[bthuss]

So my neighbor rode my M90 and she liked it so much she was hinting at buying it from me. Ive considered getting a 9 down the road and i could probably sell her for a decent price for me and her.

I do like the look of the 9 and the extra power sounds nice, but i also love the handling of the 90.

for those that have a 9 or moreso, have ridden both the 9 and and 90, i have the following ?'s

1) My 90 is very smooth once the RPMs come up just a little bit. How vibrational is the 9 when idleing and then through the RPM range?

2) I like the 200 rear on the 90 because it make the bike light and nimble. has anyone compared the handling directly from a 90 to a 9 and what are your thoughts?

thanks for any info.

brad

 

[lcsd913]

THE ONLY VIBARATION I GET IS V TWIN VIBE AROUND 3500 RPMS NOT BAD THOUGH. I HAVE NEVER RIDDEN A 90 BUT THE WIDE TIRE ON THE 109 TAKES SOME GETTING USED TO BUT ONCE U DO ITS GREAT THERE IS NOTHING LIKE IT.:bigthumbsup:

 

[windycityrider]

the bike is not that much heavier than the M90 if you look at the specs. the power is smooth on the 109 and going through the rpm's you will notice that there is power at every level, especially once you install a JSD-3 or GiPro.

in all honesty, i don't see why the M90 guys think that those bikes are so nimble and claim that the handling is better than the 109 just because of a smaller rear tire. :dontknow:
they are both still cruisers and not sportbikes, so the differences in handling, if there are any, are going to be minor and perhaps more noticed by a novice rider. a person that can ride the M90 can easily ride the 109 with no major adjustments needed. there are many 109 riders on here that push the bike to the limit in the twisties and have had no problems. just keep in mind that it is a cruiser and not a sportbike and you will be fine.

step up! it's a whole different world up here once you do. :bigthumbsup:

 

[ixm01ws6]

i spent some time again on saturday riding my buddies 9, it DOES take more to maneuver the 9, dont know why, maybe its the 1,462 ccs instead of 1,783 ccs, which means that the engine , although not as torquey is less demanding on the chassis, resulting in a lighter handling feel...

but test ride the 9 before you make the jump , the 9 is in a league of its own for better or for worse.


the 9 is a beast when it comes to power tho

good luck on your decision ride on

 

[bthuss]

i spent some time again on saturday riding my buddies 9, it DOES take more to maneuver the 9

so as an M90 owner, what were your thoughts on the 9 vs. your ride? i.e...would you consider moving to a 9 for the overall package if the money aspect was out of the picture?

there are a number of '09 White/blue LEs around that are new and good discounts and i kind of like the way the bike looks in white. i am more interested in a similar smoothness of ride as far as engine vibration is concerned over handling as im sure i could adapt to it fairly quickly. Once thing i love about the 90 and even the v-rod that i rode a while ago is the smoothness of the engine vs. some of the other twins i have driven.

 

[ixm01ws6]

although i love the 9 and it inspired me to take the MSF and get my M endorsement , i will not be upping to the 9, i am quite content with the 90 which as enough power for me... both rides are pretty smooth as the rider with properly clutch & shifting control.

for me it comes down to handling the 9 just takes more to move around figure 8'ing, slow speed maneuver and such vs the 90.. most will argue and ask how, its the weighs nearly the same yatty yatty, i really cant tell you i'm no engineer but, ride both so you can make a decision you wont regret.

remember your on a 9 board so of course people will be biased.

you should ask if there are any 9 owners who test drove a 90 as well for opinions

nothing a test drive cant solve bro.

find a local 9 in your area from the boards willing to do a quick test swap.

 

[Screamnyellozonker]

He needs to post where he lives so someone can contact him.

 

[SBLfromNS]

I've never ridden a M109 but I'd welcome the opportunity. The only bikes that I have to reference are the M50 I started on last summer and put 2,300miles on as well as a buddies C90 and the Street Glide and Road Glide that I test rode last week. I can say the the M90 is without a doubt more agile than the C90 or Harleys. The M50 was pretty agile but it's in a different category entirely than the M90.

Every review that I've read on the M90 mentions the agile handling of the M90 which they attribute to clever steering & suspension tuning and engineering. The MCN review (see link) mentions that "in many ways, its more agile handling makes it more preferable to it's big brother the M109R" and that "the M90's 200mm rear tire....doesn't make the machine's handling as high effort as the M109's oversized rear rubber. If maximum power isn't your thing, the M90 is actually more fun to ride as a result."

http://www.datafilehost.com/download-8ba0cc7e.html

I find the M90 plenty powerful - I can't imagine needing or wanting more power but I can see where some folks may want the extra power or bragging rights that come with the M109.

 

[BikerGranny]

I've never ridden a M90, but I went from a Volusia, which is the predecessor to the Boulevard series and the equivalent of a C50, straight to the M109. I test rode my hubby's 9 first, to make sure I would like it and could handle the weight.

The first time I rode it and had to lean into a sharp bend, I admittedly noticed the difference in the tire size and handling. I had to throw my weight a little harder to make that lean, but it only took me a few minutes to make the adjustment to my riding style and have an enjoyable cruise on the 9. When I got back onto my own bike I, of course, had to re-adjust to less weight and the smaller tire and I hit the first curve with a little too much oomph, LOL! It made me laugh, because I remembered my husband telling me the same thing happened to him when we switched and he rode my Volusia.

But, trust me when I tell you, the M109 is a more enjoyable ride, overall and IMHO it handles BETTER than the smaller Boulevards. It just takes a little getting used to, but it will only take you one ride to get the hang of leaning a little harder and throttling a little more "gently", due to the torque of the 9...it's got quite a twitchy throttle! I think you'll love it and will adjust to the minor differences very quickly! I say, GO FOR IT! :bigthumbsup::bigthumbsup:

 

[ixm01ws6]

my brother owns a C50T , in my experience it isn't as nimble as the 90.. if your a billy bad ass on the 9 and ride a 90 of course your already acclimated to throw the thing in the turns, but honestly it takes less to lean it, nuff said..
but lets get back on track with the original poster thread

People who rode the 90 AND 109
speak up.

 

[Hink]

I have rode the 90. I cannot say it handles "better". I can say compared to a 9, it feels like you're riding a tic-tac on wheels. It does take a little less to throw it around a bend, but I wasn't taking bends any faster than I would with my 9. For example, if I take a bend at 40mph on my 9, scraping pegs, I was taking that same bend at 40mph, scraping pegs. Handling better to me, would mean I could take such bend/turn at 50mph, instead of 40mph with the same or less effort than it does with my 9. My opinion of course.:doorag:

 

[TORQ]

I'll just suffer with my 9. And be staired at.

 

[rynosback]

But it and don't look back. You can adjust to any bike out there. You just have to learn it's or your limits.

 

[bthuss]

thanks for the responses here. i just want to make sure i wont miss the handling on the 90 if i sold her. if i do it, i'm looking to see if i can get an 09 LE.

One question for those that have ridden both: how does the lean angle differ? can you lean over more or less on one bike or another BEFORE the pegs hit?

i can drag mine on the 90 and i still have about 1/4 inch of chicken strip on my rear tire. are you right on the edge with the 109 when you peg drag?

thanks again

brad

 

[Hink]

i can drag mine on the 90 and i still have about 1/4 inch of chicken strip on my rear tire. are you right on the edge with the 109 when you peg drag?

thanks again

brad

This should answer your question...

 

[bthuss]

thanks. on a side note, my buddy just got a 2005 C90T and he is installing cobra dragsters and FI2000r on it. he's never done anything like the FI install before and i was searching for a thread on FI install. i see a bunch of comparos but not any details on the install.

is it even worth searching more (i.e.. its so easy there is no need) or is there a good thread for install details? i was looking thru your long list of FAQs (which is great btw) and didnt see anything there.

also, he has a box under the bike where the stock exhaust goes into and out of. what is this? some sort of cat system?

thanks for all of the help.

 

[Hink]

thanks. on a side note, my buddy just got a 2005 C90T and he is installing cobra dragsters and FI2000r on it. he's never done anything like the FI install before and i was searching for a thread on FI install. i see a bunch of comparos but not any details on the install.

is it even worth searching more (i.e.. its so easy there is no need) or is there a good thread for install details? i was looking thru your long list of FAQs (which is great btw) and didnt see anything there.

also, he has a box under the bike where the stock exhaust goes into and out of. what is this? some sort of cat system?

thanks for all of the help.

Installation instructions of a FI2000R with Pictures
I have no clue about the C90T

 

[bthuss]

so i decided to go for it. i worked out a great sale on my m90 and found a great deal on a new (leftover 09) M109rLE. its a 2 hour ride to get the new bike, but it was the best price. i pick it up tomorrow.

i figure im giving my 90 a good home and i still get to ride with her since its right down the street. i loved the M90 so im hoping i love the 109 just as much. if its anything like the m90 i'm sure i will and i have to admit i just love the white on the m109.

thanks for the input here and wish me luck.

 

[The Chief]

so i decided to go for it. i worked out a great sale on my m90 and found a great deal on a new (leftover 09) M109rLE. its a 2 hour ride to get the new bike, but it was the best price. i pick it up tomorrow.

i figure im giving my 90 a good home and i still get to ride with her since its right down the street. i loved the M90 so im hoping i love the 109 just as much. if its anything like the m90 i'm sure i will and i have to admit i just love the white on the m109.

thanks for the input here and wish me luck.

I seriously doubt you'll regret it

 

[jdmitchell]

so i decided to go for it. i worked out a great sale on my m90 and found a great deal on a new (leftover 09) M109rLE. its a 2 hour ride to get the new bike, but it was the best price. i pick it up tomorrow.

i figure im giving my 90 a good home and i still get to ride with her since its right down the street. i loved the M90 so im hoping i love the 109 just as much. if its anything like the m90 i'm sure i will and i have to admit i just love the white on the m109.

thanks for the input here and wish me luck.

You won't regret it. Good luck and get used to it before ya go crazy and you will be fine. Just remember the 109 comes on earlier with the wave of torque compared to the 90. Ride safe.,:congrats: