Hello from Gloucester, UK.

I've always been a confirmed HONDA rider, only strayed once when I rebuilt (badly but got it on the road!) an old 1989 GSX750FK. 
I had fantastic guidance and advice from a chap in Barrow in Furness and others on the OldSkoolSuzuki forum, terrific guys and they enabled me to get the thing running and legal, I really had no idea what I was doing.

So, what am I doing here - I am riding a HONDA CTX1300, love it and it's the best bike I've ever owned by a long shot. One problem, now that I'm getting on a bit, is that it is very heavy when moving it around if there's a bit of a slope so I'm looking for something considerably lighter. The Intruder looks to fit the bill, and it's Suzuki so pretty much as reliable as the Honda bikes.

Looking for views and opinions on what it's like to ride, fuel consumption and range, comfort etc. I do tend to do a fair bit of mileage. Picked up the 3 year old CTX in August 2017 with 4,600 miles on the clock. It now has over 12,000. 
Did the RBLR1000 ride in 2018, 500 mile route in 2017 on a Shadow ACE, go over to the continent etc. so need it to be reliable and want at least 200 miles from a tank.

Look forward to hearing your opinions, and my mate in Barrow would be chuffed if I rode a Suzuki again 

Hello djrose007 and 

Hello and

  D J Rose &   

Thanks for the greetings, very much appreciated, and the name by the way is Dave (I should have said 'The name is Rose, Dave Rose" considering I add 007 to the end of everything!).

I'm getting a VL800CL4 brought up to Gloucester Thunderroad from the Bridgend (South Wales) branch for a test ride.
It's exactly like the one in the photo but it's got saddlebags and other extras. No photo yet of the actual one, they haven't had time to get photos up on the website before I enquired about it.
I'll let you know how the test ride goes. I'm expecting it to be very like my previous Shadow VT750C2 ACE (also enclosed for your info, loved that bike but as explained above I wanted something bigger for the trips).

I did say that I'd let you know how the test ride went.
Thunderroad, Gloucester, got the VL800C4 transported from Bridgend Thunderroad and I went along this afternoon for the ride.
Reason for wanting to try it is that I am Still on the quest for a lighter bike, the CTX1300 being 350kg I find it hard to manouvre it around manually i.e. pushing it rather than riding it.
This Suzuki fits the bill in some respects and I had a test ride today. Must say that I think the CTX has spoilt me in so many ways. 
What I did like about this Suzuki is the look of it, looks fabulous in White and Silver, the sound of it, that gentle throbbing V-Twin is superb, the back rest on the riders seat made it more comfortable than it would normally be.
What I didn't like was the steering at low speed (I zig-zagged around some parking spaces in a supermarket car park) it felt very heavy on the front end and made it a bit difficult.
Didn't like the vibration, it wasn't bad at around 60-70 in 5th gear but getting there wasn't nice. The platform 'pegs', where you put your feet, I didn't like, much easier to use the gears and rear brake with normal pegs although this is something you get used to I'm sure.
Didn't like the speedometer and other information on the tank, you've got to look down to see what your speed is.
I really appreciated the service though, Thunderroad brought the bike to Gloucester from Bridgend so I could have a test ride. Unfortunately I had to say no, just too many things against it I'm afraid.
I'll keep looking but I'm afraid it might be on another Suzuki Forum, I won't be trying another 800 but I appreciated the friendly welcomes I received on here.

Cheers for now and here's a couple of photos of the bike I test rode, fabulous looking machine.

Hi Dave,

There will always be a trade-off when comparing four cylinder bikes to twins. I've ridden both, & generally prefer twins, but have enjoyed riding fours.

I'm not sure what I could recommend in terms of a lighter bike in the cruiser style that may fit your bill, but there are a few general middle-weights out there worth trying if you move away from cruisers.

Hope you find something to meet your needs.

Cheers

Yam 

OldManYam wrote:

Hi Dave,

There will always be a trade-off when comparing four cylinder bikes to twins. I've ridden both, & generally prefer twins, but have enjoyed riding fours.

I'm not sure what I could recommend in terms of a lighter bike in the cruiser style that may fit your bill, but there are a few general middle-weights out there worth trying if you move away from cruisers.

Hope you find something to meet your needs.

Cheers

Yam 

Thanks Yam, I'll keep looking but the CTX1300 is a very different bike and everyone that rides one just falls immediately in love. It has it's faults but superficial stuff.
Appreciate the encouragement.
Best wishes.
Dave

Hi Dave

I have also had (one of the few in Sweden) CTX1300 and it was a silk smooth ride on the highway, but as you say, very heavy and for my kind of riding, popping away for errands in the city, commuting to the job etc, it was completely unappropriate. It is a higway locomotive. So I understand why you want something smaller.

In my garage where motorcycles has come and gone, there is always the Intruder M800 to fall back on, whatever happens that one is a keeper! I don't know how the VL800C differs from the M800 but I find your negative points moot with respect to the M800. I find it very well balanced and ease to stear in all speeds, actually even more so than my Honda CBF1000 which is my current commuting machine. Not at all top-heavy. I never felt the slight vibration being a problem, and the M800 does not have the speedo on the tank but over the handlebar so it is easy to watch.

Think it is unfortunate that you didn't test the m800 but I hope you find the bike that is right for you!

beos wrote:

Hi Dave

Think it is unfortunate that you didn't test the m800 but I hope you find the bike that is right for you!

Hi Beos, thanks for you comment, I appreciate your advice and if another M800 comes along I will test ride it as I love the look of the bike and the sound, really like the V-Twin throb.
I promise not to give up and if the M800 overcomes some of the 800C problems it might well be the bike I move to.

Thanks again, and nice to hear from another CTX owner in Europe. Do you know about the Forum? http://www.ctx1300forum.com

Hello mate,
First off, LOVE the look of your CTX!
I rode an m800 for about 6 years, but I cant see that it would feel that different to the c800 you rode? Bars are a little different I guess, but other than that, it’s cosmetic...eg fishtail rear end.

Re pegs etc, my m800 came with stock pegs. I added fwd controls as I’m long legged. I liked the reach. But esp in the wet, it was like resting your feet on two bars of soap! I later switched to a huge Victory, and that had floorboards as standard, which I loved. Each to their own I guess.

In terms of other cruisers have to looked at an Indian Scout? Little compact for a big feller like me, but might suit you...

bigmal wrote:

Hello mate,
First off, LOVE the look of your CTX!

In terms of other cruisers have to looked at an Indian Scout? Little compact for a big feller like me, but might suit you...

Thanks BigMal, and Thanks for your comment about the CTX. It rides as good as it looks, it's just very heavy when shoving it around and I'm getting on a bit now!

The two major things about the VL800C was the vibration and the position of the clock. The platforms would grow on me I expect, an hours not much of a try out but I do long journeys and I couldn't live with the vibration.

I was going to go for an Indian Scout, my local Honda dealer had one in a few weeks ago but I looked at the cost of getting baggage and that would have added nearly another £1,000 !!!!!

Still looking and appreciate any feedback.
Cheers
Dave