrow. All the reviews I have read say people are pretty happy with this and it's a pretty good all-round bike.

There's a Triumph Thunderbird over in Portland for only 3k. Looks interesting.
http://portland.craigslis...rg/clc/mcy/911150334.html

[spacey]

You really can't go wrong with a Shadow. There are a gazillion of them on the road, which is either a positive or a negative depending on how you look at it. But they're way reliable, and you have loads of aftermarket options, and good dealer/mechanic support.

I've always been a fan of the Thunderbird, though I don't honestly know that much about them in terms of mechanics or performance. My understanding is they carry the same 3 cylinder engines Triumph uses on their sport bikes, so you should have plenty of power if you need it. You may want to look into what kind of dealer support you have in the greater Boise area. One thing I've heard about the Thunderbird is that it's top-heavy. Compared to what, I have no idea.