Wrote this on the “other” site originally…but I put a bit of effort into it and thought I’d share it here as well. I wrote this in reply to someone specifically asking me about the different kinds:
Well, I have experience with cruisers, naked bikes, and sports bikes. I’ve recently been looking into supermoto bikes…they’re pretty much a dirt bike designed for dry pavement.
Sports bikes are the coolest (in my opinion )…the loudest (well, mine are)…and the fastest (no debate here). Crossing a bridge that has NO TRAFFIC ON IT…I can go from 60km to 230km and back to 60…and that’s in about 2 city blocks.
The downside is that they’d be the most expensive to repair…the most difficult to repair…and the easiest to be damaged if just dropped on their side. For example, one mirror for the CBR1100XX costs more than 30,000nt…for one mirror.
If going for a sports bike I’d recommend a HONDA or maybe a YAMAHA since they are the least likely to break.
A Naked Bike is pretty much a sports bike without the extra body work…and a slightly tuned down engine…which should increase reliability. Much more practical…but practical might not be what you’re looking for.
Cruisers…cruisers can still give small naked bike a run for it’s money if ridden well. And with the expressways opening up in the near future…they aren’t the stupidest bikes to own. But keep in mind that they’re aren’t as comfortable as they appear. I’d rather do 8 hours on a sportsbike than on a Harley. With a cruiser I’d suggest getting a 1000cc or more…since the engines produce much less power than their cousins.
Supermoto, the newwer fad amongst the biking crowd. A friend has one and he says it can navigate traffic better than a scooter…due to it’s high handle bars you don’t need to worry about car mirrors. Also the body is made to be dropped…so feel free to drop it…crash it…and then just get back on and ride away. Sturdy, agile, convenient bikes…that just don’t suit some people’s tastes. These bikes also have a different riding style than other bikes…so get ready to “re-learn” how to ride.
Suzuki DR-Z 400SM Oh, and here is a vid of supermotos doing their stuff on dry pavement: video.bikepics.com/wmv-416-96/Co … -78sec.wmv