Gotta go plus 1 on going with the Roadie - with being a big guy, you will outgrow a smaller bike, or at least not be comforatable riding it. I rode a Shadow 750 for eight years, while I knew a big bike would be more stable, I never knew how much I was missing out on until getting the Roadie.

Well I am a small guy 5'8" 170lbs started riding in England at 17yo I am now 63yo and this is my 12th Bike and it is by far the best of all of them. It almost drives itself. Had a crash with a car at 40 mph and never dropped the bike inspite of high speed wobble after the impact. The car got the worst of the deal I only had a bent crash bar. The R* is a great bike with a lot of power. Harley riders have said I have the best of both worlds the Harley sound with a hell of a lot of torque after they ride it. Just take it slow and watch out for the idiots.

Not a lot I can add, it is a personal choice. Given your size the Road Star is not too big. I came back to motorcyling about 7 months ago after nearly a 20 year hiatus. I regret waiting so long, but I had convinced myself that I needed to be careful and not leave my children fatherless. Well I am back and ride nearly everyday. The Roadie seemed really big when I first sat on it and compared to the Dyna I had rented to get the feel back it seemed huge. (I feel so sorry for those HD guys on their little bikes, but don't want to start that again). By the time I had ridden it home it felt pretty good and within a few miles I was feeling pretty confident. Now I look at it and think it is just right. It is big enough to be stable small enough for me to throw around pretty easily. It is big and it is heavy. The Wheel Base is longer than a Harley so it will turn a little slower in slow speed manuevers, but after 7 months and 6,000 + miles I think it was the right choice all the way.

As I have said before it is civilized, but not too civilized. It shakes, and rumbles, is easy to work on and to make your own.

Buy what you are comfortable with, but understand that almost any scooter is going to feel big at first and in a short time the fear factor goes away and you may be left with less than you want with anything other than a Roadie.

Thanks guys for all your opinions and stories. Im surprised how many of you replied,this is a great forum. I feel real good about gettin the bike soon. I'll just take it really slow.

I have to agree.I am 5'10" 250 on a good day more if I stop at a all you can eat buffet,,lol. And the bike is really easy to handle so I am really pleased and would bye another in a heart beat.

My first street bike was a 650 silverado. Really a nice bike for what it was. But my 2003 Roadstar Limited Edition is more than twice the bike and for my style of riding, longer trips at highway speeds there is no comparison. With the 650 I was worn out after a couple of hours of riding.You really have to man handle a smaller bike at speeds of 70-75 the wind and the lightness just buffets the heck out of you. Now not only do I ride longer before stops I am no longer so tired I can enjoy the nights when I get there. I am not putting the smaller bikes down, but what a difference the ride is. Now I can somewhat relax and enjoy the scenery.

With the mod's I have added, Vance and Hines long shots (no Baffles), BAK, ported intake,drivers backrest, engine guard with highway pegs,throttle lock,and MP3 player. I think I could ride her forever. Looks,power,great sound,rides comfortable and at half the price of the other bike. What more could you ask for, except a babe on the back....lol

I just got back into riding after 27 years (hadn't been on a bike since my bro-in-law at the time-who turned me on to big bikes-didn't make it after hitting a lady head-on. 27 years later, I'm still alive and ).

I thought about starting mid-size, but I'm 6'2". After sitting on a V Star (which my wife ended up buying for herself) last March, I threw my leg over an '05 Roady, and it's been heaven ever since (excpet for this WV winter we've been having lately...what the hell happened to 'global warming?!!!)...

My last ride was a '79 FLH. Since I've been back in the saddle again, my riding buddies are alwas commenting on how comfortable my ride looks...they end up switching with me on trips, and can't get over how smooth and easy the Roadstar rides and handles. One guy traded for a few miles (I ended up on his '02 FatBoy)...thought I was going to have to run hom off the road to get mine back!

The weight was a little hard to get used to the first few rides (mostly in the parking lots-where's "reverse", but on the road and especially in the hills around here, I couldn't be more comfortable! I call it my barcalounger on wheels!

Happy Trails!

n2dwoodz

Hi Paul my first bike was a 650 yamaha 1979 sold in 82 when the kids started popping out (after 4 found out what was causing this )
Last spring sold the 1967 firebird and bought a 750 shadow spirt sold that and got a 800 volutia ,traded that on the road star (1600 /2003 ) rode many bikes this summar including the H.D. stuff.The road star I believe is my last for a while
In closing buy big the 1st time and save doe !! :rolleyes

My 2004 Roadie was my first bike. Have absolutely no regrets. I am 6'3", about 275. I talked to allot of folks that indicated I would outgrow something smaller very quickly. Heck, I had to have a buddy ride it home when I bought it (took a huge ribbing, but hey, he rides a Honda Shadow 750... jokes on him now). I had to take a riding course to learn how to ride (was a great idea). We learned on little 350 Hondas, so it was a bit over-whelming when I got on my Roadie after completing the course! Only took a few days of riding to get the hang of it. I have since rode a couple of my cousins Harleys (a Softail and a Roadking) and must say, I am glad I bought the R*. MIght be because that is the bike I've learned on, but the R* seems to sit closer to the ground and seems not to be as top heavy (especially as compared to the Roadking. The cousin that rides the Roadking is about my size. He is an old school Harley guy, but admits that the metrics have made the trip and he can see why I bought the R*. Although I am an old fart, I still have a couple of teen-age kids to get thru college, so finacially, it was a no-brainer! Thanks to many folks on this site (especially "thebru&quot, I have learned to do allot of the maint. tasks myself. Have done the stage-1 exhaust mod... AIS is history... changing the oil is no big deal... sparks plugs are not that bad (removing the tank to do so does suck a bit)... Looking forward to putting new pipes on and suffering thru re-jetting. This is one of the best investments I've made, besides, I just look damed good on this bike! looking froward to riding a bunch!

Get the Roadie first! I started with a new 650 and it quickly became undersized and under powered for me. Going to the BIG Roadie was no big difference in balancing and manouverability, it is actually better. It is heavier, but the extra weight is slung real low on the Roadie as compared to the overhead-cammed smaller bikes (And I love the awesome torque and comfort!) The Roadie is actually easier to ride than the 650 and it is way more stable on the road especially in the wind and the heavy freeway traffic scenarios. If your'e going tomake the investment, do it right the first time, get the Roadie!<br><br>Post edited by: StarMyram, at: 2007/02/02 21:11