Being an ex-cruiser rider myself I have something to say about riding comfort. I had a 1985 Honda Shadow VT1100. Excellent bike. Great low end torque and respectable acceleration as well as top end speed. Nothing compared to elbandito by the way. As far as comfort goes, I rode the Shadow from Dayton, OH to Joliet, Ill. (about 40-50 miles southwest of Chicago). After about an hour, my rear end started getting very uncomfortable. another hour later, it was brutal pain. After about three hours, numbness set in and I couldn't feel it anymore. Lower back pain is also an issue. I don't own a Bandit anymore, I have a 1995 kawasaki GPZ1100 which, with the LSL handlebar conversion kit I put on, is almost identical in riding position to the Bandit. Three weeks ago I met some buds over in Indiana and cruised around southern Indiana on all those fantastic twisty roads. We were in the saddle at least 10 hours on saturday. The only really bad pain I experienced was from a sharp stabbing pain on the right side of my spine in between my shoulder blades which is from a pre-existing condition I've been seeing my chiropractor for. The butt was a bit sore because of the seam from my tightie whities but that's about it. In summary, I'll take the Bandit's/GPZ's riding position over a cruiser for long hauling any day of the week. Not to mention handling characterisics and performance. (And that's all I have to say about that......Forest)